10 Years On

Where do you start when trying to reflect on the last 10 years for Ōtautahi Christchurch?  The truth is, that this anniversary is so hard to sum up in words, not just because of the enormity of what has happened over the last decade, but also because the anniversary just means so many different things for different people.

For most of us, February 22, 2011 meant change. Big, sudden, ground shaking change. It wasn’t a change that we chose for ourselves. It was thrust upon us, and while the change may have hit us suddenly, for many of us it continues today, and will do for some time.

Many of us suffered loss.  Some of us lost whānau, loved ones, friends, homes, neighbourhoods.  Some of us lost hope.

But we have also gained - we’ve gained purpose, new challenges, opportunities, new friends, whole new communities.  A new city.

Something that remains timeless though is our kōrero – our stories.  We made some videos in 2014, asking people what they’d learnt from the earthquakes.  It’s amazing how strongly these stories still ring true today.  Check them out below, and as always, just keep an eye out for one another.