In 2012 my wife, daughter, and I purchased our home here in McCauley. We moved in mid-summer and were able to experience all that summer in McCauley had to offer. We met some of our neighbours, and started to settle in. Of note were the neighbours immediately on either side, Mario and Vittoria Sarnelli and Wally and Ingre Lysz. That sealed the deal and we felt like it was home.

Over time we got to know more and more folks. In 2014 (or 15, I forget) we got involved with the Revitalization project and met even more amazing people. That blossomed into my joining the Community League board the next year and becoming its Chair a year later. It’s been an incredible ride, and I’ve found myself engaged and committed to an adopted community that I am proud to be a part of.

Over the past years we’ve sponsored several events like the Spring Fiesta, Movie Night in the Park, Bend it with Beat, Halloween Nights, and Christmas events. We’ve also attended numerous City Council meetings, went to bat for residents at City Hall, and given interviews to the media about the community. I’ve always been proud to represent and promote our home community, and despite some of the obvious challenges that come with living here, we remain positive.

So it is with a heavy heart and some sadness that I share that Steph and I are selling our amazing home to pursue a new adventure in British Columbia. This will likely be my final article. I am grateful to have had this column to share with you all the League has done, and to have heard from so many of you over the years.

The work I’ve been a part of does not leave with me. In fact, I hope that my legacy is simply that anyone can make a difference – you just have to get up and show up. The League is in particular need of help as always, and even more now due to recent budget cuts from the City and lack of casino fundraisers via AGLC.

I encourage anyone and everyone to think about where they are at and what they want to be a part of. This entire COVID-19 pandemic has made a lot of people take a pause and look at their lives and make decisions. I think that is a good thing, because it refocuses us and makes us evaluate what’s important. If your home and community are important to you, this is a great chance to get involved. Speak with your neighbours and get to know each other. Speak to a League member or grab a membership from Zocalo. It is up to each of us to see the best in each other and the community. Be the change you want to see in the world (to quote Mahatma Gandhi).

I can honestly say that our time in McCauley has made a lasting impression on all of our lives and helped me, in particular, tap into a part of myself I can truly be proud of: McCauley Proud.

There are too many people for me to thank and acknowledge, but I think you all know who you are. And, in the words of the dolphins from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: So long, and thanks for all the fish.

_Greg is the President of the McCauley Community League. He can be reached at league@mccauleycl.com