Something for everyone

Winakwa Community Garden becoming a haven

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This article was published 14/04/2021 (1647 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Interest in the Winakwa Community Garden continues to grow.  

The garden is located on a piece of Louis Riel School Division-owned green space between Windsor Park Collegiate and Collège Béliveau next to Windsor Park Pool.

The garden was initially spearheaded by former project co-ordinator Corinne Delannoy several years ago, and now the baton has been passed to others to carry on the vision.

Simon Fuller
Winakwa Community Garden committee chair Christine Mousseau is pictured at the Windsor Park-based garden with some of its raised wooden garden boxes on April 7. At press time, some of the 38 boxes were still available for community members to rent.
Simon Fuller Winakwa Community Garden committee chair Christine Mousseau is pictured at the Windsor Park-based garden with some of its raised wooden garden boxes on April 7. At press time, some of the 38 boxes were still available for community members to rent.

And having been given the green light to continue its garden program during this year’s growing season, the garden’s committee members are inviting local green thumbs to register for one of the 38 raised garden boxes that are currently available for rent.

The committee is currently working on the second phase of its three-year phased fruit orchard plan, which it hopes will help bring food security to the whole community. The garden now also features clearer signage displaying the garden’s rules; and a free, fresh produce shelf for garden members and area residents to use to share any extra produce once they begin to yield the fruits of their labour.

The health and safety of everyone involved with the garden is a top priority of the committee during the ongoing pandemic, and a number of safety protocols will remain in place until further notice. The protocols are available online at winakwacc.ca/community-garden on Winakwa Community Centre’s website. The centre has been a key supporter of the garden, and a key partner in its development and sustainability since its creation several years ago.   

 
Key organizer and committee chair Christine Mousseau told The Lance that the overarching vision for the garden is to cultivate personal, neighbourhood, and environmental well-being through a welcoming garden community, and create food equity for members of the community while creating important partnerships.

“We want to make sure everyone gets what they need, and no one loses out,” said Mousseau, who is on the board of Winakwa Community Centre, and also liaises with Windsor Park Collegiate and Collège Béliveau, who are both involved with the garden. “We want there to be something for everyone.”

Simon Fuller
Christine Mousseau pictured in the orchard area of Winakwa Community Centre, which is in its second phase. Behind her stands a produce shelf, which will be used by garden members and area residents to use to share any extra produce that’s yielded this year.
Simon Fuller Christine Mousseau pictured in the orchard area of Winakwa Community Centre, which is in its second phase. Behind her stands a produce shelf, which will be used by garden members and area residents to use to share any extra produce that’s yielded this year.

She said both of the adjacent schools have their own assigned in-ground garden plots free of charge, as part of an initiative to get students involved with learning about food security, soil amendment, and become more active in the community.

Mousseau is excited about the future growth of the orchard. If all goes well, that section of the garden could yield apples, cherries, pears, apricots, as well as berries including raspberries, saskatoons, and hascaps.

With any project of this nature, Mousseau said, there are concerns about what she calls the ‘misappropriation of food’, and the committee is designating the in-ground plotted areas in the northeast corner of the garden to the public during the pandemic to help deter theft, and to replace any lost crops. It’s hoped this will be mitigated by the use of the produce shelf, where gardeners will have the option to place extra crops that will be available to those in the community.

“The key for us is that everybody needs to have food security — nice, nutritional food,” Mousseau said, noting organizers hope to be able to branch out and go back to holding educational workshops once pandemic restrictions ease up.

“For myself, gardening has always been part of who I am. As a child I was always gardening with my parents and grandparents. It’s about developing a sense of community and helping each other,” she said.

Simon Fuller
A sign now stands at Winakwa Community Garden. It was painted by student Chloe Card.
Simon Fuller A sign now stands at Winakwa Community Garden. It was painted by student Chloe Card.

“It’s also about passing down knowledge from generation to generation, and showing the community how to grow things and be self-sustaining,” Mousseau added. “It becomes a community within a community. Lots of residents and seniors have been coming out and saying they’re pleased to see a garden here, and it great that the high school students get to be part of something like this. Once the youth get involved, it gives them a great sense of pride to show people what they’ve achieved.”

At press time, there were still some garden boxes available to rent. Email winakwagardens@gmail.com for more.  

Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller
Community Journalist

Simon Fuller is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at simon.fuller@freepress.mb.ca or call him at 204-697-7111.

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