No Grocery Store

In my conversations with Queenston Street residence there is one thing that comes up over and over again- a grocery store. The Queenston Street neighbourhood has few options when it comes to buying their food. The closest full grocery store is the Food Basics on Harzel Road. If you are walking it takes 30 minutes to get from the hospital to the grocery store. Thankfully there is a bus route that goes down Queenston to Hartzel, but if you have ever taken the bus you know the frustrations of lugging more then one thing onto the bus, never mind your groceries.

Does Queenston Street need a closer and more accessible grocery store? What makes Queenston a prime location for a grocery store? What kind of grocery store would you like? A market? Fresh produce? Give us your thoughts.

What would you put in place of the hospital?

Yesterday I stood in front of the hospital with my flip-chart. Talking to over 50 men and women passing by, I asked a simple question: "If it was up to you, what would you put in place of the hospital?" We all know that the hospital is shutting down in the next few years and that it is going to be redeveloped. These were the suggestions of those who stopped to offer their opinion.

• 16 + votes: Old-age home/Senior residence
• 16+ votes: Low-cost housing/Affordable housing
• 6+ votes: Health Care facility
• 6+ votes: Community Centre
• 5+ votes: Long-term care facility
• 3+ votes: Something for cancer patients and their care givers
• 3+ votes: New Hospital
• 3+ votes: Water park/pool
• 2+ votes: Grocery Store
• 2+ votes: Children Facilities- support centre, counselling etc.
• 2+ votes: Employment Centre
• 2+ votes: Park: Rehab centre
• 2+ votes: Urgent care facilities
• Apartments
• Teaching hospital
• Paintball field
• Hospice
• Housing for those with disabilities
• Condos

What do you think? If you were given a huge patch of bare land in the middle of the Queenston community, what would you build there? No limits, no budget. What would you add to your community? Make your vote or add to the list.

Greater St. Catharines Community Health Centre

I wanted to pass on news about a very exciting initiative that is happening within the Queenston community. The Greater St. Catharines Community Health Centre is beginning to establish its roots in the Queenston neighbourhood by setting up its office on Queenston Street and having a community nurse available to the public at Start Me Up Niagara every Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Check out GSCHC's website for all the details of who they are and where they want to go within the Queenston community. This holistic health centre is going to be a big asset to the community.

Women4Women Sharing Circle

This afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting a group of four Queenston residence that meet on a weekly basis for a sharing circle. The sharing cirlce, always changing in size, is a safe place for women to come and talk about whatever is on their mind and have a cicle of friends who are there to support and encourage them on their journey in life.
The sharing circle is an extension of Women4Women, a weekly drop-in for the women of Queenston Street. When I heard about the sharing circle, I decided it was a great opportunity to get the perspectives of those who live in Queenston and those who are passionate about their community. Here are their responses to the same questions that were during the meeting on the street. Please add your thoughts and comments and contribute to this community conversation.

Q. What do you like/dislike about the Queenston neighbourhood?
*bolded text indicates points that were also mentioned during the "Meeting on the Street"
Like:

• churches (Westview, Church of the Ressurection, Church of all Nations, Westminster)
• Foot Clinic on the corner of Queenston and Tasker hands out free food
• Community Garden in Centennial Park
• Ozanem: cheap lunch

Dislike:

• poor signage on Barryman for trian
• traffic on Barryman and all side streets between Queenston and Welland Ave.
• Community garden frequently is stolen from- participants would like to have signs posted, reminding passer-bys that the plots are paid for and are not open to the public
• Drug dealers
• Queenchester Terrace residence are not cared for
• Welcome Wagon does not service this area
• Police do not respond to calls unless they are an immediate emergency
• Garbage on the streets
• Haynes Street Park is not taken care of
• No parking at Start Me Up
• Prostitution on Gale Cres.
• Stigma attached to Queenston
• Absentee Land lords

What has kept you in Queenston?

• Finances
• Women4Women
• family
• Connaught School and Kernahan Park School
• Children's Clinic at the hospital for kids with mental illness

What suggestions do you have to make Queenston a better place to be?

• Community Centre: safe, clean place to hang out, without stigma
• Homes for run-a-way kids: Block Parents
• Neighbourhood watch
• Take empty lots and turn them into community gardens
• Grocery Store/market
• Co-op: volunteer and you get discount on items
• Free laundry mat and showers for those on the street
• Instead of giving hand outs, have marginalized population do work in exchange for basic needs such as food and shelter- give them ownership and pride in their achievments
• Street clean-ups
• Cigarette butt pales
• Family friendly playgrounds; pool
• small library
• Benches at the bus stops and on the streets
• Basic computer skills training
• Green space
• Home visits for social/friendship support

Do you like the direction Queenston is going? Explain.

• With the hospital leaving, many services are leaving
• Need to have landlords that actually live in the neighbourhood
• Businesses are undesirable: we need to be more picky with what comes into the community
• Unsure about mixing the economic levels with new developments
• Excited about mixing the economic levels

What has been the best thing that has happened to you since your involvement with Women4Women?

• Actually seen as a somebody
• Positive self-image
• Positive Friends
• Acceptance
• Church family
• Being able to help other people
• Being able to stretch the budget
• Learning how to deal with other types of personalities.