Hello Acadia! – November 2020

The Acadia Community Garden & Art Society was created to provide neighbours with a place to practice their gardening, to find & celebrate art within the community, and to enjoy the beauty the Garden offers.

We provide affordable raised bed rentals as well as a wide variety of free u-pick options in our Community Food Forest as well as in our Community Vegetable Beds.

The Society regularly holds community events including festivals and picnics, while offering a connection to like-minded individuals in the greater area.

Currently in our 7th year of operation, the Acadia Community Garden & Art Society is dedicated to contributing to increasing the standard of living for the people in our neighbourhood.

Our mission is to create & nurture community within Acadia through gardening and the arts. Our vision is to create a welcoming space that fosters an appreciation of nature, art, and the interconnection of our community.

2020 PROJECTS

Despite recruiting the largest Board of Directors we’d ever enjoyed, the onset of COVID-19 meant we had to throw out our plans and draw new ones up on the fly.

We knocked it out of the park. ????

Here are a few things we accomplished this season:

  • We developed a COVID safety & awareness campaign including digital messaging, signage, a professionally produced video, and a sanitizing routine that allowed us to open as an Essential Service to our community.
  • Thanks to an SNI Grant, we installed multilingual signage throughout the Food Forest to better engage our diverse community.
  • We planted new trees and shrubs into our Food Forest, including a 3-variety grafted pear, goji berries, and 2 types of saskatoon bushes.
  • We installed a decorative shrub bed in the SW corner of our lot made from entirely donated materials.
  • We painted the long bench with phrases about our community and little houses with messages of hope.
  • We grew & donated 175 pounds of food to the Calgary Food Bank.

2021 PROJECTS

Over the next 3 months, our Board of Directors will get together to identify our 2021 project objectives. 

Here are a few ideas we’re considering for next season:

  • building and installing wheelchair accessible raised beds
  • building and installing a wheelchair accessible shed
  • building and installing wheelchair accessible pathways
  • building and installing no-kneel raised beds
  • starting Phase 2 of our Food Forest which could include removing turf, digging swales, and installing base layer plants
  • building and installing a more user-friendly compost system
  • sprucing up the existing artwork & adding clear coat to protect it from the elements
  • adding new art pieces, including a central sculpture
  • revamping our website
  • revitalizing the soil in all the garden beds
  • increasing the size of the pollinator garden
  • increasing the number of mason bees
  • working with community stakeholders on the creation and installation of a sensory pathway
  • working with schools to create a ‘Learn to Garden’ course

But of course, we’re open to suggestions. If you have questions or concerns about any of our upcoming ideas, we look forward to hearing from you.  

Should you wish to participate, why not volunteer?

Reach out to Volunteer@GrowingAcadia.ca and join a team of passionate, community-building people.

Laurie Vanderwal
Vice President

Acadia Community Garden & Art Society is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination and harassment, where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, can contribute fully and have equal opportunities.  If you experience any discrimination or harassment, please contact us on our phone or media sites.