Burrard View Park food forest project

March 30, 2022: The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation reached a decision regarding the proposed Vancouver Urban Food Forest at Burrard View Park.

After hearing from speakers, the Board approved the southeast site option for the food forest project, subject to the findings of an archaeological investigation of the site.

Review the details of this meeting, including minutes, highlights, and video recordings

An archaeological investigation of the site has been completed and the report is currently being reviewed to inform the food forest design.  

Engagement

Phase 1 (November 2020 to March 2021)

• From November 2020 to March 2021, we mailed information to community members residing within 2 blocks of the park regarding the proposal for a community garden in the southeast corner of Burrard View Park.
• We posted signage about the proposal in the park.
• Several residents attended and spoke at a Board of Parks and Recreation meeting in March 2021.
• We also accepted feedback by email during this period.

Phase 2 (November 2021 to Dec 2021)

A Shape Your City survey was conducted to understand community values and preferences for Burrard View Park use and the proposed garden. The survey included input on 2 possible locations for the garden.

This initiative is led by the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF) External website, opens in new tab, an intergenerational, cross-cultural knowledge-sharing community. 

It operates in the form of various projects, including: 

• Urban food forests
• Medicinal gardens
• Indigenous foodlands
• Collective gardens
• Land-based and online learning spaces

A food forest is a form of food growing and land stewardship used by many Indigenous Peoples including Coast Salish Nations since time immemorial.

It is also a term used in permaculture to describe a companion planting food production system based on forest ecosystems.

The food forest contains a mix of different vegetation including:

• Fruit trees
• Perennial and annual food plants including:
  • Berries
  • Mushrooms
  • Herbs
  • Root vegetables

A food forest grows a succession of layers that are found naturally in forests.

Learn more about urban food forests through the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation Chén̓chenstway Healing Garden and Indigenous Food Forest project External website, opens in new tab.

The proposed garden is inspired by permaculture practices. Permaculture means permanent-agriculture, meaning there will be many perennial (permanent, returning each year) plants and trees in the garden. This is different from conventional agriculture where annual plants may be pulled and soil tilled seasonally.

A permaculture-inspired approach provides several environmental benefits:

• No-till gardening is less disruptive of soil structure and microbiomes.
• Trees and shrubs can stabilize slopes and prevent erosion.
• Tree canopy provides local cooling.
• Can provide habitat for urban biodiversity, for example, birds, insects, and small mammals.
• Permanent plants can store carbon, supporting climate change mitigation.

Similar gardens in the city serve as community hubs, providing opportunities to connect with others and foster a sense of community belonging.

Additionally, the food forest is expected to provide:

• Environment and garden-related workshops programming on topics including:
  • Vertical food growing in small spaces
  • Soil health
  • Composting
  • Beekeeping
  • Indigenous land stewardship
  • Permaculture principles
  • Companion planting
  • Seed saving
  • Climate action
• Arts-oriented programming and workshops on topics including:
  • Natural weaving and dyeing
  • Medicinal plant walks
  • Story sharing
  • Crop swapping 
• Natural play areas for children to grow plants and learn about the environment
• Decolonization efforts including:
  • Programming on Indigenous land based knowledge transmission and traditional land stewardship
  • Planting a food and medicine forest with a focus on plants important to the local First Nations and urban Indigenous people
• Tailored collaborations with the field house residents and daycare and other community members to offer activities, education, and workshops for diverse ages and demographics

We will address food insecurity by providing access to opportunities to grow nutritious, local, and traditional foods for community members near an Equity Initiative Zone PDF file (12 MB).

Through programming, we can equip people with new skills to handle nutritional foods, including:

• Growing
• Harvesting
• Accessing
• Preparing 

Our goal is not to produce a volume or yield of food that can support an entire community.

This project is designed to help people learn new skills and come together as a community. It will bring various social and environmental benefits, including sharing knowledge about food production, preparation, and traditions across different cultures.

We will establish and maintain the food forest in collaboration with members of the Indigenous community, involving planting, tending, and harvesting activities.

The space will be used to grow traditional medicines and foods. There will be regular events focused on intercultural and intergenerational food and knowledge sharing. 

This project is aligned with Park Board strategic directions surrounding local food and decolonization.

It provides opportunities for:

• Indigenous people to practice land care, harvesting, and ceremony
• Creating space for non-Indigenous people to learn, participate, and share

VUFFF is creating a garden where everyone can grow and share food and medicines together. This means you don't need to apply for, wait for, or pay for an individual plot.  

The whole garden is treated as a single plot and cared for by all members, to the shared benefit of everyone. Membership will be free, and open to any community member who wants to get involved.

Learn more about our community-shared gardening approach through the Riley Park Community Garden External website, opens in new tab.

We explored several potential parks in the Hastings-Sunrise area, including Callister and Hastings Park.

In collaboration with VUFF, we selected Burrard View Park, guided by these considerations:

• Sizes of parks and availability of open space
• Plans for future park redevelopment
• Accessibility, cost, and logistics of connecting to a water source for garden irrigation
• Proximity to public washrooms
• Ability to accommodate equity-seeking populations