On Thursday, August 27th, on a warm yet stormy summer evening, members of the Santropol Roulant community gathered for a historic event: to inaugurate the new agroeducational centre at the farm in Senneville.
The event marked a milestone for accessibility of the Roulant’s programs, welcoming upwards of 350 people of all ages and levels of mobility on the land – the largest event ever hosted at the Roulant farm since its founding in 2014 – and showcasing the building’s potential for inclusive agriculture for the years to come.
The custom-made 3-season building was put on full display during the event: the washing stations at the heart of the space were transformed into a busting kitchen operation, where the kitchen team prepared a southern inspired seafood boil; the covered terrace became the ideal dining area, where clients of the Meals-on-Wheels mingled with volunteers, donors, funders, neighbours and staff – and took shelter from the sporadic downpours; the office became a gallery featuring photos from across the farm’s history, in addition to aspirational plans of just such a building that were dreamed up from the very beginning, drawing a direct line to the project’s grand finale in 2026.
Key accessibility improvements around the property – including the new bus turnaround, dedicated drop-off area, and free shuttle service – ensured community members could attend the celebration without barriers.
Fields full of flowers and abundant late summer harvests (plus a few hand-painted oversized vegetables) served as the perfect backdrop for the rest of the activities, including farm tours across the land, live music next to the asparagus patch, kids activities in the children’s garden, and a garlic sale featuring this year’s harvest cultivated with the support of the community.
As the clouds cleared and the sky darkened, attendees joined in the special inaugural moment, encircling the building with glowing paper lanterns in hand, singing “Lean On Me” in unison.
Thank you to all the many friends of the Roulant who came out to experience this special event. It’s thanks to your unwavering support that the Roulant community can continue to be leaders in accessible, community-led agriculture.
You can still contribute to this project by donating towards the final costs related to the new accessible building, or support the farm’s programming by making a general donation to the mission.
Want to relive the event? Check out the video and photos below!
