Gardens here to stay

Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

Supporters of the Yara Community Gardens wore green to show their support and opposition to the potential sale of the Home Street location at Monday's executive commitee meeting.

Published on February 11, 2013

Lisa Goudy

City administration will not take any steps to sell the Yara Community Gardens Home Street location.

Council chambers were filled with a sea of green during Monday’s executive committee meeting with garden supporters wearing green. The issue that came before executive was whether to sell the Home Street location of the Yara Community Gardens to make it available for residential housing developments.

The majority of executive voted in favour of Coun. Dawn Luhning’s motion to receive and file the report, which stopped the potential sale process.

“I know how valuable volunteers are and how valuable your time is,” said Luhning. “I feel in my heart the right thing to do is move on. You’re a good part of this community.”

Coun. Heather Eby said while Yara’s investment in the gardens is significant as are the volunteer hours. But she said it would be a smarter decision to make with additional information.

“I just really think we’re wiser to do our due diligence right to the end so that we can ensure that we’re not in here doing this again next year or in two years,” said Eby. “I’d much rather see us be able to give the community gardens a longer term home. It’s not that I’ve made a decision. It’s just that I think we can make a better decision with more information.”

Sarah Varey, community gardens co-ordinator, and gardens supporter Bernadette Vooght made presentations to council expressing their opposition to the sale. She added the community gardens were notified the land might go up for sale on Wednesday and had to prepare something within a very short timeframe if she wanted to make a presentation to executive.

For more information, see Tuesday's edition of the Times-Herald.

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