Every first and third Thursday of the month, our Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association (HSCA) comes alive with Neighbour Night — a free, welcoming event where neighbours of all ages gather to share a meal, try something new, and build community. Whether it's card-making, zine making, storytelling, or chalk art in the parking lot, each Neighbour Night brings a fresh activity and a whole lot of heart. These evenings offer more than just fun — they create space for connection, creativity, and conversation in a time when we need them most.
Read on for a wonderful reflection from one of our talented facilitators, Sima, about the July 3rd Neighbour Night! The next Neighbour Night will take place on Thursday, July 17th where we’ll make DIY Card Making! Please RSVP by emailing Claire at Claire.L@hsca.ca
Chalk Night by Sima Chowdhury
Our July 3rd Neighbor Night involved chalk art and letter writing kits. During our dinner of noodles and sandwiches we nervously watched the weather hoping the rain would break long enough for us to go outside to do some drawing in the back parking lot. Abir brought recycled sheets of giant cardstock where the children sketched their ideas until everyone finished eating. They were so excited that we did a quick introduction and while we had a break from the rain everyone rushed outside. While the facilitator, Erica, had some prompts to get us thinking about themes to connect with our neighbors, the children led the way, working together to draw a bunny and beautiful messages promoting peace among other works of art.
Collaboration, community building and creativity are positive influences that promote well-being. These protective factors can help us navigate during difficult times, so it’s important to practice coming together to do fun things with supportive people. Naturally after all the excitement, the event ended early as the children collected their coloring books to take home and the adults received a letter writing kit.
Because no one writes letters anymore, sending them to politicians with our concerns often attracts their attention better than an email. Handwriting or a drawing takes extra time and effort that reflects our commitment to our ideals. When they are aligned with current events our concerns become harder to ignore. Writing letters together allows people to share ideas around the issues they care about and if enough people have similar concerns, they become harder to ignore. The letter writing kits contained paper, an envelope and a pen. Letters to the House of Commons don’t require postage.
As facilitators Erica, Abir and I had to be creative, flexible and ready to meet people (and the weather) where they were at, so we could all have a great time. Abir always has a lot of supplies on hand for participants of all ages. While I didn’t get a chance to talk about letter writing, I’m glad I have the opportunity to capture the essence for the blog and other community members. The next Neighbor Night will be July 17th where everyone will make upcycled greeting cards.