Esquimalt Community Gardens

Join the Compost Ed. Centre for a Potluck Feat!

2011-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Come join the Greater Victoria Compost Ed. Centre for a potluck feast, live music, barn dance, apple-bobbing and a celebration of a successful Grow a Row Season!

WHO: YOU and your friends and family!
WHERE: Rainbow Kitchen (310 Henry St.)
WHEN: Saturday, October 1st
5:30-9:00 pm
FREE!

Bring along a local potluck item to share, and your dancing shoes! Soup, bread, and beverages will be provid-ed. Dick Pollard and Friends will be playing live fiddle n' folk music and teaching square dancing to anyone interest-ed! This is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event.

Questions? Call the Greater Victoria
Compost Education Centre at 250-386-9676.

RSVP with Marion at vicgrowarow@gmail.com.
Please let Marion know how many people are coming and what potluck item you are bringing.

Mark Your Calendars for the Upcoming Garlic Planting Workshop!

2011-09-29T19:11:00.001-07:00

Garlic! The Workshop

Thurs. Oct 13 | 4:00 – 6:00PM

Esquimalt Community Gardens

Anderson Park, 835 Colville Road

Kim Watt, Site Manager at the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre, will teach you how to grow the best garlic. We’ll learn lots and then plant garlic in the community garden that will go to Grow a Row once it’s harvested!

COST: By Donation

Suggested donation $5 for Grow a Row Participants, $10 for anyone else.

FALL HARVEST BBQ!!!

2011-09-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Fall Harvest BBQ!!!

Everyone is welcome at this year's ECGS Fall Harvest BBQ! Whether you're an ECGS member, a fellow gardener or a hungry member of the public, you’re invited to Anderson Park on Saturday, September 24th, where we will be serving up free hot dogs and burgers!
Now remember it's a Harvest BBQ, so to complement the meat, we are asking people to share with us something they've grown, picked, caught or bought locally. Raw, grilled, baked or otherwise, everything is welcome! We are also going to be collecting any garden fresh or non-perishable food donations as part of the ECGS's commitment to Victoria Grow-a-Row, a program which provides healthy food to those in need.
Please help us plan by clicking ‘attending’ to this event on Facebook!
Thanks, and good luck with the harvest!

Beginning the Season (June 21, 2011)

2011-06-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Weekly update

2011-06-30T15:54:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

We had a great turn out of new gardeners Tuesday night. Plenty of free advice was being shared with a local Esquaimalt organic seeds and greenhouse operator: Coral from Brother Nature.

We prepared the soil for the planting of the two indigenous Redcurrant bushes. There was a workshop with EHS students on Wednesday morning who planted these with some guidance.

On Wednesday morning I met the soil delivery and we have our latest load of garden soil from Integrity Sales. We now have the soil and lumber to complete the remaining 3.75 beds. However, what is missing is some
gardeners and garden supporters to rally out this upcoming Tuesday after the long (and hopefully restful) weekend. I still suffer with a broken elbow/shoulder and cannot handle a wheelbarrow yet, but will do my best.

We will do the assembly of the garden beds right in the park. Then a dinner out? We can get it all ready and the beds filled in 2hrs with at least six people! Then Dinner :)

If we get this done now, we will have completed the whole garden in less than one year. Wow. Imagine what it will look like next year...

Regards
Mark Salter

quick update

2011-06-14T14:13:00.001-07:00

Dear gardeners,

We will be getting the soil delivery on the 15th and 18th to fill the rest of the plots. We are meeting this Friday, June 17th to fill the empty plots.
Please come to help us! Also, if you are on the waiting list for those plots you are highly encouraged to come and help us.

Starting next week, Mark (or another executive member) will be at the garden on Tuesdays between 6:30pm- 8:30pm for any inquiries until the end of the summer.
And in the beginning of July we will have a mandatory Annual General Meeting, we will send the dates once those are finalized.

Hope to see you all on Friday!

Esquimalt Buccaneer Days Schedule, June 10-12

2011-06-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Residents of Esquimalt,

A reminder to mark your calendars for this upcoming weekend's annual Buccaneer Days celebrations. Below is a full schedule of events for next weekend, June 10 to June 12.

Enjoy the fun!

Tim Morrison
Co-chair, Esquimalt Residents Association

Event: Esquimalt Buccaneer Days

Where: Archie Browning Arena and Bullen Park.

When: Friday, June 10th to Sunday, June 12th

Schedule of Events:

Day 1: Friday June 10th

Seniors BBQ: 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. at Archie Browning Sports Centre
Day 2: Saturday June 11th

Lions Pancake Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. at Archie Browning Sports Centre
Wakey, Wakey: 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Rugby 7’s Tournament: 8 am – 6 pm
Buccaneer Days Parade: 10:00am - 11:30 a.m. along Esquimalt Road from Dominion to Admirals
Arts & Crafts Show, Sale & Tea Plant Sale, Model Train Demonstration, Bake Sale, Pie Plate Sale, Display & Information Booths: 10 am – 5 pm
Community Food Booths: 10 am – 6 pm
Children’s Pirates Den: 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
Children’s Races: 2 pm
Ladies Nail Driving Contest: 3 pm
Beer Garden: 1 pm – 5 pm
Buccaneer Days Community Dance: 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Archie Browning Sports Centre. Features two bands. Tickets on sale at the Esquimalt Fire Hall.
Dusk – Free Movie
Day 3: Sunday June 12th
Mini Tyke Lacrosse Tournament: 8 am – 5 pm
Community Food Booths: 10 am – 5 pm
Middle School Rugby Tournament: Noon – 2 pm
Free pony rides: Noon – 4 pm
Pie Plate Sales: 10 am – 3 pm
Arts & Crafts Show, Sale & Tea, Plant Sale, Model Train Demonstration, Display & Information Booths: 10 am – 4 pm
Pie Plate/Sky Diving Contest: 3 pm
Midway hours:
Friday Jun 10th 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday June 11th 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday June 12th 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

More information at: http://www.esquimalt.ca/events/events06101101.aspx

Esquimalt Sustainability Update

2011-05-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Esquimalt is participating in two environmental initiatives:

1. Bike to Work Week: May 30 - June 5, 2011

2. Plastic Bag Free Initiative

1. Bike to Work Week: May 30 - June 5, 2011

Bike to Work Victoria's annual celebration begins on Monday and continues all throughout the week. The event highlight is riding up to a Bike to Work Week Celebration Station (Map) for some treats to fuel your ride and for a chance to win prizes. Visit the Celebration Station in Esquimalt Memorial Park onTuesday, May 31, 2011 from 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm (across the street from the Municipal Hall). B2WW Victoria is still looking for a few volunteers at the Esquimalt Station, if you are interested please contact: marsha@biketowork.ca.

For more information on Bike to Work Week, please visit: http://www.biketowork.ca/victoria/btww

2. Plastic Bag Free Initiative

The Township of Esquimalt is pursuing an initiative to make itself a plastic bag free community. The Township is developing a marketing campaign to increase resident and local business participation, as well as highlighting Esquimalt’s position as a progressive, environmentally responsible community.

The plastic bag free campaign is being developed by a group of Royal Roads University students in Environmental Science as a major project. In order for them to determine the best possible message to deliver to residents and businesses, it is important to first understand the consumption habits specific to Esquimalt.

Online Survey
Click here to take our short questionnaire on plastic shopping bags

Local Business Input
Local business are invited to attend a business information session to provide input on the development of the campaign.

A presentation, followed by further discussion, will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2011, beginning at 7 pm at the Esquimalt Municipal Hall.

Beginning June 3, 2011, businesses who are unable to attend the session can view the presentation and submit an input form online at www.esquimalt.ca/plasticbagfree

For more information, please contact:
Marlene Lagoa

Sustainability Coordinator
Township of Esquimalt

vote for veggies!

2011-05-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Climate change demands creative solutions. As a way to support education and action on reducing food-related GHG emissions in the capital region, the CRD Climate Action Program has partnered with Lifecycles Project Society to apply for a $25,000 grant from the Keg Steakhouse. If successful, this project will build 5 new school community gardens, launch a food and climate change educational campaign, and give away 500 vegetable seedlings to households in the region. Both omnivores and vegetarians can support this exciting project – and we need your help to win!

This grant is based on popularity. Help show the Keg that citizens in the capital region have an appetite for action! Once you register an email address, you can vote for our project once a day between now and June 14, 2011. Feel free to circulate this note to interested colleagues and neighbours who would cast a ballot for this important project.

Visit http://www.thekegthanksamillion.com/en/phase2/projects/show/p/539

Help us plant the seed to a low-carbon future... it only takes a minute and the impacts will last a lifetime.

Educational forum on Sewage Treatment Plant

2011-05-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Residents of Esquimalt,

As many of you know, the Capital Regional District is planning to locate the CRD's Sewage Treatment Plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt.

This is a very controversial plan as many experts view it as severely short-sighted and inadequate, financially irresponsible and a mismanagement of tax dollars, as well as more harmful than helpful to our environment and the natural beauty of our scenic harbour. For your calendar notes next week, please know that you are encouraged to attend an important and informative community forum on CRD Sewage Treatment co-hosted by the Esquimalt Residents Association and other community groups from across Greater Victoria.

The details are:

Educational Forum: “Understanding Wastewater Management in Victoria – Do we have the RIGHT plan?”

Forum Details: 7-9 pm, Thursday May 26, 2011 at SJ Willis High School Auditorium, 923 Topaz Ave., Victoria. More info is available at: http://www.smartsewage.webs.com

Please attend and ensure your voice is heard!

Tim Morrison,

Co-Chair, Esquimalt Residents Association

beds are available

2011-05-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

We have built 5 beds last weekend. 3 more beds to go, and we are just waiting for our soil delivery. Contact us if you are interested in helping out..

10 easy tips to reduce food waste

2011-05-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great check list to reduce food waste. Click for the website here.

Harvesting, Storing, and Cycling H2O in your Garden workshop

2011-05-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Harvesting, Storing, and Cycling H2O in your Garden

With Geoff Johnson.

Location : Fairfield Community Association, 1330 Fairfield Road, in the portable

Details: 2 pm - 4 pm, $20

Despite their many ecological benefits, home food gardens can be thirsty places. However, with good ecological design water conservation and food production need not conflict. In this class we’ll look at how to use a combination of practical approaches and methods to reduce your garden’s demand for water while increasing it’s on-site supply.

RVSP to uahub@lifecyclesproject.ca.

Jane's walk in Esquimalt

2011-04-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Jane's Walk willl visit Esquimalt's industrial neighbourhood, highlighting a diverse group of businesses that call Esquimalt home and explore the new Community Garden and E & N Rail Trail.

What: Esquimalt's Jane's Walk 2011

Where: Meet at the community garden gate in Anderson Park, 835 Colville Road

When: 10:30 a.m, Saturday May 7th, 2011

for more information go to:

http://www.esquimalt.ca/events/events05081101.aspx

or contact

Karen Hay, Planning Technician
Tel: 250-414-7179

New members!

2011-03-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

Esquimalt Community Gardens is expanding and we are seeking new plot members (applicants must be Esquimalt residents) and lots of volunteers.
For more information please email us.

2011-03-06T14:00:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to check our "upcoming events" page!

petition

2011-02-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Please sign the petition to tell the BPA to ban bee killing pesticides

http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5213

upcoming events

2011-02-14T14:17:00.001-08:00

Dear Esquimalt Community Gardeners,

The Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre would like to invite you to participate in Grow-A-Row 2011. Grow-A-Row is a nation-wide initiative that began in 1986 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and has grown to include over 85 communities across Canada. It is aimed at recruiting local gardeners to plant an extra row of food in their gardens for those in need!

Last year we ran a very successful pilot program where we were able to recruit 45 local gardeners and collected 100 kgs of food for two local food banks, Best Babies and Our Place. This year we have decided to try and increase participation rates by reaching out to local community gardens, centers and groups in order to make this years program even more successful than last year.

We are hoping that you will be able to assist us with the following:

• Pass on our press release to those who you believe would be interested in knowing about this initiative and post it up on your local community garden news board,

• Join us on Thursday, February 24 from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM to help us celebrate the launch of Grow-A-Row at Fairfield Community Centre, OSC Room

- 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Meet and Greet with fellow gardeners, program coordinators and community members. Everyone is welcome, but please call or email if you are interested in attending so that we know how many people to expect. Refreshments provided.

- 6:30 PM -7:00 PM Program Launch – We will provide everyone with an introduction to the program, our goals for 2011 and presentations.

- 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Workshop – Planning Your Garden 1.5 hours designed to teach the basics on planting, spacing, timing, succession, and garden rotation. Limit to 20 people, please register in advance. A second workshop will be hosted in the following week if there is a waitlist and

• Join us on Saturday, February 26 from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM at The Compost Education Centre where we will be holding a Drop-in Seed Swap for Grow-A-Row participants. There will be free organic seeds handed out for your row and we are encouraging participants to bring extra seeds to share with others. Please bring small paper bags to collect your seeds in and a pen for labeling. Great fun to be had!

For more information please contact the Greater Victoria Compost Education Center.

Esquimalt Seedy Saturday Event

2011-02-11T19:17:00.001-08:00

Mayor "pumpkin cutting" (instead of ribbon cutting) at the grand opening of Esq. Community Garden

2010-10-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

2010-10-16T22:23:00.001-07:00

On behalf of the Community Garden, we would like to thank everyone that came out today to the winter gardening workshop.
We would like to thank you for helping us clean up the site and fix the composters in preparation for our public event of pumpkin carving on the 22nd.
Also we would like to thank Robin for her donation of raspberry bushes that she plated all along our lonely fence.

In preparation for the public event, we also ask the plot members that did not attend the workshop to clean up their plot of all the dead tomato plants and other things that have passed their due date.
Also, we would like to ask you to carve a pumpkin and place it on your empty plot so it doesn't look too empty (since most of us don't have plant shooting out of the ground just yet). We need a volunteer/s to carve three pumpkins- two for the two small plots in the entrance and one for the high school in the back. Make sure to place the pumpkins on the plot before Friday the 22nd. Please e-mail us back if you can help us out.

Have a great evening and hopefully we will see you on October 22nd at 10am.

6th Annual Pumpkin Smash ~ November 6th and 7th

2010-10-13T11:07:00.001-07:00

The scariest thing about Halloween is the amount of jack-o-lanterns that end up in the landfill. Keep your pumpkins out of the trash and join us for our 6th annual Pumpkin Smash! Bring your family and friends, and of course your pumpkins, and join us for Tombstone Tipping and other family games to help us raise awareness for composting! Last year we managed to divert over 13 tonnes of jack-o-lanterns from the landfill – let’s see if we can beat that this year!
The event will be held November 6th and 7th from 10am to 3pm each day.
Cloverdale - Thrifty Foods (3475 Quadra Street) : Saturday, November 6th
Fairfield - Thrifty Foods (1590 Fairfield Road) : Saturday, November 6th
Hillside - Thrifty Foods (1580 Hillside Avenue) : Sunday, November 7th

upcoming winter workshop

2010-10-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

We are inviting you to participate at out potluck-style winter gardening workshop.

It will be held on site, on October 16th at 1pm (about 2 hours long).

We are planning to plant garlic bulbs for the winter

Please RSVP as soon as possible so we know how many garlic bulbs to purchase (email us at esquimaltcommunitygardens@gmail.com).

Also, bring along whatever food you want to share to the garden (this is not mandatory).

Participation is by donation, suggested donation is $5-10,

Rain or shine

Free Native Plant Gardening Workshop

2010-09-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

"This FREE three hour workshop on gardening with drought-resistant native plants will:

Identify native plants
Review the benefits of native plants
Teach how and where to grow native plants
Offer tips for reducing or eliminating lawns
Inform how to create special natural habitats, such as meadows, thickets, woodlands
Discuss how to attract wildlife to the garden
Include an informative tour of the native plant garden
Review of CRD conservation programs

Instructor: Patricia Johnston, Native Plant & Waterwise consultant.

Each workshop is limited to 18 participants and pre-registration is required. Please call Swan Lake at 250.479.0211 to register. Workshops are held in the Spring and Fall."

Please see this link for the schedule and more resources

Our pumpkin patch is growing fast!!!

2010-09-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

This picture of the pumpkin patch was taken on September 9th

please make sure

2010-08-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Please make sure to turn off the water after using it. The garden was flooded today because the hose was not shut off.

BBQ Friday 13th

2010-08-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

We finally got the fences and we put digesters and composters in the garden!

We will be having a BBQ this Friday the 13th between 6pm-8pm-

At Anderson Park (Colville St)

to celebrate the establishment of Esquimalt's first community garden and to thank all the volunteers who worked hard to make this possible

We will be having refreshments, veggie burgers, hotdogs veggies, etc...
You are welcome to bring snacks as well

Hope to see you there!
Esquimalt Community Garden

Mandatory Meeting

2010-07-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

We will be having a mandatory meeting for plot owners next Sunday, July 25th at 5pm in the garden.
We need to divide some tasks to make sure that all the communal plants get watered regularly by everyone. Also we have soil that needs to be put in the plots that are empty. This and much more will be discussed.

See you there!

How To Keep Your Yard and Garden Pest Free Without Harsh Chemicals

2010-07-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

"Deer, slugs, and other garden destroying pests might be a part of our natural world, but that doesn't mean you have to tolerate them being a natural part of your garden. These tips will keep your plants pest-free without harsh chemicals.

Better living through chemistry has given us off-the-shelf and factory-manufactured solutions for any problem you can imagine. Many people, however, want to forgo using harsh chemicals in their yards and gardens to avoid unnecessary chemical exposure. This guide highlights a variety of ways you can keep your landscaping lush and your gardens unmolested by pests without having to spread toxic paste on anything or use a sprayer that requires an OSHA-approved canister mask to use safely. We'll start with the easiest solutions that you can apply now—even if you're a renter—and move onto the more time-consuming solutions that require more advanced planning. For the sake of readability we'll be referring to the space you're working on as a "garden" for the rest of the article, but all of these methods work equally as well on landscaping in general"

For the rest of the article please visit the lifehacker wesbite: click here

Thank You!

2010-07-03T20:01:00.001-07:00

We would like to thank Brother Nature Organic Seeds for their great contribution to the Esquimalt Community Gardens. We greatly appreciate all the organic plants that were recently donated (including sweet peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes)!
If you would like more information on the locally based organic company please visit their website at www.brothernature.ca

Finally Gardening

2010-07-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

We got water!
we finally got water yesterday and we assigned the plots this morning. All members can now start planting their plants.
We got 2 "welcome" organic tomato plants in all the plots, and hope all will enjoy the tomatoes in the end of the summer/ or in the fall.
We are hoping to get the fence sometime next week, and then the composers can go in the garden for everyone's scraps. Educational workshops will soon be planned for winter gardening and other things members might be interested in (if you have a preference or any suggestions please let us know). We will need volunteers to organize those so let us know if you can help out and when.
Also we still have a few plots available. Please express your interest via email. I hate to see any plots empty.

Come down to see ho people are utilizing their plots so fast!

Another 2 work parties this weekend!!

2010-06-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

We have two work parties this week to finish the beds!

Friday June 25th 5-8pm and Saturday June 26th 10-4pm

Please come out to help us if you can!
If you have registered for a bed but have not paid yet, please bring the payment along with you and give it to our treasurer: Mark Salter.

See you there!

Saturday work party

2010-06-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

We will be meeting on Saturday, June 19th to build all the beds.
We got all the wood cut today and now it has to be assembled!

Meeting is in Anderson Park at 11am

Pirrrate Gardening- June 12th

2010-06-15T12:05:00.001-07:00

Garden plots are now available!

2010-06-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Esquimalt Community Gardens Society is now accepting applications for a plot at Anderson Park. Apartment dwellers are prioritized for a plot, but residents that are renting in a house and have no access to a yard are also eligible. Expressions of interest are recommended to be submitted by email on Friday June 11 at 5pm. The deadline for applications (including payment) is Wednesday, June 16 at 5pm. If there is greater demand for plots than supply available, and applicants meet the selection criteria outlined below, a lottery may be held.

The criteria for selection of members include the following:
1. Esquimalt resident
2. Living radius (closest to the garden)
3. Willingness to volunteer- which includes that the plot owner agrees to share responsibility with other members in the general up-keep and maintenance of the garden and participate in some public events (times are flexible)
4. Reside in an apartment building / rent in a house that doesn't have access to a yard
5. Year round use of the plot (there will be workshops that teach winter and fall gardening)

Plots have an annual membership fee of $60 which cover the basic expenses of maintaining the garden, such as water and insurance. The initial payment will be valid until May 24th, 2011.

If you are interested in membership only (open to all), no plot (which covers access to workshops and volunteering) the annual fee is $5; and this covers personal injury insurance.

upcoming events

2010-06-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We are one step away from finally planting our roots in the Anderson park Community Garden.

The sun is shining and we are very excited we have come this far for the first time!

We had a great meeting today, very productive and lots of information to share, lots of stuff happening this week.

We have sent out invitations for people who are eligible for a plot. Congratulations!

For those of you who have received an invitation for a plot, please confirm by Friday, June 11th @5pm. The community garden policy and the agreement of the community garden with the township is now being drafted. We will have the policy ready by Friday night or Saturday morning, and we will be sending it out then.

We have an "ongoing workparty" this week and everyone is welcome to come and help us out!

This Wednesday, June 9th we are meeting at Mark's house (832 Rockheights Ave) @5pm we will be building boxes for the plots.

On Thursday, June 10th we are meeting again to continue the work at Mark's house (@5pm). Shaw TV will be there to film and interview people. We will be doing Pirate Gardening for Buccaneer day! Everyone is welcome to come, the only requirement is to dress like a pirrrate. If you don't have one, just an eye patch and a bandanna will do (hook is recommended), you can dress up from there as pirate-like as you wish!

On Saturday, June 12th @2pm we will be continuing our work on site (Anderson Park). Pirate costume (or at least an eye patch and a bandanna) is mandatory! - consider you are coming to garden! No tools needed!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at esquimaltcommunitygardens "at" gmail.com

Public Event

2010-06-02T22:47:00.001-07:00

We will be having a table at the Esquimalt Gorge Park for the Rivers and Oceans Day. This will be on June 6th between 12- 3pm

Come to help us out, or just come by to show some support!

meeting update- June 2

2010-06-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for everyone who showed up to the meeting during the sunny and windy period!

Our next meeting will be on Monday, June 7th @ Serious coffee (upstairs) on Esq. road at 5pm

We were supposed to meet with Geoff, the guy from the high school to discuss educational opportunities, but unfortunately he did not came out, and we will have to reschedule that meeting with him.

On the bright side, we divided a few very crucial tasks. Those are the following responsibilities that were discussed by members and those will be done by next week:

1. Drafting the community garden policy- Fawn took on this task
2. Drafting of an agreement between the municipality and the community garden- this will be done by Jenny
3. Registering for the B.C Council of Garden Club in order to get insurance to cover for members of the garden- this task will be done by Olga
4. Contacting Coast Capital to open a bank account- this will be done by Olga
4. Call Recyclistas to get a good deal on a bike rack- this will also be done by Olga

Also, we are hoping to have a work party on June 12th, we will keep you posted when we know more details!!

Hope to see you next week!

Tuesday meeting - May 25

2010-05-25T19:39:00.001-07:00

A big thanks for everyone who came out today to the meeting!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 2nd in Anderson Park at 4pm.

Although we have not yet determined the cost for the plots, we have established a criteria for selecting candidates for the garden plots, the following will be considered:

1. Esquimalt resident

2. radius (closest to the park)

3. apartment buildings and/ or condos without adequate yard

4. willing to volunteer (this will be further defined in the next week or so as to what 'volunteering' entails

Also, the Esquimalt Community Gardens will have 5 executives, the following are the people on the list:

1. Mark salter

2. Olga Liberchuk

3. Jana Heins-Kaemmer

4. Fawn Beckwith

5. representative from the high school (not yet confirmed)

Depending on when the fences will be established either in the first weekend of June or in the second weekend of June the garden will be constructed and we will need lots of volunteers (no construction experience is necessary)!!. You will be updated once we get any news.

Thanks!

2010-05-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the ones that took time to come down today to Anderson Park and share their support, ideas and suggestions.
So far we have been focusing on the approval of the garden and its design.
We have now come to a point that we have enough interest and support from the community and we are planning to construct the garden in the first week of June. No construction experience is necessary!

For all of you interested helping out, please express your interest!!!

Our next public meeting which will be held on Tuesday (May 25th) at Serious Coffee (upstairs) on Esquimalt Rd.

Also, below is information about composting workshops that are offered in the Esquimalt recreation center in the next two weeks that may be of interest to you:

COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS & BIN SALE

Be the change you want to see in the world - learn how to compost!
Did you miss Esquimalt’s Composting Bin Sale on April 17th? We have good news—there are still bins available! Sign-up for one of the below workshops and receive a voucher towards a subsidized composting bin from the Compost Education Centre. Spaces are limited, prices apply to Esquimalt residents ONLY.
Composting Basics
May 26, 2010
6:30 PM — 8:30 PM
FREE, Recreation Centre
This workshop covers the basics of composting, including vermicomposting, hot composting, and speeding up your backyard bin. Esquimalt residents who attend this workshop will receive a voucher towards the purchase of a subsidized composting bin! (Composter $50, Digester $85)

Composting for Small Spaces
June 2, 2010
6:30 PM — 8:30 PM
$15, Recreation Centre
Want to begin composting but don’t have a backyard? Learn how to vermi-compost and start turning your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich supplement for plants. Esquimalt residents who attend this workshop will receive a voucher towards a FREE worm bin! (Value: $42.95)

Registration: Recreation Centre front desk or Call 250-412-8500
www.esquimalt.ca/compost

Also here are some useful links of workshop & compost information:

www.esquimalt.ca/compost

Composting Basics Workshop - May 26, 2010 - http://www.esquimalt.ca/events/events05261001.aspx

Composting for Small Spaces - June 2, 2010 - http://www.esquimalt.ca/events/events06021001.aspx

see you soon!!

location change- public meeting

2010-05-15T21:33:00.001-07:00

Please note!!!
The upcoming meeting on Moday will remain at 5pm, but will now be in Anderson park instead of the coffee shop. See you there!

public meeting

2010-05-14T15:29:00.001-07:00

don't forget the pubic meeting at serious coffee this upcoming monday at 5pm!!

Open House

2010-05-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

The site for the community garden was finalized this Monday in the council meeting.

The location of the first Esquimalt community garden is to be in Anderson park, right beside Esquimalt high school. This may be the first garden, but not the last!!!

This is the time to step forward with any interest in volunteering, executive positions or with any suggestion regarding the physical appearance of the garden.

The Community Gardens Task Force will be hosting an open house this coming Wednesday from 5:30- 7:30.

Please come on out and bring any ideas, suggestions or concerns with you.

There is more information on the Township of Esquimalt website:

http://www.esquimalt.ca/events/events05191001.aspx

If you have any questions, concerns or if you need any clarifications, do not hesitate to contact Olga at esquimaltcommunitygardens "at" gmail.com

meeting reminder

2010-05-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

Dont forget!! This monday at 5pm we have a public meeting at serious coffee again, and after, at 7pm we are heading to the council and we will be in the council chambers! Please come on out and show your support!!

A quick update

2010-05-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks for everyone who was able to come out today! We had a great discussion, interest is growing by the week! We have a public meeting again, same place same time:
May 10th Esq. serious coffee (upstairs) @5pm, also after the meeting, at 7pm we are going to the council meeting once again.

We have decided, as a Task Force, with some public insight, that the best thing to do is go back to the council to approve one of the two top sites. The choice is now down to Fraser st. and Andersen Park (right beside esq. high school). Last council meeting that we went to, council approved all the sites but referred the issue back to Esq. staff. We can't start working on a site because staff did not come back to us yet with their recommendations of a site, and it's been 2 weeks since we asked for a meeting with them.

Since the horticultural deadline is approaching, we are pressed for time, and we have no other option but to go back to council and request a decision on the matter, without referring the issue back to staff.

If you can, please come out- at least to the council meeting- to show the council your support, and to show that there is demand in the community for public gardens!

Have a great week and see you there!

Public Meeting reminder!

2010-05-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

We are meeting again this Monday!

Please come on out, we'd love to hear your feedback!

Same place same time:

Esquimalt Serious Coffee (upstairs) @ 5pm

Public Meeting Reminder

2010-04-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Community Garden Task Force has a public meeting tomorrow

at 5pm in serious coffee (upstairs)... be there or be square!!

Bring your friends, neighbours, family and lots of input!!

Happy Earth Day!!!

2010-04-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hopefully we will see you all in our next public event- seed to spoon in Esq. United Church on 500 Admirals

Public Survey!!

2010-04-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

we now have a public survey on the Township of Esquimalt website up and running!

Your input is important to us, so please take the time to fill the survey! (it's only 9 questions)

http://www.esquimalt.ca/surveys/CommunityGardens.aspx

Communuty Gardening was approved by the township!!!

2010-04-13T22:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a crucial moment!!
Last night we had our proposal to the council meeting, which was also approved by the council. We were aiming for the town square, right in front of the library partly because it can hold about 20 plots. Council, however, reject this place for their own reasons, so we have to work with smaller... places that hold between 6-10 plots, depending on which one will be finally approved.
The council has directed our request to staff to finalize the decision regarding the first site of the community garden.

The two sites that scored highest on the list, also were the ones preferred by council, were one on 537 Fraser St (the residential house next to the teen centre), right next to Esquimalt recreation center and the second one in Andersen park on Colville road (right next to Esq. high school and Craigflower); both sites have easy accessibility to public transit as well as good accessibility to parking spots.

We are focusing on one site at the moment, but once we get it going we are looking to establish more sites throughout Esqumalt, with the help of the community of course. So there's still lots of work ahead of us and lots of future vision as well!!Right now we are waiting for the staff recommendation regarding the final... site approval... If you would like to get involved, either volunteer in our public events, volunteer establishing the community garden or simply reserve a plot once it gets established please e-mail the Task Force to express your interest and support:
esquimaltcommunitygardens "at" gmail "dot" com

Welcome!

2010-04-13T21:02:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the newly established Esquimalt Community Gardens page!!

This page has been created for updates, public input, suggestions, discussions and ideas to share.

Feel free to contact us, or to leave comments below our posts. We hope you will find this page full with fertile information for sustainable living in an urban area!