Meeting on the street: Question #3

Thanks to all who participated in our street discussion today. There was a great response and some great suggestions. Below are all the recorded answers to the question: "Do you like the direction the Queenston community is going?" The answers posted are not all shared by Common Space. However, every response is valued and appreciated. Please read through the responses and add your comments or thoughts about what those on the street had to say.

Do you like the direction the Queenston community is going?

*bolded texts are comments that were repeated by many participants

• The hospital needs to stay
• The plans to bring residential development into hospital location would improve neighbourhood
• More shops would attract more people
• More low-income housing will be a plus for the community but you need to make sure there are support systems in place
• The community is going the direction of Detroit with bars on the windows
• The Plazas and big box stores have taken over the small businesses and will continue to do so
• Need to start meeting people on the street- meet people where they are
• This community can't get any lower than what it is now

Do you agree with what has been said? Let us know and leave a comment.

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Meeting on the Street: Question #2

Thanks to all who participated in our street discussion today. There was a great response and some great suggestions. Below are all the recorded answers to the question: "What are your suggestions for how this community could be improved?" The answers posted are not all shared by Common Space. However, every response is valued and appreciated. Please read through the responses and add your comments or thoughts about what those on the street had to say.

What are your suggestions for how this community could be improved?

*bolded texts are comments that were repeated by many participants

• More security
• More social services
• Garbage cleanup: have it as part of community service hours
• More garbage cans
• Perception of the community needs to be changed
• Give respect to businesses and forget their past history- let them start fresh
• Community Watch Program
• Have people intentionally look out for the community
• Keep the Employment Help Centre- major loss to have it go
• Railroad tracks need to be improved
• More social services should do the Adopt a Street program to keep the streets clean
• "too many people, too few jobs"
• More jobs: anything that will employ people- cooking, dish washing, roofing
• Bike lanes that are actually used
• More patrol of the streets
• Churches need to be playing more of a role in the community
• Keep businesses in the community
• When you take the businesses out of a community, you take away it's character
• Hire local people for local jobs
• Bring in a grocery store
• In the hospital location, put in a drug and rehab center that will help individuals within the community.
• In the hospital location, have a shelter for the homeless
• Have a place for people to go where they can be themselves and not have to conform
• Prevention centre
• Cheaper rent, better housing
• More food banks
• Keep the hospital
• Have social services and government on the street and interacting with the people
• No more surveys
• Get rid of the sex-trade workers and drugs
• More affordable housing
• The government needs to start taking a lead on reviving this community
• Teach people how to budget
• Get more people involved in helping
• Need more drug counselors
• Crack down on the drug houses: hard for recovering addicts to recover when it is everywhere you go
• More shops need to be started to attract more people
• Support systems for low-income housing

Do you agree with what was said? Share your thoughts and leave a comment.'

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Meeting on the street: Question #1

Thanks to all who participated in our street discussion today. There was a great response and some great suggestions. Below are all the recorded answers to the question: "What do you like/dislike about the Queenston community?"
The answers posted are not all shared by Common Space. However, every response is valued and appreciated. Please read through the responses and add your comments or thoughts about what those on the street had to say.

What do you like/dislike about the Queenston Community?

*bolded texts are comments that were repeated by many participants

Like:

• Tim Hortons
• Fortis Restaurant
• "people are who they are."
• convenient location/ central location
• The people are great
• Good bus drivers
• The Hospital
• Nature & Gardens
• "Element of surprise and character"
• Different cultures/lifestyles
• Good bus routes
• "St. Catharines is the most beautiful place I've seen."
• People have no prejudice
• People are beginning to take pride in their homes and starting to make improvements
• Social agencies are centrally located

Dislike:

• Liars: "you can't trust anyone in this community"
• Street lights are not synchronized
• A lot of traffic
• People are not paying attention to cars
• Many empty businesses on the street
• Not enough politeness from youth
• Traffic restrictions on Barryman
• Smokers on the sidewalks outside of the hospitals
• Garbage on the streets
• Don't feel safe
• Drugs & Sex-trade workers
• Bad reputation that the community has
• People don't take time to get to know the community and it's members
• Break-ins
• Pan-handlers
• Poor housing
• No health inspections- 8 Church Street
• Slum-land-lords

Do you agree with what has been said? Leave your comments and thoughts.

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"Meeting on the Street"

Keep your eyes open for a large flip chart and two facilitators walking the streets of the Queenston neighbourhood on Tuesday, July 27th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Looking to engage residents in a community discussion, Suzanne Veenstra, Community Animator with the Niagara Prosperity Initiative, will be walking the streets looking for willing participants. Asking questions of pedestrians, Suzanne will record the answers gathered on the street and then post them here, on Common Space. You are welcome to add or comment to the discussion on Common Space.
Stay tuned for the results from the "Meeting on the Street."