What do you love about your Brampton neighbourhood?

The city of Brampton is unique, without a doubt. It’s incredibly diverse, it’s one of the youngest cities in Canada (boasting a youth population of 130,600 people between the ages of 14 and 29), and it’s continuing to grow and develop in exciting new ways. And you can play a role in that.

If you’re interested in shaping the future of Brampton – and your neighbourhood within it – now’s your chance with the city’s Nurturing Neighbourhoods program.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Nurturing Neighbourhoods program was created with the goal of getting residents more involved within their communities and encouraging civic community building. With this program, you get to play an active role (and even take the lead!) in shaping the future of your neighbourhood and making your voice heard.

The program is virtual again in 2021 due to the pandemic, but it’s bigger and better than ever, with more ways to participate in the community-building process.

There are three main ways you can get involved:

1. Go on a virtual (or real) walk with the city’s walk videos.

This year, city staff have recorded 15 virtual walk videos for a variety of Brampton neighbourhoods, which are posted online for everyone to view. They’re a great way to explore your city from the comfort of home. If you really want to get out of the house, you’re invited to do the walk yourself and use the videos as a guide for everything worth seeing and checking out in the neighbourhood. You’ll discover there’s a number of great hidden gems in Brampton, such as:

• Franceschini Bridge: Opened in Summer 2018 after being formally abandoned, the colourful Franceschini Bridge provides a crossing option for pedestrians and cyclists over Highway 410, just north of Williams Parkway. The vibrant bridge is the result of much revitalization: The City removed and replaced paint, provided a coloured, decorative asphalt surface, installed a lighting system, and even installed a new railing system and cover plates.

• Joyce Archdekin Park: One of many of Brampton’s many gorgeous parks is made even more beautiful with its cherry blossoms, which are known to bloom in late April/early May. While they’re quite a sight to behold in the Spring, Joyce Archdekin Park is well worth visiting year round.

• Downtown Brampton PAMA (Peel Art Gallery Museum + Archives): PAMA is Brampton’s premier destination for art and culture. You’ll find various ways to engage with the museum’s exhibitions, including games and activities, touch centres, reading areas, quiet corners and more.

Check out the virtual walks here.

2. Take the neighbourhood survey and let the city know exactly how you feel.

Once you’ve walked through the neighbourhoods (either virtually or in real life), you’re invited to share your thoughts on what you like about your neighbourhood and what could be improved. You can do so by taking the Neighbourhood Survey. The survey is quick (only 5 to 10 minutes) and in-depth. Topics include the location of the neighbourhood, getting around it, safety, public spaces, the environment, arts and culture, and more. It’s the best way to directly provide feedback on your neighbourhood!

Take the survey here.

3. Use the online mapping tool to point out specific problems or areas of opportunity in your neighbourhood, and check out what others have to say.

Another great way to provide feedback on the area you live in is to point out an exact area of the neighbourhood that needs to be highlighted – whether it’s a place you love or a place that could be improved. You can provide that feedback with the convenient and easy-to-use Online Mapping Tool. Simply drag your pin to the location you want to highlight and write a comment. Staff will use the information they get to revitalize Brampton’s neighbourhoods and ensure they’re all well-suited for comfortable, sustainable living.

Use the mapping tool here.

The Nurturing Neighbourhoods program is proud to partner with The Region of Peel, Peel Regional Police, Credit Valley Conservation, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and is generously sponsored by Alectra and Enbridge Gas.

For more information on the program and how you can get involved, visit brampton.ca/neighbourhoods and follow the City of Brampton on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @CityBrampton.