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The following is the speech that the Garden's President gave to invited guests at the Garden's Official Opening Launch on August 24, 2013.
"We are all very proud of our community garden. We think it is the most beautiful one of the city!
At the end of June last year we received permission from the City to build our garden. By the end of July 2012, all 28 boxes had been built and because of the warm summer, within weeks we had a jungle. But, we also had many people on our waiting list, so we decided it was worth trying to raise funds to double the size of our garden as it had been designed from the outset. And we were successful!
In terms of grants, over the 2 years, we received over $46,000, of which almost half came from the Ontario Trillium Foundation., The TD Friends of the Environment contributed the children’s garden and the City of Ottawa, through its Community Garden Network fund, administered by Just Food helped build phase 1 of the garden.
We are also thankful to the Federal government who granted us 3 students this summer. Trillium also granted us a student who managed our garden all summer. I would like to especially thank our summer students. They are Isabel Tang, Scott Hamilton Hardock, Freddy Villatoro, and Alison Duncan. All spend many hours building boxes, organization activities for members and children and for being there to answer questions to passerbys. A big thank you to all of you.
Members of the garden gave this year (so far) more than 400 hours in garden maintenance, more than 20 hours preparing and hosting children activities mostly in July, 50-hour social activities - planning, workshop, etc.. - And for the administration and management of the garden from executive and coordinating committee: Over 2000 hours! A real community project with impressive volunteer participation.
I would like to give special thanks to our Executive committee members who serve dual functions. Marcel is our VP and tends the communal gardens and berry boxes. Ed is invaluable as Treasurer and external communications’ coordinator. Alison as our Secretary and internal communications’s coordinator as well as who writes articles about the garden in local newspaper. And Al Holtz, volunteering in the children’s garden and managing our composters as well as providing us with a lot of wisdom.
There are many people also who gave many hours and coordinate committees at our garden. I would like to thank Jim and Catherine Montgomery as maintenance coordinators Michael Oster and Guy Soulière as building coordinators and Biodome project leaders Paula Claudino as our membership coordinator, Johanne Ranger as our volunteer coordinator
Alison Duncan as our children’s garden coordinator, Edmond Marc Durogoff as our fundraising coordinator Who is responsible in part in having all of you here today!
And also, all of those who have contributed since last year their wisdom, their ideas, their passion and work in the various committees. And finally, I would like to especially thank Colette Stoeber who designed our website last year and was coordinating communications with the group and Lori Waller who first spread the idea of this garden in our local newspaper over 2 years ago and who led the group in its first year."
To all, thank you.
Danielle Cantin,
President
Brewer Park Community Garden
"We are all very proud of our community garden. We think it is the most beautiful one of the city!
At the end of June last year we received permission from the City to build our garden. By the end of July 2012, all 28 boxes had been built and because of the warm summer, within weeks we had a jungle. But, we also had many people on our waiting list, so we decided it was worth trying to raise funds to double the size of our garden as it had been designed from the outset. And we were successful!
In terms of grants, over the 2 years, we received over $46,000, of which almost half came from the Ontario Trillium Foundation., The TD Friends of the Environment contributed the children’s garden and the City of Ottawa, through its Community Garden Network fund, administered by Just Food helped build phase 1 of the garden.
We are also thankful to the Federal government who granted us 3 students this summer. Trillium also granted us a student who managed our garden all summer. I would like to especially thank our summer students. They are Isabel Tang, Scott Hamilton Hardock, Freddy Villatoro, and Alison Duncan. All spend many hours building boxes, organization activities for members and children and for being there to answer questions to passerbys. A big thank you to all of you.
Members of the garden gave this year (so far) more than 400 hours in garden maintenance, more than 20 hours preparing and hosting children activities mostly in July, 50-hour social activities - planning, workshop, etc.. - And for the administration and management of the garden from executive and coordinating committee: Over 2000 hours! A real community project with impressive volunteer participation.
I would like to give special thanks to our Executive committee members who serve dual functions. Marcel is our VP and tends the communal gardens and berry boxes. Ed is invaluable as Treasurer and external communications’ coordinator. Alison as our Secretary and internal communications’s coordinator as well as who writes articles about the garden in local newspaper. And Al Holtz, volunteering in the children’s garden and managing our composters as well as providing us with a lot of wisdom.
There are many people also who gave many hours and coordinate committees at our garden. I would like to thank Jim and Catherine Montgomery as maintenance coordinators Michael Oster and Guy Soulière as building coordinators and Biodome project leaders Paula Claudino as our membership coordinator, Johanne Ranger as our volunteer coordinator
Alison Duncan as our children’s garden coordinator, Edmond Marc Durogoff as our fundraising coordinator Who is responsible in part in having all of you here today!
And also, all of those who have contributed since last year their wisdom, their ideas, their passion and work in the various committees. And finally, I would like to especially thank Colette Stoeber who designed our website last year and was coordinating communications with the group and Lori Waller who first spread the idea of this garden in our local newspaper over 2 years ago and who led the group in its first year."
To all, thank you.
Danielle Cantin,
President
Brewer Park Community Garden
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