Getting to know your neighbourhood and the people in it is one way to increase safety.
“I believe the more people you know in your neighbourhood, the less fear you have,” said Linda Bruins, coordinator of Evergreen A United Neighbourhood.
“When you walk by someone’s house and go ‘oh, Linda lives there,’ you have that extra reassurance,” she said.
Evergreen, who led a walk in the Ogden-Simpson area, was the host of one of three Jane’s Walks in the city Saturday.
The walks, named after urban activist Jane Jacobs, aim to get people to know their neighbourhoods better and by increasing neighbourhood presence, lower crime.
“If somebody’s going to do some kind of crime, vandalism, they’re not going to do it if they see 20 people walking around or a few people walking around. It’s going to be a deterrent and it just might get them walking with us,” said Genevieve Cernjul, Evergreen board member.
With a 67-year-old man robbed and assaulted on Cameron Street early Saturday morning, having a presence of people in the area is important, said Cernjul.
“The deterioration of these neighbourhoods didn’t happen overnight and up keeping it isn’t going to happen overnight either,” Cernjul said. “Revitalization is going to take a while also.”
Not only do the Jane’s Walks bring people together, but they also shed light on the history of each neighbourhood.
For the Ogden-Simpson area, one highlight is Ogden Community School, which is 110 years old.
“Every place has some story behind it and until you start delving into the history, one doesn’t realize it,” Cernjul said.
In addition to Jane’s Walk, which happens the first weekend in May every year, Evergreen holds community walks every Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The other walks held in Thunder Bay Saturday were in the Bay and Algoma Historic District and the Waverley-Prospect area. There is a Jane’s Walk Sunday in Westfort at 1 p.m. starting at the Dilico Education Centre (the former Heath Park School).
