Neighbour to Neighbour Resilience Initiative

Help your neighbourhood become more connected and resilient.

A pilot intake for the Neighbour to Neighbour Resilience Initiative (N2N) is accepting up to three participant groups.

Saanich is offering a series of three interactive 90 minute workshops. The workshops will connect neighbours and help groups develop neighbourhood projects which address emergency preparedness, climate action, and caring for nature at a neighbourhood scale. After completing the workshops, groups will be eligible to apply for a $500 project grant to support the community project developed in the workshops. 

Who can apply?

The pilot N2N intake has room for three groups, one from each of the housing categories below:

  1. (FULL - new applications will be waitlisted) Single family homes or other ground-oriented buildings within a 3-block radius
  2. A purpose-built rental building
  3. A strata, co-op, or other shared ownership building model

Group applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria and in order to fill each of the desired housing categories above. 

The findings of the pilot will be used to amend and improve the program for subsequent intakes. If more applications are received than there are spaces available, applicants will be invited to join a waitlist and will be notified about the next intake via email. If you’d like to be notified about subsequent intakes even if you have not yet applied, please join the N2N e-news list.

How to apply

  1. Organize a team of four to 12 neighbours within three blocks of each other (a minimum of four households, including the group organizer, is required). You can download posters [PDF - 134 KB] and doorhangers [PDF - 38 KB] to help with recruiting your neighbourhood group, or request printed copies by contacting sustainability@saanich.ca.
  2. Apply as a group using the Group Application form. [DOCX - 23 KB] 
  3. Once your group has completed the three workshops, you can choose to complete a Grant Application. [DOCX - 27 KB] 

Resources for Neighbourhood Resilience

Neighbourhood-scale projects that enhance our emergency preparedness, climate action, and care for nature can improve our well-being and resilience. Below are some resources and ideas for your neighbourhood-scale projects.

Enhancing emergency preparedness

One of the most effective emergency preparedness activities is to connect with your neighbours because the first people to provide assistance in an emergency are often those nearby.

 Connected neighbourhoods respond and recover more quickly and effectively following a disaster. The Saanich Emergency Program has many resources to help you get prepared!

Climate action

Taking climate action at a neighbourhood level can help good ideas spread – this is how the concept of blue boxes emerged a generation ago! Check out the Saanich Climate Plan page to learn about municipal actions and ways you can get involved to reduce our climate impact and prepare for a changing climate.

 

Caring for nature

Small natural areas within neighbourhoods (such as trees, naturesca

nature

ped gardens and boulevards ) can provide valuable nature spaces and corridors that improve connections between larger natural areas. Research has shown that spending just two hours over a week in nature improves our mental health. Check out the Saanich Parks Natural Intelligence page for lots of great nature ideas! 

Neighbourhood Resilience project ideas

If you’re stuck for ideas about your neighbourhood resilience project, check out some of the ideas below: