A new community garden project hopes skills and knowledge will be among the crops it harvests.
Volunteers picked up shovels Friday to begin construction on the Gaa-azhe-anishinaabeyaa community garden site outside the Fort William First Nations Ontario works office.
The garden will serve as a multipurpose site, providing skill development, fresh food and engagement for social service participants and the Fort William First Nations community.
Ontario Works department manager Shannon Crews said the foundation behind the community garden is to provide placements within the neighborhood.
The garden offers community members with an opportunity to employ, engage and educate youth in Thunder Bay.
“It became apparent that the garden is not only for placement (students) but it’s about getting back to our ways as Anishinaabe people,” Crews said.
It’s about taking action with life skills we need as Anishaabe to live effectively in a world and contribute to the quality of living and quality of community.”
Skills learned by those working in the garden will be transferable to a range of employment opportunities.
In collaboration with Roots to Harvest, the not-for-profit organization will provide programming that teaches working skills in the garden and skills necessary to harvest, cook and preserve food.
Roots to Harvest community grower Stuart Oke said the plan is to build a 265-by-40 foot garden, which will include an orchard, vegetables and berries.
The site will contain about 36 wooden planting boxes, a tool shed, a spot for composting and a 100-foot open space for larger in-ground crops.
“Roots to Harvest is really excited to be working with Fort William First Nations on this project. I think it’s a great opportunity to establish a relationship between the two of us and we are excited to get going,” Oke said.