Community garden on Rossland Ave. gets green light
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 49° 05.871 W 117° 43.161
11U E 447488 N 5438582
The Gulch Garden is to be seen along Highway 22/3B (Rossland Avenue) as it passes through "The Gulch" on the western edge of Trail.
Waymark Code: WMZP6D
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 12/12/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 0

The Gulch was a predominately Italian neighborhood on the western edge of Trail, with a smattering of Irish mixed in, most of the original residents being immigrants attracted to Trail in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by the appeal of steady work at the Cominco Smelter. The garden is near the centre of the Gulch, across the street from Colombo Hall, a large brick building completed in 1927 to house Cristoforo Colombo Lodge Mutuo Soccorso No. 1, a benevolent society created in 1905 for Italian immigrants.

The garden presently uses raised beds arrayed within a parking area. The use of portable raised beds makes the garden easily expandable. The organizers of the garden have shown some true genius in the area of recycling and repurposing. Though the majority of the beds are built of wood, as is the norm for garden beds, the taller ones toward the rear are actually repurposed freezers, painted and prettied by a local artist.

Of course, long before dirt could be turned or seeds could be planted, the bureaucrats had to cross their "i"s and dot their "t"s. That part of the community garden's story follows.
Community garden on
Rossland Ave. gets green light
“This garden is a testament to the generous and caring nature of the people who call our communities home.” - Gina Ironmonger
SHERI REGNIER | Mar. 11, 2015

The Community Food Bank Garden isn’t getting squashed this summer after all.

Since Gina Ironmonger from the Edible Landscape Committee took Trail Mayor Mike Martin on a go-see of the Gulch locale and clarified the project’s scope, council reconsidered and gave it a thumbs up Monday night.

“This garden is a testament to the generous and caring nature of the people who call our communities home,” Ironmonger told the Trail Times Tuesday. “It really is a continuation of what we started last year with Trail’s incrEDIBLE Green Route,” she explained. “The difference is that volunteers will be planting and tending the planters with the produce grown for the food banks.”

Typically, urban community gardens are fenced-in spaces with individual plots for residents, who live nearby, to grow their own food. That’s not the case in Trail, explained Ironmonger, while clarifying misunderstandings to council about the site’s layout, preparation, type of planters, costs and action plan to minimize bear attractants.

She maintains the concepts behind the project is food security and sustainability, so all planters will be self watering to reduce water waste and time, be used as a teaching garden, and all fresh produce will be donated to Trail food banks. “As you are probably aware,” she wrote to council. “Kate’s Kitchen serves 600 meals per month and the Anglican and United churches give food to approximately 200 people per week. Fresh and nutritious food provides inspiration and mentoring as we grow our incrEDIBLE trail.”

Prior to Ironmonger’s clarification, the city estimated the community garden cost to be $15,000 taking into account the requirement for a six foot bear-proof fence. Not needed, Ironmonger says, because after a neighborhood canvas, the residents claimed bears haven’t been a problem for some time. The group went a step further, and along with WildSafe BC collaboration, reviewed garden management to avoid growing certain attractants. Melons, pumpkins, fruit and berries can attract bears and won't be planted she said, noting compost, which can also attract bruins, will not be done on site.

Another amenity not needed for planter-style gardening is irrigation. Because the property is not developed, the city originally estimated a $4,000 cost to hook up water. Also not required, Ironmonger says, because the adjoining neighbour offered use of her time and water to keep the garden growing.

Using the planter model and volunteer hands, the city’s financial impact is minimal. Council agreed to infuse $1,250 for grading and dust suppression at the site, which is located across from the Colombo Lodge. The overall cost is estimated to be around $5,000, which the landscape committee is hoping to cover through Columbia Basin Trust’s upcoming community initiatives grant program...
From the Trail Daily Times
Type of publication: Newspaper

When was the article reported?: 03/11/2015

Publication: Trail Daily Times

Article Url: [Web Link]

Is Registration Required?: no

How widespread was the article reported?: local

News Category: Arts/Culture

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