With community in its name and main ethos, Welland Community Orchard organizers often invite the public to interact with, enjoy and even taste the fruits of its labour.
Once a year, the organization – under the non-profit Victoria LifeCycles Project – hosts Community Sharing Day to officially celebrate the connection.
The public orchard on the West Shore is named for Rex Welland, the late resident who packed more than 100 varieties of apples onto two-thirds of an acre and left the land to View Royal in trust – under covenant that it remains an orchard. LifeCycles has led upkeep and creation at the orchard at 1215 Stancil Ln. since 2013.
The annual Community Sharing Day on Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. celebrates the urban orchard and is a way to distribute extra fruit at the peak of the season.
Organizers will have activities including tasting heritage apple varieties, a scavenger hunt, orchard tours, cider pressing, asking a fruit tree expert and fruit to take home until it runs out.
Parking is limited and cycling or transit are recommended. Limited parking is available at the Orchard, with two reservable time slots for accessible parking. Victoria transit 22A and 24 buses stop nearby. As a partner with Go By Bike Week this year, LifeCycles asks residents to consider cycling to the site, adjacent to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
Tickets are free online at eventbrite.ca/e/community-sharing-day-2024-tickets-993789209277?aff=oddtdtcreator.
