Residents of neighbourhood once branded 'Canada's Worst' take charge and create change

Sixteen years after a Regina neighbourhood was labelled "Canada’s worst" by a national magazine, a small army of residents, volunteers and organizers are busy working to shed the image.

Sixteen years after a Regina neighbourhood was labelled "Canada’s worst" by a national magazine, a small army of residents, volunteers and organizers are busy working to shed the image.

Colloquially known to many in Regina as “the hood,” the North Central neighbourhood still faces addictions and housing issues, as well as crime and gang activity, according to many residents and advocates CTV News spoke with.

However, despite the challenges that persist in the neighbourhood, many people living there are optimistic that the efforts of passionate residents are helping to turn the page in the tight-knit neighbourhood.

Leah O’Malley volunteers at White Pony Lodge, an organization she says is working to promote a positive presence in the community.

“We patrol the neighbourhood for safety, we pick up needles and other dangerous items, we hand out food and we hand out sort of emergency one-off items like hygiene kits and shoes, boots, clothes, things like that,” she said.

The organization hosts community clean-ups and O’Malley said over 100 people showed up to take part in their most recent one.

“It was really fantastic, and all the organizations that helped us, we’re so small and we just do what we call ‘little things with big impact,’” she said.