The City of Port Moody wants to hear from residents in the Glenayre neighbourhood if they’d welcome a new community garden in Art Wilkinson Park.
The 60-plot garden, to be managed by the Grow Local Society, was approved by Port Moody council last spring, along with another 20 plots on a patch of property in front of the city’s recreation centre.
And while the latter has already produced bountiful harvests for its members, the larger garden was put on hold so some community concerns could be identified and addressed.
The gardens were proposed as five-year pilot projects to help foster a greater sense of community, get people outside more and educate them about the importance of food security.
They’ll also help ease the waiting list on the city’s other community gardens, including one next to the police station on St. Johns Street.
“The pandemic has shone a light on how fragile the food system is,” said the executive director of Grow Local, Tabitha McLoughlin, adding people are getting more interested in learning where their food comes from.
The society typically makes the 62 sq-ft plots at the gardens it manages available for about $40 a year to help cover expenses.
According to a news release, the community garden in Art Wilkinson Park would be located in its north-east corner and comprise about four per cent of its total area.
The survey is available online through Port Moody’s engagement portal, or a paper copy can be picked up at city hall (100 Newport Dr.).
The deadline for responses is Oct. 11.
