On Saturday, May 25, members of the award-winning community development project Can You Dig It built a bustling community garden in a single day.
Approximately 40 members of the community and City of Surrey staff worked together at Lionel-Courchene Park – on 156 Street between 98 and 99A Avenues – to turn the space into a welcoming agricultural hub.
"It was an amazing experience, so well-planned and executed it blew me away," said participant Linda Hibbard. "Thank you Surrey for putting money into greening our neighbourhood and bringing us together around a common and healthy goal."
The community garden project is the result of the engagement of committed community members and local partners wanting to transform an unused piece of land into a beautiful, lush food-growing space. Families, children, seniors and individuals from various backgrounds and life experiences can not only grow their own food, but connect with others and contribute to the betterment of their communities.
“I’m always amazed at what we can do when people come together, when we use people’s passions and gifts,” says Cinthia Pagé, who has helped create 36 community gardens in the Lower Mainland in her role as project coordinator with Can You Dig It, a posAbilities initiative. ”There is something about (the experience) that really touches people,” she adds.
Can You Dig It supports communities to create and maintain inclusive food-growing gardens where individuals can grow and share their food, gifts and abilities. Half of the growing space will be managed by DiverseCity as a program garden to foster social inclusion and empowerment of new immigrants and refugees.
To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/canyoudigitCA