By Annie Mercier
In October 2014, Lowertown has witnessed the birth of Angel Square Community Garden. This project, that looked simple enough at the beginning, took eight years in the making.
Many people have been involved, one way or another, in this wonderful project: from the fifty residents of Lowertown placed on a waiting list for a lot in a tiny community garden, to members of the community questioning the candidates during municipal elections on the importance of food security, to avid gardeners who built the raised beds and filled them with stone, sand and earth.
Many gardeners have invested their time in all phases of the project. An experienced gardener collaborated on writing a grant to buy the materials needed to build the garden, while a dozen dedicated volunteers met, and continue to meet monthly for almost a year and a half, to discuss the various steps involved in preparing the gardening season, which will begin in spring 2015. This project brought together neighbors who, because of their socio-economic differences, perhaps would not interact in other circumstances.
The new Angel Square Community Garden, located in front of 40 Cobourg Street, will allow twelve new families to grow their own vegetables, thus ensuring their access to healthy, fresh produce, while easing the financial burden related to its purchase. This garden fills a great need in Lowertown, which has many people living in food insecurity. Before the construction of the new garden, the 12,000 residents of Lowertown could only count on 6 plots available. Now they will have access to 18 plots, and possibly more in the future.
Angel Square Community Garden is a superb example of community development, as its creation stemmed from the effort of many people in the community.