NO one lives in Canal. Take a wander round the communities in the north of the city that make up that ward and no-one will say “I’m from Canal”. They never have and probably never will.

The ward takes in Possilpark, Hamiltonhill, Milton, Lambhill and Ruchill and takes its name from the Forth and Clyde Canal that snakes through the areas.

It has suffered more than most from de-industrialisation, and the inter-generational unemployment and poor health that followed in its wake.

Many people have struggled to cope with the explosion of drug addiction in the last two decades of the last century and people still contend with crime and deprivation blighting their lives.

Public facilities disappeared one after another leaving people now wanting resources spent on community amenities.

Many in the north looked on enviously in the years leading up to the Commonwealth Games as new sports centres were built and others refurbished, mostly in the east, and they wondered when it would be their turn.

Sports facilities, community facilities and schools are all on the list of what local people want.

Football pitches have gone, community centres, primary and secondary schools and local people want some back.

As well as jobs. Jobs are always needed in the north of the city.

Marina Costello is the volunteer co-ordination with Love Milton, an award winning charity working to improve the area.

She said: “We need more things going on in the community for young people and children. From my perspective, the feedback we get from local people, Milton needs more work done. It needs more training, more education and more employment opportunities. There is no proper community centre and we are trying to work towards that.

“There is no secondary school in Milton. There used to be one but they closed it and they send young people to other schools. Any child that has to go to school on their own has to get two buses.”

Better transport links is another issue with people saying it takes up to 45 minutes to get to the city centre.

There is a feeling that Milton and surrounding communities have been neglected as others benefit.

Ms Costello added: “Things happen everywhere else but here. Money is being pumped into other areas. Sometimes obstacles are being put in our way rather than support being given by elected members.”

Canal will elect 4 councillors on May 4.

Five years ago Labour won two of the four seats and the SNP and the Greens one each.

One of the SNP councillors, Billy McAllister, a former deputy leader of the SNP Glasgow Group has since left the party and will stand as an independent candidate.

Christopher Cannon, 46, Possilpark. My family are here and I know a lot of people. There’s not really a lot of facilities here, I can go for a pint but the young people have nothing to do. They opened up an ice cream shop along the road there and all the young ones hang about it because there’s nothing else for them to do. There’s a community centre and they do some things but there used to be so many football fields but they’re all disused now. I will be voting but I don’t think they will listen to us.

Kenneth Kelly, 47,Unemployed ex Postman, Possilpark.

It’s quite a nice area, its quiet where I stay. There’s a community centre near-by that a lot of people use.

Possilpark has always had quite a bad reputation, we get a fair bit of stigma, and a lot of people come here for their drugs. I hate that part. When I was young there was a park where we could go play football but now it’s gone, along with the one at the Secondary School. I will be voting.

Christine Monaghan, 51, unemployed, Possilpark.

There’s lots of good shops that are near.by so you you don’t need to go far for shopping.

I don’t really think too much needs to be improved.

Although I think the council could build more houses and things like that.

I will vote.

Arthur Steven, 55, bar worker.

It’s a good area. It’s beginning to slowly improve.

There is an issue with drugs, I think it’s got worse in the last three years. There’s not much the council can do, I think it is up to the police, but they can only do so much. There’s not much for young people to do in the area, there needs to be a leisure place or football pitches. Used to be a lot here at one time. I think a sports facility would get the kids off the streets as they seem to get bored and up to mischief. I’ll vote.

Valerie Gallagher, NHS employee, resident for 37 years.

It’s not the way it used to be put it that way. It’s not as rough as it once was.

There has been new facilities built.

There is a lot of new housing here and it’s alright and new schools and the health centre.

There used to be a lot of drugs, but not as much now.

I think we could still do with more houses.

I will be voting.

Christopher Cannon, 46, Possilpark. My family are here and I know a lot of people. There’s not really a lot of facilities here, I can go for a pint but the young people have nothing to do. They opened up an ice cream shop along the road there and all the young ones hang about it because there’s nothing else for them to do. There’s a community centre and they do some things but there used to be so many football fields but they’re all disused now. I will be voting but I don’t think they will listen to us.

Population: 32,439

Households:

Owner Occupied: 5,925

Private Rented: 2,460

GHA:2,152

Other Social Rented: 5,595

EMPLOYMENT

Employees: 11,584

Self-Employed:1,178

Unemployed:2,131

Economically Inactive:7,661

BENEFITS

Job Seeker:1,180

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and incapacity benefits:3,570

Income Support/ Other Benefits: 1,385

Workplace Figured

JOBS Full-time:5,900

Part-time: 2,200