Calgary flood anniversary to include 'Neighbour Day' celebration
Mayor Naheed Nenshi wants Calgarians to mark community reaction to disaster with barbecues, block parties
The city has declared June 21 as "Neighbour Day" to celebrate how Calgarians came together during last year's floods to help each other.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi says it’s been a tough year for many after the city was hit by the worst flood in its history. But on June 21, he wants Calgarians to celebrate what they've gained — a stronger community.
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“Get to know your neighbours. Invite them over for a barbecue. Throw a block party, do a community clean up if you're so inclined,” he said.
“I’m really encouraging Calgarians to reach out to their local community association to see what's being planned. And even better, organize something yourself because I think the best way for us to remember the incredible outpouring of citizenship after the flood is for us to be together with our neighbours.”
It will be a chance for people to celebrate the good things that came from overcoming a challenge, says Nenshi.
“The mental issues after a crisis, anyone who does crisis management will tell you are as important as the physical structure damage and in fact that is one of the reasons why instead of just commemorating the bad thing that happened, celebrating the good right things that happened is the right thing to do right now.”
Details of a formal commemoration event on June 20 will be released soon.
