Little community library with a twist
The community of Legacy in the southeast has two new little libraries that were put up at the beginning of October and instead of books, one is filled with games.
Alexandra Velosa is the president of the Calgary Legacy Community Association who says the idea was sparked by a Facebook post with someone trying to trade puzzles.
"We all love puzzles and games, but sometimes we get bored of the same games and the same puzzles," said Velosa. "So we were thinking about giving this library the opportunity for people to the exchange puzzles and board games."
Velosa pitched the idea to the Federation of Calgary Communities and received a grant for close to $2,500 to pay for two little libraries and some games and books to go in them.
"We also got the kids in the community engaged to paint the libraries," said Velosa. "Because we wanted everyone to be part of it and participate and some of the ideas on how to decorate them came actually from them."
'I REALLY LIKE LEGO'
Valerie Herrera is 10 years old and was tasked with making the sides of the Play Little Library colourful, so she used Lego.
"I put it on the sides because the sides were pretty empty and my mom wanted to color on them but I wanted to put something fun and I put Lego because I really like Lego," she said.
Herrera says it took two days to paint and mount the Lego onto the little library and she's proud of how it looks because her friends and other kids in the community are playing with the games and the Lego.
"You just bring games (or) take a game which is pretty fun," said Herrera. "Yeah, it actually turned out really cool."
The Multicultural Little Library is a few blocks away and has greetings from a number of languages painted on the sides. This one shares books and recipes. Velosa moved to Canada from Colombia 17 years ago and says the community is diverse with people from many different backgrounds and places. She wanted to give everyone the opportunity to share a little bit of their culture.
"The idea is that it holds books in different languages and it also works as a space for people to exchange recipes," said Velosa. "When you want to learn about a culture, there is no way no better way than by their cooking so we are promoting recipe exchanging through the multicultural library."
Angie Locking is at the park with her four-year-old daughter Ezira and is sharing one of her favourite recipes.
"I know how to make those Vietnamese lettuce wrap rolls and you know people are always amazed when I teach them," said Locking. "But it's really so easy they just don't know how to work with the materials is all."
The two new little libraries are getting attention from other communities that are looking to set them up in their neighbourhoods.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.