Why I LOVE My Community!

Meghan Heikoop ~ Smithville

I love my community because it gives us a shared identity, which creates a family-like relationship with other residents of Smithville.

Whenever I go into town, I almost always recognize some-

Linda Emslie ~ Beamsville

A art and artisans

B beach, bicycles and beer

C community, cherries, cafes and curling

D dance

E education and essential services

F farms, flowers and food

G Grimsby, gardens and grapes

H heritage, history, homes and hockey.

I ice wine, involvement, interests and interaction

J Jordan and jobs

K kayaks

L Lincoln, libraries and the lake

M music and museums

N nature and nursing homes

O older people

P people, parks and paths

Q quality and quiet

R restaurants and rural roads

S summer, swimming, shopping and skating

T trails and towns

U urban

V vineyards

W West Lincoln, wine and winter

X xtra ordinary!

Y young people and the YMCA one I know. I either played soccer with them during the summer (Go Warriors!), marched beside them in the Santa Claus Parade, or competed against them in the West Niagara Fair.

Z zest for life.

We were proud when the West Lincoln Community Centre was built, and excited when Dollarama opened. We reminisce about Buzzard’s Pizza, or the fun times we had at the Poultry Fest.

We make plans to meet up at the Canada Day Celebration, which was a blast last year. Each shopping trip at the local grocery store is a reunion with someone you know. Smithville residents have a tightly knit relationship with each other and a unique identity we can be proud of.

Brian Howie ~ Beamsville

Every person over 20 years knows how beautiful and Safe and Lucky we are to live in our small part of the planet.

Fresh peaches , produce, neighbours that say hello. I say over 20 because younger people especially children have an absolute right to be free of the foolishness the adult’s heap on each other.

We hold true to who we are when you take a minute to help a stranger or go to a Remembrance Day ceremony.

We are Niagara.

Hunter Family ~ Beamsville

We love our community because our street near the Fleming Centre has many neighbours who have become good friends to us. We help each other, give each other gifts and meals and play together.

Our street has lots of familiar faces and families. We greet each other when we see one another and chat on the street.

We are at different walks of life, some have young kids and some

Joanne Charbonneau ~ Grimsby

My husband and I moved to Grimsby six years ago to be closer

Lexi Zych, 8 ~ Grimsby

are retired but we are welcoming and kind to each other.

This past summer Family Worship Centre church in Beamsville hosted a summer camp and lots of people from our neighborhood joined the camp. It was very community building for our neighborhood!

We also love hanging out at our new Rotary Park in Beamsville with our neighbours. We love living in our neighborhood and we love our community in Beamsville!

to my oldest daughter and her family. As you may have guessed, that’s the main reason I love living here. But of course, there’s so much more!

I love hiking and there are some incredible trails that encourage the love of nature. The beauty the Niagara region has to offer is immense! It’s hard to define because it presents itself in a variety of ways to different people.

For me it’s the connection to nature that keeps me feeling the power of my own body, as well as the link to my spirituality. I also enjoy striking up conversation with other hikers. Whether I am with someone or if I meet others along the trails, I find it easy to have an authentic conversation without the distractions of daily life. I love my community because wherever I am, there is always a trail nearby.

Hiking helps me celebrate aging with vibrancy and joy!