Consultation or Not

I note from the minutes of the February meeting of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association, posted on its website, that the JBNA has adopted a "Community Garden Policy" as input into the City's policy development process. The minutes state "Two James Bay Allotment Garden societies were contacted regarding interest in possible expansion of community gardens", implying that there were consultations with these groups on the substance of the policy document. As President of the James Bay Garden Association, which manages the allotment garden on Montreal Street, I wish to go on record that no such consultations took place.

The JBNA Policy calls for a "collective" approach to new community gardens in James Bay/Victoria, as opposed to the "allotment" arrangement that we have for our garden. The policy cites the example of the Rock and Alpine Garden Society garden in Beacon Hill Park. This garden is indeed a great model under its particular circumstances: a club with a certain expertise willing to garden difficult terrain not suitable for conventional urban municipal ornamental horticulture.

The model might also be applicable if there were a club or group of individuals willing to plant and maintain a specialized ornamental garden (e.g. roses, lilies, whatever) in a traffic circle island or a corner of some park.

However, it is important to understand that people take up gardening for many reasons, including the exercise and to add beauty and interest to their balconies, yards and cityscapes. But many also want to garden in order to grow their own vegetables and fruit for their own and their families' consumption, preferring the freshness, quality and cost of what they can grow themselves to what is available from the supermarket.

The collective garden model advocated by the JBNA would not work for growing vegetables for family consumption. (It might work if the produce was all directed to a food bank or a community soup kitchen, but that's not the issue here.) It would take someone with the power and personality of a dictator to organize and resolve conflicts on what and how much to plant, allocating the produce, assigning the watering and weeding responsibilities, etc. Is there a Stalin in our midst?  

The JBNA policy simply does not address the excess demand for allotment vegetable gardening for those who do not have access to land for that purpose, as reflected by the length of our Garden Associations waiting list - over 80 of our James Bay neighbours.

Richard Roberts

President, James Bay Garden Association