The green thumbs of Overlook Street are working together to build a new local-first community garden in Prince Rupert.
The seed of inspiration for the project was first planted at last year’s Rubbish Round Up, when a force of more than 30 volunteers turned up to beautify Overlook Street.
“We are hoping this project inspires more community gardens to be built in Prince Rupert. As chairperson for Transition Prince Rupert, I’m willing to support other community garden groups and help them with Imagine grants,” Sarah Dantzer said, adding the society would also help cover insurance.
“Rupert Lawn and Garden have been wonderful partners in this and offered discounts,” she said.
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Transition Prince Rupert received almost $5,000 from Northern Health’s Imagine grant program for community-led projects that promote healthy living. Not only will the garden be able to grow vegetables and herbs — think kale, cucumbers and oregano — the gardeners want to make it a carbon-neutral project.
“We don’t want people driving,” Dantzer said. Instead, people are asked to walk or bike to the community garden to keep traffic and emissions to a minimum. Harvesting season, when plants are dropped off or the fruit of their labours is being pulled, will be the only exception.
They expect the new garden will take 300 hours to build, starting June 14. They’ll need six to 10 volunteers, especially tradespeople for the gated enclosure. Priority for the 10 garden plots will be given to those who helped build it and live nearby. Then a lottery system for annual memberships will keep the rest of the plot assignments fair — and fresh.
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keili.bartlett@thenorthernview.com
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