Pierrefonds-Roxboro, September 18, 2023 — The Borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro is proud to inaugurate its first solidarity garden in the presence of Mayor Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, members of the Borough Council, partner organization West Island Mission and its contributing organization, Urban Seedling.

Located in a neighborhood park on boulevard Gouin Ouest, at the corner of 2e Rue, the solidarity garden is a project carried out in close collaboration with West Island Mission and tended by volunteers. The aim of this initiative, launched in 2020, is to raise public awareness about food insecurity. Each year, harvests are redistributed to beneficiaries of the West Island Mission and On Rock Community Services food banks. The goal is to produce 750 kg next year, enough to feed 70 families.

“Urban agriculture is a thriving practice that contributes directly to our objectives in terms of the environment and accessibility in all its forms. The solidarity garden is a concrete gesture within our community that helps combat heat islands and promote biodiversity, while strengthening the social fabric of our neighborhoods by dedicating a public space to plant fruit, vegetables and herbs that can then be redistributed to feed our families,” says Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

An enhanced, accessible garden

The newly refurbished garden now has 25 planters, five of which are raised for easier access to the vegetable plots. A new supply of clean water is now available on site. In addition, a new drinking fountain has been installed to keep the gardeners well hydrated.

The total investment of $192,000 has enabled us to triple the size of the solidarity garden and add picnic tables, benches and a pathway through the park that is now wheelchair accessible. 

This project was entirely conceived and designed in collaboration with the Borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and the West Island Mission.

The Jardin solidaire in parc Gouin received $117,688 from Ville de Montreal’s Bureau de la transition écologique et de la résilience (BTER), as part of the Programme de soutien aux arrondissements pour l’aménagement et la réfection des jardins communautaires et collectifs publics 2022 et 2023.

The Borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro also contributed with an investment of $65,000, along with a financial contribution of $10,000 from West Island Mission for the purchase of seedlings and maintenance.