STUDENTS FOR CANADA’S NORTH (SCN)
Community Garden, Nation Anishanabe du Lac Simon
Participants
•Nour Atallah – Project lead, University of
Ottawa graduate student
•Rebecca Wong – Project lead, University
of Ottawa student
•Karen Morency – Community Partner,
Nutritionist, Centre de santé Mino
Tehewin
•Dean Papatens – Lac Simon Youth,
Student
•Katerine Wabanonik – Lac Simon Youth,
Recent Graduate
fence and/or the exterior of the greenhouse)
•Facilitate presentations and workshops in schools
Objective 4: Cultivate fruits and vegetables (with members of the community,
students, etc.)
•Organize one or two community meals integrating products from the garden
•Implement a fair system to distribute products
•Integrate products from the garden into the catering service at Amik-Wiche as well as
the Health Centre
•Project Results
Objective 1: Build a greenhouse (16’x20’)
Carmen Chilton and Bedrtha Sutherland
and a fenced garden (16’x30’) behind the
Maison des Aînés
•Despite delays, the greenhouse and
fenced garden were produced to the fullest
Project Duration
expectations
•May 2015 – August 2015
•The location determined was an ideal spot
for community gathering
Background
Objective 2: Plant seeds and plants in
•Previous attempts of a community garden in Lac Simon were small in scale and did not
greenhouse and garden
continue after the original installation, there was a need for a sustainable community
•19 different types of plants (176 individual
garden project
plants)
•After this need was identified by the community, CGCE reached out to find two students
•Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Chives,
to take the project lead roles and see through the building of a community garden Cucumbers, Cabbage, Herbs, Strawberries, Beans, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes,
Spinach, Squash, Radish, Lettuce, and Spinach
Project Objectives
Objective 3: Involve the community
•General: Develop a community garden in the Anishanabe community of Lac Simon
•200 youth in Lac Simon involved in compost awareness education in primary and
•Objective 1: Build a greenhouse (16’x20’) and a fenced garden (16’x30’) behind the
secondary school
Maison des Aînés
•Community-centered choices involved in the development of the garden
•Objective 2: Plant seeds and plants in greenhouse and garden
Objective 4: Cultivate fruits and vegetables (with members of the community,
•Objective3: Involve the community
students, etc.)
•Objective 4: Cultivate fruits and vegetables (with members of the community, students,
•Community kitchen harvesting and integrating the garden products into meals
etc.)
•16/19 of the plants had success
Methodology
Objective 1: Build the greenhouse and garden
•Visit Kitcisakik to evaluate their greenhouse
•Plan dimensions and details of greenhouse
•Assure that all materials are available
•Collect materials and transport them to the site
•Build the greenhouse and bins
•Install fencing of garden
Objective 2: Plant seeds and plants in
greenhouse and garden
• Evaluated prices of tools and materials
including soil
• Evaluated prices of seeds and plants
• Purchase all tools, materials, seeds, plants
and soil
• Plant seeds and plants
Objective 3: Involve the community
• Consult the elders who are living at the
Maison des aînés
• Consult employees of Ressources naturelles
• Plan and execute activities with students
from Amik-Wiche and Amikobi (such as the
construction or painting of bins, painting of the
Lessons Learned
•Whether it be from unexpected delays in building of finding additional community
support to expand the original goals, flexibility to change is an essential asset.
Responsiveness and creativity allowed for the compost education program to flourish,
when construction took longer than originally expected.
•The community’s identification of a garden as a priority projects was important for
generating involvement and support. In Lac Simon, many people were nothing but
supportive and wanted to actively participate (Band Council, the schools, Elders’
residence, Natural Resources). •Community workshops and activities, leading to awareness of the project itself helped
give it community ownership
•Allowing students to exercise specific skill sets from their studies or personal
experience led to an enriching experience for all participants.
• Lac Simon, Québec