COVID-19 has caused a lot of uncertainty, isolation, nervousness, fear and loneliness. It began in the first days of March when we learned what the word pandemic meant and were told to stay inside and ‘social distance’ for an unclear period of time. To some, this meant head to the store and buy six months’ worth of toilet paper and watch sports re-runs or Netflix from morning to night. For many, the times have been worrisome, as this ‘new normal’ was something we had never dealt with; we were unsure of what the future held.
All this while, Burlington resident Sue McBay was looking to celebrate her birthday.
“I was having a pity party as it was my birthday and I couldn’t see my family, couldn’t see my friends,” Sue explained in recent interviews on CBC’s 99.1 radio station and for CBC Toronto. “So I put out a flyer to the people on the street about joining me on the street for what I called a ‘Thing Along,’” she continues. “They could sing along, dance along, eat along, drink along, whatever they felt like doing. I would just provide the music.”
I had heard about the street parties that Sue had organized on her street once a week since that birthday ‘pity party’ in late March. Once a week. Every week. Since March. Just think about that when you think what your life has been like since then. Hearing about these parties, I thought, “Here’s Sue doing what she has always done her whole life, as a teacher, a fitness advocate, event planner, and member of the Top Hand Band.”
How wrong was I.
When the CBC camera crew recently landed on Bridle Wood to capture this beautiful story, I learned that like anything that brings people together amid the throes of a world crisis, it is something truly special that catches on to have a life of its own. Sue provided the first spark, but that spark was caught by others who wanted to do their part. The Bridle Wood Music Night became a community event, and as a result, Bridle Wood became more of a community.
What started as a birthday party of sorts has grown and is an example of the possibilities and perhaps necessities for communities dealing with this pandemic.
Resident Andrea Morton explains, “Every week Sue would put a sign on her lawn, and everyone knew that the Music Night was coming up. Funny, but we would hold off on making family plans until we saw that sign,” Andrea explains. “It started as people dancing in their driveways but evolved into it all spilling out into the street, 6-foot circles and all. My one-year-old, Jack, couldn’t walk when this started, now he’s up dancing, especially when the dinosaurs come out.”
Oh yes, the dinosaurs. One of the neighbours thought dinosaur suits would add to the cross-generational party. This leads to a cute story. This one-year-old who couldn’t walk when this started now growls when he walks past the house with the dinosaurs, hoping they come out!
One other aspect of the Morton family. Their daughter Hannah, who is “three and ¾ years old” (her words), sends Sue a song request every week. The hits keep coming, and the set list varies.
Andrea adds perspective. “We always knew our neighbours to say hi but now we know their names, their kid’s names, their dogs’ names. We have gone from being neighbours to being friends.”
Sue adds in, “It’s a combination of the magic of music and the need for community. It’s ironic that COVID-19 has created such an opportunity for the community to connect. COVID-19 has made us to look out for each other more. If someone isn’t there one week they are asked if everything is OK, especially for some who live on their own. Music brings out the kid in all of us and seeing the multi-generational dancing makes my heart sing.”
But this isn’t just neighbours caring for each other. It’s a community that cares for all of Burlington and for all those who are struggling.
In late June, takeout food became a staple of the event. That’s where Cindy Powell comes in. The ‘food coordinator’ would select a local restaurant, most connected with the Facebook page ONrestaurants+ (Burlington) and put in a mass order on behalf of everyone who puts in an order with her. Cindy explains, “We have used 16 different local restaurants. Some have offered to give us a deal because the order is so large but we’ve declined. With the addition of food we wanted to add the sense of a community meal but we also wanted to put money into the pockets of local restaurants during this tough time, and to introduce people to restaurants they may have never heard of so that they may go there on their own.”
In June, one of the Music Nights became a mini-graduation ceremony for students who were missing out because of the pandemic. The grads walked down the street, flag bearer and all, to the cheers of the neighbourhood crowd while Sue played Pomp and Circumstance. They’ve also organized a food drive and invited a local farmer to join in and sell his wares.
But back to the CBC. Residents Peggy and Gregory Garach were so enamoured with what was happening on their street that they wrote an impassioned letter to CBC Toronto asking them to include the local music night as part of their series called Meet the Neighbours. To quote from that letter: “The Bridle Wood Music Night is a light happy affair where you will see small children dancing with seniors. As a result of the music nights our neighbours have a definite spring in their steps, and everyone waves at each other when we pass by. It’s a great feeling!”
Two other residents provide their thoughts. Karen Gough points out that, “With so many families and businesses affected by COVID-19, this gives us an hour each week to just enjoy ourselves and forget what is going on.”
Anjali Frank is even more succinct: “These evenings are so much fun and bring a sense of normalcy into a very abnormal situation.” This as her daughter interrupted because she wanted to go dancing.
Back to the dancing. Inspiring all this dancing, at the centre of all of this is the music provided by Sue and her husband Gary, who may be the most important roadie in existence. Sue and Gary, both retired teachers who have been married 52 years, ran a DJ company called Have Records Will Travel for years and, with the music they play for the Bridle Wood Music Night, continue to bring smiles to the faces of people they come in contact with.
In this crazy COVID-19 world, is there anything more important?
