Page 46 - 06_July-Aug-2025

THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR
What does it actually mean to be a good neighbour?
T
o most of us, neighbourliness means waving
hi on our way to work, pushing that snow
shovel an extra few metres to clear the next
sidewalk, maybe lending a cup of sugar. But for
Tammy Greidanus, a resident of Glen Allan in Sherwood
Park since 2009, being a good neighbour means knowing
all of the neighbours on your block and looking out for
one another.
Once a summer, as many as 60 of her neighbours pack
sleeping bags, snacks and head to Gilmore Park to cozy
up for a movie projected on a big screen. On another
occasion, they held a bike parade to raise funds for a
new playground. And every May 4, they dress up like Star
Wars characters to pick garbage off their streets.
“I always say that the force is strong in our neigh-
borhood,” says Greidanus. That’s an understatement —
they even have their very own neighbourhood YouTube
channel.
While it may sound a little extra, many participants in
our neighbourhoods survey shared stories that could in-
spire anyone to be a better neighbour, like fixing a faulty
step, closing accidentally left-open garage doors and liter-
ally mending fences. One reader was even invited to live
in their neighbours’ home during renovations while the
owners were away on an extended vacation. Still, many
readers preferred those with good boundaries who never
stuck their noses in others’ business.
It got us thinking, what makes a great neighbour? There’s
“no one recipe,” says Neal LaMontagne, a professor in
urban and regional planning at the University of Alberta.
Oftentimes, there’s pressure to have close relationships
with your neighbours, even when we don’t desire them. In
that sense, neighbours are alot like family members: part
of your life whether you like it or not, so you better find
a way to get along.
But LaMontagne prefers a garden metaphor when it
comes to neighbour relations. “Ideally,” he says, “it all
works together, it’s cared for, it’s tended and yet it’s a lit-
tle unpredictable.”
We’ve all had our fair share of the good and the bad.
Neighbours who, for better or worse, like to keep to them-
selves, and neighbours who can chatter your ear off (okay,
that one’s for worse). While it’s perfectly acceptable, and
often preferable, to keep a polite distance, there are
many mental health benefits to being social with your
neighbours.
Studies by Hey Neighbour Collective, a Simon Fraser
University project researching the benefits of social and
community connection, found links to lower risks of
depression and cardiovascular disease, higher levels of
physical activity and higher self-rated health. Accord-
ing to its evidence backgrounder, “How Does Social
Connectedness Between Neighbours Support Health and
Well-Being?,” people with strong social connections (in-
cluding with their neighbours) have up to a 50 per cent
lower risk of premature death, a benefit on par with
quitting smoking or maintaining a healthy weight.
Even though there is no all-encompassing definition
of what it means to be a good neighbour, amicable inter-
actions between people in a community can be more than
just a smile and a wave. It can turn into annual movie
nights, building a playground together or even something
as simple as getting to know each other’s names.
—Brooklyn Hollinger
YOUR TURN
WE ASKED READERS FOR STORIES OF THEIR BEST NEIGHBOURS
“ I lent my kitchen machine
to my neighbour around
Christmas time so she could
make sugar cookies. And
she gave me some cookies
as a thank you.”
–
 Lynsee Leahy,
Mill Creek
“
 One rainy day, I got a text from our
neighbour, who was worried that our
gutters were blocked because rain
was overflowing them. He went up
the ladder, cleared the block and
saved us from a possible nasty
water situation!”
–
 Teresa Clouston, Mills Haven
(Sherwood Park)
“
 We had a newborn and were in those
early, sleep-deprived days. Our
next-door neighbour — a motorcycle
enthusiast — would walk his bike down
the street before starting it, worried the
noise might wake us or the baby.”
–Deepti Babu, Deer Ridge (St. Albert)
46 EDify. JULY•AUGUST.25