People in the community participate in the Jane’s Walk in 2013 at City Hall in Belleville. Courtesy by Becky MacWhirter
By Selena Steele-Clough [1]
BELLEVILLE – A popular spring activity, intended to bring people together in a celebration of the community, will return for another year on May 5 to 7.
The Jane’s Walk [2] has been held every year on the first weekend in May. It celebrates the ideas and legacy of the author and urban planning activist Jane Jacobs [3], by offering free walking tours. Belleville is one of 1,000 walks in 212 cities who hold the event worldwide. It has expanded to 26 countries and six contents, according to the Jane’s Walk website. [4]
The walk was founded in Toronto in 2007 by a group of Jacob’s friends who wanted to honour her ideas and legacy. Jacobs is best known for her book The Death and Life of the Great American Cities [5]. It introduced groundbreaking ideas about how cities function and evolve.
Led by local knowledgeable and passionate volunteers, Jane’s Walks will take participants on discovering their neighbourhood, giving everyone an opportunity to discuss and reflect what matters most to their community.
The Jane’s Walk was taking place in 2014 in Belleville where walkers talk about stories affecting the community. Courtesy by Becky MacWhirter
Belleville volunteers have come together for more Jane’s Walk tours than any other city with a similar size in the world according to Mary Beth Bateman, one of the organizers and volunteers for the walk.
Bateman told QNet News that Belleville had done 15 different walks since it first started doing it in Belleville in 2013.
“What’s very interesting is when you have done 15 walks in a small community, what more can you possibly think of?” she said. “That being said, every year people come up with creative ideas.”
Becky MacWhirter, former walk leader and now an organizer for Jane’s Walk said that she thinks this event is an awesome way for people to share their ideas.
“Some people are kinda hesitant to try and influence how our communities are developing,” she said. “This will be an opportunity for people to go out and talk about how they would like to see their neighbourhood expanding.”
Last year there was five different walks and one bike tour where people got insights into some of Belleville’s historical, educational, musical, and agricultural properties throughout the city.
It is yet known how many walks will be taken place this year as organizers are still planning on how many walk leaders there will be.
For more details on the Belleville walks, visit their Facebook page [6] or website at janeswalk.org/canada/belleville [7].