Save Cottonwood Community Garden

Western Tiger Swallowtails celebrating life on Malkin Avenue. (Photo by Mary-Ann Charney.) #westerntigerswallowtail

On very short notice, two Cottonwood board members spoke to the Park Board on Tuesday and asked that community gardens be exempt from areas where overnight tents can be set up. The Park Board did not take any notice. As of now, people are permitted to erect tents or other structures overnight in parks, subject to some restrictions, and as long as they are taken down every day by 7 am. Cottonwood is located on both City and Park Board land. See https://parkboardmeetings.vancou...ver.ca//REPORT-ParksContro and https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca//DECISION-ParksCont We continue to be supportive of Camp KT's position: '[Chrissy Brett] said the camp’s residents don’t actually want to be in the park. She’s instead calling on senior government to set land aside in the city for a Canadian refugee camp with access to toilets, electricity, running water and social services.' Support for Camp KT's call for culturally safe and accessible housing, through meaningful consultation with unhoused people, especially Indigenous members, can be sent to politicians of all levels of government. For email addresses and support with writing to officials, please email [email protected]

It's that time of year again.

Here's a link to the article about Camp KT and response from the neighbours, researched by CBC reporter, Angela Sterritt.

Strathcona Park, Saturday, June 27 11 am to 10 pm. 11:00 am - 6 pm Family friendly, food and activities 3:00 pm - panel discussion on Tent Cities and Public Parks 6:00 - 10:00 pm - DJ, music, dinner ... * schedule is subject to change See more

The homeless camp has moved to Strathcona Park, just outside Cottonwood. Cottonwood supports the Namegan Nations and sent the following letter to gardeners: Dear Gardeners, Today the Vancouver Police Department enforced the court order to evict the homeless camp near Crab Park. The members of the camp have now set up in Strathcona Park, near the tennis courts and field house, just outside the boundary of Cottonwood. You can read the news report here https://www.cbc.ca//briti...Continue reading

From our friends at Discovery Organics who fought against the widening of Malkin Avenue and supported Cottonwood.

Congratulations to T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss and Anne Riley (who is also a Cottonwood gardener) on their public art project, A Constellation of Remediation healing garden, on the old Petro-Canada site at East Hastings & Commercial. "An outdoor, Indigenous garden meant to start healing the land by building new relationships with non-human creatures such as butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and insects. ... 'It’s not just about the toxins that came out from the gas station, but i...t’s about colonial toxins that need to be released,' she [T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss] said." Eventually, the site will become part of a new centre for the Urban Native Youth Association. "Riley sees the project as redefining the meaning of a garden and building new relationships to people and to the land. A big part of it, she said, is creating alternatives to colonial narratives. ... 'What kind of stories do they [the youth] want to tell on this land? What are their hopes and dreams for their new centre?' #CeaseWyss #AnneRiley #AConstellationofRemediation

Our friends on Produce Row helping the community, like they always do. #producerow

Free. Everybody needs a Birdscaping Guide. Thank you EYA (and stand by for soon to come news on giveaway Native plants)

The Dragon willows in Cottonwood are blooming. The bees love the pollen and return to the hives covered in yellow. (Photo by Beth MacLaren)

There will be no road through Cottonwood - woot! - and we have plots available. Let us know at [email protected] Please share widely.