A Westside Story
Dear Residents:
I recently received an email from a west-end resident who has witnessed some troubling things in her neighbourhood as of late. Without going into too much detail, she was feeling not so great being a relative newcomer to the area, but she said the following:
"I actually like it here. We have some really kind neighbours, and I feel more of a sense of genuine community here than I ever did in the more affluent area we came from."
Her second sentence essentially sums up the hidden gem that is our west-end. That despite all of the challenges we face, it is that hidden sense of community that distinguishes the west-end from any other place in our city. Sometimes it takes an outsider new to the area to remind us how lucky we are to be living in a unique place whose history is rich, but whose future potential could be far richer if we are able to come together as a community.
I want to further recognize how she expressly stated the "more affluent area" she came from implying that although the west-end does not have the highest income per household in the region, our sense of community far outweighs any material wealth or property value. This is our strength and we must use this to our advantage every time we are confronted with a challenge or opportunity.
I am grateful and proud to be a west-ender and it is people like her who remind me that our greatest asset is not our buildings or history, but us, the people. We must never lose sight of this because it is people that form great neighbourhoods, and it will only be people (west-enders) that will make our west-end the best place to live, work and play.
Sincerely,
Fabio Costante
I recently received an email from a west-end resident who has witnessed some troubling things in her neighbourhood as of late. Without going into too much detail, she was feeling not so great being a relative newcomer to the area, but she said the following:
"I actually like it here. We have some really kind neighbours, and I feel more of a sense of genuine community here than I ever did in the more affluent area we came from."
Her second sentence essentially sums up the hidden gem that is our west-end. That despite all of the challenges we face, it is that hidden sense of community that distinguishes the west-end from any other place in our city. Sometimes it takes an outsider new to the area to remind us how lucky we are to be living in a unique place whose history is rich, but whose future potential could be far richer if we are able to come together as a community.
I want to further recognize how she expressly stated the "more affluent area" she came from implying that although the west-end does not have the highest income per household in the region, our sense of community far outweighs any material wealth or property value. This is our strength and we must use this to our advantage every time we are confronted with a challenge or opportunity.
I am grateful and proud to be a west-ender and it is people like her who remind me that our greatest asset is not our buildings or history, but us, the people. We must never lose sight of this because it is people that form great neighbourhoods, and it will only be people (west-enders) that will make our west-end the best place to live, work and play.
Sincerely,
Fabio Costante
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