Updated November 9, 2020: The event is confirmed. It will occur online, via Zoom. Please register via Eventbrite.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2020, starting at 7:00 pm we will host an online meeting where you can meet our Bonnie Doon Watch leader, Darryl Lagerquist. Darryl is eager to hear your questions & ideas re reducing crime & improving safety in Bonnie Doon.

Also at the event you can meet local EPS constables and learn about the city's NET program. The Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) began with a conviction that community safety is best achieved through partnerships. The Team is supported by Edmonton Police, City of Edmonton, The Family Centre and the United Way.

If you have put your name forward for Neighbourhood Watch, we strongly encourage you to attend. Thank you for volunteering and we will make every effort to keep you informed of this and other community safety initiatives.

(We intend to join Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch but their process is exceedingly slow.)

Written by Bonnie Doon resident Barb Neil:

"Two years ago I ordered radon detection kits from University of Calgary’s Evict Radon to test my Bonnie Doon home, built in 2002, and my brother’s Lendrum home, built around 1960. These long-term detectors were in place for four months, over the winter, when radon typically builds up houses. I thought my home would be fine and my brother’s might show moderate levels of radon. But in fact, my home showed high levels, and the Lendrum home very little.
 
Radon is uranium gas released through the soil. Odorless and tasteless, it dissipates in outdoor air but can build to dangerous levels in confined spaces. Air tight homes with basements and sump pumps – the types of homes we build in Canada – trap radon and circulate the gas through our heating systems during the winter months. High radon exposure over time negatively affects human health and can cause lung cancer.
 
It’s possible the soil in Bonnie Doon emits more radon than Lendrum, but it’s likely the higher radon level was the sump pump. Building code in 2002 did not require an airtight cover on a sump pump. The area around the sump gave off high radon readings. The highest readings however, were in the furnace room; air was being pulled from around the sump pump towards the furnace whenever the heating system booted up. And all that radon/furnace air was being distributed throughout the house! After installing a radon mitigation system, radon levels dropped immediately, from above Canadian maximum levels, (200 Bq/m3), to half of the World Health Organization maximum level, (100 Bq/m3).
 
While Evict Radon tests cost more, your results will be added to the project’s data base, and be used to map and compile a picture of which neighbourhoods and lands have higher readings, creating a broader understanding of Alberta’s overall radon situation. Test kits also can be purchased from hardware stores and radon monitors can be borrowed from the Edmonton Public Library but the wait list is long!"

Link to Evict Radon
 
 
 
 
 

Some of us have no idea who our neighbours are. Others host street parties and know the first names of many on their block. Researchers are discovering there are health benefits to being connected with your neighbours and risks to being isolated.

Since 2014 the league has taken advantage of Edmonton's support for Abundant Community, an initiative that nurtures connections between neighbours (here & here). Recent developments (!) have motivated us to increase our efforts in this area.

Some background:

• When the pandemic first hit, we put out the call for people who could support isolated seniors by picking up groceries and doing other small tasks. Over 50 Bonnie Doon residents stepped up!
• A recent increase in back lane break-ins resulted in a number of Bonnie Dooners organizing around Neighbourhood Watch. We've nominated our rep for Edmonton NW and are preparing events to promote looking after each other.
• Our Abundant Community work has created a network of more than 20 Block Connectors that build connections between neighbours. Some connectors hold BBQs, bonfires & street parties, some share news of nearby births and deaths, etc.
  

The league expects the upcoming pandemic winter to test out mettle. We wrote this post to to tell you we plan to reinvigorate our "neighbouring" initiatives. If you want to join in the discussion you can write to Mark at [email protected].

Stay safe. And say, "Hi!" to that neighbour you've been meaning to introduce yourself to!