Annual Report 2018
A Word from the Chair ›› he last year has shown that Fernwood continues to be a thriving neighbourhood. In that time we have seen the culmination of many of the Fernwood NRG’s efforts. The mixed-use building which was built at 1310 Gladstone is fully rented, and the anchor tenant is the Fernwood Yoga Den. The new space is larger and more functional than the previous space. We’re proud that we’ve built a building that looks like it was always there. The childcare services continue to thrive. The Provincial Government’s Universal Childcare Protype daycare pilot program has allowed us to offer care at much more affordable price—less than $200 per month. We think this helps make life in our city more affordable for families and we hope it becomes a permanent program. To that end, the province has asked us and parents to participate in surveys and other measurement and data collection exercises. We’ve been more than happy to work with them because we’re hopeful that our participation in this program will help it become a new provincial program
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available to families across the province. It’s an exciting prospect to be at the leading edge of the first new social program in at least a generation. The community centre sees some other very vibrant activities that contribute to out neighbourhood community. If you haven’t attended yet, Family Dinner Nights on Mondays allow people to enjoy a healthy hot meal and meet your fellow Fernwoodians. If you’re younger and far cooler than me, you might want to attend the Student Dinner Night on Wednesdays. They include entertainment that ranges from local musicians to the best slam poets in the city. Then again, you might prefer more private company. If that’s the case, don’t miss out on the Good Food Box, which is like a buyer’s club to help you get cheaper groceries. It’s packed and delivered by a wonderful team of volunteers and we prioritize locally grown, unsprayed produce with a focus on seasonal fruits and vegetables. These are only some of the programs delivered through the Community Centre. There are many more programs that I could talk about, but I would encourage you to explore fernwoodnrg.ca to learn
Michael Lancaster
about them. So, what’s next? That’s a good question. We’ve built affordable housing and created food sustainability programs. The village businesses are thriving. FernFest has become one of the hottest (free) tickets on the Victoria social calendar. We’ve painted our hearts on our telephone poles. But our neighbourhood is continuing to change. There are more kids and the schools are expanding. We want to keep Fernwood Funky. To do that, we want to tap into the
dynamism of the people who helped us make this the most livable neighbourhood in the city. The Fernwood NRG Board has some great new volunteer board members from the neighbourhood. With that comes new energy and ideas. We will be exploring ways to tap into our neighbourhoods creative ideas. This might take the form of another visioning forum like we had in 2011. One things for certain, we want everyone to stay tuned for the next chapter. 2018 Annual Report
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