Go for lots of walks. It not only will familiarize you with amenities in the neighbourhood, it is a great way to meet people on your street.
Information about community services is usually easy to find and you can obtain it several ways:
Go online.
Make the Internet your first resource for learning about your community. Most communities have their own Web sites with information about:
Schools and day care
Sports and recreational facilities
Places of worship
Garbage and recycling dates
Names of local politicians
Future development plans
The Internet is also a great place to go to:
Find doctors and dentists. Click here for a list of medical and dental associations in your province or territory.
Read online versions of the local newspapers.
Some online directory sites also allow you to locate nearby services and businesses within a certain radius of your home address.
Get on the phone.
Call your local hospital to find doctors or dentists who are accepting patients.
Call your local municipal offices for information about programs that promote welcome visits to your town or neighbourhood. In some of these programs, a representative will bring you community information, maps and discount vouchers from local merchants.
Get out and explore.
Visit local bus and train stations for route maps.
Stop in at the local information or tourist centre for maps of the town and information about local attractions.
Pick up copies of local newspapers to get a sense of local services, costs and locations. You’ll also find out about events and organizations that might interest you. And of course, you’ll get all the local news.
