New life for community gardens across Windsor.
The future of the gardens was in jeopardy when the United Way redirected funding being used by community groups, but the city is stepping up to make sure the gardens don't become a thing of the past.
The Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee has approved a plan which will see the city take over liability insurance and set up and maintenance costs.
Councillor Fabio Costante says this will help secure the future of the gardens while giving the community groups and gardeners more say.
Costante it would be a shame to see the gardens go away.
"There's been some momentum built over the years. They are well used and they provide locally sourced food which is always a very good thing, but in addition to that they create community. Many people have met each other for the first time volunteering at a community garden in their neighbourhood," he says.
Costante says this will help to make the gardens more accessible.
"The accessibility to having a garden in your neighbourhood has greatly increased now. Now, instead of having to get liability insurance themselves or being burdened with the start up costs, which is some cases is quite a bit, especially for volunteers who are doing this on their own time, the city can step in and support on those two fronts," he says.
Costante says, in a roundabout way, the city is creating more amenities for its residents.
"One way to look at this too is we have many parks in our communities and this is just another way of creating more amenities in our parks," he says. "I see this as directly the mandate of our city and I see this as an extension of services that we provide in our public spaces. So I think it's a great thing."
There will be a $40 fee for gardeners to help cover the cost of items like mulch and soil.
The plan for the city to assume operation of the gardens still needs final approval from city council.
There are currently six community gardens on municipal property across Windsor.