A banner at the intersection of Beacon Avenue and the Pat Bay Highway shouts a joyful message from the Peninsula Celebrations Society – “A splash of colour we can all celebrate.”
For more than three decades PCS has organized community events such as the Sparkles Parade, Breakfast with Santa, Polar Bear Swim, Summer Sounds, Canada Day, Treat Street and Easter Egg Hunt. Those gatherings are now banned due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leaving PCS to find new ways to celebrate with the community.
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“We, as a community, are getting through this,” board member Joan Beattie said in a news release. “While it may look completely different this year, we can all still reflect and celebrate in our own unique ways.”
The message aims to inspire residents and passersby as the province slowly reopens after many businesses were closed, and social distancing protocols put in place in March to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“No one person’s story is the same,” Beattie said. “We wanted the design of the banner to reflect that; to allow for individual interpretation. We didn’t want to tell people what to think because we don’t know what their experience has been and how this has affected them.”
The PCS expects to be back planning the events that forge neighborhood connections and civic pride before too long.
“We love our community and the kind and caring people and businesses that help make this a great place to live. It’s been said that challenges can bring out our true colours,” Beattie said. “Whatever your interpretation, feel pride in being part of a community and a nation that is getting through this, one wise and cautious step at a time. ”
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c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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