City wants to honour some mighty neighbours

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on February 9, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The City of Lethbridge is introducing a campaign called Mighty Neighbour: Winter Warrior edition to provide a way to shine a spotlight on people who are showing small acts of kindness and consideration to each other in the winter.
 Transportation Community Coordinator, Heather Gowland said Thursday they have examples of what makes a mighty neighbour on their website.
 “We have created some fictional comic book style heroes to inspire people to think about somebody in their neighbourhood who might be doing some of these really amazing acts,” said Gowland.
 The characters are Snow Shoveling Steve, Poop-Scoopin’ Penny and Gavin the Gutter Buddy.
These characters have stories associated with them that can be found on the city’s website where residents can also find a nomination form to nominate their neighbours.
 “At the end of each month we are going to draw one of the nominations that’s been made, and we are going to give them a Mighty Neighbour certificate and a small gift of recognition. We would also like to share that story with the community,” said Gowland.
 She said that based on how the campaign goes, the City will decide if it will continue for other seasons. She said they want to get as many nominations as possible.
 “If you have a neighbour who is helping you out, nominate them, let us know the story. We’ll look at all kinds of behaviours like those who are always picking up dog waste, someone who cleans out the gutters on the street, but we also would love to hear stories from other types of behaviours that people are doing to help their neighbourhoods look great,” said Gowland.
 She said they chose the three character’s behaviours to describe a mighty neighbour because they know those are things that are getting done and are three different activities which are very impactful to make a great neighbourhood.
Tyler Maier, the City’s general foreman of Transportation Operations, says it is important to keep street gutters clean for safety reasons.
 “To make sure things don’t overflow and create ice in the winter. In the summer for drainage to avoid flooding. Also, so people can see where they are going as some of them are in crosswalks or intersections and if they are trying to cross the road and there is a big puddle of water, you wouldn’t know if there is something underneath that you can trip over or get hurt with, said Maier.
 And regarding the importance of picking up after your pets do their business, Director of Services and Enforcement with Community Animal Services, Skylar Plourde says dog feces are considered litter and it can be not only a nuisance but also damage vegetation and spread disease to other animals and people and contaminate water sources.
“Part of keeping your neighbourhood clean and healthy is by picking up dog waste and that goes for both public spaces, where it should be picked up immediately and disposed of in a garbage can, but also not allowing dog waste to accumulate on your own property,” said Plourde.
 He said a City bylaw requires people to pick up dog waste and there are fines for not doing so. City rules include the boulevard and sidewalks in front of people’s properties, pathways and trails.
 “We want to make sure those places are healthy and safe for people and pets,” said Plourde.

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