By Matt Pouncy

Southview now has a community garden

Jun 24, 2018 | 5:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — It was a group effort but parents, students, staff and community volunteers gathered at the Southview Community School to build a community garden.

Five garden boxes were built and two fruit trees were planted to provide the community with fresh fruits and vegetables.

It was a team effort with around 40 volunteers contributing on the sunny Saturday morning.

The project came together with help from the Southview Community School, the McMan Parent Link Centre, and the Food Bank.

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Shelley Lagran, project coordinator, is excited for everyone in the community that will benefit from the new garden.

“Like a lot families live in apartments or they rent places like a duplex and they don’t have a property to grow a garden,” said Lagran. “So this is going to be something where they can experience that and they can take ownership and pride in the garden. The kids are really excited, they can come in everyday if they want and grab a pepper and play on the playground.”

Lagran says if it wasn’t for all the local businesses donating materials, the project wouldn’t have been completed so fast.

A big contributor was Home Depot, who staff member on hand helping and they also donated a shed and bench that will stay at the garden.

Todd Samuelson, principal of Southview Community School, was pleased with amount of volunteers that showed up to help.

“It’s just amazing to see students, staff, parents, grandparents, coming together to create this something. I think it’s going to be something special for the school,” said Samuelson.

Everything had to be constructed at the school and for Trapper Engel, parent, it was a chance to teach the children some lessons about hard work.

“It’s a good learning experience, it gives them hands on skills and gives them an idea of where and how they can they can be in life,” said Engel.

Although the garden is located on school property, it’s free for anyone in the area that needs fresh fruit and vegetables. Any extra produce will be donated to the local food bank.

Lagran hopes the garden will bring the community together and let everyone have an opportunity to pitch in.

“The families that are here are going to decide what they think they would like to eat, what they would like to plant, and we’re just going to guide them along and get it done,” said Lagran. “We’re really wanting them to take ownership.”

The school also just found out they have received funding for an indoor garden that will be built in the fall.

The indoor garden will be built in an old classroom and will be used as a teaching tool for student all year around.

It was all smiles at the school today for the completion of the boxes.