South Hill Community Association open house draws plenty of visitors

When the South Hill Community Association held their recent open house to pass on information about their organization, little did they know how popular they would be.

Dozens upon dozens of the neighbourhood’s residents popped into the Kinsmen Cafe for a free bowl of chili and a donut from Maple Leaf Bakery, to the point they even had to break out another giant pot of the delicious dish.

It was all a positive sign for the group as they gear up for what promises to be a busy summer filled with activities across the bridge.

“The pandemic really slowed everything down, so we’ve been gradually getting back into some of the activities we did prior to everything happening,” said Crystal Froese with the SHCA. “So we thought we’d have an open house over here on South Hill just to bring in anybody who is new who didn’t know about us who was wondering who might want to get involved.”

One of the largest annual events for the SHCA is South of the Bridge Day, which is set to take place on June 10 at a location that will be announced soon.

The day is traditionally filled with all sorts of fun activities, and 2023 will be no exception.

“We’ll have a scavenger hunt that people can walk, bike or stroll on, and there will be lots of fun activities that feature things on South Hill… there will be a lot going on and it’ll be a lot of fun,” Froese said. 

South of the Bridge Day will be a continuation of a long-standing tradition for South Hill, dating back decades ago when one of the bridges to the community was closed down and something needed to be done to attract patrons to businesses in the area.

“The South Hill Community Association got together and had a two or three-day festival to draw people over here and help support the businesses,” Froese said. “It was so much fun that we’ve just kept on doing it since.”

The open house also offered a chance to let newcomers know what South Hill has to offer, including the always popular Wakamow and Tatawaw parks that draw thousands of visitors every year.

Folks could also pick up on some of the activities in the near future, including the annual Spring Clean-Up (May 21 at 10 a.m. starting at Pla-Mor Palace) and other events still in the early planning stages.

The SHCA recently launched a fundraiser through the sale of sweatshirts, bunny hugs and t-shirts, with all of those items available on their Facebook page.

“They’re S.O.B.and they have parts of the beautiful mural Carly Jaye did, so we’re hoping people will be interested in picking them up,” Froese said, referring to the mural on the side of the Palliser Regional Library.

The SCHA is also looking for volunteers and individuals interested in helping out, and folks can check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthHillCommunityAssociation or call or text (306) 631-2996) for up-to-date information on what the group is up to.