Bolton

                                                      Bolton - A Safe Neighbourhood

My Bolton neighbourhood is considered a safe place to live.  My experience to support this is evident by observing my neighbours who live on my street, the infrastructure of the town, the facilities, and the community at large.

As I walk through my neighbourhood, the number of parks and hiking trails for everyone to enjoy are real positives.  Parks, to me, symbolize safety as they involve children, adults, the elderly and the youth coming together to enjoy the outdoors.  To share more about my neighbourhood, the street I live on is adjacent to R.J.A. Potts Memorial Park.  I don’t know much about R.J.A. Potts; however, I do know that this park has a lot to offer and is a safe place which is obvious from the amount of people from all walks of life using it.  It includes a water park, 2 areas for swings and slides for the younger children, a basketball court for the youth and young at heart, hills, trees, and a walking trail for everyone to enjoy.  A new addition to the park is an indoor Bocce court, i.e., a European form of bowling.  This is new for me, and I am looking forward to checking it out.  Attached to this park is St. John The Baptist elementary school where my son attended many years ago.  When I am home during the week, I can hear the children at recess time, outside, safely enjoying their school grounds and each other.   

My street is called Sheardown Trail, and it is attached to Lansbridge Street which leads to a plaza all within walking distance from my home.  Within this plaza, we have a drugstore, Shoppers, a convenience store, Bolton’s Convenience, a frozen food store, M&M Meats, a ladies clothing store, Eternal Ladies Boutique and  5 restaurants, Wah Wi Chinese food, Mercato’s Italian food, Pizza Pizza, Wendys, and a new addition, Mohan Dhabba Indian food which is my personal favourite.  Some of these restaurants open very late and I am fortunate to be able to walk to the plaza to either sit in or pick up food while feeling very safe no matter what time of day or night. 

A new addition within my neighbourhood, is a whole new development of town homes.  These are beautiful 3 storey homes that replaced one building in the middle of a small field.  The new neighbours appear to be young couples, singles, and families of all ages.  My feeling is that they chose this area to be part of a safe and friendly community with much to offer.  There is also another area at the bottom of my street being prepared for even more town homes.  

In closing, one of the best things about my neighbourhood is the fact that I moved here many years ago with the goal of living in a safe neighbourhood while bringing up my son.  Although the town has changed dramatically, and my son is now an adult, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the sense of safety while living in the beautiful town of Bolton.