Community Gardens are safe, beautiful outdoor spaces on public or private lands, where neighbours meet to grow and care for vegetables, flowers and native plant species. The gardeners take initiative and responsibility for organizing, maintaining and managing the garden area.

This participation builds skills and creates positive community development that is widely accessible to a diverse range of people.

A special project of the Parks and Recreation Division, the Community Gardens Program works in harmony with the vision and mission statements of the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department.

Since its inception in 1997, the Community Gardens Program has witnessed a number of positive changes
to the communities it has affected. Examples are:

• neighbours returning to outdoor green spaces;
  
• school teachers using parks as outdoor classrooms;
  
• daycare providers integrating outdoor play with indoor activities;
  
• seniors gathering and socializing in the gardens -

All of these are evidence that increased community involvement and improved horticulture practices provide better parks and better neighborhoods. Recognizing the social and environmental value of community gardens, in 1999 City Council endorsed the Community Garden Action Plan, which seeks to establish a community garden in every ward by 2003.

See a listing of

Community Garden Listings: City Parks - 428 kbytes