By Grant Warkentin
The village on Homewood Road has a new community garden for residents to enjoy, and aid them on their recovery journeys.
The village is home to 48 residents. With 24-7 supervision and health services on site, it provides them a safe place to work at getting off drugs, off the streets, and on to the pathway to recovery.
Now, there’s a greenhouse and planter boxes to enhance the micro-community, thanks to a donation from FortisBC.
“The community garden donated by FortisBC will create a significant positive impact on people’s lives at Homewood in very real ways. It offers residents a chance to grow their own food, care for something together and feel a sense of calm and purpose each day,” said Shayne Williams, CEO of the non-profit Lookout Group, which manages the village. “For people rebuilding their lives, this shared space supports health, connection and dignity, helping turn a place to live into a place to belong.”
Volunteers assisted FortisBC employees, city staff, Lookout Society team members, and village residents to build the new shared outdoor space. They installed a greenhouse and raised garden beds, prepared and planted the soil, and created a space designed to support food-based learning, mental wellness and connections with the community.
“Projects like this show how strong partnerships can create meaningful impact in our community,” said Mayor Kermit Dahl in a statement. “The Homewood supportive housing initiative is an important part of the city’s ongoing work with community partners to provide safe, supportive spaces for residents. Additions like this new garden create opportunities for connection, wellness and a sense of belonging, helping to strengthen the community today and into the future.
“We are grateful to FortisBC and Lookout Housing and Health Society for their collaboration.”
FortisBC funded the garden through its Community Giving Day initiative, which supports programs around the province.
Featured image: Mayor Kermit Dahl gets his hands dirty helping with the planting at the new Homewood Village community garden. Below: The new greenhouse at the village. Photos from City of Campbell River
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