Residents turn to community action amid Salt River, Woodstock violence

Residents of Salt River and Woodstock are moving from discussion to action, forming volunteer workstreams focused on safety and policing, youth and families, and community building after a workshop responding to crime and gang violence.

By YASEEN BARDIEN

Residents of Salt River and Woodstock are turning to community action to address safety concerns in their neighbourhoods, with volunteers signing up for three workstreams following a workshop on Saturday, August 22.

The workstreams focused on safety and policing, youth and families and community building. The event was hosted by Umbrella Civic Ward 92, formerly Ward 57+. About 60 people attended.

Saturday’s workshop, held at the Salt River Community House, differed from the earlier meetings, according to Umbrella Civic member Magali von Blottnitz. This time, the intention was not only to discuss the issues but to identify people, resources and actions.

“Up to now, we’ve only had engagements with community members where we were throwing ideas and just discussing broadly,” she said.

“What we are doing today is a bit different because we’re going to be mapping resources. We’re going to look at connecting the dots, who is busy with this kind of work, how do we connect them and where do we need to reach out.”

Von Blottnitz said residents had raised concerns about safety, children lacking support structures and the condition of the neighbourhood.

The workshop opened with two candles being lit in remembrance of people who had lost their lives to crime and gang violence in Salt River and Woodstock, followed by an interfaith prayer led by Reverend Clifford Jones of St Luke’s Anglican Church in Salt River.

Participants were then divided into groups and encouraged to get to know each other before working through ideas raised at previous meetings. The ideas were displayed on three boards placed at various points around the venue, with residents given an opportunity to add their own suggestions.

Residents in the safety and policing group considered anonymous tip-off boxes and other safe ways of communicating information about crime, engaging with drug houses and revisiting the allocation of the ward budget. A longer-term proposal was to establish a neighbourhood watch in Salt River that would not engage in racial profiling.

For young people, participants discussed creating more opportunities for residents to interact with youth through activities such as soccer, talent shows, gardening and walks. Swimming lessons, dance classes and support for parents of neurodiverse children were also suggested.

Members of the community were split into groups to share solutions at the workshop on August 22 responding to crime and gang violence in the Salt River / Woodstock area. The workstreams focused on safety and policing, youth and families and community building. (Photo: Yaseen Bardien)

The community building group looked at ways of creating spaces for residents to meet and exchange skills, reaching vulnerable young people and involving ex-offenders in speaking to youth. Participants also discussed reaching out to new residents and an “invite your neighbour” day, with a Woodstock-Salt River Streetopia festival suggested as a longer-term possibility.

But the workshop was not simply about finding solutions. One participant, referring to safety and policing proposals, said: “None of these make me feel safe.”

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The comment came against a backdrop of recent shootings in the area, including the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old man in Burns Road on August 3.

For von Blottnitz, the desired outcome was that attendees left with hope.

“I think for me it will mostly be to get the community to come out with a sense of optimism and a sense of being able to do something, and a commitment to doing certain actions,” she said.

“I don’t want to prescribe what it will be; it needs to be owned by the community, so that’s really community ownership.”

Rishqa Brown from Umbrella Civic said participants would be responsible for managing the workstreams and taking the ideas raised during the workshop forward. The organisation would act as a bridge to connect them.

Residents turn to community action amid Salt River, Woodstock violence

Residents of Salt River and Woodstock are moving from discussion to action, forming volunteer workstreams focused on safety and policing, youth and families, and community building after a workshop responding to crime and gang violence.

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