We Love Willowdale: A Letter to Tumbler Ridge

During our budget meeting, news began trickling in about a school shooting in British Columbia. As I listened to interviews with residents of Tumbler Ridge on the radio, I was transported back to our own tragedy, the shock, the grief, and the heavy days that followed as we learned more about the victim and the perpetrator.

In those moments, you remember how fragile life can feel, and how much a community matters.

We Love Willowdale is a movement that was born out of the Yonge Street Tragedy. It began as a simple but powerful response: care for one another. After the tragedy, we took care of each other by checking in on local business owners, speaking with strangers who were grieving at the memorial sites, and participating in community events to bring healing to our community. This movement stands as proof that even in the darkest moments, light can emerge.

I am deeply grateful to NeighbourLink North York for carrying this movement forward. The continued acts of compassion and connection fostered under the banner of We Love Willowdale remind us that darkness does not get the final word. Community does.