A Carney Hill Neighbourhood Story

A Carney Hill Neighbourhood Story…

The Carney Hill Neighbourhood has been a community with diverse needs for many years. Unfortunately, the views generally held about this community are often disparaging and do not reflect the truth of the people that live and work in the Neighbourhood. Our Neighbourhood is referred to by the media and general public as “the Hood” and it is not so kindly assumed that the problems here will not go away. To address some of these concerns, the community rallied together to form the Carney Hill Neighbourhood Centre (Society) in 1992. Incorporated in 1994, the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of CHNC deliver programming and services to this community from a grassroots approach. For the past 16 years we have provided quality, affordable childcare programs and free accessible youth and family programs and services to residents such as after-school programs, community kitchens, women/men’s support groups, parent supports, health education/awareness programs, employment assistance, clothing exchanges, small quantity pantry services, monthly food buying club, movie nights, computer, internet, faxing services, sewing machine use, community events, cultural programs, volunteer & recreation opportunities and any programs by request. We provide the only free drop in centres for all ages within two different low income neighbourhoods. In 2004, a Community Development Steering Committee was formed in collaboration with the UNBC School of Environmental Planning. Our collaborative vision is to create one large facility (a gathering place) that would be a source of community pride, a centre that would meet the needs of all members of the Carney Hill Neighbourhood and be a catalyst for positive change by providing safer and healthier options especially for our peer pressured youth as seen from our own experiences and as requested by neighbourhood parents. Youth as young as 8 years old are presently being solicited by the prostitution ring on their school grounds. Young women are being kept drug induced indoors to turn tricks and are now less visible and reachable on the streets. It is here where gangs are actively recruiting youth to commit high crime including activities within the drug, weapon and sex trade.

Our Carney Hill Neighbourhood geographic boundaries are set by a natural neighbourhood layout, government census tract delineations, includes the VLA (Veteran Lands Act) and lies all within the boarders of 2oth Avenue, Queensway, Hwy 16 and Hwy 97. It is the closest, largest, low income neighbourhood with the highest crime rate next to the downtown core.

We are in this together!
We need your support for positive change!

Please contact:
Carney Hill Neigjhbourhood Centre’s Community Development Coordinator
at
spiritlodgepg [at] hotmail [dot] com
or 250-563-2222