Ross (the Boss) of NDG's Blog

  What if NDG became a neighbourhood where everyone was both a teacher and a student? There's something I've come to appreciate more and more as I've grown older. Every person we meet knows something we don't. Think about that for a moment. The elderly gentleman sitting on the park bench may have spent forty years as a carpenter. The young woman serving coffee might be a talented musician. The neighbour down the hall may speak four languages. The retired schoolteacher might love helping children discover the joy of reading. The teenager upstairs might know more about computers than most adults ever will. And the grandmother who recently arrived from another country may have a lifetime of wonderful recipes, traditions and stories to share. Imagine all that knowledge. All that experience. All those wonderful talents. Right here in NDG. Now imagine what might happen if we began sharing them. What if our entire neighbourhood became one enormous classroom? Not a classroom wi...

  What if everyone in NDG knew that somebody would notice if they weren't there? There's something wonderfully comforting about walking into a familiar place and hearing someone say: "Good morning! It's wonderful to see you!" But I believe there's something even more meaningful. It's when someone says: "I haven't seen you for a few days. Is everything okay?" Those few words communicate something extraordinary. They tell us that our presence matters. That someone remembers us. That we're more than another face passing through the neighbourhood. We're part of someone's world. Today, I'd like to share a simple idea for transforming NDG. Let's create a neighbourhood where people don't simply recognize one another. Let's create a neighbourhood where people notice when someone is missing. The Beautiful Power of Familiar Faces Think about the people you encounter regularly. The gentleman who walks his dog every morning. T...

  What if we stopped guessing how to help our neighbours—and simply asked them? There's a question that has the power to change someone's day. Sometimes, it might even change their life. It's only four words. “What do you need?” Not, “Here's what I think you should do.” Not, “Let me tell you what's best for you.” And not, “I know exactly how to solve your problem.” Simply: “What do you need?” Today, I'd like to suggest that these four words could become one of the most important foundations of A NuVo World. Because if we're serious about transforming NDG into an extraordinary community, perhaps we should begin by listening more carefully to the people who live here. Everyone's Wonderful Life Looks a Little Different Imagine two neighbours living in the same apartment building. One is a retired gentleman who lives alone. The other is a young mother raising two children. Both may be experiencing difficulties. Both may appreciate some assistance. But their ...

  What if every table in NDG had room for one more? There's something wonderfully inviting about an empty chair. Not a chair that's been forgotten. Not a chair waiting to be put away. But a chair deliberately left open. A chair that quietly says: "There's room for you here." Today, I'd like to share a simple idea that I believe could help transform NDG into one of the most welcoming communities imaginable. Let's make room for one more. Not necessarily in our homes. Not necessarily at every meal. But in our lives. In our conversations. In our activities. And in the little circles of friendship we create throughout our neighbourhood. Because sometimes the difference between feeling lonely and feeling connected is nothing more than an invitation. The Invisible Walls Around Our Little Circles Most of us have our routines. We visit the same shops. Sit with the same friends. Attend the same activities. Talk with the same neighbours. There's nothing wrong wit...

  What if every person in NDG made one tiny improvement to our neighbourhood every day? There's a beautiful philosophy I've always admired. It's wonderfully simple. Leave things a little better than you found them. A room. A garden. A sidewalk. A relationship. A conversation. A community. Wherever you go, whatever you do, try to leave something just a little better than it was before you arrived. Today, on Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to suggest that we make this one of the guiding principles of A NuVo World. Because I believe something extraordinary could happen if thousands of people throughout NDG began living by those eight little words. Leave it better than you found it. Imagine What We Could Accomplish Every day, tens of thousands of people move through our neighbourhood. We walk along sidewalks. We visit parks. We enter shops. We use public transportation. We pass through apartment-building lobbies. We sit on benches. We enjoy the beautiful trees and green spaces t...

  What if we made NDG a place where nobody's special moments went unnoticed? Today, I'd like to share a simple idea that could bring an extraordinary amount of happiness into our neighbourhood. It doesn't require a new building. It doesn't require a large budget. And it certainly doesn't require an organization. It simply requires us to become a little more interested in the wonderful things happening in one another's lives. Let's become a neighbourhood that celebrates together. Life Is Filled With Little Victories When we think about celebrations, we usually imagine birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and holidays. And those are wonderful occasions. But what about the hundreds of smaller victories happening throughout NDG every single day? A child learns to ride a bicycle. A teenager passes a difficult examination. Someone gets their first job. A newcomer receives their first Canadian paycheque. A neighbour completes a course. A senior walks around the block...