In the local context of intense inflation and housing crises, causing a rise in homelessness and food insecurity in Montreal, what role can urban gardens play? Read further to discover three new projects within the Roulant’s urban agriculture program: engagement of people experiencing homesless at the Cité Hospitalière garden, a weekly social mixer on Terrasses Roy, and the heartwarming story of the Pizza Garden growth.
Pssst… we’re in the middle of our Winter Fundraising Campaign, where we talk about some of these new projects. We need your support so that they can continue to gain momentum in 2024 to help meet the soaring need!
1- A healing garden… for those right on the other side of the wall
This year, in addition to youth activities and volunteer shifts, the urban agriculture team collaborated with organizations working in homelessness and social cohabitation, both at an extreme proximity to the Cité-des-Hospitalières garden: Hôtel Dieu Housing (operated by Mission Old Brewery and Welcome Hall Mission), and Milton-Parc based organization Comm-Un.
Through these new relationships, 14 sessions were hosted, where nearly 50 folks living in the street or with no stable housing engaged with the Cité-des-Hospitalières vegetable garden this year, in addition to a handful of street workers. Reconnection to nature and to the community were the goals, a breath of fresh air for these communities, aligning more than ever with the hospitality and healing vocation of the site.
“[The flower harvest day with the Hospital nuns] was a beautiful and also necessary day. We had a significant recent death in the street community and the people impacted were able to enjoy a positive moment, in an inspiring environment surrounded by caring individuals.“
– Jonathan Lebire, Comm-Un director
Read the full report on the Cité-des-Hospitalière garden activities here (in french only)
2- Kiosque and soup on the Terrasses Roy
Urban agriculture at the Roulant isn’t exempt from contributing to the eco-gentrification (link in French) of the neighborhood. Since the inauguration of the rooftop garden in 2011 and the more recent development of the Terrasses Roy, we’ve been reflecting on exactly who benefits from these spaces (such as those in surrounding condos with a stellar view). It’s from this reflection that the Kiosque alimentaire / Friday Hang was born.
In collaboration with the kitchen team and Plein Milieu (a Plateau based organization working in homelessness and cohabitation), we hosted 16 Kiosque alimentaire / Friday Hang events from July to October with the goal of encouraging social mixity through three components: a soup kitchen service, solidarity vegetable sales, and volunteering in the gardens.
- Approx. 1,000 kg of vegetables and 80 dozen eggs from a partner farm sold, with nearly 10% of transactions through the pay-it-forward bank and the Carte de Proximité, a food stamps project by Carrefour solidaire CCA.
- 900 servings of soup served.
- 2 events hosted, to highlight the talent in the community (open mic and karaoke) and bring people together.
“It is a lovely place for my little toddler to explore, and for us to get some fresh veggies at the stand. We’ve bumped into old and new friends while there.“
– A kiosque regular
Read the full report on Terrasses Roy activities here (in french only)
3- The Pizza Garden triples on Roy
Since 2019, classes from the Au-pied-de-la-montagne school down the street have participated in the Pizza Garden project with Santropol Roulant. The idea was initiated by Gianna from Volailles et Gibiers Fernando, the butcher shop across from the Roulant, following a realization that many kids do not know where their food comes from. She proposed a collaborative project that would actively engage kids in their food system.
For the 2022-2023 school year, we wanted to expand the project in order to reach more kids and add new workshops touching on different aspects of the food system. For the first time, three classes, for a total of 55 kids, were able to participate in 8 workshops each. In collaboration with the Roulant’s collectives, we created workshops on vermicomposting and mushroom growing! The kids loved holding a worm and shaking up the substrate bag inoculated with mushroom mycelium. These are exactly the kinds of hands-on experiences that make a lasting impression!
“The children learned about the path of food all the way to the plate, with the help of dynamic and very interesting activities animated by Adrienne. It was a beautiful discovery for both me and my students.“
– Gina, teacher participating in Pizza Garden 2022-2023
Thank you for reading! A huge thank you to all the wonderful volunteers and partners who co-created this wonderful season 💜
– Magali, Adrienne, and the whole Roulant team