City council has approved a new program for community-led gardens and green initiatives that will address a growing demand for developing publicly accessible food gardens, as well as initiatives like pollinator and beautification gardens, on city-owned lands.
In the council meeting Wednesday, councillors unanimously approved the new program without debate. The motion was approved by the Community Services Committee last week, where council members heard a staff report and a number of delegations, many of which advocated for streamlined communication and better accessibility to community gardens.
The staff report consulted approximately 1,000 residents as part of the review, and they said residents expressed a desire to expand and improve the green initiatives and community gardens.
The report added that this is “largely motivated by the community’s interest in environmental and ecological health, recreation, physical and mental health, and wellness, food security, food systems learning, and cultural and social connections.”
According to the survey, 87 per cent of participants want to see more of these initiatives.
Currently, there are 27 community food gardens on City land, including 16 on park land, many varying from 6 to 350 plots. The only City-operated allotment garden is the Kilborn Allotment Garden, while all other gardens are managed by the community with support from Just Food Ottawa.
Just Food Ottawa is a local non-profit focused on both rural and urban food and farming issues in the Ottawa region, and part of its mandate includes community gardening and farming initiatives.
Community gardens weigh into the organization’s advocacy that “all people, at all times” have access to food that is fresh, accessible, affordable, minimally processed, as local as possible and “ecologically managed within sustainable livelihoods.”
During the committee meeting, members heard a delegation from Kate Veinot, director of operations and neighbourhood planning at Just Food Ottawa, who said there had been expectations from the community that the report be further along in the city processes, particularly with public engagement.
“The urgency of the moment has not been reflected in this process to date,” she said, citing rising rates of food insecurity in the city.
Veinot’s presentation focused on the shortcomings of the report, which she said included vague vocabulary and a lack of firm timelines and parameters.
“I have the privilege of working closely with residents across this city who are ready and willing to transform underused places into vibrant, nourishing spaces for their communities and fellow neighbours.
She said she regularly hears from groups that are looking for City approval to start or expand community gardens but have been waiting for years.
“Last week, a community group informed me that they had made the decision to walk away from their project, not for lack of passion, but because the city’s processes have extended time and time again and remain so unclear that they could no longer justify holding on.”
At the City of Ottawa, there has been a pause on applications to access approving new sites, but this will be paused under the program initiatives approved by council.
Staff will also begin reviewing outstanding community requests for new or expanded gardens and develop clear guidelines for the initiatives, streamline the intake process and engage with local community organizations to ensure the initiatives are truly “community-led”.
