the garden city handbook

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Table of Contents Acknowledgements

PrefaceIntroduction: The City of Gardens

PART I: The Changing Face of the Capital Region 5

1.0 Addressing Growth 5

1.1 Changing Community Needs 5

1.2 Democratic Public Spaces 6

1.3 Food Access 6

1.4 Agricultural Land and Expertise 7

1.5 Community Gardens & Food Security 7

PART II: Community Gardens in the Capital Region 82.0 Township of Esquimalt 8

2.1 District of Saanich 8

2.2 District of Oak Bay 9

2.3 Town of View Royal 10

2.4 City of Victoria 10

2.5 Western Communities 10

2.6 Community Gardens Survey 11

PART III: Land Tenure Options 12

3.0 Private Land and Leases 12

3.1 Government and Institutional Land 123.2 City Parks 13

3.3 Land Trusts 14

3.4 Conservation Covenants 15

3.5 Utilizing Policy and Planning Tools 15

PART IV: How to Start and Protect a Community Garden 16

4.0 Starting Out Right 16

4.1 Identifying a Site 16

4.2 Criteria for a Community Garden Site 17

4.3 Steps Toward Land Acquisition 18

PART V: Recommendations for Community Garden Success 22

APPENDIX A:Community Gardens of Greater Victoria 24

APPENDIX B:Helpful Organizations Within Greater Victoria 25

Helpful Organizations Outside Greater Victoria 26

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to:

Trina Allinotte UVic Campus Community Gardens

Sylvia Austin James Bay Allotment Garden

Michael Bodman Royal Roads University

Marla Brownhill Craigower Community Garden

Dean Fortin Gorge Community Centre

Geoff Johnson Compost Education Centre

Paul Mably Fernwood Community Garden

Peggy Mohrfeld Michigan Street Community Garden

David Stott West Shore Community Services

Rob Wipond Michigan Street Community Garden

Cathy Wetton Agnes Street Community Garden

Thanks to the community gardeners whotook the time to ll out the survey.

Special thanks to Linda Geggie (Lifecycles/Groundworks) and Michael M’Gonigle (POLIS Project)

for editing assistance.

Thank you to the POLIS Project, University of Victoriathe Vancouver Foundation and the McLean Foundationfor making the production of these publications possible

THE GARDEN CITY HANDBOOK


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Preface“I sense, among everyone whohas had a hand in saving Troy Community Gardens, a huge longing to trade despair for hope...I sense a kinship deeper than any supercial difference. And I have

faith that if we can learn to grow beans, we can learn to share this

green earth together in peace”

Marge Pitts, Troy Gardens Journal Collection (Madison WI)

In the spring of 2001, I met with sev-eral gardeners from the Gordon Head Allotment Gardens (GHAG) to discuss with them how to protect their gardenfrom development. There was already considerable water under the bridge –the garden was on the verge of beingsold, so long as a rezoning application was approved, and the gardeners hadbeen evicted from the land.

While there were over 200 gardenersinvolved with GHAG, only a handfulremained committed to trying to pre-serve it. This was not for lack of interest– initially many gardeners had workedtogether, written letters and organizedpresentations. But the group had divid-

ed. Some gardeners wanted to look foran alternative site and some wanted tosave what they had. Over time, many people found other places to garden, orsimply gave up.

The story of the Gordon Head Al-lotment Gardens is common. A landowner, for any number of reasons, de-cides to sell land that has been leasedon a temporary basis to community gardeners. A struggle of attrition be-gins that citizens and volunteers havea minimal chance of winning, particu-larly because legally, the land owner hasno obligation to allow the community garden to continue to exist.

Yet the group of GHAG gardeners whokept visiting the municipal hall andkept believing that their communi-ty garden had tremendous value, bothpersonally and for the neighbourhood,did make some headway. They tackledthe most important issue – how to pro-tect community gardens before they arethreatened with development.

It was working with this group, andanother group of gardeners that suc-cessfully protected their garden, thatled to the creation of this publication.It became apparent that land was oftenthe source of great difculty – not only protecting it, but simply nding spaceto start a community garden.

It is my hope that this publication willserve multiple purposes. First, it willdraw attention to community gardensas important contributors to social andenvironmental health. Second, it willprovide a written resource for com-munity gardeners to assist them inhandling the difcult question of landtenure. Finally, it will provide a step-ping stone within the Capital Region,to move toward ensuring that com-munity gardens are protected for thelong-term.



Making Room for Community GardensVictoria has a well-earned reputationas the City of Gardens. The region ishome to numerous spectacular pub-lic gardens, drawing tourists from

around the world. The streets of Vic-toria are lined with blossoming treesand verdant owering baskets; care-fully tended private gardens are foundthroughout the region. Gardening cul-ture thrives in Victoria.

Yet in the midst of this abundance,Greater Victoria has lost two horticul-tural treasures since 2001. Last year,after 27 years, the ten acre GordonHead Allotment Gardens were rezonedfor the development of primarily single

family homes.

Also in 2001, Our Backyard, the on-ly community garden in the heart of downtown Victoria was sold for de-velopment. Created in 1996, with theassistance of the local nonprot organ-ization Lifecycles, Our Backyard was asmall pocket garden. It was unique be-cause of its highly urban location andits accessibility for low income andhomeless gardeners.

Although community gardens may seem like a peripheral issue to those who do not participate in

them, they make an important con-tribution to resolving the increasingly complex challenges facing Canadiancities and suburbs. Contemporary cit-ies will inevitably continue to grow;the difculty arises with how to ensurea high quality of life for all urban cit-izens.

When development booms, green andopen spaces shrink and farmland disap-pears. At the same time, the numbersof people without access to sufcientnutrition are growing, programs serv-ing people in need are disappearingand more people are living in multipleunit housing without access to land.

Community gardens are not just placesto garden, they offer a whole host of opportunities to a broad range of peo-ple. They assist low income people by providing much needed healthy freshfood. Community gardens are linking with food banks, providing fresh lo-cal produce. In some cities, those whouse food banks are becoming gardenersthemselves, a self-esteem building andself-help alternative to the traditionalfood bank.

Community gardens are equally pop-ular with medium and high incomepeople who do not have a place to gar-den. Senior citizens who no longerhave yards nd recreational and so-cial opportunities through community gardens. Young families living in town-houses, youth looking to develop skills,and people with mobility challenges allbenet from community gardens.

In cities with shrinking green space andever more distant farmland, communi-ty gardens provide opportunities toreconnect with the land, with one an-other and with the process of growingfood. When community gardens arelinked into programming for schools

and community services, their advan-tages multiply.

The benets of community gardensare measurable. They may be meas-ured through the families, friends andstrangers they feed, the educationalopportunities – formal and informal– they offer, and the health and com-munity building opportunities they create. However, the values that thesegardens instill, the knowledge and

pleasure that they impart, are intangibleand immeasurable but no less signicantas contributions.

Introduction



What is a Community Garden?Community gardens are dened ina variety of ways, sometimes for thepurposes of a municipality or non-prot organization and sometimes forthe sake of clarity in literature. At thebroadest level, a community garden isa garden where people share the basic

resources of land, water, and sunlight.1

This denition includes both allot-ment gardens, and gardens whereland is tended collectively (sometimesreferred to as a commons). The major-ity of community gardens are dividedinto allotments – plots are assignedto individuals or families to gardenand harvest.

Most community gardens charge anominal fee for access to water, for

tools and other expenses. Most alsorequire that gardeners participate ingeneral garden maintenance (paths,shared areas, food bank plots etc.) andthat they attend some garden meetingsor work parties.

Administration of gardens varies, asdoes the degree of broader community involvement. Some gardens have a vol-untary elected committee that handlesnances, leases and other collective

decision-making. Other gardensare partially administered througha municipal department. In somecases, these departments also assistgardeners with organizing events andimplementing programming.

The majority of community gar-dens provide some portion of theirproduce to local food banks andshelters. Some gardens do this in-formally and others have designatedareas of the garden dedicated to this

service. Many community gardenshost educational workshops or serveas formal demonstration sites. Somegardens organize community eventssuch as seed swaps and harvest par-ties. All of the gardens in GreaterVictoria are open to the public asplaces for walking, sitting, learning,socializing or reecting.2

About This PublicationConsidering Greater Victoria’s gar-dening culture, there is a surprisingpaucity of knowledge about communi-ty gardens within the region. Based onits “green” optics, there is a misconcep-tion that Greater Victoria has no needfor community gardens. In Victoria, as

in most modern cities, many people donot have access to land or to sufcientnutritious food.

In places as diverse as Regina, Hal-ifax, Inuvik, Toronto and Nelsoncitizens are digging in to create com-munity gardens. However, in thoseNorth American cities with long-last-ing, abundant and vibrant community gardens, the gardens are supported by local government or through nonprof-

it organizations.3

Community gardensare a signicant element of efforts tocreate healthy and livable communi-ties. For minimal expense, community gardens have provided cities with im-mense payoffs.

As Greater Victoria grows, its commu-nities have the opportunity to ensurethat community gardens are a part of our neighbourhoods – particularly in

dense areas. This publication providesinformation, guidance and suggestionsto begin a process of legitimizing com-munity gardens as a valuable land use,and to move toward protecting themin perpetuity.

While there are guides available to as-sist community gardeners with thedaily management of gardens – fromorganizing meetings to composting –the Garden City Handbook addressesthe challenge of access to land. 4 TheHandbook is also intended to provideguidance for community organizationsand governments about the status andneeds of community gardens in the re-gion.

The Garden City Handbook assessesthe current circumstances of commu-

nity gardens, summarizes possible landtenure arrangements and outlinessteps for starting and protectinggardens. Finally, a series of recom-mendations for improving access toland and increasing the security of community gardens are made. The Ap-pendices include a list of local gardensand helpful organizations within andbeyond Greater Victoria.



1.0 Addressing growthIn 1998, the Capital Regional Districtpublished a report intended to reectcollective concerns with future growth.Framework for Our Future formed

the basis of what is now the RegionalGrowth Strategy for Greater Victoria.5 While differing opinions remain aboutthe legitimacy and efcacy of theGrowth Strategy, the principles of thereport have had broad support.

When their input has been request-ed, the citizens of the region havebeen clear about their preferences. Inthe surveys and public meetings con-ducted prior to the development of

the growth strategy, an overwhelmingmajority of people supported contain-ment and concentration of growth.6 Citizens endorsed a vision of a region with nodes of growth concentration,pedestrian friendly communities, withdiverse housing options and access togreen space.

The challenge now, whether the Re-gional Growth Strategy becomes bylawor not, is to implement this vision – tocreate a region that is as healthy as pos-

sible for all of its citizens. Having madea commitment to improve social, eco-nomic and environmental health, theregion faces the challenge of translatingthis into practice.

Community gardens, although oftenoverlooked in policy development, area vital element of efforts to enhance thehealth and well being of the citizens of this region. Around the globe – in plac-

es as diverse as England, Denmark,Cuba and the United States – commu-nity gardens have become a permanentpart of the urban landscape.

In June of 2001, Denmark createdlegislation to permanently protect allgardens located on government land.7 Seattle, as part of their comprehensiveurban sustainability planning efforts,has set a target to create a communi-ty garden for every 2,500 households.The City of Toronto has developedfood security policy that includescommitments to supporting communi-ty gardens.

Community gardens

could play a role in meet-ing many of the CapitalRegion’s goals. As Great-er Victoria continues togrow, its citizens mustensure that all aspectsof sustainability are in-corporated into ourplanning. Within thiscontext, community gar-dens are not a marginal issue – they arevital to the health of our communities.

1.1 Changing Community Needs While it may seem that there is anabundance of land in Greater Victo-ria, an increasing number of peopledo not have a place to garden or growfood. The City of Victoria and the mu-nicipality of Esquimalt both houseconsiderably more of their populationsin apartments and townhouses, than insingle-family dwellings.

The City of Victoria has about 21,000people living in single detached hous-ing and almost 42,000 in multiple-unithousing.8 Overall, the regional core(Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich andVictoria) has 41,898 single detachedhomes and over 54,000 multiple unitdwellings (duplexes, apartments andtownhouses). At 26.6%, the region as a whole has a higher rental rate than therest of the province.9 Citizens living in

multiple-unit or rented housing oftendo not have access to garden space.

In addition, municipalities across theregion are committed to urban con-tainment boundaries to concentrategrowth. Between 1996 and 2018, thehousing supply is forecast to shift fromover 50% single detached, to 31% sin-gle detached.10 This means that thebulk of new housing will be apart-ments, townhouses and duplexes.

Over the next 20 years, the popula-tion of Greater Victoria will also shift

demographically and with this transitioncommunity needs will

change. By 2011, themedian age of resi-dents in the region will be 43. The fast-est growing segmentof the population isthe age group of 55-64years old increasing by 123%, or 36,000 peo-ple, between 1996 and

2021. The group between 65 and 69years of age will double and comprise

over 25,000 people.11

The concurrent changes in housingstock and demographics will result inchanging community needs. Higherdensity housing means that increasing-ly people will not have access to theirown yards. Instead they will rely onpublic green spaces for their recreation-al activity and it is well documentedthat gardening is one of the most pop-ular recreational activities in Canada,

particularly amongst senior citizens.These statistics, and the impacts of higher density living and home down-sizing, are extremely signicant whencontemplating the health of the cit-izens of the region. The demand foreasily accessible green space will growand the demand for community gar-dens will increase.

When researching which physical activities Canadians engage in,

Statistics Canada found that yard work ranked as the second most popular physical activity. When

broken down into age categories, gardening was even more popular with

older adults.

PART I The Changing Face of the Capital Region



1.2 Democratic Public SpacesUrbanists across Canada and the Unit-ed States have observed that trends indevelopment are increasingly erod-ing public space and people’s “senseof place.”12 The attachment peoplefeel to particular places, based on theirunique qualities, is disappearing. These

losses have been attributed to a range of factors including the dominance of theprivate automobile and the growth of suburban “bedroom communities” –ultimately, the development of modernNorth American cities.13

The traditional gathering places, placesto meet and come together, have beenremoved from the face of many mod-ern North American cities. The openpublic market and the street life gen-erated by neighbourhood shops havegiven way to shopping malls. Publicsquares and neighbourhood parks havelost their places in many communities.

Increasingly, citizens are striving toreintegrate such places into their

lives. Communities with amen-ities that are walkable – withstreet life and with vibrantgathering places – havebecome enviable be-cause they improvethe quality of lifeof their residents.

This kind of neighbourhood has re-entered the language of planners andpoliticians with a number of terms in-cluding “complete community” and“urban village.”14

Community gardens are one of thenest examples of public spaces thatbuild a sense of place and community.They cross boundaries of age, incomeand culture, bringing people together

through shared interests in gardeningand food. Community gardens alsofacilitate the kind of casual public lifethat is missing from many neighbour-hoods.

The barriers that exclude people frommany other recreational and social ac-tivities do not apply to community gardens. Senior citizens, people withmobility challenges, those with limit-ed income and those facing languagebarriers – all of these groups are activeparticipants in community gardens.

For those who do not wish to partic-ipate in community gardens,proximity to such aresource canstill pro-vide

benets. So long as gardens are notfenced off, they serve as interestingplaces to walk and to learn. Commu-nity gardens are greenways, providingpedestrian-friendly areas that serve aspaths and as pleasant stimulating di-versions.

1.3 Food AccessFood security is one of the most im-portant indicators of community health. A community is food secure when all people have access to nutri-tionally adequate food through local,non-emergency sources.15 Most plac-es, including Greater Victoria, includecitizens who lack access sufcient nu-trition.

Every year the Capital Health Regioncalculates what it calls the NutritiousFood Basket.16 The basket is a measureof the cost of meeting basic nutrition-al needs. In the spring of 1999, it costover $600 per month for a family of four to meet their nutritional require-ments. This cost was prohibitive forfamilies or individuals on income as-sistance. With recent cuts to incomeassistance, the cost of basic food ex-ceeds further the support available,leaving many people to rely on emer-gency food supplies.

“Social well-being is strongly re-lated to an individual’s sense of connection with, responsibility

for and commitment to commu-nity and place. The antidote tourban alienation is a strong sense of attachment – feeling at home – to place. Human-scaled, com-

prehensible communities that have character and feel withinour control, help maintain and enhance identity and attach-ment”

Framework for Our Future,1998

“Every man, woman and child

has the inaliable right to be free from hunger and malnutritionin order to develop their physical and mental faculties”

1974 World Food Conference



While emergency food services areavailable in Greater Victoria, the key to food security is to move away from afood system that requires such services.Rather than providing food throughcharitable means, which often leads toinadequate nutrition, community gar-dens are central to an approach that

increases individual and community self-sufciency.

1.4 Agricultural Land & ExpertiseFood access is one element in assessingthe food security of a region. Anoth-er important indicator is the degreeto which a community is able to feeditself. The Capital Region, like com-munities around the globe, reliesheavily on imported food. A primary problem is the lack of support for lo-

cal farmers, both at the consumer andthe policy level. One indication of thedevaluation of local farming is develop-ment on large tracts of arable land.

The Capital Region, like so many are-as in Canada, is rapidly losing its viableagricultural land. The Land Commis-sion’s statistics for Vancouver Islandshow that almost 25,000 hectares of agricultural land was removed fromthe Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)

between 1974 and 1999.17

With8,000 hectares added to the reserveover this period, almost 17,000 hec-tares of farmland were lost. At 12.9%,Vancouver Island has had the highest(regional) percentage loss of ALR landin the province.

Of the 19,595 hectares included in theCapital Region’s ALR, 1,936 hectares were removed between 1974 and 1999.Of the 3,000 applications for exclusionof private land submitted to the Com-

mission between the same years, 1,200of these were approved for exclusionand, in an additional 600 cases, subdi-vision or other land use was allowed.

At the same time, farming knowl-edge and expertise is shrinking. The2001 Census of Agriculture, count-ed 246,923 farms in Canada, down10.7% from 1996.18 British Colum-bia’s number of farms declined by 7%

over this period. In the 1996 census,(2001 data is not yet available) the av-erage age of BC farmers was 48. Withfew young people entering the profes-sion, this translates into a shortage of farming expertise and experience in thenear future.

1.5 Community Gardens & Food SecuritySolutions are required to address thechallenges of retaining agriculturalland and creating food security. Bothagricultural land and community gar-dens are threatened by pressures of development. While community gar-dens cannot provide a solution tothe crisis of sustainable agricul-ture, they can contribute tofood security.

Community gardens dothree important things with regards to foodsecurity. Most obvi-ously, they provide adirect source of foodfor those who gardenin them – ensur-ing access to locally grown, chemical freefood. Secondly, com-munity gardens have

the potential to providehigh quality food aboveand beyond the needs of those who garden. Thiscould (and has in many cities) facilitate the dona-tion of tons of fresh foodto the broader communi-ty or, in some cases, thecreation of community economic developmentinitiatives.

Finally, and perhapsmost importantly,community gar-dens bring educationabout food produc-tion into the urban/ suburban setting. Ascommunities lose theiragricultural land andsmall farms, particular-ly those in close proximity

to urban areas, they also lose their un-derstanding of where food comes from.Community gardens, by virtue of their visibility and potential as dem-onstration sites, reconnect urban andsuburban dwellers with the processes of growing food. This is not only impor-tant for individual health it also creates

educated consumers that will supportlocal agriculture.



There are currently 14 commu-nity gardens within GreaterVictoria. The existing commu-

nity gardens vary considerably in sizefrom eight plots to almost one hun-

dred and forty. They are located inevery municipality with a relatively dense residential area. A complete list-ing of the gardens and their locationsmay be found in Appendix A.

The land tenure security of the gardensvaries from one municipality to anoth-er. Only one municipality (Saanich)has taken steps towards creating sup-portive policy for community gardens.In all cases, government support forcommunity gardens remains primarily in principle; none of the municipali-ties in the region provide promotional,administrative or programming assist-ance to community gardens.

Saanich contains the most plots, mean-ing its gardens tend to be larger andserve more gardeners, while Victo-ria has the largest number of gardens,meaning there are more locations togarden. All of the gardens depend uponmoney raised through the fees charged

to gardeners, and most are organizedand administered by volunteers.

2.0 Township of EsquimaltThere is one community garden with-in Esquimalt, located on land ownedby the Department of National De-fense. The garden has 18 plots and the

military base has expressed no desire toremove it in the near future. A civilianvolunteer coordinates the garden andthe plots are tended by local residents. Although military employees have pri-ority access to the garden plots, this hasnot been an issue in the garden’s histo-ry (no interest has been expressed by military personnel).

2.1 District of SaanichThe District of Saanich is current-

ly home to three community gardens: Agnes Street Allotment Garden, Cap-ital City Allotment Garden, and the(University of Victoria)

Campus Community Garden. There isone new community gardening initia-tive in Saanich, the Koinonia GardenProject associated with the LambergPark Church.

Due to its relatively recent agricultur-al history, Saanich municipality has

had the option of maintaining sub-stantial pieces of land for its popularcommunity gardens. Two years ago,Saanich contained a large majority of the garden plots in the region. The re-zoning and sale of the Gordon Head Allotment Gardens (with 188 plots)reduced the number of plots in themunicipality by half.

In order to prevent the loss of anothercommunity garden, the municipali-

ty recently purchased the Agnes StreetCommunity Garden, which has sinceexpanded to almost 70 plots. AgnesStreet Garden is now ofcially park-land and has long-term protectionthrough the municipality.

The largest remaining garden in the re-gion, with 157 plots, is Capital City Allotment Gardens located on landowned by the province.

The province is presently willing tocontinue to lease the land to the gar-deners (5 year leases) and has noimmediate plans to alter the land use.

Part II Community Gardens in the Capital Region

Agnes Street Allotment Garden

The Gordon Head Allotment Gardens

The Gordon Head Allotment Gardens were a hub a commu-nity activity and food production

for almost 30 years. The 10 acre site was a rarity in a residential area. The garden’s sale was a loss

for the entire region. Below are excerpts from letters sent to Saan-ich Council that express the value of the garden:

“My [garden] neighbour... is 86 years old and is up there most days keeping his special patch inimmaculate condition. He has an

ill wife and the break from nurs-ing her around the clock, mixed with the fresh air and compan-ionship means more to him than

you can imagine.”

- M. Davel

“One year we recall that a lady had posted a note on our garden-ing bulletin board, stating that she was a single mother of four

teenagers and wondered if anyone could spare some fresh vegeta-bles for her family. Well, she was so overwhelmed by the generosi-ty of the gardeners that she soonleft another note on our bulle-tin board requesting: ‘Please, No

More Vegetables and thank youall very much for your help.’ “

- J. & S. York



2.1 District of Saanich cont.The University of Victoria’s gardenis located on campus just north of the athletics facilities. The garden hasnever been widely publicized on cam-pus but recently expanded to some 26

plots. The University restricts use tostaff and students. A new building iscurrently under construction in closeproximity to the garden, resulting inthe loss of a small portion of the gar-den’s land.

A new community gardening projecthas started next to the Lamberg Park Church, off Feltham Road. TheKoinonia Garden Project currently has8 plots with hopes to expand. Garden-

ers tending the plots will keep a certainportion of produce and the rest of thefood will be donated to parishioners inneed. The project also links those inthe Church without land (often youngpeople) to people willing to share theirproperty for gardening purposes. Theproject aims to provide food and gar-den space and to strengthen Churchcommunity.

The purchase of the previously men-tioned Agnes Street Community Garden is unprecedented in the re-gion, and follows a year of advocatingby local community gardeners to legit-imize community gardens as a land use within Saanich.

The purchase is intended to be part of a broader move by the municipality tosupport community gardens. In Juneof 2001, the Council committed toestablishing a policy “to promote and

maintain allotment gardens through-out the Municipality.” In addition,Council requested that the Parks andPublic Works Department do an in-vestigation of potential sites in themunicipality.

Although initial steps have been tak-en to fulll these commitments, the

policy approved by Saanich Counciladds only one sentence to the Of-cial Plan and lacks any clear trajectory for action. The development of moredetailed policy is currently underway and if this policy is backed by Coun-cil, the municipality will set a strongprecedent in the region for support-

ing community gardens.

2.2 District of Oak BayOak Bay has one community gardentucked away on Monteith Avenue.The garden retains a waiting listof more people than it has plots

(20 plots with a consistent wait listof 30). The garden site is owned by the municipality and administeredthrough Parks. It has potential forland tenure security because of its

proximity to Bowker Creek.



2.3 Town of View RoyalThe Craigower Community Garden,located at the corner of Admirals Roadand Old Island Highway is part of aprovincially owned heritage site. Al-though there are only 9 plots, a largearea is being cultivated by dedicat-ed gardeners. One part of the garden

is plots and the other is gardened col-lectively. The tenure of this garden isuncertain because the provincial gov-ernment is no longer administeringthis site.

2.4 City of VictoriaThe City of Victoria houses the larg-est number of community gardens inthe region, with ve gardens in to-tal. Because the gardens are relatively small, there are still waiting lists for

many of the gardens. Although theCity does not have formal policy, theParks department recognizes commu-nity gardens in parks as a legitimateactivity.

There are two gardens in James Bay – one on Michigan Street near theLifecycles ofces and the other onMontreal Street between Oswego andNiagra. The Michigan Street gardenhas 20 plots and the Montreal gar-

den has 54 plots. Both gardens are very

popular and maintain waiting lists of between 20 and 30 people.

Lifecycles initially assisted the MichiganStreet garden, helping to build the gar-den and its shed and split wood fence.Today the garden has a short-term leas-

ing arrangement (with BCBC) and isadministered by a committee of gar-deners. Lifecycles also played a role increating Our Backyard on View Street.Our Backyard served primarily low in-come people living in close proximity to the garden. The garden was closely linked to St. Vincent de Paul next door

and was sold last year.

Fernwood is home to two communi-ty gardens and one Commons. Thethree gardens are in close proximity toone another. The Fernwood Commu-nity Association currently administersboth of the community gardens. Vol-unteers manage the day-to-day affairsof each garden.

The Fernwood Community Gar-den, located on Chambers Street, has

about 34 plots some of which are di-vided in half. The garden is locatedon land owned by the school districtand is leased on an annual basis. TheFernwood garden is connected to theCompost Education Centre, whichhas played a central role in creatingthe Spring Ridge Commons down thestreet (see box above).

The second community garden inFernwood is Earthbound Communi-

ty Garden, located near Bay Street onGarden Street. This garden has about20 plots and the land is owned by theCity of Victoria. Underground pipeson the site make it unlikely that thissite will be developed. Both Fernwoodand Earthbound have been under con-struction and a handful of new plots will be available next year.

Burnside Gorge Community Garden –in Cecelia Ravine Park – has 11 plotsand is administered through the Gorge

Community Centre staff. The gardenhas a consistent waiting list and hasgood prospects for long term security because it is located on Park land.

2.5 Western Communities – District ofLangford & City of ColwoodLangford’s community garden is lo-cated in Willing Park, a site that wascreated in 1998 with assistance from Youth Services Canada. Although the

The Spring Ridge Commons

Located in Fernwood, The Spring Ridge Commons Comins is anunusual example of a collective

gardening effort. The Compost Education Centre, along withlocal volunteers, has been work-ing hard to improve the soil and to create a community permac-

ulture food garden. The gardencould become a model for per-maculture food gardening and community management of

green space. However, the future of the project hangs in the bal-ance due to lack of funding and support. There is currently no

formal coordinator and the site does not have long-term tenure.

Craigfower Community Garden

Michigan Street Garden



PART III Land Tenure Options

A side from outright ownership,there are few guarantees forpermanent protection of com-

munity gardens. The most commonland tenure arrangement for communi-

ty gardens is short-term leases. GreaterVictoria’s loss of two community gar-dens in two years is representative of abroader problem

In a 1996 survey published by the American Community Gardening As-sociation, only 5% of the over 6000community gardens that responded tothe survey had permanent protection.19 Within the 5 years leading up to thestudy 542 gardens had been lost to de-velopment. In the same period, 1,851

gardens had been created.

This survey provides a small sample (of 38 cities) of community gardens, butoffers some indication of the patternthat exists in American and Canadiancities. During the writing of this re-port, Regina’s community gardeners were struggling to preserve a garden with 265 plots (out of about 550 plotsin the city), and three out of Ottawa’seleven community gardens were threat-

ened with development.The pressures of development meanthat community gardeners and theirsupporters need to be aware of optionsfor garden ownership. Described be-low are a variety of possibilities for land

tenure for community gardens. Whilesome of the possibilities may appearspeculative – some are not commonfor community gardens – the range of models is steadily increasing. In some

cities (as is discussed in the companionpublication to this one, Seeds of Success )these options are already being imple-mented.

Each of the outlined approaches hasbenets and drawbacks and differentmodels are appropriate in differentcircumstances. The descriptions aregeneral and more information abouthow to secure land follows in Part IV.

3.0 Private Land & Leases

The majority of community gar-dens lease land. With the exception of groups that have strong commitmentsfrom land owners to retain gardens,most lease situations leave gardens vul-nerable to development.

Community gardeners invest signi-cant time and energy in the land on which their garden is located. There-fore, the minimum lease agreementfor community gardens should be ten

years. Longer term land tenure encour-ages soil building, permanent plantingsand stewardship activities, because gar-deners will see the benets.

Community gardeners that lease theirland and are committed to the long

term prospects of the garden should ac-tively pursue either a long term lease,or one of the land tenure arrangementsdiscussed in the following sections.

Long term leases – for 99 years or

longer – can be arranged betweenorganizations and private land own-ers.20 Community gardens may needto partner with a nonprot that hassome organizational stability (such asa land trust) to arrange a long termlease. Lease agreements can include de-tailed conditions for use, guaranteeingthe land will remain protected (utilizedonly for the agreed upon use). The ideais to provide a long-term guarantee of specic land uses without a change of

ownership.

3.1 Government and Institutional LandIf governments and institutions areeducated and supportive, community gardens can come to be considered a le-gitimate use of their land. Community gardens then become part of the greenspace or greenways network of a city,as common as playing elds and ten-nis courts.

The majority of community gardens within the Capital Region are locatedon land owned by government, crowncorporations or school districts. In allcases, dialogue with the current own-er about long term plans for the landshould be a rst step.



Often gardens end up on governmentor institutional lands as a kind of acci-dent; a group identies a viable piece of land and the owner grants a short-termlease. While community gardeners donot have the luxury of turning downavailable land, this scenario involves nocommitment to allow the garden to re-

main over the long term.

There are a number of exceptions to theabove scenario. If community gardensbecome of interest to a government de-partment or institution and if they areviewed as fullling part of the mandateof the land holder, they may gain infor-mal long-term protection. Rather thansimply granting temporary access, aninstitution may view the garden as anasset – as part of its own educational orphilanthropic work.

School ground community gardensare the best example of this, and they are becoming increasingly commonin many cities. Hospitals and oth-

er health facilities have a great deal togain by housing community gardens.Religious institutions provide land forcommunity gardens, linking them withtheir work in the broader communi-ty. Similarly, government departmentsmay support community gardens be-cause they fulll community needs andcan be dovetailed with existing depart-ments or programs.

3.2 City ParksLocating community gardens onmunicipal park land is optimal forcommunity gardeners in many re-spects. Parks are generally protectedfrom development and when a landuse is accepted into parks it often stays within parks. Due to limited space,some municipalities will view integrat-ing community gardens into existingparks as impossible, but they may con-sider acquiring new lands for thispurpose.

There are currently three community gardens within Greater Victoria thatare located on parkland. The LangfordCommunity Garden is in Willing Park,the Agnes Street Community Garden was recently purchased as parklandand the Burnside Gorge Community Garden is in Cecelia Ravine Park. Thearrangements for managing these gar-dens vary considerably.

The Seattle Housing Authority (a municipal corporation

providing affordable housing)has partnered with the municipality’s community

gardening program (P-Patch)to develop a program called Cultivating Communities. The

program creates community gardens on land owned by the

Housing Authority (in proximity to low income housing) inorder to provide gardening and economic opportunities for the residents. There are currently 13 Cultivating Communities

gardens.

The City of Vancouver’s Parks Board community gardens pol-icy recognizes the positive value of community gardens and commits to collaborating with

groups interested in developing community gardens. Currently,nine gardens exist on parkland.

The policy commits to assist-ance with land inventories, withstarting community education

programs and with preparing the site for the initial plant-ing. The regulations ensure that the Parks Board does not accrue any other costs. User agreements

for park sites cannot exceed ve years (but can be renewed,some garden sites have exist-ed on parkland for a number of

years).



Regardless of who administers andmanages the gardens, of prima-ry concern for community gardenersis whether the location of a park isincidental, or whether it signals a com-mitment from the local government. A municipality that houses community gardens in parks should be willing, at

the minimum, to develop policy thatindicates its support of this use.

If parks departments are involved witha garden, staff should have time and re-sources available to ensure that gardensdo not become neglected or margin-

alized. Housing community gardens within parks is generally a very smallexpense for local governments. It may even save money or trouble if garden-

ers are tending neglected areas or areasthat add to the workload of overbur-dened maintenance staff.

A number of local governments havefound that community gardens are worth investing in. When Parks and

Recreation Departments recognizethe health and recreational potentialof community gardens, they can beintegrated into the responsibilities of staff. Departments may assist garden-ers through physical services such astilling, providing mulch and clearingpathways or offer administrative assist-ance and programming.21

Another distinction lies in the extentto which parks departments will assist with land acquisition. In some cities,recently in Portland and for some timein Montreal, Parks Departments arecharged with locating and purchasingsites for the purpose of community gardens.

3.3 Land TrustsCommunity gardens can become apermanent land use through landdonations, or through land trustpurchases. Land trusts are private,nonprot organizations that have amandate to protect and restore lands with specic values. Most land trustsfocus on a particular geographic region

or community. The type of land pro-tected varies according to the locationand focus of the organization.

Land trusts have become an increasing-ly common tool for the preservation of green space in Canada.22 Many Ca-

nadian land trusts remain focused on“natural areas” which tends to excludeurban lands. However, some land trusts work to preserve agricultural land andothers – such as The Land Conserv-ancy of British Columbia – have adiversity of interests including wilder-ness, agricultural land and heritageproperties. The organization Evergreenprovides support for citizens wishingto protect urban green spaces.23

The City of Victoria recently developed the Parks and Greenways Acquisition Fund,a reserve fund that dedicates

funds to the purchase of land for parks and greenways. The government is committed toallocating 10% of all future land sales to the Acquisition Fund.This means the City will be able to allocate a portion of this fund toward protecting its community

gardens.

When it comes to preserving urban green space, land trusts are considerably more commonin the United States thanin Canada. Boston, New York City and Philadelphia have a number of land trusts with the specic mandate of

protecting community gardens.For example, Philadelphia’s Neighborhood Garden

Association holds title to 22 community gardens.



Land trusts can function in several ways to protect community gardens.Land trusts can sign covenants with lo-cal governments or land owners, enterinto long term lease arrangements, orpurchase outright pieces of land at risk of development.

3.4 Conservation Covenants 24

A conservation covenant is a legalagreement between a landowner anda qualifying organization or individual(generally covenants are held by organ-izations or societies). Covenants allowvaluable aspects, or uses, of a pieceof land to be protected in perpetuity,entrusting the maintenance of thesevalues to a specic organization.

Covenants limit what changes can or

cannot be made to a property’s exist-ing natural features. Covenants aredeeds registered on the title to the landmeaning that they bind not only thecurrent owner, but all future ownersof the land, to the terms of the agree-ment. In exchange, the owner receivesa tax break. In some places, particularly the United States, the term conserva-tion easement describes a very similararrangement.

Restrictions within covenants can

be far-reaching or narrowly dened.Some covenants are intended to pro-tect ecological values and to maintainland in its natural state in perpetuity. Alternatively, covenants can provideconditions for use or developmentsuch as protecting signicant build-ings, heritage or cultural values or usessuch as community gardening.

Covenants have the potential to behelpful to community gardeners if

they hold one jointly with a largerorganization such as a land trust. Inaddition, local governments may be willing to hold a joint covenant withan organization, or to grant a cove-nant to an organization. In either case,groups holding covenants require thecollective resources to ensure that theagreement is maintained.

3.5 Utilizing Policy and Planning Tools A nal possibility for long term se-curity for community gardens is forlocal governments to support themthrough changes in policy and in by-laws. Local governments can integratecommunity gardens into their OfcialPlans. Including community gardens

in planning requires the use of for-mal commitments in policy or throughplanning tools.

An unusual but effective option isto incorporate community gardensin zoning designations. The City of Boston includes community gar-dens within its Open Space zoningregulations and now has over 200 com-munity gardens (also due to the very active nongovernmental organizations

in Boston).25

Another tool that has not yet beenutilized is to combine developer in-centives with community gardens.Density bonusing, for example,allows variance in zoning re-quirements in exchange for theprovision of community amen-ities.26 When developersprovide specic (pre-viously identied)amenities, they

are allowed toincrease theoor area(density) of their develop-ment.

Since amenitiesare intendedto improvecommunity livability in higher

density areas, com-munity gardens are a logical addition.Utilizing already existing planningtools like zoning and density bonusingallows local governments to committo creating more community gardensin their municipality as a matter of course – particularly in combination with dense developments.

Through its Zoning Code Article 33, Boston designates open space (OS) districts to ensure that greenspace and recreational areas (in-cluding community gardens) are

protected through regulation.Boston has nine open space subdistricts, each of whichrestricts the uses of open space areas to specic uses suchas urban wilds, waterfront access areas, urban plazas and community gardens.



A lthough the majority of gardens listed in Part III arethriving, few supports and resources are available tothem. This is particularly problematic for groups

that want to start new gardens. Greater Victoria possess-es no common organization for community gardeners – no

networks like those in Toronto or Ottawa – nor is there con-sistent support from government or nonprot groups.

While community gardeners may “just want to garden”, insome cases, retaining the land for gardens requires a moreproactive approach. It is important to consider how to en-sure the longevity of community gardens.

This section provides gardeners with suggestions andinstructions for tackling the challenges of nding and main-taining land. It includes an outline of what to look for in asite and some basic steps towards land acquisition.

Following this section, is a series of recommendations forhow to improve the overall circumstances for community gardens. Appendix B provides a list of organizations that canprovide various kinds of support and assistance.

4.0 Starting out RightIn any effort to start or protect community gardens, it isnecessary to have a core group of people willing to com-mit time and energy. The core can be quite small, so long asthere is a larger group willing to help out with specic tasksand to provide moral support.

Divisions amongst gardeners, and between gardener and

neighbours, have the potential to harm the longevity of thegarden. Start out with a model of decision-making that is asinclusive as possible because when a truly divisive and dif-cult issue arises – such as the garden is put up for sale – afragmented response will erase the possibility of organizingand acting quickly.

Relations with neighbours are also important. If your gar-den is threatened, broad support will ensure that the wholecommunity will mobilize to protect it. It is important thatneighbours understand the benets of the garden from thebeginning. If there are reservations about having a commu-

nity garden in the area, address these with patience becausethey are often based on misinformation and misconcep-tions.

Invite neighbours to take part in planning sessions and work parties and be sure to host well-advertised communi-ty events like tours and harvest parties. Involve local schoolsor any group that will view the garden as an asset or educa-tional opportunity. Integrate the garden into the fabric of the community and share its benets.

4.1 Identifying a Site As the region continues to grow, it will become increasing-ly difcult to identify suitable pieces of land for community gardens. Nonetheless, many potential community gardensites exist in the region for those who organize and claim

them. While the rst priority may be to just nd a piece of land,learn from the experiences of other community gardeners.It is heartbreaking to invest time and energy into a garden,only to have it bulldozed a few years later. Try to nd land where a long-term lease can be negotiated or – even better – with the possibility of permanent tenure.

Although there are many practical considerations in iden-tifying a garden site (discussed below in section 4.2) don’tallow challenges to discourage you from pursuing all thepossibilities. Examine vacant and underused publicly owned

land in your vicinity. You may be able to enlist the maps of municipal planners to identify potential sites. On the oth-er hand, you can also rely on the knowledge of local peopleabout where gardens might be located. In either case, map-ping is a useful approach.27

Explore road rights-of-way and portions of local parks. Look for sites that are vacant, have run-down buildings or un-der-used parking lots. Land owned by local or provincialgovernment, crown corporations, or local institutions may have potential. Religious institutions, school districts andhealth facilities may have appropriate land holdings.

Part IV How to Start & Protect Community Gardens

Government Support

Whether or not a municipality administers gardens, they can still provide assistance with site identication. It is a relatively simple task for a planner to inventory public,vacant and underutilized land.

However, before they undertake this task, a demand must be evident. In struggling alone to locate a site, com-munity groups do not make their needs heard. Approach

your local government and let them know that your groupis looking for a site.

Although a letter will sufce, approaching your Coun-cil and the staff of relevant departments (planning and

parks) is more effective. Always make an appointment,come prepared with information and keep meetings brief and to the point.



4.2 Criteria for a Community Garden Site28

A number of factors should be taken into account when selecting a garden site. The physical propertiesof the garden matter a great deal to the success of thegarden itself.

A SoilIf the site was previously developed, have the soil

tested for toxins. Contaminated sites need not beruled out, but there are more challenges involved.Contamination or poor soil will require importingsoil and/or building raised beds. Gardeners will always want to improve the quality of soil on new sitesthrough mulching and composting. A minimum of 10 inches of soil is needed for vegetables and moredepth is needed for perennials.

B Sun An open south facing space is best because vegetablesneed at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Ensure

that the site is not shaded by nearby buildings or trees.Shade in a small area can be benecial for creating ashade garden and a comfortable seating area.

C Slope While at lots are preferable, sites that slope can be asource of creative inspiration for gardeners. Terracingcan be built to create at plots, but keep in mind thatsloping sites are an extra challenge and can be difcultfor people with mobility challenges.

D Water Wise water management should be (and generally is) abasic tenet of community gardening. However, accessto piped water on the site is essential. Paying to havea water meter installed is expensive so sites with wateror where the costs of water installation are covered (forexample by the municipality) are preferable.

E SizeGroups have different feelings about the minimumand maximum size for gardens. P-Patch (Seattle’s mu-nicipally supported community gardens program)recommends a 2,200 square foot minimum for ensur-ing that gardens can accommodate several gardeners,a common area, a tool shed and compost bins. Smalllots can make lovely gardens but larger areas have the

potential to gather more revenue through plot fees, animportant consideration in keeping the garden aoatnancially.

F Location, Location, Location Aside from all of the physical requirements for plants,community gardens also require one other thing –gardeners. A central location is an important elementof success. Although land may be more abundant inperipheral areas, without a surrounding community,gardens cannot be a community resource and becomeyet another place to drive to. A substantial portion of

gardeners should be able to walk or cycle to the gar-den.

G Access & ParkingThe requirements for access to the garden vary. Somegardens within Victoria have very limited vehicularaccess (such as the Fernwood Community Garden).This is preferable for ensuring that people are nottempted to drive if they could walk or cycle. Commu-nity gardens that are well located should not attractlarge numbers of vehicles. Nonetheless, all gardens re-quire space for delivery of garden materials and some

parking.



4.3 Steps toward Land AcquisitionBelow are a series of steps toward gaining support for a community gardenand securing land. Most of these steps are equally applicable to those start-ing a garden, or those struggling to keep one. Some of these suggestionsrequire funds (hosting a community planning session or planting a peren-nial buffer) so be sure to investigate community funding options in yourmunicipality. The steps are not necessarily sequential and each group will want to adapt their strategies to t the circumstances.

A Generate Neighbourhood SupportIf you are starting a new community garden, working with neigh-bours is important and benecial. Reactions to community gardenstend to vary depending upon people’s preconceived ideas. Once sit-uated, community gardens are generally popular places amongstneighbours – particularly if they are inclusive and provide education-al opportunities. Here are some suggestions to generate or strengthencommunity support:

Hold an information session about community gardens before you make specic plans for the garden. Show slides (pictures are

worth many words) and explain the benets of community gar-dens.

Be exible with regard to the design of the garden – consider acommunity planning session.

Welcome neighbourhood input about things the community would like to include (community gardens can include any-thing from playgrounds and picket fences to picnic tables andponds).

Address concerns that are reasonable (a home-owner adjacentto the garden might not want to face compost containers butmight be happy to look at a perennial buffer).

Be prepared to address the big “community gardening myths”– a few common myths about community gardens that tend toemerge are that they smell, attract rats and invite vandals. Thesefears are largely unfounded and, although possible, are denite-ly the exception and not the rule. Make sure that you comeequipped to debunk the myths (for example, provide informa-tion about rat-proof compost bins).

Always look for ways to invite the neighbourhood into the gar-den such as assigning a plot to a local grade-school class orhosting workshops.

If your group is interested in land that is publicly owned keep in mind thatthe (vocal) support of the neighbourhood will greatly increase the strengthof your case with government.

If your garden has already existed for some time, you can still improve com-munity relations. Particularly those community gardens on public landshould hold annual garden events to include neighbours such as seed swapsand harvest parties. Invite the local media to events. A garden that is wide-ly loved and well known is much more difcult to destroy.



Finally, if your garden is directly threatened with develop-ment nd ways to tap into neighbourhood support.

Before seeking external assistance, gardenersmust develop a collective strategy – act togetherand support one another.

Host a meeting or community event with neigh-bours and request that they make their support

visible – in writing or in person (at meetingsetc).

Have local media tell the story of your garden or write an editorial.

Draw on regional resources and groups that willassist to preserve the garden.

B Build a NetworkCommunity gardens that exist in isolation not only miss out on the opportunity to exchange everythingfrom gardening tips to garden tours – they also lack

the support and energy of others when they face chal-lenges.Networks can be built amongst gardens and be-tween community gardens and other groups suchas food security organizations and urban greeninggroups. There are local, national and international

organizations that may be of interest or assistance tocommunity gardens. Some of the relevant groups arelisted in Appendix B. A network can be built at any time in the life of acommunity garden. Connecting your garden to oth-er gardens and organizations can be a “virtual” (andlow maintenance) relationship, or it can mean the oc-casional meeting or social event. Just remaining in

touch with other gardens and groups will strength-en your garden’s chances of remaining over thelong term.

C Approach the Landowner(s)If your group has a site in mind but you aren’t sure who owns it, check with your municipality. If theland is privately owned they will have a listing. If it ispublicly owned land you will need to check with themunicipal Buildings or Planning Department to getmore information. After you have identied the own-er, you are ready to proceed with a meeting.

How you approach the landowner will partly dependupon who it is. A private owner will likely be mostconcerned with how your use might affect their landand with questions about insurance and the length of the lease.



Private Ownership If the land in question is privately owned, the most likely arrangement will be a lease. You will want to be organized when you approach theowner. Write up a brief description of your plans including:

How you intend to use the land – plots, common areas, seat-ing and so forth

Your objectives for the garden (to provide food, community

activity etc)

A maintenance plan for the garden (year round)

Names and contact information for at least two gardeners

Liability information

Evidence of support from neighbours and community groups

So long as the owner is willing to lease you the land, the next prima-ry consideration will be the terms of the lease. Find out up-front if theowner will consider long-term leases – if not than decide whether you

are willing to risk short-term arrangements. If an owner is serious aboutlong-term arrangements, they may consider a covenant or involving aland trust. It is important to have someone with a legal or real estatebackground to assist you with the lease and with the question of insur-ance.

Local Government Ownership As was discussed in Part III, local governments may become strong sup-porters of community gardens. Whether you are starting a garden orproposing to protect it, government will want to know the community benets of your garden.

If you have identied (or are currently located on) a site that is in a local

park or on land owned by local government the next logical step – af-ter building support for your proposal – is to approach your Council. Approaching Council will also be a necessary step if you are attemptingto protect your community garden from development. Some things toconsider when approaching your local government:

Present a written proposal (see the list above under PrivateOwnership and add an explanation of community benets)

It can be difcult to meet with Council as a whole. Often itis easiest to coordinate individual meetings. You can dividethe meetings amongst members of your group; just be sureyour message is consistent.

If the land you are considering, or are currently located on,is in a park meet with parks staff as well. The support of mu-nicipal staff is invaluable.

Many municipalities have advisory committees on topicssuch as environment and planning. Presentations for rele-vant committees can result in recommendations to Councilon your behalf.

Provide evidence of community support for the garden – let-ters or signatures.



Remember that leasing is only one of a range of possibilities for situating community gardens on gov-ernment lands. Try to negotiate a situation wherethe garden can remain over the long term. Localgovernment may also play a role in other ownership sce-narios for community gardens. Although the land may be not be owned by them, they may be able to assist yourgroup in other ways. For a list of possibilities, please see sec-

tion (d) following

Other Owners Aside from local government other common land ownersare provincial government departments, Crown corpora-tions, school districts and religious or health facilities. In allcases, be prepared with a clear written plan.

When approaching provincial government or Crown Cor-porations, the support of your local government can behelpful. Depending on future plans for the land, thesegroups may be willing to consider a land swap, long termleasing or purchase options.

If you are interested in starting a garden on school, hospital,or church lands, consider and articulate how the commu-nity garden ts with the objectives of the institution.Community gardens offer educational, recreational, socialand healing opportunities and can provide food donationsto the kitchens of these facilities. Be aware that union la-bour can be a major concern with some types of land andthat it is important to include union leaders early on in theprocess. Try to make a specic agreement with unions tosmooth the way for your garden.

If your group is currently gardening on land owned by any

of these groups, consider increasing the involvement of us-ers and staff of the facility. When the community garden istied into the concerns of an institution or facility, this great-ly improves the chances of longevity for the garden.

D Explore possibilities for covenants or purchaseIf you are a group of gardeners faced with the pros-pect of losing your garden to development, or if you wish to ensure that this never happens, there stepsyou can take.Meet with and lobby (through letters, presentations,petitions and media coverage) local Council and re-quest their assistance with one (or several) of the

following:

Arranging long term leases with other levels of government or land owners

Negotiating land swaps with other levels of gov-ernment or land owners

Purchasing land to preserve a community gar-den (or designating it as parkland)

Providing support for your efforts to make longterm land tenure arrangements

Developing policies to improve the status of community gardens in your municipality

Entering into covenant agreements to protectcommunity gardens – possibly in partnership with nonprot organizations

Meet with local nonprots and land trusts to nd outif any of them would assist your garden. They may provide guidance and advice or they might becomedirectly involved in your cause. Also be sure to meet with your local community associations to enlist theirsupport and to talk to local media – make sure the

public knows about your garden.



Part V Recommendations for Community Garden Success

For community gardens to growas community assets, they require the support of local or-

ganizations and governments. Thissupport may take a variety of forms

from policy to programming withmany variations in between.

Looking to cities with successful andexpanding community gardening ef-forts, the majority have signicantsupport from local governments and/or local nonprot organizations. Cit-ies such as Seattle and Montreal havebrought community gardens into themandate of city departments, with theunderstanding that they provide a vitalservice for communities. Other cities

have strong, generally membership-based, non-prot groups that supportcommunity gardens, frequently inpartnership with local government.

When one considers the current con-text for community gardens in GreaterVictoria – possessing tiny budgets andrun almost exclusively by volunteers –it is a wonder that they continue to

exist at all. The garden plots are lledby word of mouth and waiting listsare common. Even so, the majority of people in this region, particularly those who would benet most, continue tobe unaware of community gardens.

With the kind of active andfunded promotion of communi-ty gardens that has occurred inother cities, the demand for com-munity gardens would burgeon. Thelatter task cannot fall exclusively on the

shoulders of volunteer community gar-deners. The momentum community gardens have gathered in other placesis not exclusively due to communi-ty initiative. It is also attributable to

vision at the government, communi-ty and nonprot levels. Governmentsand community groups have devel-oped policy and supported gardens by making resources available in the form

of staff and funding. The present lev-el of success of community gardensin the region is primarily attributableto the efforts of community garden-ers themselves. If community gardensare to ourish and multiply in the fu-ture, more assistance and resourcesmust be made available. What followsis a list of recommendations for eachof the groups that will participate inthe future of community gardens inthe region.



Recommendations forCommunity Gardeners

Build bridges with thebroader community –start by hosting one ortwo annual events, invit-

ing neighbours, schools,community groups andmunicipal Council

Network with other com-munity gardens in theregion – invite garden-ers to your events or host joint events (a number of places organize communi-ty garden tours)

Lobby your local gov-

ernment to put policy inplace, either within theOfcial Community Planor Parks Department pol-icy (or both) to supportand promote community gardens

Access local governmentfunds for community gar-dening efforts (to improveyour garden, host events,

or for start-up) Participate in food security

and broader sustainability initiatives to ensure com-munity gardens are in-cluded

Recommendations forLocal Government

Develop policy to supportand promote community gardens (see companionpublication Seeds of Success

for detailed informationon other city’s policies)

Publicize this supportand raise awareness aboutcommunity gardens

Assist community groupsto start community gar-dens by helping to identify suitable land and to nego-tiate tenure arrangements

Assist current community gardens to arrange long-term land tenure

Make small grants /matching funds availableto community gardenersand publicize the availabil-ity of these grants

Link community gardensinto the mandates of ex-isting departments such as

Parks and Recreation Support community gar-

dens through staff timeand expertise

Recommendations for Community& Nonprot Organizations

Contribute to public ed-ucation about the valueof community gardens– promote the benets

of participating in andmaintaining community gardens

Facilitate the creation of community gardens networks

Provide assistance –through small grantsor expertise – to citizengroups wishing to startcommunity gardens

Invite community gardencommittees to participatein food security and sus-tainability initiatives

Promote community gar-dens as a self-help optionto improve food accessand food security

Integrate community gar-dens into your mandate,

services and programming Assist community gar-

deners in lobbying localgovernment for policy andformal support

These recommendations require that community gardens be viewed as impor-tant contributors to the urban social fabric and quality of life. If the citizens of the Capital region wish to address urban environmental concerns and food se-

curity while enabling communities to help themselves, community gardens willhave a signicant role in the region’s future. Working together, municipal govern-ments and community groups can ensure that the City of Gardens has gardensfor all of its citizens.



C=Contact

L =Location

P=Plot number

Agnes Street Community GardenC: Cathy Wetton, Treasurer

(384-2956)L: Agnes Street off Glanford Rd.P: 69

Burnside Gorge Community GardenC: Dean Fortin (388-5251)L: Cecelia Ravine Park near Gorge Community CentreP: 11 (waitlist)

Capital City Community GardenC: Clarence (380-3549)L: 621 Kent Rd. – Near the Pat Bay Hwy.P: 137 (waitlist)

Craigower Community GardenC: Richard (479-9280)L: Corner of Admirals Rd. & Old Isld Hwy.P: 9 & shared area

Earthbound Community GardenC: Fernwood Community Association, Alex Kozak (384-

7441)L: Garden St., just north of Bay St.P: 20 (seasonal waitlist)

Esquimalt Community GardenC: Max Rogers (384-4661)L: Corner of Munro St. & Anson St. (on military base)P: 18

Fernwood Allotment GardenC: Fernwood Community Association, Alex Kozak (384-

7441)L: Chambers and North Park P: 34 (Seasonal waitlist)

James Bay Allotment GardenC: Sylvia Austin (388-7550)L: Montreal St., Btwn. Oswego & NiagraP: 54 (Waitlist, restricted to neighbourhood apartments)

Langford Community GardenC: David Stott (478-1122)L: Wiling Park

P: 15-20

Michigan Street Community GardenC: Rob Wipond (361-4169)L: Corner Michigan St. & Menzies St.P: 20 (waitlist)

Oak Bay Community GardenC: Linda Plasterer (598-3311)L: Monteith St.P: 12 (waitlist)

Royal Bay Community GardenC: Michael Bodman (391-2600 ext. 4070)L: Royal Roads, near community education centreP: 8

Sidney Community GardenC: Unavailable

L: 1805 Glamorgan Rd, N. Saanich (across from the Sandown

Racetrack)

P: Unavailable

Spring Ridge CommonsC: Geoff Johnson, Compost Education Centre (386-

9678)L: Fernwood, Corner of Chambers & GladstoneP: None, permaculture food garden

(UVic) Campus Community GardenC: Trina Allinotte ([email protected])L: University of Victoria, West of the Saunders ComplexP: 26

APPENDIX ACommunity Gardens of Greater Victoria


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1 Boston Urban Gardeners. A Handbook of Community Gardening . Ed.Susan Naimark. 1982. Charles Scribner’sSons: New York.

2 While this publication was being developed, two gardens

were considering fencing and locking their gardens.Virtually all gardens, in every city, consider taking thisaction at some point. Problems with theft and vandalismare common. This is a large topic that is difcult toaddress within the scope of this publication. Ultimately,locking gardens removes much of their public aspect(although there is a middle ground where they are only locked at night). However, for gardeners to lose theirproduce, after their investment of time and energy, is very discouraging. Currently there are only a couple of gardensthat are fenced

3

The companion publication to this one, Seeds of Success ,provides in depth descriptions of some of the outstandingcommunity gardening efforts taking place in cities in theUnited States and Canada.

4 One of the best guides available can be purchased throughFoodShare Metro Toronto. Berman, Laura. How Does Our Garden Grow? A Guide to Community Garden Success . 1997.Lifecycles has a guide for local gardeners, The Lifecycles Community Garden Resource that includes some handy information for groups starting gardens.

5

September 1998. Framework for Our Future: An Agreement Between the Capital Regional District and Member Municipalities on a Framework for the Preparation of the Capital Region’s Growth Management Strategy. Prepared by Regional Planning Services Capital Regional District.

6 For detailed information on the surveys andpublic meetings see the Capital Regional District website: www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RGS/

7 For more information about Denmark’s community gardens see: http://www.cityfarmer.org/denmark.html

8 May 2000. Housing, Dwelling Type By Population and Age, Capital Region. From: Regional Information Services,Capital Regional District. www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RIS/ Facts/Housing/du_age.htm

9 1996. BC stats for Regional District.

10 September 1998. Framework for Our Future: An Agreement Between the Capital Regional District and Member Municipalities on a Framework for the Preparationof the Capital Region’s Growth Management Strategy.Prepared by Regional Planning Services Capital Regional

District. P 24.

11 OCP Background Report. Population, Employmentand Housing Projections 1996-2021. Regional GrowthStrategy. www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RGS/OthRprts/OCP/ocpbckgd.htm

12 Tall, Deborah. “dwelling: making peace with space andplace.” Rooted in the Land . Eds. William Vitek & Wes Jackson. 1996. Yale University Press.

13 For a full critique of the growth of American cities see:

Kunstler, James Howard. The Geography of Nowhere .1993. Touchstone: New York. .

Endnotes

http://www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RGS/

http://www.cityfarmer.org/denmark.html

http://www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RIS/Facts/Housing/du_age.htm




http://www.cityfarmer.org/denmark.html

http://www.crd.bc.ca/regplan/RGS/



14 Beatley, Timothy and Kristy Manning. The Ecology of Place: Planning for Environment, Economy andCommunity. 1997. Island Press: Washington, DC.

15 There are a number of denitions of food security. Oneof the earliest was developed at the 1996 World FoodSummit. The denition used in this report is the one thatlocal organizations (CRFAIR, Lifecycles) use.

16 Quality of Life in BC’s Capital Region. 1999. SocialPlanning Council of Greater Victoria.

17 All of these statistics were gathered through the archivessection of the Land Commission’s website.

18mhttp://www.statcan.ca/english/agcensus2001/index.htm

19 American Community Gardening Association. 1996.National Community Gardening Survey: 1996. AmericanCommunity Gardening Association. The Survey isavailable on-line at: www.communitygarden.org underPublications.

20 Loukidelis, David. Using Conservation Covenants toPreserve Private Land in British Columbia.. Anne Hillyer(Ed.) 1992. West Coast Environmental Law. Available on-line: http://www.wcel.org/wcelpub/2986_1.html

21

For detailed information about model community gardening programs offered through Parks and RecreationDepartments please see the companion publication to thisone: Seeds of Success

22 Watkins, Melissa. The Emergence of Land Trusts as a New Conservation Force in Canada. 2001. Centre for Landand Water Stewardship, University of Guelph. Availableon-line at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~claws/conference/ LandTrustPaper.htm

23 For more information on Evergreen please see Appendix B.

24 For excellent detailed information aboutconservation covenants see the West CoastEnvironmental Law report, available on-line at:http:/ /www.wcel.org/wcelpub/10362/10362.html Andrews, William J. & David Loukidelis. Leaving A LivingLegacy: Using Conservation Covenants in B.C. January 1996. West Coast Environmental Law Foundation.

25 For a draft of the zoning regulations in Boston as wellas information on policy in other cities see the compileddocument: Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Regulations, OpenSpace Policies and Goals Concerning Community Gardens and Open Green Space from the Cities of Seattle, Berkeley, Boston

and Chicago. Compiled by Lenny Librizzi, 1999. Availablethrough the ACGA website: www.communitygardens.org/ links/#studies

26 Density Bonusing: A Guide and Bylaw. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 1997. Available at:www.mcaws.gov.bc.ca/housing/bonusdn/index.htm

27 The local nonprot group Common Ground has bothmaps and mapping expertise. The Groundworks resourcecentre may also be very helpful. See Appendix B for contactinformation.

28 For more detail on evaluating community garden sites see:Boston Urban Gardeners. 1982. A Handbook of Community Gardening . Susan Naimark (Ed.) Charles Scribner’s Sons:New York.

Endnotes.

http://www.statcan.ca/english/agcensus2001/index.htm

http://www.communitygarden.org/

http://www.wcel.org/wcelpub/2986_1.html

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~claws/conference/LandTrustPaper.htm


http://www.wcel.org/wcelpub/10362/10362.html

http://www.communitygardens.org/links/#studies


http://www.mcaws.gov.bc.ca/housing/bonusdn/index.htm

http://www.mcaws.gov.bc.ca/housing/bonusdn/index.htm



http://www.wcel.org/wcelpub/10362/10362.html



http://www.wcel.org/wcelpub/2986_1.html

http://www.communitygarden.org/

http://www.statcan.ca/english/agcensus2001/index.htm

the garden city handbook

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