The City of North Battleford reports SAGE community barbecues were popular during August.
According to City numbers released last week more than 300 residents attended last month.
SAGE stands for Safety, Acceptance, Guidance, Engagement. SAGE hosted the barbexues in three neighbourhoods in August as a way to bring people together and find out what they think about safety in the community.
Visitors enjoyed food while meeting their neighbours, a key goal for SAGE.
According to a city news release, various activities were available to kids, including face painting, crafts and balloons courtesy Larry the Balloon Man.
One special attraction was a puppy brought to the barbecue at Connaught School by Battlefords RCMP. There were also prizes supplied by WPD Ambulance, the NationsWEST Field House and the City.
SAGE members reported they were pleased with the turnout and the contacts and insights that were shared.
“One of our primary goals at SAGE is to engage the community and work together to make our City safe,” says Herb Sutton, Community Safety Co-ordinator, in a statement. “We have gained a lot of very good feedback, which we will take back to the entire group to use for further engagement opportunities.”
The SAGE organizers got some positive feedback from those in attendance about what they liked most about their community.
“Kids said they loved North Battleford for the many parks, swimming, schools and their family ties in the community,” said Tonya Browarny, one of the organizers who is currently doing a practicum with SAGE.
Meanwhile, they reported that feedback from the adults at the event indicated they generally felt safe in North Battleford because they know their neighbours. The feedback indicated although there are lots of police calls, many of them are not for really serious crimes.
Those results and feedback were presented at the SAGE group’s annual general meeting Sept. 7.
The barbecues are only one component of community engagement. Sutton indicates they will be meeting local businesses in September to talk about SAGE and discuss their goals and what they are doing to build a safe North Battleford.
“Local businesses are vital to our community and it is equally important to get their perspective on the current state of safety in North Battleford and what they think they can do to contribute to a safe City,” Sutton said in a statement.
