Holding on to Community: Sandra Pilote’s Fence of Hope

In the heart of Ottawa’s Lowertown, a row of colourful banners flutters along a quiet fence — words like HOPE, THINK POSITIVE, and BE KIND painted in bright strokes by the neighbourhood’s children.

They’re weathered now — sun-faded, brushed by snow and rain — but to Sandra Pilote, the banners, hung year-round, are a living reminder of what community means.

Sandra was once part of Lower Town Our Home, a community-centered committee that brought residents together to share ideas, celebrate diversity, and make their neighbourhood safer and stronger. But like so many grassroots groups, the committee didn’t survive the pandemic.

“Since COVID, the committee lost all funding and doesn’t really exist anymore,” she said with a touch of sadness.

Even so, Sandra never lost her spark. Over the years, she’s built lasting relationships with the Ottawa Police Service’s Community Police Officers — neighbourhood-based officers who are deeply involved in the communities they serve, working closely with residents to solve problems and build trust.

“They’re always rolling up their sleeves to help in any way they can,” Sandra said. “Cst. Lemay is always ready to support our projects and help us give back to our community.”

When the group received its final bit of funding, Sandra wanted to make sure it went somewhere meaningful. “We used it for paint, brushes and banners that kids in the neighbourhood could decorate,” she said. “We couldn’t hang them anywhere, sadly, so I decided to hang them all along the fence where I live.”

Those banners now stretch across her yard — bold splashes of colour that survive the coldest winters and hottest summers. For Sandra, they’re more than just art projects. They’re a declaration: children live here, creativity thrives here, and kindness still matters.

Sometimes, she admits, the changes in the neighbourhood feel overwhelming. “I look around and feel surrounded by skyscrapers,” she said. “I miss the farmer families who used to fill the market. It’s not the same.”

But she still finds beauty in what remains. Her fence, lined with the handprints and hopes of the next generation, is her quiet act of resistance — a reminder that even as the city grows upward, the heart of Lowertown still beats on the ground.

“There is community here,” Sandra said simply. And on her fence, the colours of that truth wave proudly in the wind.