With another summer behind us, we at Boyle Street Community League can bask in the sense of a job well done as new opportunities beckon. As you read this, we’ve just cleaned up after Alberta Culture Days and the House of Refuge is undergoing a transformation thanks to Panmela Castro and her band of local artists.

As we told you earlier, Panmela is an internationally acclaimed activist and graffiti artist. She was to be in our area earlier this year, but due to a few visa snags is only now in Edmonton. Her visit will result in a brilliant new piece of art for Boyle Street – just one of the many opportunities knocking on our community’s door.

Boyle Street Community League Program and Membership Administrator Melissa Milakovic is hard at work with her job of not only coordinating this art project, but of creating programming to entertain, enrich, delight, and engage one and all.

She writes:

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, opportunity can be defined as “a good chance for advancement or progress.” Having the Boyle Renaissance Plaza as the new home of the BSCL has provided an opportunity to create a new sense of ‘heart’ and a new way of engaging our community.

With the new center only months away from opening and the Boyle Street Community League Board working tirelessly behind the scenes advocating on behalf of all community members, we are excited about offering innovative and inclusive programming that we hope will serve Boyle Street residents of all ages and walks of life.

Expect a vibrant hub of arts and cultural programming all throughout each week: a game of basketball in the gym, a yoga class in the multi-purpose room, a crafting course in the classroom, storytelling, skill-sharing, dancing, cooking, playing, and, most importantly, building a strong, integrative community.

Our facilities can accommodate everything from a fabulous birthday party or wedding to a board meeting, staff retreat, or full-on conference. We can help you mount a poetry reading, play, or teen dance, host a homework club, bring your cultural community together for a celebration, or just shoot a few hoops.

That new community was in full evidence as one and all gathered for Community League Day on September 22 at Mother Teresa Park. Organized by Melissa, this event featuring light snacks, games, mingling, fun and, most importantly, information about Boyle Street Plaza, was a fabulous success! We met with our new neighbours and heard first hand what they expect and need from the community league.

It’s an interesting exercise to refocus back into people. The past few years have been taken up with process as we worked with the City of Edmonton and YMCA to build this wonderful new facility. We’ve focused on the nuts and bolts, but now as opening day draws ever nearer, it’s time to look to the people who will animate the centre. What do you need from us, what does your family need? Our facilities can accommodate everything from a fabulous birthday party or wedding to a board meeting, staff retreat, or full-on conference. We can help you mount a poetry reading, play, or teen dance, host a homework club, bring your cultural community together for a celebration, or just shoot a few hoops.

To contact Melissa, please call (780) 720-9684, or email melissa@heartofboylestreet.ca.

To contact me, please call (780) 422-5857 or email evamarie@heartofboylestreet.ca.