Neighbourhood Resource Centre takes over community garden

The Neighbourhood Resource Centre (NRC) is preparing for its first year as the primary caretaker of the community garden on the grounds of Etienne Brule Public School.

“I pushed for it this year that we would take it over, so we’re waiting for the snow to melt,” said NRC volunteer Alison Walton.  

The community garden on Albert Street West has evolved over the years, initially run by the Mill Market at the Esposito skating rink during its first year of existence.

The community garden was then relocated to the Etienne Brule property, and was run by the Mill Market for another two years, according to Walton.

The Kina Awiiya Secondary Program - a joint educational effort between the Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre and the Algoma District School Board - then took over the community garden for last year’s growing season.

Meanwhile over at the NRC, Walton had already begun the process of growing fresh produce in the Gore Street neighbourhood. When the resource centre first opened five years ago, she made arrangements to take over a flower garden across the street from NRC and used it to plant vegetables.

“Everybody walked by and you know, kind of laughed and said nothing will grow, but it was a beautiful garden,” Walton said.

The project grew from there - quite literally- as Walton used donated cash and property from the Steelworkers Hall on Albert Street East to grow more vegetables for people at the NRC.

“I had this vision to expand, and I spearheaded the five garden boxes and potato boxes,” she said.

In the spring and summer of last year, the NRC expanded its gardening project by another four garden boxes, which are situated right at the resource centre, in order to grow lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Whatever produce was left over from the garden boxes, Walton says, were then distributed to people at the centre.

Now that the NRC has officially taken over the Etienne Brule community garden, the centre will now be able to provide for the community on a larger scale.   

“The people that purchase a box for $20, they can grow their own fresh, organic vegetables,” Walton said. “Over the summer we’re going to have special events like barbecues [and] get-togethers, so it’s fellowship also.”

As with many of the programs and resources offered by the NRC, the community garden will need donated supplies and volunteers to ensure the garden’s success.

Walton says they’ll need a garden shed ‘no larger than twelve-by-twelve’ and fencing around the perimeter. She hopes that local businesses will help out the NRC with both of these projects before the planting season begins.

Both the shed and fencing are necessary, Walton says, due to several instance of theft and vandalism at the Etienne Brule garden over the past two years.

“I mean, some of the people that purchase those garden boxes, they’re on social assistance if you want to call it that,” Walton said. “So they’re paying $20 and their produce is being stolen.”

“It’s a big hit to them.”

The garden is slated to operate from mid-June to mid-October.

Walton says the NRC is also asking for help in acquiring the following items for its day-to-day operations on Gore Street:

• Two-in-one shampoos
• Bars of soap
• Razors
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Household cleaning supplies
• Non-perishable food items
• Coffee and coffee supplies
• Craft supplies

Bags of donated hygiene products are put together and given out to people at the NRC during the last Wednesday of every month, Walton said.