By Jeff Labine

Donation helps food bank garden grow

Jun 15, 2017 | 12:00 PM

The Prince Albert Food Bank is getting some seed money to develop a community garden.

The local charitable organization received a $60,000 donation on Thursday from the Co-op Community Spaces fund. The money will go towards the Oasis Demonstration Garden, a 9,000-square-foot garden located just off of Sixth Ave. W. The garden is leased by the city to the food bank for the next 10 years

The organization is hoping to grow its own food while also promoting local agriculture. The garden currently grows a range of food including legumes and quinoa.

Wes Clark, executive director of the food bank, said the money will allow the organization to improve its infrastructure, and take the garden to the next level.

“There’s several things we’re working on,” he said. “It’s going to enable us to get a tractor to have a little bit of help as we move forward through the years. We want to show we can restore land for use of agriculture.”

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

2h ago

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

20h ago

Liquor stores must change hours

Prince Albert limits liquor store hours

23h ago

In addition to growing food, Clark said the food bank provides demonstrations to various groups to show how to cultivate the land.

Another project of the food bank’s is tapping into S.H.A.R.E. Prince Albert’s – their next-door neighbour – dry well. Clark said the well was originally used when the Molson factory was there. Finding a clean source of water became a high priority following the Husky oil spill last year.

He said the spill really made the food bank take a hard look at the issue of water.

Cara Stelmaschuk, director of marketing for Lake Country Co-op Association Ltd., said every year the company provides funding for a variety of community projects. The grant program was offering a total of $2 million for projects across Western Canada.

“This is awesome,” Stelmaschuk said. “What better use of community space than that?”

Since 2015, Co-op has provided $4.5 million to more than 60 projects across Western Canada.

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter