The Cochrane Community Garden Society (CCGS) took part in an open house, hosted by the East End Community Association at St. Andrew’s United Church March 22 to present concepts and gain feedback from the community on the concept of an East End community garden.
“It gave us the opportunity to dispel some misconceptions that were circulating in the community regarding the site of the gardens,” said CCGS spokesperson, Andrea Blonsky.
“We had encountered some negative feedback regarding the proposed site at Dewey Blaine Park, which was one of a number of available sites identified by Town planning as being potential sites for a community garden.”
Blonsky said that all signs currently point to the patch of green space located on the east side of Big Hill Lodge, along Carolina Drive.
At this point, the project is in its community engagement phase and members of the CCGS are strongly encouraging people to get in touch with them in the coming weeks. Once a site has been secured, the CCGS would follow with establishing community demand (for rental planter boxes) and move into planning (permit application and design construction) and funding phases; ideally, the society would like to be mid-construction by the end of summer for fall planting and are currently in search of volunteers with a passion for gardening.
Blonsky said the society would look to grant funding to move the project forward; the society has received grant funding in previous years from SPUR and the Cochrane & District Community Foundation.
East End resident, Malisa Erdmann, is the volunteer taking the lead on the East End community garden project.
“I have a passion for self-sufficiency,” said the mother of four. “I really like the idea of local sustainability, locally sourced foods and I think that urban farming is the way for our future and our health.”
Suzanne Gaida, senior manager of community services for the town, said that from the town’s perspective, the society is taking all the necessary steps to move the project forward.
“Once they have their preferred site and the community is supportive, they would come to us with an application for a development permit,” said Gaida, emphasizing the importance of community engagement prior to the application for the permit.
Erdmann said feedback from East End residents at the open house was supportive. She added that one concern brought up was fencing — how to ensure that the fencing could remain functional without being obstructive.
“There are ways of putting up fences so they’re non-obstructive…and there are more creative ways of dealing with wildlife,” said Erdmann, gesturing to their open house display, which depicted several examples of non-obstructive fences and gates used at community garden locations in Canmore and Cochrane’s other community garden locations — the Ranche site and Glenbow Elementary.
To learn more about the East End community garden project, Malisa Erdmann can be reached at 4039325697 or visit cochranecommunitygardens.com.
