Mario Bautista
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The North Peace Community Garden Society is looking for a new location for the Fort St. John Community Garden for the 2025 growing season.
Members of the North Peace Community Garden Society (NPCGS) board attended the August 26th City of Fort St. John Council meeting, presenting the society’s efforts since taking over the garden in February 2024 to Mayor Lilia Hansen and council members.
Since February, the society has put more than 260 hours of volunteer work into the garden, maintaining 40 raised community beds and assisting the 22 renters who rented 36 plots this growing season.
The garden also includes a mini greenhouse, a garden shed filled with tools, two storage bins for renter tools, and watering cans.
The garden is currently located on approximately 0.61 acres of land behind the Catholic Church of the Resurrection on 100 Avenue.
The society took over management from the North Peace Horticultural Society, which managed the garden from June 2023.
Since March 2024, the NPCGS has partnered with the City of Fort St. John to host the ‘Community Gardens Meet-up.’.
There are also ongoing volunteer opportunities, including Moist Monday and Weed and Water Wednesday.
The church is now selling the land on which the garden is located, and the society is seeking the city’s help in exploring alternative locations for the community garden in the 2025 growing season.
The Society is now seeking a plot of land approximate to or smaller than the land they currently occupy, preferably in an easily accessible area of the city.
The garden has a large water tank and water cube, filled by the City. While board members confirmed to councillors that pressurised water would be nice, it is not necessary for the garden to function.
Following a unanimous vote from the council, City staff were directed to assist with exploring options and locations to establish a permanent location for the Fort St. John Community Garden.
