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PHOTOS: Oaklands community gets growing with new garden plots in Victoria

Food security, community spirit celebrated at grand opening this month
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Oaklands community members work on building “bug hotels” during the grand opening event for the neighbourhood’s community garden. (Photo courtesy of Oaklands Community Association)

Oaklands neighbourhood residents exercised their green thumbs and celebrated food security earlier this month, when the Oaklands Community Association launched the Oswald Park community garden.

Despite rainy, cool weather the April 10 celebration attracted a number of community members, who not only got started planting their garden beds but took part in a variety of family-friendly activities. Those included building “bug hotels” out of moss, twigs and other natural materials, and getting creative at the children’s decoration station.

Students from the Camosun College community, family and childhood studies program lent the OCA a hand with decorating, and city officials including Mayor Lisa Helps and Coun. Jeremy Loveday supported the group and helped volunteer and communications coordinator Ashley Chun cut the ribbon to officially open the facility.

As Chun noted later, 2022 has been declared Year of the Garden (#yearofthegarden) in Victoria and many other communities across Canada, as a way to celebrate community building, food security and food sovereignty.

Oswald Park is at 3031 Cedar Hill Rd. More information on the OCA can be found at oaklands.life.

ALSO READ: Pantry program growing goodness in Victoria’s Oaklands neighbourhood


 

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Oaklands Community Association board member Melissa Lim, left, and her daughter work on a bug hotel at the community garden grand opening. (Photo courtesy of Oaklands Community Association)
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Mayor Lisa Helps, right, here with Ashley Chun, Oaklands Community Association volunteer and communications coordinator, speaks at the grand opening of the Oswald Park community garden April 10. (Courtesy of OCA)