Today was Applefest in Bowmanville. The main street in town was shut down so visitors could amble along and enjoy the many booths set up by vendors. As the name suggests, many of the products are treats produced from apples grown locally.
I met many St. Paul's folk on the street and we stopped and chatted. So did just about everyone else. People were introducing puppies and showing off babies and even though it was a blustery day there was a positive community atmosphere.
Isn't this what happens when people walk and talk? Usually King Street is so busy with vehicle traffic it is a life-threatening experience trying to get from one side of the road to the other. For all the supposed concern about supporting downtown businesses this is not a pedestrian-friendly community.
Last week an international conference was held in Toronto called Walk 21 http://www.toronto.ca/walk21/ . The sessions looked at the ways in which urban environments can be more conducive to those on foot. We have become such a "car culture" that we are losing the simple pleasure of walking about our communities. Maybe this day in October should be Amblefest as well as Applefest.
Jesus did most of his travelling on foot and some of the most important conversations in the gospels resulted from encounters while walking. If it was good enough for Jesus...
I met many St. Paul's folk on the street and we stopped and chatted. So did just about everyone else. People were introducing puppies and showing off babies and even though it was a blustery day there was a positive community atmosphere.
Isn't this what happens when people walk and talk? Usually King Street is so busy with vehicle traffic it is a life-threatening experience trying to get from one side of the road to the other. For all the supposed concern about supporting downtown businesses this is not a pedestrian-friendly community.
Last week an international conference was held in Toronto called Walk 21 http://www.toronto.ca/walk21/ . The sessions looked at the ways in which urban environments can be more conducive to those on foot. We have become such a "car culture" that we are losing the simple pleasure of walking about our communities. Maybe this day in October should be Amblefest as well as Applefest.
Jesus did most of his travelling on foot and some of the most important conversations in the gospels resulted from encounters while walking. If it was good enough for Jesus...
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