Dear Editor,
I have been meaning to write this letter for a long time now. It has nothing to do with the lancers, the parkade, or the transit plebiscite. Its’s simply this: friendliness. I try and do a fair bit of walking around New West, and it never ceases to amaze me how few people I pass on the sidewalk say, ‘Hello’ – let alone even make eye contact and/or smile.
Be it Sapperton, Uptown, Downtown, or Queen’s Park – it doesn’t matter. New West has been a great city for us, and was a wonderful place to raise our family. But I must say, if I were a newcomer to this community, I wouldn’t be feeling overly welcome. I realize it’s not just New West, as Vancouver has rather sadly been dubbed one of the unhappiest cities in Canada. New West is now the site for a pilot project called ‘PlaceSpeak’ in hopes of connecting neighbours via the internet. Certainly a positive step for our online world. But maybe we could start with this: If you are out and about, and pass someone on the sidewalk, maybe smile and say, ‘Hello.’
Easy-peasy and guess what … feels good! (And no password required.) Enjoy.
Barb McDonald, New Westminster
