Lately, we’ve been thinking that our motto should be: “The community with heart in the heart of the city.” As usual, your community league board has been working on a lot of projects recently, and they all seem to be about things that reach the heart—the heart of our community, the heart of the matter.

You will have read in the Journal, the Chinese community newspapers, and elsewhere in this edition about the united protests that the Chinese community, Boyle Street Community League, and Riverdale Community League have made to city council and transportation department about the proposed LRT route through Boyle Street community. The two main issues have been the lack of community consultation, which has led to bad decisions due to lack of a full picture of our community and its needs, and the negative implications of the proposed route, which cut a slash through the heart of historic (and recently renewing) Chinatown without giving thought to the residents there.

We have worked hard not just to protest but also to find options and potential solutions—the whole LRT Working Group believes we must be part of the solution! The group asks the city to “do the right thing for the community, and do the thing right!” LRT, done right, has a lifespan of a hundred or more years. It is worth taking the time now, at the planning stage, to make sure that Edmonton in the future has the best service possible.

We also continue to be active in planning our new community centre, which will be in some ways our heart within the heart. The building is going up, as you can see if you walk, bike, or drive along 103a or 104 Avenues, 95 or 96 Streets. It’s exciting to see—and maybe a little nerve-wracking too, because Clark Builders, bless ’em, are ahead of schedule, and that means we are looking at a “soft opening” of our doors as early as June 1, 2012. Sometimes we say “Yay!” about that, and sometimes we say, “Yikes! So soon?!”

By the time the centre opens we want it to be beating like the heart of the community, acting as a destination for the community and for the area and the city at large.

We’ve been working on the financial and business planning for quite a while now. We’ve also started taking all of those needs assessments we did over the past few years and turning it into program planning. We’ll be hiring a community animator in the fall to work all winter turning our plans into a real schedule of events and programs.

By the time the centre opens we want it to be beating like the heart of the community, acting as a destination for the community and for the area and the city at large. We are going to have some great theatre and festival spaces where we can put our own performers, and city-wide professionals and amateurs, on stage and in our outdoor amphitheatre. With the right sponsorship, we’ll soon have a community-centred recording studio where youth, storytellers, and community historians can record our songs and stories. We’ll have rooms for classes and community events. We’ll have space for community recreation. And of course, our space is bookable by community groups, agencies, individuals, and families.

If you have programming you’d like to see in our new centre, give our community league message line a call at (780) 422-5857 and someone will call you back (but remember, we’re all volunteers, so it may take a day or two!) We won’t have our community outreach staff until fall, but we’re collecting ideas – and volunteers for the planning committee – right now! And remember, until the end of 2012, community league membership is free. You still have to sign up and get a membership card to enjoy full community league benefits, so get in touch, and become part of the heart!

Call Boyle Street Community League at (780) 422-5857 and leave a message. One of our board members will return your call as soon as possible.