A rendering of the proposed community garden. (Submitted photo/Girardi Foundation)

By Alison Sandstrom

Putting down roots

Local non-profit hopes to build new community garden in West Flat

May 3, 2021 | 4:00 PM

A local non-profit with plans to build a youth home in the West Flat area of the city has announced intentions to create a community garden at the site as well.

David Girardi, CEO of the Girardi Foundation told paNOW the green space will be open to everyone. The organization plans to host workshops on gardening and cooking, along with partnering with the Bernice Sayese Centre to deliver Indigenous arts and culture programming.

Girardi said the garden will also help the non-profit build a relationship with the neighbourhood, which will enable them get approval to open a home for youth aging out of foster care at the same site in the future.

“By us building community services and showing people ‘this is safe, this is what we’re doing, this is our operational structure,’ we can create certainty while uplifting and revitalizing a community,” Girardi said.

A rendering of the proposed community garden at 1134 13th Street W. (Submitted photo/Girardi Foundation)

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The Girardi Foundation is hoping to fundraise $650,000 for the garden and has just received its first donation from local philanthropist Malcolm Jenkins.

Jenkins recently funded a splash park across the street from the garden’s proposed location at 1334 13th Street W.

“That’s a lovely area but it’s been sort of neglected over the years and I saw this as the next step in the right direction because the garden will be a great thing and then coming after that will be residence,” said Jenkins.

The proposed garden will host a variety of programming like cooking classes. (Submitted photo/Girardi Foundation)

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom