Evergreen - Grant Recipients 2012

In 2012, Walmart Canada and Evergreen were pleased to support these community groups in their efforts to restore and steward local green spaces in cities and towns across Canada.

Brooks Communities in Bloom – Brooks, AB
Commemorative Forest
Brooks Communities in Bloom is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization with a mandate to foster environmental responsibility and community pride through engaging the citizens of Brooks, Alberta. When Brooks was first settled in the early 1900s, there was only one tree in the area. Settlers planted a variety of trees, the majority of which must be removed due to age, insect infestations, and land-use changes. The Commemorative Forest Project will focus on re-planting native tree species in the area to replace trees that are being removed, as well as native prairie grass species.

Rockyview Alliance Church – Calgary, AB
Community Garden
Located in northeast Calgary, The Rockyview Alliance Church started their community garden in 2011, with the goal of providing a shared space where all members of the community could come together to grow food. Located in an area of the city with a large immigrant population, the church steering committee hopes that the garden will act as a place of gathering, sharing and community for both newcomers and long-time community members.

Love The Lake – Edmonton, AB
Himalayan Balsam Eradication Project
Founded in 2005, Love the Lake is a community group whose mission is to improve the quality of the natural environment in the Pigeon Lake area of Alberta. Himalayan Balsam is an invasive species that is threatening the biodiversity and shoreline stability of Pigeon Lake. The Love the Lake Himalayan Balsam Eradication Project will focus eradication efforts on this invasive species in the Pigeon Lake area, before it causes further destruction of native habitat and species.

Okotoks River Valley Committee – Okotoks, AB
Sheep River Regeneration Planting & Riparian Education
The Okotoks River Valley Committee is a volunteer-led group that provides direction for the protection, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Okotoks-area watersheds. The Sheep River Regeneration Planting and Riparian Education Project will include a planting event, riparian ecosystem educational signage, and an educational brochure for local residents.

The Three Hills Early Childhood Society – Three Hills, AB
Three Hills Natural Playground
The Three Hills Early Childhood Society is an organization that works with families, the local community and early childhood professionals to provide natural play spaces for children. The Three Hills Natural Playground will provide a natural outdoor learning environment for children and families in the community. The goal of this program is to build youth environmental literacy through hands-on field learning experiences.

Fraser Valley Conservancy – Abbotsford, BC
Youth Stewards Program
The Fraser Valley Conservancy is a non-profit that strives to protect land and water in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. Their Youth Stewards Program will focus on engaging youth from eight to 20 years of age, and will train them in various stewardship activities such as tree planting, invasive species removal, bird watching, and wildlife monitoring.

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society – Brentwood Bay, BC
The Place of the Blue Grouse: Connecting Cultures to Place
Established in 1998, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society is a BC-based organization dedicated to marine education initiatives directed at the public and youth. Their focus is on hands-on programming that integrates First Nations cultural traditions and knowledge. The Place of the Blue Grouse project focuses on the development of a plant propagation program in partnership with a local First Nations school, which will be used in stewardship and restoration projects in Tod Inlet.

Catching The Spirit Youth Society – Burnaby, BC
Catching The Spirit Community Garden Project
The mission of the Catching The Spirit Youth Society is to develop youth leadership and social responsibility through environmental stewardship, community involvement and recreation. The Catching The Spirit Community Garden Project will provide hands-on opportunities for youth to engage in learning initiatives, stewardship and restoration activities, and leadership training.

Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs – Kelowna, BC
Veggietopia
The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs is a leading provider of children’s and youth programming that supports healthy physical, educational and social development. The community garden project began in 2007, and has blossomed into a thriving communal space for program participants to gather and learn together. Due to the success of the program the current community garden has reached capacity, and the organization will be embarking upon a garden expansion this year. The Veggietopia Project will focus on expanding the garden, installing rain barrels and a greenhouse, workshop facilitation, and the contribution of harvested vegetables to youth food programs.

Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre – Nanaimo, BC
Tillicum Lelum Community Campus
The Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre is a multi-service First Nations agency that provides programming and support for local First Nations peoples and the broader Nanaimo community. The Community Campus project will see the restoration of natural habitat at the campus site, with a focus on plants that have traditional First Nations cultural and medicinal uses which will be integrated into programming.

Osoyoos Indian Band – Oliver, BC
Okanagan River Restoration Initiative
The Osoyoos Indian Band is a First Nations community located in the southern interior of British Columbia. As a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), the Osoyoos Indian Band works with the ONA Fisheries Department to restore and enhance indigenous fisheries and aquatic resources within the Okanagan Nation Territory. The Okanagan River Restoration Initiative will use native plant species to restore portions of the highly channelized river to its natural historic floodplain, which will result in improved critical habitat for important fish species such as chinook, sockeye and steelhead salmon.

Northwest Invasive Plant Council – Prince George, BC
Restoration of Hudson Bay Slough & Carrie Jane Grey Park
The Northwest Invasive Plant Council has worked since 1992 to prevent further damage to the ecosystems of northwest and central British Columbia from invasive plant species, and to restore native habitats. The Restoration of Hudson Bay Slough and Carrie Jane Grey Park will involve the removal of invasive plant species and the re-vegetation of disturbed areas with native shrubs, trees and forbs.

Sooke Region Food Community Health Initiative Society – Sooke, BC
Building Community – Sunriver Gardens
The Sooke Community Health Initiative is a food security organization operating in the Sooke Region of Vancouver Island. This community garden initiative will focus on engaging marginalized and low-income individuals in communal gardening programs and workshops that will provide access to fresh and nutritious food, life skills, and build a sense of community.

A Rocha Canada – Surrey, BC
Invasive Plant Species Removal & Habitat Restoration
A Rocha Canada is an international conservation organization that is building bridges between people and their environment through community-based conservation initiatives. They aim to transform people and places into healthy communities through sustainable agriculture, conservation work and environmental education. The Invasive Plant Species Removal and Habitat Restoration Project will address the threat of invasive species to native prairie grassland habitat, and will provide hands-on volunteer opportunities for invasive species removal and native species restoration.

Family Services of Greater Vancouver – Vancouver, BC
The Richmond Grow Project/Young Parents Kitchen & Food Garden Project
Family Services of Greater Vancouver is a non-profit community agency that works to support families in times of need. The Richmond Grow Project is a new inter-generational community garden that brings together youth and seniors. The Young Parents Kitchen and Food Garden Project is dedicated to serving young mothers and their children through providing access to gardening sites that foster a sense of community and independence.

Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society – Vancouver, BC
Rooted in Richmond: Fresh Roots Community Farm
Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society is an organization dedicated to providing equitable access to local, healthy and sustainably grown food through urban farming and community engagement. The Rooted in Richmond Project will see the creation of three greenhouses and a model sustainable irrigation system, while providing hands-on learning opportunities and farming workshops for the public.

John Howard Society of Victoria – Victoria, BC
Feeding Ourselves & Others
The John Howard Society of Victoria is dedicated to the rehabilitation of former offenders and those with mental illnesses, in order to allow them to successfully reintegrate back into society as productive, contributing citizens. The Feeding Ourselves and Others Project will establish a community garden program that will allow participants to learn vital life skills and build a sense of community that will assist them in their societal reintegration.

Western Manitoba Seniors Non-Profit Housing Co-Op – Brandon, MB
Community Raised Garden Beds – Healthy Living
The Western Manitoba Seniors Non-Profit Housing Co-op is an agency that works on developing affordable, safe, and secure housing for senior citizens in western Manitoba. The development of a community garden at one of their housing sites will provide an opportunity for inter-generational community development by providing senior citizens with the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and living with youth volunteers.

Turtle Mountain Conservation District – Deloraine, MB
Westside Community Garden
The Turtle Mountain Conservation District is a community-driven watershed organization dedicated to raising awareness about sustainable land and water stewardship practices in southwest Manitoba. In the spring of 2011, the Westside Community Garden opened, providing a space for locals to grow their own food and share a sense of community. Their 2012 Junior Gardening Program will allow children to get their hands in the dirt and learn about gardening.

Friends of Birds Hill Park – Dugald, MB
Community Mobilization to Control & Prevent Invasive Species in Birds Hill Park, Manitoba
The Friends of Birds Hill Park is a group dedicated to conserving the natural heritage of Birds Hill Park near Winnipeg. This park supports a high level of biodiversity, including the endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Invasive species are now encroaching upon the native habitat in Birds Hill Park, and the Community Mobilization project will develop a cohesive removal and management plan to control invasive species and allow the native wildlife to flourish.

The Henteleff Park Foundation – Winnipeg, MB
Henteleff Park Naturalization Project
The Henteleff Park Foundation was founded to initiate the transformation of a former tree nursery property into a vibrant public park. The Henteleff Park Naturalization Project will focus on the restoration of riparian and prairie habitats through public planting events.

Point Douglas Residents Committee – Winnipeg, MB
Community Garden Expansion
The Point Douglas Residents Committee is a citizens group dedicated to providing community development programming and initiatives for the residents of Point Douglas, an underserved community in the city of Winnipeg. The Community Garden Expansion project will focus on the creation of two new community garden sites that will increase the capacity of this in-demand program by providing additional gardening spaces.

Keswick Ridge Next Step Committee – Fredericton, NB
Healthy Green Goggles
The Keswick Ridge Next Step Committee is dedicated to the promotion of healthy living and environmental engagement in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Healthy Green Goggles Project will see an unused land trust bordering a school transformed into a green trails system and a community garden.

Nature Trust of New Brunswick – Friends of Blueberry Hill – Fredericton, NB
Henderson Brook Culvert Removal & Bank Restoration
As a local support group from the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, The Friends of Blueberry Hill is a volunteer committee that is dedicated to the restoration of community green spaces and interpretive trails. The Henderson Brook Culvert Removal and Bank Restoration Project will see the restoration and re-naturalization of stream banks and riparian areas with native species of plants on the Blueberry Hill property.

New Brunswick Community Harvest Gardens – Fredericton, NB
Seed to Table
Established in 2010, The New Brunswick Community Harvest Garden’s mission is to “grow foods, minds and community” through community garden plots in Fredericton. Their Seed to Table Project will focus on the development of educational workshops related to gardening and cooking/preserving harvests, as well as improving the sustainability of the garden site by installing a rainwater collection system.

Petitcodiac Watershed Monitoring Group – Moncton, NB
Jonathan Creek Restoration The Petitcodiac Watershed Monitoring Group is a non-profit environmental science and education organization that works to enhance and maintain the Petitcodiac River and its tributaries. The Jonathan Creek tributary has been subject to clear-cutting activities and increased surface run-off, resulting in stream bank erosion. The Jonathan Creek Restoration Project will focus restoration efforts on the banks and in the riparian zones of the creek.

Tobique First Nation Neqotkuk Health Centre – Tobique First Nation, NB
Wolastoq Growing Green Pathway
The Tobique First Nation Neqotkuk Health Centre opened in 2010 to provide multi-dimensional health services to the community, which includes addressing food security and health issues resulting from lack of access to fresh, affordable vegetables. The Growing Green Pathway Project will see the construction of a greenhouse to extend the growing season, workshops on canning and preserving for community members, children and youth programming for the nearby school and a pathway to the greenhouse planted with native species and culturally significant plants.

Atlantic Coastal Action Program Humber Arm – Corner Brook, NL
Student Shoreline Awards
Formed in 1991, the Humber Arm branch of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program is a community-based, non-profit group focused on addressing coastal environmental issues in the region. The Student Shoreline Awards Project will develop an ongoing beach clean-up program for local students that will also incorporate educational workshops about marine issues.

Central Northeast Health Foundation – Gander, NL
Creation of Therapeutic Patient Garden
The Creation of the Therapeutic Patient Garden at the James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre will provide a much-needed natural oasis in an institutional setting where hospital patients, visitors and staff can benefit from horticultural therapy. Through its innovative design, the garden will be fully accessible to those with limited mobility, and will include outdoor electrical outlets so that some patients may receive their treatments outside.

Walk-A-Ways Parks and Trails – Stephenville, NL
Arboretum
Walk-A-Ways Parks and Trails is a community group dedicated to developing natural parks and walking trails in the Stephenville area of Newfoundland. This project will focus on the creation of a community arboretum planted with native species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers in a previously vacant area.

Royal Canadian Legion Port Royal Branch #21 – Annapolis Royal, NS
Community Garden
The Royal Canadian Legion’s Annapolis Royal Branch operates a Social Centre which is dedicated to providing opportunities for community engagement and inter-generational interactions. The Community Garden Project will see a long-unused space that is currently full of invasive species and debris transformed into a vibrant community garden. In addition to community events and educational workshops, this will be a model demonstration community garden, with sustainable features such as: an organic composting system; rain catchments for garden watering needs; and the planting of heritage apple tree varieties.

Clean Nova Scotia – Dartmouth, NS
Discover Your Watershed
Established in 1987, Clean Nova Scotia is an environmental charity that encourages the creation of a cleaner, healthier environment in the province of Nova Scotia. The Discover Your Watershed Project will foster a sense of stewardship towards water as a shared resource through educational workshops and presentations together with public hands-on activities such as riparian restoration plantings, invasive-species removals, water quality monitoring, and community clean-ups.

Imagine Bloomfield – Halifax, NS
Growing the Garden & Greenhouse Network
Imagine Bloomfield is a non-profit society whose mission is to realize the preservation, renovation and redevelopment of a local community centre into a dynamic, neighbourhood hub that includes space for arts, heritage, community services and enterprises, education, recreation and sports through adaptive reuse and green technologies and a consultative community-building process. The Growing the Garden and Greenhouse Network Project is a capacity and skills development project that will focus on increasing growing capacity by building and improving existing infrastructure, increasing urban gardening skills through workshops, and the creation of community compost sites.

Mount Saint Vincent University – Halifax, NS
The Mount Community Garden Improvement Initiative
Open to students, staff and the public, the community garden at Mount Saint Vincent University is a place for growing, learning and teaching. It provides access to gardening plots, research plots, a native species educational garden and a composting initiative. The Improvement Initiative at The Mount will include a seating area, educational signage, support for upcoming workshops and additional gardening tools and supplies.

Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation – Lunenberg, NS
LaHave River Restoration & Community Garden Project
The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation is a community-based organization that works to address environmental issues in Lunenberg County, Nova Scotia. The LaHave River runs through the middle of the Town of Bridgewater, and has recently been the focus of restoration efforts. The LaHave River Restoration Project will focus on improving bank stability and erosion control measures by restoring native species plantings in riparian areas. The Community Garden component of this project will see the creation of a community garden site adjacent to the river.

Yellowknife Community Garden Collective – Yellowknife, NWT
Kam Lake Community Garden Expansion
The Yellowknife Community Garden Collective was established in 1995 to provide greater food security for a region with virtually no access to fresh and affordable vegetables. The existing community gardens have become overwhelmingly popular and are currently at capacity. The Kam Lake Community Garden Expansion Project will develop an additional twenty-four garden plots so that more members of the community have an opportunity to grow food, both for themselves and to donate a portion to the local food bank.

Sierra Club of Canada Peel Region – Brampton, ON
Brampton & Mississauga Urban Eco-Restoration Planting
The Sierra Club of Canada Peel Region Branch is a group whose mission is to educate, enlighten and empower the residents of Peel to become responsible stewards of the natural environment. The Brampton and Mississauga Urban Eco-Restoration Planting will offer planting events in the Credit River Watershed to engage the members of the public in hands-on stewardship and restoration activities.

Brant Tree Coalition – Brantford, ON
New Forest in the City
The Brant Tree Coalition is a working group of the Brant Earth Week Event Committee. The New Forest in the City Project will see an unused former industrial park transformed into a thriving forest in the middle of the city of Brantford. The site, which includes three tributaries to the Grand River, will host Earth Day planting events with local high school students over the next few years.

Serpent River First Nation – Cutler, ON
The Green Serpent Community Garden
The Serpent River First Nation, known in the traditional Ojibway language as Genaabaajing and Chi Genebek Ziibibg Anishinabek, is located in northern Ontario, and has a population of just over 1000. In the past few years, the Serpent River First Nation has made concerted efforts to address food insecurity within the community by establishing a community garden that is open to all community members. This project will allow for the expansion and improvement of the community garden, through additional raised beds, and a root cellar to provide cold storage for perishable items.

Causeway Work Centre – Ottawa, ON
Right Bike
Causeway is a charitable organization dedicated to community development through assisting disadvantaged individuals to prepare for, gain and maintain employment. The Right Bike Project will provide a public bike-sharing program that will address the need for affordable and sustainable transportation options in the Ottawa area.

Trout Unlimited Canada – Pickering, ON
Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program
Founded in 1972, Trout Unlimited’s mandate is to conserve, protect and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their cold-water resources for present and future generations. The Duffins Creek Watershed is home to several species-at-risk, and has recently been subject to urban development pressures that are impacting the riparian areas and water quality. The Duffins Creek Renewal Program will engage local communities in stewardship and restoration work, including tree planting events and awareness initiatives.

Green Venture – Hamilton, ON
EcoHouse Community Garden Enhancement Green Venture is a non-profit environmental education organization located in Hamilton, Ontario. Their EcoHouse Community Garden Enhancement Project will allow Green Venture to improve their community garden by installing permeable pavement pathways, improving accessibility, adding educational signage and community information boards.

Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association – Manitowaning, ON
Riparian Zone Enhancement for the Mouth of the Mindemoya River The Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association works to establish and improve healthy and river ecosystems that contribute to the ecological, social and economic health of Manitoulin Island region. The mouth of the Mindemoya River is a critical entrance point for salmon-spawning journeys, but due to wave action from Lake Huron, the mouth becomes blocked with sand every year. Because of upstream erosion, the river has widened, meaning that the current is unable to carve a channel through the sandbar and fish are unable to swim upstream to spawn. The Riparian Zone Enhancement for the Mouth of the Mindemoya River will focus on volunteer-driven riparian planting events, along with educational initiatives to engage local citizens in stewardship of the Mindemoya River.

Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation – Manotick, ON
Graham Creek Restoration Project
Founded in 1970, The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity that works to protect and conserve the Rideau River valley in eastern Ontario. The Graham Creek Restoration Project, located in a public park, will focus on restoring a section of the tributary creek through a combination of bioengineering techniques and public shoreline plantings.

South Bruce Tree Committee – Mildmay, ON
Improving the Ecological Value of the Rural Roadside
The South Bruce Tree Committee is a citizen-led committee that focuses on tree conservation, restoration and management in the municipality of South Bruce. The Improving the Ecological Value of the Rural Roadside Project will involve planting fifty sugar maple trees along rural roads in the area, with the intent of recognizing the rural forest as an integral part of all facets of the community.

EcoSource – Peel Environmental Youth Alliance – Mississauga, ON
Stewardship for Youth Action Project
EcoSource is an innovative organization that empowers local communities to become more environmentally responsible through creative public education. The Peel Youth Environmental Alliance, an EcoSource program, is a youth-run network of students that engages local students in sustainable initiatives through fun, educational events and campaigns. The Stewardship for Youth Action Project will utilize community food growing and naturalization activities as unique opportunities for meaningful intergenerational learning and as a catalyst for youth engagement and community action.

Richmond Hill Naturalists – Richmond Hill, ON
14th Annual Richmond Hill Mill Pond Splash Don River Eco-Festival
The Richmond Hill Naturalists are a group of active citizens and nature enthusiasts who are committed to stimulating community involvement in the preservation and stewardship of the town of Richmond Hill’s natural resources. Now in its 14th year, The Mill Pond Splash Don River Eco-Festival is a unique public environmental festival that provides hands-on learning opportunities for a diverse public audience.

Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth – Toronto, ON
The Satellite Community Garden Collective
Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth is a multi-service agency dedicated to the rehabilitation of homeless youth in the Greater Toronto Area. From providing shelter and food to developing achievable life and career goals, Eva’s Initiatives provides a much-needed haven for a vulnerable and often over-looked population. The Satellite Community Garden Collective Project will see the creation of two gardens at one of the organization’s shelter sites. The gardens will be used in programming for youth, and the harvest will be used in food programming for residents.

FutureWatch – Toronto, ON
Rooted in Neighbourhoods Food Gardens Project
FutureWatch is an environmental organization whose mission is to foster the creation of healthy and sustainable communities. The Rooted In Neighbourhoods Food Gardens Project seeks to increase access to fresh and affordable food for low-income and immigrant communities by connecting individuals to food growing in backyard gardens and community gardening sites in North York. The project will also provide educational workshops for community members to learn more about sustainable community gardening.

Hincks-Dellcrest Centre – Toronto, ON
Children’s Garden
The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre is a children’s mental health centre that serves infants, children and youth who face mental health challenges. The organization is a treatment, research and teaching centre that helps over 8,000 children annually. The Children’s Garden will provide a space for the centre’s young clients to experience horticultural therapy, the use of natural spaces to provide therapeutic treatment for physical and mental health issues.

North American Native Plant Society – Toronto, ON
Markham Civic Centre Wildflower & Shrub Pond Planting
Established in 1984, the North American Native Plant Society is dedicated to the study, cultivation, conservation and restoration of North American native flora through invasive species removal, native species plantings, and public education and engagement efforts. The Markham Civic Centre Wildflower and Shrub Pond Planting Project will focus on the naturalization of the Markham Civic Centre grounds through a native species demonstration garden that will provide habitat for pollinators and hands-on planting and educational opportunities for the public.

Seed to Table – Toronto, ON
Danzig Youth Garden Leaders
Seed to Table is a youth-centred food security organization that works with young people, parents and families to address root causes of food insecurity, build capacity and increase community engagement. The Danzig Youth Garden Leaders Project will work with local neighbourhood youth to revitalize a formerly abandoned lot in a Toronto Community Housing complex. Youth participants will engage with the community to share the harvest, transform the garden into a communal gathering space, and green other areas of the housing complex with native shrubs and wildflowers.

SKETCH Working Arts for Street-Involved and Homeless Youth – Toronto, ON
Pottery Road Collective Initiative
SKETCH is a community arts development initiative that provides creative programming for a diverse youth audience who are homeless, street-involved, and/or otherwise marginalized. The Pottery Road Collective Initiative is a community development program that incorporates youth engagement, skills-building and community-building through ceramics arts workshops that will result in public green space art installations.

YMCA of Greater Toronto – Toronto, ON
YMCA Sprott House Community Garden Project
The YMCA Sprott House is a transitional semi-independent housing program for low-income and vulnerable youth between the ages of 16 and 24 with programming and counselling that addresses education, employment, life skills, emotional health, community engagement and self-sufficiency. Many of the residents rely on food banks, and face barriers to accessing nutritious food. The Sprott House Community Garden Project aims to address food insecurity with their clients by creating a hands-on learning environment where youth can learn to grow and cook their own food.

Friends of Covehead-Brackley Bay – York, PEI
Erosion Reduction along Covehead Bay
The Friends of Covehead-Brackley Bay is a community-based volunteer organization that works to address environmental issues in Covehead-Brackley Bay, Prince Edward Island. The Erosion Reduction along Covehead Bay Project will act as a model demonstration project by implementing low-cost erosion control solutions such as strategic rock installations and native plantings. The project also aims to create an educational booklet that illustrates the effectiveness of such measures and provides tips on project replication.

Chapeau Agricultural Society – Chapeau, QC
Back To Our Roots Community Garden
Founded in 1861, The Chapeau Agricultural Society is a local organization dedicated to preserving farming culture and community in changing times. The Back To Our Roots Community Garden Project will foster a sense of community pride in its historical agricultural roots and encourage the continuance of farming traditions through educational workshops and the provision of community gardening plots.

Comité Écologique du Grand Montréal – Montreal, QC
Opération Pollinisateurs
Established in 1995, The Comité Écologique du Grand Montréal is a non-profit organization that works to educate the Montreal public about environmental issues in the region. The Opération Pollinisateurs project will focus on planting pollinator-friendly species of native plants in a local park in order to create a viable urban habitat and food source for important pollinators.

Les Amis de la Montagne – Montreal, QC
Semences d’avenir pour le Mont Royal et une Ville Plus Verte
Founded in 1989, Les Amis de la Montagne is a Montreal organization that works to protect and enhance Mount Royal through community involvement and environmental education. Their Semences d’Avenir pour le Mont Royal et une Ville Plus Verte Project is a youth-focused initiative that will provide an education program for 300 Montreal-area students about tree life cycles and biodiversity on the mountain, with a hands-on component where students will have an opportunity to participate in plantings.

Pro-Vert Sud-Ouest – Montreal, QC
Jardin Collectif ÉgaliTerre
Pro-Vert Sud Ouest is a Montreal-based organization that works to promote environmental issues with the public. Their Jardin Collectif ÉgaliTerre Project is a community garden that relies upon the collective action of its members to ensure a bountiful harvest that is shared. Their site also includes a fruit orchard and composting initiatives, and they offer workshops for local residents to learn about food security and community gardening.

Le Projet Harmonie – Montreal, QC
Projet Serre et Jardinage Collectif Quatre Saisons!
Le Projet Harmonie is a community development organization located in Montreal that works with high needs communities and a diverse audience that includes children, youth, adults and families. The Projet Serre et Jardinage Collectif Quatre Saisons! Project aims to create an innovative and sustainable “four seasons” greenhouse that uses an aquaponic system to produce a harvest throughout the year. This project will include green design components such as solar energy, rain water harvesting and composting.

Association Forestière des Deux Rives – Quebec, QC
Le Salut de la Terre
Founded in 1958, the Association Forestière des Deux Rives is an organization that works to promote awareness of the importance of trees and forests through public education and engagement initiatives. The Le Salut de la Terre Project will transform an unused public space into a thriving natural space that includes an arboretum. The project will also focus efforts on educating the public about the importance of nature and culture.

TerraVie – Saint-Saveur, QC
Volet Éducatif sur la Botanique Indigène
TerraVie is a non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and conserve natural areas in Quebec, and to educate the public about the importance of conservation initiatives. The Volet Éducatif sur la Botanique Indigène Project will provide public hands-on educational workshops about the importance of native plant species in a community garden located in a forest near the village of Montcalm.

Standing Buffalo First Nation – Fort Qu'Appelle, SK
Indigenous Orchard & Community Garden
Located north west of Regina, Saskatchewan, the Standing Buffalo First Nation’s community vision is to be inspired by their history and culture to become an engaged and united community through support, empowerment and cooperation. The idea for the Indigenous Orchard and Community Garden Project emerged out of the Community Plan as a demonstration project that aims to produce local food, nurture environmental stewardship, address community food security and health issues, and inspire youth to learn about the environment, plants, food and nutrition.

Allen Sapp Gallery – North Battleford, SK
The Allen Sapp Gallery Healing Garden
The Allen Sapp Gallery was established in 1989 to showcase the extensive collection of paintings by renowned Cree artist, Allen Sapp. The Allen Sapp Gallery Healing Garden extends the gallery’s mandate to provide a living introduction to Aboriginal plant use and indigenous ecology. The goal of the project is to create a sustainable medicinal plant garden, which is a place for community healing, artistic creation and ecological and cultural understanding.

Val Marie Economic Development Committee – Val Marie, SK
Town Square
Val Marie is a small village located in South Western Saskatchewan, near Grasslands National Park. The Town Square Project will see the development of a communal gathering area that honours the prairie environment with native grasses and shrub plantings for educational purposes.