Transition Sooke has a big vision for their town, and to make it a reality they're planting a seed – or in this case a lot of seeds.
Their goal is to “create a sustainable, resilient and secure community that meets the challenges of the climate emergency in the Sooke region,” explained Lily Mah-Sen of Transition Sooke.
To do this, the group has orchestrated a number of projects, from Zero Waste Sooke’s repair cafes to the recent revitalization of the community garden at the Sooke Child, Youth and Family Centre, one of its most essential projects.
“Through the pandemic and the inflation wave we saw from there, there were a lot of people who struggled. I think it became really clear through the pandemic that food insecurity was increasing rapidly,” said Levi Megenbir, the action group lead for Transition Sooke’s Sustainable Food Security and Agriculture Action Group, who noted those trends extended to Sooke's own food bank and food security programs.
“I think that just really showed how important it was for us to be doing what we can as communities to support those who are food insecure,” said Megenbir.
The garden now represents the intersection between a number of Sooke community groups, including Transition Sooke, the Sooke Food CHI Society, and the District of Sooke, which provided grant funding for the project and supported Transition Sooke along the way.
Community institutions like the Sooke Library are getting involved as well, rented a plot in the garden to facilitate its own seed library.
Sooke Soil donated the mulch and garden soil, local landscaper Stephen Hendricks helped move rocks on the property, and 30 volunteers constructed the 20 garden beds.
The property on which the garden sits is owned by the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, which has largely made the project possible by agreeing to lease it to Transition Sooke for the staggering cost of $1 a year.
"That's really a huge, huge support," said Megenbir.
Historically, Transition Sooke made use of the Sun River Community Garden, a 100-plot garden that Megenbir says has been at capacity for nearly a decade, but there are few options for gardening in the growing community.
“We’re going to see more and more residents moving to Sooke, living in apartments rather than in single detached houses. So we know there’s going to be more and more people who don’t have the opportunity to get their hands into the ground and grow their own food on their own property,” said Megenbir.
Megenbir explained community gardens serve a purpose beyond just letting residents get their hands in the soil. They can be spaces to help combat social isolation.
“This is such a tangible way for people in the community to come together and work on something really positive. We found that through this process we had 30 engaged volunteers working together, sharing food, laughing and getting this project up off the ground.”
Community gardens, a form of sustainable agriculture, also have ecological benefits.
“Sustainable agriculture is about more than just growing food. It encompasses a range of practices that aim to benefit the environment, support local economies, and ensure that everyone in our community has access to healthy and affordable food,” said Mah-Sen.
“By promoting sustainability in our agriculture and food systems, we can reduce our ecological footprint, improve food quality, and create a more equitable and resilient future.”
While the 20-plot garden is an achievement, it was quickly filled. It has become a impromptu pilot project for Transition Sooke’s original plan to implement a total of 100 new garden plots in the community.
“We had hoped to get a 50-allotment garden, with 50 square metres for growing food for the food bank and Meals on Wheels and some other important local food security groups that help feed people who need support in Sooke. The second phase would be to find a second location or expand that first location up to 100 garden beds. That’s still our goal,” said Megenbir, who noted Transition Sooke had been eyeing John Phillips Memorial Park for a larger garden, but some further master planning would be required before discussions could begin.
However the new garden takes shape, Megenbir is eager to see it through, as he knows issues around food security in Sooke won’t be going away any time soon.
“We know Sooke is going to grow. It’s going to grow up, it’s going to be increasing in density,” said Megenbir.
“As we lose more and more single-family houses in Sooke due to redevelopment and as we have a larger portion of our population in apartments and condos, I think it’s really important to ensure that we’re creating space for people to get their hands into the ground, learn where their food comes from and collaborate in communities – and community gardens are a great way of making that happen.”
