On Monday, March 2nd  interested residents braved the cold and joined me and representatives from a large selection of community resource services for Alta Vista’s first ever Community Safety and Resource Night.

Residents had the chance to visit various booths, gather information, ask questions and found comfort in the added insight on the roles and functions of the different community resources. The open house styled evening was capped by presentations by Ottawa Police, Ottawa fire Services and Ottawa By-law Services.

The event brought a mix of safety, social, housing and youth services under one roof, and focused on the importance of a proactive approach to addressing concerns within the community, and the ease of access to all these community services.

The take-away message from the evening is the importance of a connected, informed and engaged community in the formation of a warm and vibrant neighbourhood.

Alta Vista’s Community Safety and Resource Night demonstrated the importance of having opportunities to raise awareness of the resources available, and reaffirmed just how lucky we are as a community to have such a wealth of knowledge and resources to tap into.