I just sent off my letter of support to Grow Regina, who are working with the City to establish a new community garden in Lakeview. It’ll be in what’s known as Macleod Park, which is on Queen Street just south of Hill Avenue. It’ll be a great addition to the community — can’t argue with more vegetables, and hopefully they’ll get a nice mix of young and old folks out to tend their plots.
A lot of people expressed support for the plan at an open house in conjunction with the Lakeview CA fall registration night. Hopefully the approvals happen soon and the garden is ready by spring 2008.
I plan on taking a plot out — I might finally get some decent potatoes and corn going. How about you?
Mark
There will be a community garden in Lakeview but as of October 19, 2007, we have passed the one month mark since City Council approved and instructed the city administration to enter into an agreement with Grow Regina for the McLeod Park site. Way back in early September one of the city’s legal staff told councilors, all they needed to do was pull an existing lease out of the file cabinet, change the names and date, add the already agreed on other items, and its a done deed. It ain’t done yet.
For some reason, this entire process has taken months and months, with one delay after another. There were a few concerns raised by some city staff, but these were all straightened out long before the council decision. We wasted months because someone in city hall thought we
should build a roadway around the entire garden. Apparently, gardeners are too weak, too feeble to walk a few feet with a handful of vegetables.
Until Grow Regina gets the signed lease, we can not go on the land to prepare the site. Right now (Oct 19) we may be a bit late in the season to slow down next year’s growth of grasses and weeds. We still have time before freese up to get the tillage equipment in to at least break the soil and have it ready for a spring rototill.
With a bit of help from the volunteers we should have some individual garden plots ready to go for the 2008 garden season.
Flow gardens grow flowers,
Vegetable gardens grow vegetables,
Community gardens grow communities.