2025 Waterloo Drive Block Party Grant Report

Executive Summary

The 2025 Waterloo Drive Block Party successfully built upon the foundations of last year’s event, solidifying its place as a valued annual community tradition. Hosting the event on a Saturday in July we were able to enjoy beautiful weather this year.  Despite early-day weather concerns, the event brought together approximately 100 residents for an afternoon of shared music, food, and neighborhood connection. We significantly enhanced our activity offerings this year, particularly for children. We were pleased to have the local MP Zoe Royer attend the start of the event. The event was made possible through the Neighbourhood Small Grant, with supplemental funding from the local community organization. We look forward to applying lessons learned to ensure continued growth and attendance in future years.

Project Planning & Mobilization

Our planning for the 2025 event went well, benefiting from the experience gained in the prior year.

• Organizing Committee: A core group of five dedicated neighborhood members led the planning, holding three focused meetings (some brief check-ins, some longer) to manage progress efficiently.
• Targeted Enhancements: We successfully implemented three main areas of focus:
  • Live Entertainment: Two committee members took the lead in securing two fantastic live bands with members from the neighbourhood. This created a vibrant, festive atmosphere.
  • Expanded Youth Focus: A dedicated team member was tasked with expanding activities for children, resulting in a wider variety of engagement options.
  • Local Partnerships: efforts were made to secure in-kind support from local businesses.

Community Engagement & Regulatory Compliance

Resident buy-in and compliance were outstanding, underscoring the neighborhood’s enthusiasm for the event.

• City Permitting: We efficiently secured the necessary City block party permit, easily exceeding the requirement by gathering signatures from over 70% of street residents.
• Safety Protocol: The event was organized on the street and in peoples yards/driveways while always maintaining a clearly marked, unobstructed access path for emergency vehicle use.
• Promotion: The event was effectively promoted through our partnership with the local community organization, leveraging their website presence and established email distribution list.

Event Execution and Logistics

The day successfully created a relaxed, communal atmosphere, allowing attendees to connect and share.

• Catering and Budgeting: Food logistics were managed for maximum cost-effectiveness and inclusivity. We utilized Costco pizza as the primary, budget-friendly meal, supplemented by special-order pizzas for attendees with gluten and dairy allergies, prepared salads, chips, and dessert items. Beverage service included pop and ice tea mix. This year many of the neighbours brought pot luck items such as salads, snacks and side dishes to accompany the purchased food, which also contributed to the strong community feel for the event.
• Resource Leveraging: We maximized budget efficiency by relying on strong community support:
  • Neighbors provided the use of driveways and the loan of several 10×10 pop-up tents.
  • The majority of the live music equipment was borrowed from neighbors, with only a few specific items requiring rental from Long & McQuade.

Local Sponsorship and Partnerships

We had less success in our in-kind donations for draw prizes this year, but managed to secure enough to create a solid connection between our community and local businesses.  We were not sure if the economic challenges contributed to the decline in local business donations, or if we should expect a rotation of different supporting businesses each year.  

• In-Kind Donations: Two committee members successfully coordinated an email-based outreach campaign to area businesses. This effort yielded contributions from three different local businesses, providing approximately 15 prizes (small gifts and gift certificates) that were distributed to attendees via a community draw.

Attendance and Impact

• Attendance: There were approximately 100 people in attendance with 53 people signing in for the event on behalf of their families. 
• Impact: The event successfully fostered community cohesion, provided a platform for neighbors to meet and socialize, and showcased local talent (live music) and local business support.

Challenges and Future Recommendations

The primary challenge encountered was managing external weather factors.

• The decision to schedule this year’s event in July proved successful in securing better weather than past years. 
• We will definitely aim for a similar date in 2026
• We will increase our efforts to solicit support from local businesses in 2026 and allow extra time to contact more businesses.

Conclusion

The 2025 Waterloo Drive Block Party was an unqualified success in terms of logistics, resident participation, and community building. We are extremely grateful to the Neighbourhood Small Grants program for the essential financial support that allows this event to flourish, and to the community organization for their additional funds. We believe the 2025 event confirmed the value of the annual Block Party and established clear, data-driven strategies for further growth in 2026.