Application for Community Garden

Fairview Community Association

Community Garden Committee

Attached Items
1. Garden Description
2. Description of the Community Garden Committee
3. Board Motion from the Fairview Community Association
4. Description of Neighbourhood engagement
5. Sight-line resident handout
6. Conceptual garden plan
7. Terms of reference for the Community Garden Committee
8. Draft garden guidelines
9. Education plan
10. Budget
11. Letter of support from Fairview Arena
12. Letter of Support from Councellor Carra
13. Proof of insurance Fairview Community Association

1.

Garden Description

Over the past few years, the Fairview Community Association has been working to revitalize our parks
and public spaces. In recent years community members have also asked about creating a community
garden space in Fairview. With the recent focus on parks, it seemed a perfect time to create this new
community initiative. In the winter of 2013, the Fairview Community Association established the
Fairview Community Garden Committee to design and implement a community garden.
Our community garden will serve multiple purposes. Centrally located in the community, it will
incorporate individual garden beds, a common area, composting, and a food forest. Individual beds
allow community members to grow food and plants that they may not have the opportunity to grow in
their own spaces. The common area will be a community gathering space for recreational, educational
and social activities. The food forest will be a naturalized area with fruit trees, fruit bearing shrubs and
plants such as strawberries. The garden will promote local food and the importance of community. It
will educate community members on the possibilities of local fruit in our climate. It will give children the
opportunity to recognize and forage for edible food such as berries and fruit, which is not always
available in an urban environment. It will bring together the community at harvest time, and allow us to
share ideas for using traditional prairie fruits such as sour cherries. The food forest will provide a space
for children to play surrounded by forest dwellers such as birds and insects.
Individual garden plots will be made available to members of the Association for a small rental fee. The
food forest and common areas will be available to all community members, regardless of whether they
are members of the Association. Educational programs will also be available to all community members.
The garden will be located in the central green space behind the Arena building in Fairview, and will
replaced the baseball diamond that is currently there. This site was chosen after careful deliberation;
details on our process can be found further on in this document.
(Please see concept design drawing for details)

2.

Garden Group Information

Group Purpose
The Fairview Community Garden Committee (the Committee) is a committee of the Fairview Community
Association (FCA).
The vision of the FCA is to promote and enhance a healthy, safe and productive environment for the
residents of Fairview by providing access to programs, services and information, all while establishing a
sense of community identity and belonging.
The purpose of the Fairview Community Garden Committee is to meet this vision by enhancing the
beauty of the area, connecting people through gardening in a common area or visiting the garden and
promoting connection to nature and healthy local food in our community.
Members
The FCA is a strong community organization with 500 household members in 2014-2015 (40% of the
households of the community). The members of the Community Garden Committee are active FCA
members committed to achieving the vision of the FCA and the Committee. There are currently 8
members of the Community Garden Committee. The committee members include:

Dave Eisenbart FCA President

Vanessa Hanel FCA Community Garden Committee Chair, Communications Lead
Katie Morrison Administrative Lead
Adrian Buckley Location and Design Lead
Stacey McDougall Fundraising and Finance Lead
TBA - Building and Maintenance Lead
Lynda Howes Committee member
Ryan Rainke Committee member
Jodi Anderson Committee member

Experience Working Together

The FCA has been a long-standing part of the community of Fairview. Although the Community Garden
Committee was formed in November 2013, we are well supported to continue working together
through the FCA.
The Community Garden Committee holds monthly meetings to move forward this community project.
To date we have held 15 full committee meetings with several smaller group meetings to accomplish
specific tasks.

Decision-making
The Community Garden Committee reports to the Fairview Community Association. The Committee
makes decisions by modified consensus. This means that Garden Team members agree to support a
decision arising from a consensus of 75 percent of the Committee even if it is not their preferred choice.
Non-committee garden members are welcome to attend and participate in Committee meetings and
discussions.
An annual budget is prepared, discussed and approved by the Committee. They then seek the
endorsement of the Fairview Community Association board of directors.
The Committee seeks guidance and advice from a wide variety of sources such as the community
association, City of Calgary and the Community Garden Resource Network of the Calgary Horticultural
Society.
Time Commitment
The Community Garden Committee meets monthly for approximately 2 hours to provide updates on the
administration and management of the garden project and make group decisions. Additional time may
be required by committee members for specific tasks as needed.
Each member of the garden is expected to take on a role in garden during the garden season. The time
commitment of the member is dependent on the role.
Member Tasks
The Community Garden Committee has five smaller groups responsible for tasks and activities. Each
group has a lead member responsible for organizing tasks and members of the smaller group. These
groups and relevant activities are:
1.

Administrative
- Liaising with Fairview Community Association (Chair of Committee)
- Coordinating decision-making, conflict resolution
- Setting and organizing meetings
- Coordinating other committees
- Establishing garden guidelines
- Managing garden membership

2.

Communication and Outreach

- Coordinating neighbourhood outreach (awareness events, advertising, Fairview in Focus
articles, social media)
- Developing and implementing the education plan
- Completing neighbourhood surveys
- Liaising with the City of Calgary

3.

Location and Design

- Responsible for location selection
- Ensuring License of Occupation / Insurance
- Creating garden design

4.

Fundraising and Finance

- Responsible for Budget and Financial Plan
- Fundraising (grants, in-kind services, City of Calgary, fundraising events)

5.

Building and Maintenance

- Site preparation
- Building and maintenance
- Monitoring garden conditions

Gardeners are responsible for taking on a role as part of the garden agreement to assist with the
activities of one of the garden groups.
Partner Organizations
The FCA Community Garden Committee has partnered with the Fairview Arena to complete the project
(see attached letter of support).

4.

Resident Engagement Summary

The community garden committee put in a lot of research, thought and care into the selection of the
garden site. Over the past year, we have completed the following steps to engage the resident of
Fairview:

a full site assessment and ranking on all City green spaces in Fairview
a survey of the neighborhood of our top 3 locations
o results indicated a preference for the chosen location
asked for feedback from residents continually in our monthly newsletter
contacted 27 homes with a sight line of the proposed site
o received 3 responses (only 2 in writing) with concerns about the site due to the removal
of the baseball diamond
o addressed concerns in an open letter to the community

The committee feels that we have exceeded the requirements of the Citys application process to
engage with the residents of Fairview regarding our garden location.

FAIRVIEW

COMMUNITY GARDEN
INITIATIVE

Information sheet for residents with sight line to proposed garden site.
Your household is located within sight
line of the proposed Fairview Community
Garden. We want to ensure that all nearby
residents like you are kept informed about
the proposed changes to this site. Please read this
information sheet and let us know if you have any concerns or
objections to this project.
What is a community garden?
A community garden is a shared piece of land developed and
managed by community residents from all walks of life. Community
gardens enhance the beauty of the area by creating a natural
community space to grow food and flowers and connect people
through gardening in a common area or by visiting the garden.
Who is organizing the garden?
The Fairview Community Garden Committee is a part of the Fairview
Community Association. The Community Garden Committee holds
open monthly organizational meetings to plan this new community
initiative. Since we formed in November 2013 there has been great
interest in this project within the community.
Who will be involved in the garden?
Any resident of Fairview who has a current membership with the
Fairview Community Association can become a Community Garden
member and everyone in the community can visit the space. We
hope to make the
gardens accessible by
wheelchair, have one public veggie and herb bed open to all for
harvest, and a kids garden bed.
Fairview Community Garden Member Guidelines and Garden Terms
of Reference have been set up which define how the garden is
managed, kept clean, weed-free and attractive. Everyone involved
in the garden will be required to sign an agreement that ensures
that the area will be kept clean and will not cause disturbance to the
surrounding neighbours.
How was this site chosen?
The Community Garden Committee worked with the Fairview
Community Association, the City of Calgary Parks Department and the
Calgary Horticultural Societys Community Garden Network to select
a site that works best for the City, the community and the garden.
Park sites within Fairview were considered based on their central
accessibility, community-building potential, user safety, growing
conditions, and access to water. The Committee also ran an online
survey to gather opinions from Fairview residents.
Based on all these considerations, the space in Fairview Park
behind the Fairview Arena, including the baseball diamond, at the
corner of Fredson Drive and Fulham Street was selected as the future
site for the Fairview Community Garden. Although this space has
some current use, the City considers the ball diamond to be underutilized by ball teams, none of which were Fairview teams and the
City is happy to turn this space over to a local community garden. In
considering this site we also consulted with the adjacent schools who
are interested in partnering to create educational opportunities for
curriculum-based activities in the garden.

What will the garden look like?

With the help of a talented permaculture designer (and Fairview
resident), the Fairview Community Garden Committee, has created
a plan with short-term, mid-range, and long-range design concepts
including raised and ground level growing beds, a central gathering
area, and eventually a food orchard with berry shrubs and a few
fruit trees. The area will be open to all residents and we plan to
remove some of the existing fencing to encourage community use.

The design takes into account beauty, growing conditions and
accessibility to the community but also includes design considerations
that will minimize potential crime and vandalism in the garden and
surrounding area. Other community gardens in Calgary that have
used similar approaches, creating spaces that are open, attractive
and kept clean have found that theft and vandalism has been
minimal. See the preliminary design concept of the garden below.
Where will the water come from?
Water to the site will likely be supplied via hose from the Fairview
Arena building, but as funds become available, we are hoping to
collect rainwater from the roof of the arena, channeled through an
underground system into a cistern at the garden site. This innovative
system will add to the environmental sustainability of the garden by
greatly reducing usage of city water and will be the first of its kind
in Calgary!
Questions and Concerns
If you have questions or concerns about this future community project, please contact the Fairview Community
Garden Committee via e-mail at office@fairviewcommunity.ca or call 403-252-5424. We are also hosting a
Community Garden Open House during our Fall Plant Share at the baseball diamond garden site (corner
of Fredson Drive and Fulham Street) on Saturday, Sept. 20th from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Full details
of the Plant Share will be in the September Fairview In Focus newsletter. Community Garden planning committee
members will be available during the Plant Share to answer any questions.

You are also very welcome to attend any of the Community Garden meetings held at 7:30 p.m. on first
Wednesdays of each month in the lower level at the Fairview arena. We hope you can join us!

Proposed Fairview
Community Garden
Site Location:
SE corner of Fairview Park
behind Fairview Arena,
including baseball diamond,
at the corner of Fredson Dr.
and Fulham St.

7.

Terms of Reference for Fairview Community

Garden Committee

Objectives
To facilitate, set up and maintain beautiful, productive and pesticide-free community gardening projects
that will enhance the beauty of the area, connect people and promote connection nature and healthy
local food in our community.
Governance
The Community Garden Committee reports to the Fairview Community Association's Board of Directors.
Terms of Reference
The Garden Team carries out its activities on public land with authority granted by the community
association.
The Garden Team respects the bylaws of the community association and operates the garden according
to the garden guidelines they develop. The garden guidelines are reviewed once a year and a copy is
stored with the community association.
Garden Team Members
Community gardening projects are governed by the Community Garden Committee consisting of
minimum 5-10 garden members. Each year a garden team fills at a minimum the following positions:
1. Chair of Community Garden Committee on the Fairview Community Association Board
2. Garden Communicator with City of Calgary Parks
3. Neigbourhood Communicator Team Lead
4. Garden Treasurer
5. Garden Membership Secretary
6. Fund Raising Team Lead
7. Garden Construction / Repair Team Lead
8. Garden Angel Team Lead
9. Gardening Event Team Lead
10. Compost / Soil Building Team Lead

Accountability
The Community Garden Committee communicates regularly with the Fairview Community Association
through the Chair of the Committee who will attend monthly community association board meetings. A
copy of Committee minutes is sent to the community association.
The Garden Team is responsible for managing its financial matters and seeks funding for its activities
after communicating with the community association board. The Community Garden Committee
Treasurer maintains a record of funds acquired and spent.
The Fairview Community Association Treasurer works with the Community Garden Committee Treasurer
to ensure timely payment of all garden expenses from the Community Gardening account with special
consideration given to timely payment of receipts over $50 in spring, summer and fall.
Annual Budget
An annual budget is prepared, discussed and approved by the Community Garden Committee. They
then seek the endorsement of the Fairview Community Association board of directors.
Income and Expense Statement
The Community Garden Committee Treasurer will produce an Income and Expense Statement once a
year which will be made publically available with a copy sent to the community association board.
Financial Management
The community gardening account in the community association budget is a restricted funds line item in
the community association budget. Decisions for disbursements from this account lie with the
Community Garden Committee leadership.
The Garden Treasurer will work closely with the community association treasurer to manage grants,
investment and distribution of funds.
Sources and Uses of Funds
The restricted funds account will contain community garden fees such as garden bed rental fees.
Gardeners will be required to purchase a Fairview Community Association membership and these funds
will go into the community association's membership account, not the garden account.
Garden Team Activities
1. Welcoming community association members who would like to contribute to community gardening
projects
2. Preparing annual budget
3. Responsible financial management for garden funds

4. Answering inquiries about the community garden

5. Planning and carrying out community consultation as needed
6. Setting garden policy
7. Sending in monthly update for community newsletter
8. Offering informal learning opportunities for gardeners
9. Cultivating a positive working relationship with the community association and the City of Calgary
Parks

How the Community Garden Committee Collaborates:

1. The Community Garden Committee meets once a month in a public location advertising the date and
time in advance. Meeting minutes are taken and a copy is stored with the community association.
2. The Community Garden Committee makes decisions by modified consensus. This means that Garden
Team members agree to support a decision arising from a consensus of 75 percent of the Committee
even if it is not their preferred choice.
3. The Community Garden Committee may seek guidance and advice at any time from a wide variety of
sources such as the community association, City of Calgary and the Community Garden Resource
Network of the Calgary Horticultural Society.
4. Community Garden Committee members take turns as needed in chairing the meeting and arranging
the agenda.
5. Community gardening projects go forward with volunteer time, donated resources, donations and
funding grants.

8. Fairview Community Garden

Draft Guidelines & Gardener's Agreement
The Fairview Community Garden is a community space. These guidelines set out the expectations and
requirements of participation in the Fairview Community Garden to make sure it is a safe, fun and
welcoming environment for everyone in our community.
As a member in the Fairview Community I agree to the following garden guidelines. I understand that
failure to comply with the guidelines may result in a warning or revocation of garden privileges.
Garden Bed Rental Terms

Only Fairview residents are eligible to rent garden beds.

Each gardener can rent one garden bed and that bed is reserved for one season.

If I garden one season I have the first opportunity to get the same plot for the next year by
registering for a plot by March 1.

I am not permitted to give my plot away. I understand that the garden team coordinates the
garden bed rental.

If I do not take care of the garden bed (seeding, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting) I will
receive a warning. If I continue to neglect the bed I will be notified and the garden team will
rent it to the next person on the garden waiting list. The garden team will assume I have
abandoned the garden bed if I have not attended to it 7 days after they have made 2 attempts
to contact me.

Gardeners must purchase and possess a community association membership. (Community

association memberships are sold by the community association.)

Plot rental fees for gardeners of Fairview Community Garden are refundable before May 15th
and non-refundable after that date.

By April 15, people new to the garden are assigned plots in order by the date they signed up on
the waiting list.

Participation

All gardeners must attend the annual Orientation Meeting. If a member is unable to attend this
meeting they must make arrangements with the Garden Committee for an alternate orientation
session.

Gardeners must be respectful of his or her neighbours. Gardeners are encouraged to attempt to
resolve conflicts amongst themselves. Please contact the Garden Committee if this is not
possible.

All members are expected to take on a role on one of the work groups and to share
responsibilities for the communal activities of the garden. Please contact the Community
Garden Committee if you are unsure which work group you belong to.

Each member will act as Garden Hero / Heroine for one week during the summer. During this
week he/she will check the entire garden each day.

Gardeners will help in tending communal garden areas. Excess food from the communal garden
bed will be donated to the food bank.

There is a limit of one garden bed per gardener or garden family.

Gardeners will take responsibility for any non-gardeners accompanying them to the garden.

Ensure that children are supervised while in the garden.

All gardeners will participate in spring and fall cleanups.

Pesticide Free

No synthetic chemical pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or fertilizers will be used in the

Fairview Community Garden. For a list of recommended pest control and fertility management
products see https://fairviewcommunitygarden.wordpress.com/. Contact the Garden
Committee if you have any questions about a product.

Use finished compost for soil enhancement instead of animal manures because of E. Coli health
risk.

Pets must be on leash in the garden. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets.

There is no smoking permitted in the garden by garden members or guests.

Appearance

Gardeners are responsible for keeping weeds, garbage and litter out of their individual garden
plot and the communal paths around their garden bed.

No littering! Garbage must be disposed of in the garbage can and compost organic material.
Please take your recyclable materials home with you.

All gardeners will help maintain the paths and common areas including the community garden
bed.

Gardeners will have their bed planted by June 15 or it will be given to a gardener on the waiting
list.

Seeds, seedlings, compost, tomato cages, gardening hand tools, and crop labels are the
responsibility of each individual garden member.

If vandalism or theft occurs please let the Fairview Garden Committee know. The Garden
Committee and the Fairview Community Association are not responsible or liable for injury,
damage, theft or loss of gardeners personal property.

Gardeners are not permitted to use motorized equipment, such as lawnmower or rototiller in
the garden.

Gardeners are welcome to bring their own creative materials, such as posts and stakes, for
staking up tomatoes and other large, climbing plants. For safety reasons, stakes cannot have
paint on them, or any nails sticking out. If unsafe stakes are used, the Garden Committee will ask
you to remove them from the garden area immediately.

I will ask another gardener to water and harvest ripe produce from my garden when I am away.

I will clean out and prepare my garden plot for winter and protect the soil from erosion by
October 31. If my garden plot is not cleaned out I will not be allowed a plot the following year.

Watering

The water available in the garden may be untreated and must not be used as drinking water.

During drought and water rationing periods, please only use hand watering.

Conserve water and do not use hoses that leak.

Promises & Responsibilities

Gardeners are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their plots and the paths
surrounding their plots, including weeding, soil, mulching etc.

Grow no invasive plants species or perennials in individual beds.

Follow composting and mulching guidelines as provided by the garden committee.

Deal with insect and weed infestations quickly and organically to prevent spread to other
plots. For garden-wide infestations the garden team consults the City of Calgary Integrated Pest
Management (IPM).

Pick produce when it is ripe. Only pick produce and flowers from my garden bed.

Clean shared garden tools and put them back into the storage shed after using them.

Restrict crops which grow over 4 ft. in height to a maximum row length of 4 ft. so as not to
shade neighbouring beds.

Use trellises that are stable in all weather conditions and do not shade other gardens.

Fun & Friendly Gardening

Garden members are invited to all social gardening times such as planting days, potlucks,
weeding Wednesdays, sheet mulching parties and events in the garden (music, art, yoga,
gardening coaching sessions). Dates and times will be posted on the community garden web
page at https://fairviewcommunitygarden.wordpress.com/.

Gardeners are encouraged to attend learning opportunities hosted by the Community Garden
Resource Network of the Calgary Horticultural Society or community garden committee. Event
notices will posted on the website.

Ripe produce from that is not harvested after reminder messages will be harvested at the end of
the garden season and donated to organizations assisting hungry families.

If I do not carry out these steps the garden team can re-assign the garden bed I have abandoned
to someone on the garden waiting list.

We require contact information for all gardeners at all times. Please contact the Community
Garden Committee if your contact information changes.

Fairview Community Garden Agreement

Please sign and return this agreement to the Fairview Community Garden Committee by April 15th.
This garden bed rental agreement is for the period between April 15 and October 31, 20_ _.
Name: (Please print):
Community Association membership number:
Email:
Phone:
Street Address:
Additional people participating in this garden include:

FEES AND DEPOSITS:

Fairview Community Association
Membership

$15/year

Individual Plot Rental Fee

$TBA

Family Plot Rental Fee

$TBA

Plot Maintenance Deposit

$X

Total

As a garden member I agree to take on the following role and be responsible for the completion and
maintenance of this task: ____________

Communication Team
Compost Team
Construction & Repair Team
Fundraising and Finances Team
Garden Hero Team
Social /Event Team
Watering Team

Liability
Signing this agreement absolves the Fairview Community Garden committee and the Fairview
Community Association from any liability, financial or otherwise which may result from negligence or
the inappropriate use of power and hand tools, either by myself or by others. I acknowledge that I am
aware that injuries resulting from my use of small tools or exposure to the elements may arise while I
am gardening on my assigned plot.
I agree to comply with the Fairview Community Gardens Guidelines and Agreements and I understand
that failure to do so could result in the withdrawal of my privileges to use the Community Garden.
I / We, have read the Fairview Community Garden Agreement and
I / We agree to comply with the above rules and guidelines
Date:
Signature:
Witness:

9.

Fairview Community Garden Education Plan

The Fairview Community Garden has the potential to provide a variety of educational benefits to the
public. The schools in the area include Le Roi Daniels Elementary School, Fairview Junior High and Lord
Beaverbrook High School, as well as a few separate and individual educational organizations. The
community garden will provide a dedicated area to educators in Fairview as well as the opportunity to
explore the whole space for a full "hands on" learning experience.
The garden can be utilized by educators for basic academics, physical education, spiritual practises, the
arts, moral, social and personal development, environmental studies, and health and nutrition. There is
also the potential to use the garden as the foundation for the whole curriculum or as a teaching tool
following the garden-based learning model. Under this model, educators can incorporate topics such as
science, social studies and mathematics into garden based themes.
Elementary educators can use the garden to cover specific Alberta curriculum science units such as
plants and animals, habitat conservation, small crawling and flying animals, life cycles, trees and forests,
plant growth and change, weather watch and seasonal changes. The garden can also provide Alberta
elementary educators a place to cover Social Studies units such as citizenship, global citizenship,
communities in Alberta, communities in the world and my world: home, school and community.
Junior High and Senior High educators can cover specific Alberta Science curriculum requirements such
as plants for food and fibre, interactions and ecosystems, environmental sciences, biological diversity,
cells and systems, environmental chemistry, and environmental science and conservation. Other ways
educators can utilize the gardens is through project-based learning, life skills training, leadership and
teamwork training, nutritional awareness, stress management, horticulture, environmental and outdoor
education.
There are several other groups that will be able to use the community garden for educational purposes,
including but not limited to: The Indefinite Arts Society, homeschool groups, pre-school groups,
daycares and seniors groups. As a part of our Education Plan, the Fairview Community Garden
committee plans to reach out to the above mentioned groups and schools as partners, in order to
maximize the educational component of the garden. The committee also plans to one day host
educational activities at the garden such as workshops and speakers. The garden will be a great venue
for workshops and classes for the whole community.

10. Fairview Community Garden Budget

Fairview Community Garden Start Up Budget
(See additional tables for details)
Phase 1a - 15 plots
$12,620.00
Phase 1b - food forest
$6,880.00
Phase 2 - more plots & food forest
TBD
Phase 3 - common area
TBD
Phase 4 - rainwater harvesting
TBD

Phase 1a consists of 15 individual 4'x8' raised garden beds made of cedar and a tool shed
Estimated
Item
Cost
Notes
soil
$2,500.00 25 cubic yards
building materials
$1,700.00 135-2x6x8 $12.58 at Home Depot
mulch
$300.00
tool shed
$1,000.00 *design and detailed breakdown TBC
water tap
$6,500.00 tap to be installed at arena
irrigation line (from building to garden)
$0.00 potential in-kind donation from City of Calgary
landscape fabric
$120.00 weed barrier under raised beds
garden tools
$200.00 basic start up supplies
fencing removal
$0.00 potential in-kind donation from City of Calgary
signage
$300.00 temporary or short-term signage
Total
$12,620.00

Phase 1b consists of one section of food forest

Estimated
Item
Cost
Notes
Fruit Trees (4)
$480.00 Type to be determined
Including sour cherries, honeyberries, saskatoons,
Shrubs and dwarf trees (30)
$1,200.00 currants
Including strawberries and edible and ornamental
Perennials (50)
$200.00 perennials
Soil
$2,000.00 20 cubic yards to replace existing baseball diamond shale
Excavation
$3,000.00 *estimation
Total
$6,880.00

Fairview Community Garden Operating Budget (per annum)

EXPENSES
Water
$ 500.00
To be adjusted after first year of operation
Pruning not required every year. Unused funds to
Pruning
$ 300.00
be carried forward.
First Aid Kit
$
10.00
Garden Tools
$
50.00
TOTAL
$ 860.00
INCOME
(This is at $30 year. Actual amount to be
Plot Rental
$ 450.00
determined.)
TOTAL
$ 450.00

OFFICE OF THE COUNCILLORS

COUNCILLOR GIAN-CARLO CARRA

December 9, 2014

To Whom it May Concern:

RE:

FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY GARDEN

Please accept this letter as my enthusiastic support for the proposed Fairview Community
Garden. This project has been conceived and championed by a passionate group of individuals
at the Fairview Community Association, who have shown thoughtful innovation and initiative in
revitalizing parks and public spaces in their community.
My office encourages community gardens for a number of reasons. Not only do they connect
neighbours through a shared gardening experience, community gardens provide a local and
sustainable food source for families, an opportunity to educate both children and adults on
where food comes from and how it is grown, as well as the chance for people to reconnect with
nature and enhance the overall beauty of their neighbourhood.
The benefits of a community garden are clearly supported in the vision of the Fairview
Community Association, which strives to promote and enhance a healthy, safe, and productive
environment for its residents. This includes providing access to programs, services, and
information, all while establishing a strong sense of community identity and belonging. The
community garden will work to facilitate the recreational, cultural, and social activities of the
community, as well as foster and advance relationships among the residents of Fairview.
I want to thank the Fairview Community Association for their leadership and foresight on this
project and restate my full support for this community garden.
Yours truly,

GIAN-CARLO CARRA
COUNCILLOR, WARD 9
Gian-carlo.carra@calgary.ca

@gccarra
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