For immediate release
Ottawa, Ontario, July 26, 2021: A grassy parcel of NCC land located between Tunney’s Pasture and the Ottawa River has been transformed into a bucolic community garden and gathering space.
Because of ongoing Covid restrictions, the opening ceremony was captured on video. You can view it here. https://youtu.be/ikyi-dZIR68
For the ceremony, Goldenrod Board President Susan Harvey and Board members including Allegra Newman, Carmel Boosamra and Al Webb welcomed many local politicians and dignitaries including: the Honourable Catherine McKenna, MP for Ottawa Centre and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre, Jeff Leiper, Councillor for Kitchissippi Ward, and Tobi Nussbaum, Chief Executive Officer for the National Capital Commission.
The opening ceremony also included Randy Mayes, Executive Director of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre. He presented a message of land acknowledgement and thanked the Goldenrod volunteers for their work in establishing this garden and its contribution to the residents of the neighbourhood. Goldenrod Community Garden acknowledges that its location is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
Situated near the urban centre of our nation’s capital (Ottawa, Canada) the mission of the Goldenrod Community Garden is to increase food security by helping people to grow their own food, build community by providing resources for other local organizations like the Parkdale Food Centre and to Share knowledge about food gardening with others, including schools.
The Phase One build was completed early in June 2021 and includes 30 garden beds/80 garden plots (some wheelchair accessible), a shed, compost bins, fences and water storage. Twenty percent of the plots are reserved for people in Kitchissippi who want to garden but have neither the means nor the space to do so. Planting began June 5.
Goldenrod has partnered with the Food Centre and the Somerset West Community Health Program to identify and connect with food insecure neighbours interested in gardening with Goldenrod. Parkdale Food Centre is a local food bank whose community outreach includes social enterprise and food literacy programs. Somerset West Community Health Program provides specialized health, educational, social and recreational programs to people in need. Another partner, Just Food, is a local, non-profit community-based organization that works on both rural and urban food and farming issues in Ottawa and the surrounding region.
Other community partners and generous donors include ASL Contractors/Sandro Ricci, Maker House/Gareth Davies, CSW Landscape Architects/AC Schellenberg, Stokely Design Associates/Michael Stokely and IB TYPE Inc./Ian Brignell.
“Less than a year ago there were seven of us were meeting by Zoom every week trying to get the garden planned, approved and funded,” said Interim President Susan Harvey. “Since that time our ranks have been bolstered by a number of other volunteers to help with communication, fundraising, managing membership, garden building and maintenance. I want to take this opportunity to thank all our community partners, garden members, donors and volunteers. It has been really exciting to see everything come together!”
Goldenrod Community Garden welcomes new members, Friends and donations.
Please visit our website at goldenrodgarden.org to learn more.
You can view the ceremony here:
Content written by Catherine O’Toole
Video Credit: Isabelle Golding
Goldenrod Community Garden contact: Allegra Newman, goldenrodgarden@gmail.com, 613-581-6812
Media contact: Kita Szpak, Kita@sympatico.ca, 613-725-3063
