Earlier this month, the Sud-Ouest borough announced the closing of 2.5 community gardens in the borough: Des Seigneurs (Little Burgundy), Pointe-Verte (Point-St-Charles) and half of Petite-Bourgogne (Little Burgundy). These closures are a result of soil testing conduct last fall. For details on why the gardens have been closed visit the Public Health Branch of the Montreal Health and Social Services Agency website at: www.santepub-mtl.qc.ca/Environnement/sols/jardins.html (in French). It is important to note that public health officials have assured the gardeners that past consumption of vegetables from these gardens would not affect their health.
Below are the Santé-Publique reports for each garden:
- Jardin communautaire Des Seigneurs (PDF)
- Jardin communautaire Petite-Bourgogne (PDF)
- Jardin communautaire Pointe-Verte (PDF)
Borough officials have acknowledged that the restoration of the community gardens will require a substantial investment in the next couple of years, and the gardens may not reopen until 2011.
In the meantime, the Sud-Ouest borough has set aside small plots that will be offered by order of seniority to gardeners who have lost their plots. Those who are losing their plots this year due to the garden closures, will keep their place when the gardens reopen.
For more information from the borough visit:ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=81,17647580&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL.
