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Vibrant communities need more than cute cafés

Le Marché St. George story reminds us to be neighbourly
le marche
We have learned to love our neighbourhood cafés, but when it comes to our individual neighbours, not so much, says columnist Jessica Barrett. Photo Dan Toulgoet

On the face of it, the story of Le Marché St. George appears to be a victory for community involvement.

The charming corner grocer and café has been a popular fixture in its East Vancouver neighbourhood for the past five years. It’s a gem of a family-run haunt in a rickety old house that adds much-needed character to Vancouver’s increasingly homogenous neighbourhoods. More than that, it offers a rare gathering place where people who live in the area get to know each other.

We need all the places like that we can get. It’s no secret our city isn’t exactly known for its stellar social skills. A recent survey by Insights West shows only 17 per cent of us have invited a neighbour over for coffee in the past 12 months, lagging far below the already abysmal regional average of 25 per cent. And only about a third of us bother to introduce ourselves to newcomers to the neighbourhood. No wonder many of us report a sense of social isolation.

So the outpouring of community support that saved Le Marché from imminent closure last week after bylaw officers found its café operations to be in contravention of city regulations seems like a sign of progress.

But the story isn’t as simple as that. Lost in the celebration over the news that Le Marché would live on — with a commitment from the city to apply some long overdue creativity to its antiquated zoning structure — is the reason that bylaw enforcement got involved in the first place. And it’s in this aspect of the story that we see the impact of our lack of interpersonal relations. Sure, we have learned to love our neighbourhood cafés, but when it comes to our individual neighbours, not so much.

Take, for instance, the situation of the legally blind woman who lives next door to Le Marché. She finally called the city after several requests they keep the sidewalks clear of tripping hazards failed to yield results. I spoke with the woman last week, and although she has been identified in at least one media story, she asked that I not use her name for fear she’d be targeted by some of the nearly 16,000 people who rushed to defend the café in an online petition. And after viewing some of the online comments vilifying the complainant, I don’t exactly blame her. That a blind woman is now in fear for her safety after making a perfectly reasonable request that she be able to safely come and go from her home speaks volumes about our civic shortcomings.

This woman is adamant she does not want the café shut down. In fact, she was horrified her complaint may have inadvertently threatened the business. She merely wanted to be able to walk out of her house without the threat of bumping into bicycles and strollers, stumbling over a planter or, in the worst imagined scenario, whacking a small child with her cane.

She has sympathy for the café’s owners, who, she realizes, can’t realistically be expected to monitor the goings on outside the establishment at busy times. But as Le Marché gains popularity, the increasing activity — and a constantly shifting landscape of people and objects outside — have made it increasingly treacherous.

It seemed to me this is the type of problem that could have been solved with a few acts of neighbourly conscientiousness, rather than intervention from bylaw enforcement. I asked this woman whether she felt she could simply ask people to either clear the way or help her navigate the space. Her answer was disheartening.

“It’s hard to ask for help because people look at me like I’m intruding,” she said, noting there have been times people have seen her coming and don’t bother to get out of the way, or even pick up small children who are playing in her path. “It’s like people don’t recognize what a white cane means anymore.”

Nor, it would seem, do people recognize building vibrant communities requires more than hip cafés. It also means developing a sense responsibility for one another and taking an active role in creating the kind of social connections we crave.

So sure, let’s celebrate the story of Le Marché and continue to support our favourite neighbourhood establishments. But we while we’re doing so, let’s remember to look up from our lattes every once in a while and take care of our actual neighbours as well.

Jessica.Barrett@gmail.com

@jm_barrett