This past weekend’s community drop-in brought neighbours together from Bel-Air, Braemar, Kinver and Agincourt area for 2 hours of thoughtful, engaging conversations about the future of our neighbourhood.

Residents shared that they remain deeply concerned about transportation challenges, emphasizing the need to balance safety, personal vehicle use, and responsible spending of tax dollars. Concerns were also raised about planned bus lanes, reduced traffic capacity, particularly with neighbourhood intensification, and future overpass reconstruction, with many noting the potential for significant disruption.

At the same time, the discussion highlighted what people love most about the community—quiet streets, convenient access to shopping, and a strong sense of place. There was also a clear call for more diverse and affordable housing options, with one resident capturing it best: “ensuring intensification co-exists with livability.”

We also heard concerns about some specific properties which involved discussions around property management of rental units. Some residents shared positive feedback saying, where they know the property owner, concerns are addressed. However, in others cases, it was noted that bylaw continues to be the only course of potential resolution.

BACA will continue to advocate on community issues with our councillor. Your voices are important. Please know that I am listening. BACA is listening.

I hope you can see that we are working to be more inclusive and responsive to your needs, as a community - Braemar, Kinver and Bel-Air. The priorities survey was one piece but we plan to host more drop-ins this year. This reflects the common theme heard throughout the afternoon for ongoing dialogue and a stronger sense of community connection.

Finally, a big shout out to our local Loblaws at College Square for providing a welcoming space to host our first drop-in of 2026. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new neighbours, reconnect with familiar faces, and share ideas on how to keep Bel-Air, Braemar, and Kinver exceptional places to live.