Bad fences make better neighbours

Bad fences(fens) make better neighbours(ˈnābər)

By Lori-Ann Livingston(ˈliviNGstən)

On the day we moved into our 100-year-old house on a quiet(ˈkwīət), one-way street, we got a parking ticket. So did the movers. The neighbours across the street had called bylaw(ˈbīˌlô) enforcement(enˈfôrsmənt).

We had a toddler(ˈtädlər), a dog and some friends and family to help us with the move.

This is the second house we’ve owned in our city in southwest(ˌsouTHˈwest) Ontario(änˈte(ə)rēˌō). We’re close to downtown, parks, trails and we live in a pretty vibrant(ˈvībrənt) neighbourhood of heritage(ˈherədij) homes, young families and engaged(enˈgājd) people who activate(ˈaktəˌvāt) our streets.

It wasn’t always this way. When we moved in 11 years ago, an older neighbour who’d lived on the street for more than 20 years filled us in on the street’s sordid(ˈsôrdid) past. It used to be the red-light district(ˈdistrikt), he told us. Pimps(pimp) and prostitutes(ˈprästəˌt(y)o͞ot) openly(ˈōpənlē) did business and drugs(drəg) were also readily(ˈredl-ē) available(əˈvāləbəl). Some neighbours took matters into their own hands. In a concerted(kənˈsərtəd) effort(ˈefərt), residents(ˈrezəˌdent) on our street left notes on the johns’ car windows, let air out of their tires(tīr), called the police regularly(ˈreɡyələrlē) and broke windshield(ˈwin(d)ˌSHēld) wipers(ˈwīpər) on vehicles(ˈvēəkəl,ˈvēˌhikəl).

It worked. Our street gentrified(ˈjentrəˌfī). People like us moved in. Kids played soccer(ˈsäkər) and hockey(ˈhäkē) in the street instead.

We met the neighbours on the driveway side of our house pretty quickly. They were youngish(ˈyəNGiSH), like us, had a dog and liked to chat over a low fence between our properties(ˈpräpərtē). “We’ll replace the fence,” they said when we met the first time.

But I think the fence was a test. Are we going to be good neighbours, or even friends?

It turned out we were, and the fence never got replaced.

…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-why-i-refuse-to-have-the-internet-in-my-home/