The Neighbourhood Project
Tell us about your neighbour and you both can win some local swag!
Thank-you for entering. Please note this contest is now closed. View some of our winner & fav submissions below.
Do you have a neighbour who goes above and beyond to make your life or community better? It can be a grocery run, helping looking after your yard, cleaning up your street or just greeting everyone with a smile and a wave.
As long as we can see the light, we know that this pandemic will soon come to an end. Here's to those neighbours who brighten up our lives through good conversation & good deeds.
Your local CBC station wants to shine a little light on you both with a glowing prize pack for both you and your neighbour.
How to enter:
Tell us about your neighbour by e-mailing the CBC Radio One show where you heard about the contest.
Morning Edition
Saskatoon Morning
Afternoon Edition
Saskatchewan Weekend
Did you hear about the contest on the CBC Saskatchewan News at 6? Tweet Sam Maciag & Fiona Odlum to enter.
TUNE IN!
102.5fm, Regina & area - The Morning Edition, The Afternoon Edition and Saskatchewan Weekend.
94.1fm, Saskatoon & area - Saskatoon Morning, The Afternoon Edition and Saskatchewan Weekend.
540 am, across the province - The Morning Edition, The Afternoon Edition and Saskatchewan Weekend.
Click here for a full list of CBC Saskatchewan local programming
Prize pack details:
- Never forget the '90s as you blaze new paths with this red CBC plaid backpack.
- Impress the entire neighbourhood by cranking Saskatchewan Weekend Saturdays at 6 a.m. with this floating, waterproof and high-quality CBC bluetooth speaker.
- Stay hydrated while enjoying the nature in your neighbourhood with this collapsible CBC water bottle.
- Keep an eye on the finish line and never lose your way with this CBC hanging lantern.
- Protect your eyes while also catching the attention of all your neighbours by sporting this limited edition CBC Saskatchewan ball cap.
Contest ends Friday, June 11, 2021 at 12 noon.
*Submissions may be edited for length
I would like to nominate The Hepps in Regina who live on Martin Street. They are beyond the most kindest neighbours around. They have been in the neighbourhood over 35 years. Over the years you will see small but huge gestures: snowblowing people's driveways and city side walks, laying down sand or salt on the sidewalks to prevent our elderly neighbours (actually anyone!) from slipping, picking up crab apples from peoples trees & making them pies, rolling back people's garbage/recycling cans after garbage day, helping them put mulch in the front yard, picking weeds, putting bands around trees that are falling apart and picking up groceries/dropping off to our neighbours during covid. They even have a gnome and fairy garden in the front yard for the little kids to stop by and play - kids even come and add in their gnomes and dolls! They are also so friendly and always stop by to say hi when they are you on the street. Their son also asks if he can drive you to doctor appointments or to get your covid shot. The Hepps are the best neighbours anyone can ask for and we are so blessed to have them in our neighbourhood! ~ Andy Hudson **WINNER**
Laura is my 'neighbour' in the sense that I garden in her backyard. She rents the house I grew up in so I'm gardening in the dirt I used to make mudpies when I was a little girl.
Laura is a thrifter, a dumpster diver, a back alley cruiser, a finder who comes home with treasures that others no longer want. She shares her finds of clothing, household items, food and countless other items with the Friendship Inn, the Food Bank, Lighthouse and with other people in need. And she shares the dirt she finds with me!
Laura looks after people. She has friends with addiction issues that she helps - with food, clothing, friendship and support. And I've been privileged to meet some of these people too. They're smart, funny, creative and some of them have helped an old lady (me) with the heavy garden work.
Laura not only keeps things out of the landfill and contributes to her community but she also kind, generous and accepting. If there was an award for someone like her she'd be at the top of the list. ~ Lynda Holland
We have been neighbours for 26 years. They moved in when their first child was 4, a year older than ours, and our kids became the best of friends. Deb and Derek Doll opened their house to our children, and were never too busy to have some play time. They look out for our house when we are away, mow our grass between our houses and always put out our garbage and recycle bins on the right day (I only have to put them away!) They had a dog - so we didn't have to get one - and have been the best of neighbours. ~ Kathy Strutt
I'm writing to nominate my neighbour, Anna Mansiere Bristol. Every spring and summer for the last few years, Anna makes popcorn for all the children on our street. She hangs an orange balloon fish on the tree in front of her house and the kids know, "Anna's made popcorn!" And they can each help themselves to a bag of the most delicious popcorn. She puts the individual bags in a clear plastic tub on the front deck of her house. For my kids, the days when Anna makes popcorn are the absolute best. She took last year off because of the pandemic, but this year she's taking all the necessary health precautions — which certainly means she's spending even more money than in previous years — and she's making popcorn for the kids again. I just know that it means the world to the children on our street. It means the world to me. I grew up in an African village where the culture was such that if you came home from school and your mum didn't have lunch ready, you could go over to one of the neighbours, have lunch there and dash back to school. Anna's popcorn always reminds me of that, how it takes a village to raise a child. She's, for me, the African aunty, except Anna's White. ~ Iryn Tushabe
Loved this contest; beside me Mariane and Jim had COVID this February and we only knew from the coughing once spring came and the windows were open, because we don't see each other during the winter! Their garage is around the corner. I said you should have told us we could have brought groceries (we were under self-isolation at that point from our own direct exposure!) but they said no problem they both had sisters helping them. They have zero concerns about our often escaping cat going into their yard, and don't mind our dog barking to be let back in once she's done her business; they have voluntarily come over and chopped down the branches of their beautiful plum tree where it overshades our deck, and most recently we discussed how to landscape our front yards to match, while they lent us their longer better spraying hose so that we could prep our shared fences to stain them.
On the other side, John and Gloria have come and knocked on our door because they were locked out in Winter, rototilled our garden, lent us ginger when we were Christmas baking and ran out, given us the building history of our home as we've only been there five years, and most recently they advocated for us when the City Contractors destroyed part of the bottom of our driveway while replacing the sidewalk! John even got me the phone numbers I needed to call, and has been out there supervising everyone to make sure I don't get ripped off! In the Winter he runs his snowblower in both directions as far as he can go. He is always looking out for us, and I love our neighbourhood. ~ Andréa Ledding **WINNER**
They lovingly provided after school childcare for our children last year when our schedules created a gap between bus drop off, and the end of my wife's workday.
During the pandemic we would check on each other, making sure everyone was doing OK, and though for a long while there were no hugs, the Brees were often forced to be the audience for various plays and skits our kids would perform for them in their front yard--and were always gracious and appreciative, no matter how goofy the kids' ideas or performances were.
Not a holiday goes by where we don't wake up with a small handmade card or bag of goodies on our doorstep to help the kids celebrate.
My favourite memory, though, is from a few years back, when my eldest daughter had a Princess-themed birthday party. Our daughter of course invited Rita and Les, and Rita stole the show, arriving in full princess regalia, complete with tiara and sparkle wand. We were all blown away, but our little girl thought nothing of it--there was no multi-decade age gap in their minds, Rita was just one of the girls; a true friend.
Our family loves our house, and loves our neighbourhood, and the Brees are an enormous part of why we feel that way. We feel so blessed to have neighbours as wonderful as Les and Rita Bree. ~ Don Sparrow **WINNER**
I would like to nominate my Father and his neighbor. Frank and Russell have lived on the same street in the area of Parkridge in Regina for over 25 years.
Every week they are cutting lawns, sweeping sidewalks, putting out water for dogs and much more! ~ Michele Ellingsen **WINNER**
We have the absolute best neighbours: Dean & Shelley. Our kids, 3 & 5, call over the fence to them every time they go in the yard. They always come & talk to the kids and even will come out of their house to answer the call. Their dog and our kids exchange gifts - sidewalk chalk and dog toys recently. Dean, Shelley and their teenaged sons join in on the sidewalk art with our kids. They let us play with their dog and gecko. Last summer, they loaned our kids water guns and had a water fight over the fence. They gifted us their empty patio furniture box so we could make a fort and exchange treats with the kids.
They really, really went above & beyond when our daughter broke her arm in March and stayed in our house in the middle of the night while our son slept when we were released from ER. They truly are the best neighbours & we are so lucky to have them! ~ Courtney Forseth **WINNER**
We literally have the best neighbour in Lawson heights area. They moved in about 2 years after us and we have clicked ever since then. They are similar age to us and have a kid on the way due in about 1 month. They are both always asking to help us with our backyard as we did a big landscape renovation. Just this last weekend Jordan came over and helped us sod our backyard. They changed the shingles on their house about a month ago and we didn't want Naydene helping since she was 8 months pregnant so we went over to help them as well. If anything looks wrong at the time we aren't afraid to text one another to make sure it's ok. Ex) did you mean to leave your garage door open. Happens often!! We get married July 10th and they are due July 6th for their first baby!! ~ Kolby Rice
My neighbours Claire and Len are the best. They've become like an aunt and uncle to my 6 year old son, and we have become especially closer since the pandemic. Often times during the lockdowns we saw no one else except Claire and Len while shovelling snow or mowing lawns.
A little background....We moved next door to Claire and Len in May 2018 and when we walked up to our new home, a vase full of fresh cut lilacs were waiting on the step. Instant warm welcome to the culdesac. I have coffee with Claire many mornings in our front yards as we chat about the going's on in the "Rise". She will always look out for her neighbours to make sure we are all safe. They foster pups with New Hope. In fact, our two dogs came to us via Claire. Len often takes our dog for extra walks when he needs another walking buddy.
As a semi-retired nurse Claire has been working long hours to assist with vaccinating our province. She's also been a kind ear when I need help deciding how to manage the care of my elderly mother who moved in with us just before covid hit.
If there was an award for Best Neighbours Ever, Claire and Len should win it. They are one of the main reasons we finally found a place to put down roots. (We moved something like 9 times in 5 years...) Heck, they're so great they've even invited us to use their cabin!
I like to think and truly hope that we are as good of neighbours to them too. But we learned from them what it means to have a neighbourhood community and for that I am thankful. Thanks for listening to my TEDtalk. ~ Megan Lust