Be nice; today is Say Hi Vancouver Day
Posted February 8, 2013 7:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver may have a reputation as a less-than-friendly city but one woman is trying to change that by getting you to say hello to your neighbours today.
The idea comes from Shelley Koorbatoff, who has started a Facebook page dedicating February 8th as “Say Hi Vancouver Day.” She wants you to print out a nametag, write your name on it and start chatting with people you may see every day but have little to no connection with.
Events start this morning with Improv Anywhere and friends of “Say Hi Vancouver” handing out thousands of nametags at the Burrard SkyTrain Station downtown, followed by a flashmob at Robson Square during the noon hour and Koorbatoff herself walking the streets all day saying “Hi” to everyone she sees while posting updates on Facebook and Twitter.
News1130’s Mike Lloyd gave it a shot along Broadway during the morning rush hour, with mixed results.
“I don’t talk to strangers,” laughs Joe. “But how’s it going?”
When asked if he thinks Vancouver is a friendly city, he chuckled and said it’s not as friendly as other places he has visited.
Dan is about as friendly a guy as you’ll meet, saying hello and smiling at everyone he sees.
“I find people are pretty friendly, I get good reactions. I went for a walk with my girlfriend yesterday down on False Creek and we chatted with a few people walking their dogs who were very friendly; very nice.”
Last year a survey from the Vancouver Foundation suggested one-third of people in the city think it’s a tough place to make friends and one-quarter of them often feel alone.
