Community Garden and Gathering Place
Thank you to the University of Calgary School of Architecture Planning and Landscape and Agapé Language School for working with us on the Co-Creating Beddington, One Year On project this past winter term! We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Alex, Mina, and Fabian on this project, and for the conversations and knowledge sharing with other community associations also participating this term. We are grateful to have worked with Debbie and Ruth from Agapé, and the students of the CLB Level 4 class of winter 2021. We are looking forward to working together more!
The BHCA and Reimagine Beddington Committee were excited to be part of this project for this iteration of the Design Studio. In past Reimagine engagement events, residents often stated desires for more gathering places and a community garden. In mid-2020, Reimagine began thinking about engaging residents (during a pandemic?!) in planning and funding for a future ‘Community Hub’ which includes a community garden and place to gather.
We were interested in working with Agapé Language School, as Beddington Heights has a significant population of residents with diverse ethnocultural identities and languages. BHCA is committed to providing opportunities for all to get involved with local initiatives. The Co-Creating project was an opportunity for us to start connecting with a sector of our population (i.e., adult Newcomers/Immigrants who are English language learners). Agapé is one of few organizations in the city that provides these important services, so people from all over the city attend the school and spend time in our area.
Once the Community Garden and Gathering Place is built, the BHCA will invite Agapé to use the space with their students, to grow food, socialize, and meet other Beddington residents. We hope to provide a welcoming, casual, and safe place for everyone to gather, share, and build a sense of belonging and community.
This experience and the information collected has provided BHCA and Reimagine data and perspectives we need to meaningfully inform the next stages of planning for the Hub. It has also helped identify opportunities to enhance and extend our reach, communication strategies, and relationships with community partners so we may be more effective and inclusive.
Alicia Ta
Survey
Thanks to the many who participated in our Community Garden and Gathering Place survey! We received over 100 responses and are analyzing the information now. We are looking at what the community wants to see built, hopes to be able to do, wants the community garden and gathering place to feel like, and is concerned about. See our word cloud for a snapshot of what was heard in our written responses. If you have indicated that you would like to be part of the Garden Committee, stay tuned!
Mavis Chong
TD Park People
Talk about gratitude! BHCA received a grant from TD Park People supporting community outdoor spaces and inclusivity. Specifically, funds will go towards our Community Clean-Up, Butterflyway, and Beddington Garden and Gathering Place projects. Please join us on Facebook and Twitter: @beddingtonCA. To learn more, check out #TDParkPeople and #TDReadyCommitment.
