Inspiration Board

These are photos taken at similar projects around the city that use practices and principles like those proposed by VUFFF. Have a look through the gallery below to spark your imagination about what the Burrard View Food Forest could look and feel like.

Norquay Food Forest

These images are taken at Norquay Community Food Forest. The Community Food Forest was conceived as a learning space by local residents and neighbourhood associations that would demonstrate regenerative, organic and innovative growing methods. It is a native plant food forest that integrates permaculture design, and the traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities.

The proposed garden/food forest at Burrard View Park would use many of the same principles, ethics and methods as the Norquay Food Forest. Like Norquay, the Burrard View Food Forest would be collaboratively stewarded by Indigenous and non-Indigenous garden members, and use permaculture methods with a focus on culturally important plants and foods.

Description: A painting of a local wetland ecosystem with native food plants growing around the frame.	Description: Interpretive signage around a salal plant. Salal is one of the most commonly used food plants by Coast Salish peoples. Its berries can be eaten fresh, or boiled, mashed, dried or baked into cakes.	Description: A section of the garden that is in full-bloom with pollinator friendly flowers.
Description: A sheltered pathway in the garden. Vines and a tree branch form a canopy over the path that is held up with bamboo stakes. A mix of native and non-native plants surround the path.	Description: A work table full of twine, baskets and other crafting materials sits underneath a turquoise trellis in a shady part of the garden. Light filters through green leaves on the trees above two people who stand talking beside a red bench.	Description: A Little Free Library and a Seed Library in the garden holds books and seed packets that passers-by can take or leave as they please. Beside it sits a shelf with a dish of plums and a sign that says "Free plums and free plants". A plastic tray that used to carry plants has been emptied.

Descriptive Signage at Norquay Food Forest

Description: An interpretive sign with a map of the food forest. It includes a description of the garden, an explanation of what a food forest is, and principles of Indigenous plant use.

Description: An interpretive sign. It describes what permaculture is, shares insights from Indigenous practices, and describes the ethics of permaculture including the Food Forest's approach to decolonization.

Brewer's Park Indigenous Teaching Garden

Brewer's Park was recently redeveloped and the updated design includes an Indigenous Teaching Garden led and stewarded by Leona Brown, a Gitxsan woman and a partner of the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF). Leona is a strong advocate for the re-introduction of indigenous medicinal plants into city parks, school gardens and public places. She will be a leader in the design and stewardship of indigenous foods and medicines in the proposed Burrard View Food Forest.

Description: The image depicts a newly-planted Indigenous Teaching Garden populated with young native plants. This photo is taken in its first season at Brewer's Park.

Riley Park Community Garden

The Riley Park Community Garden has taken a similar approach to garden stewardship and ecology to the one VUFFF has proposed for the Burrard View Food Forest. The Riley Park Garden is an inclusive gathering point that strives to improve food security, ecological sustainability and community development. It is a collective public space where people can engage in co-creation, feel a sense of belonging and ownership, and increase networks.

The Riley Park Community Garden is a focal point for community events and intercultural knowledge sharing. It uses common plots rather than individual plots, so all community members have a chance to participate and there are no long wait lists to get an allotment. Riley Park uses a mix of annual and permaculture practices, with some sections of the garden dedicated to supporting urban ecology.

Description: A map of the Riley Park Community Garden. At the centre is a gathering place under a large coniferous tree. The garden features an edible food forest, accessible and shared garden beds, a woodland border, multiple pollinator gardens, an orchard and meadow, and a herb garden.

Description: A photo of a table set with foods including flatbread and some cakes shaped like honeycomb. This photo was taken at a pollinator-themed tea party.

Description: A "butterflyway" pollinator garden, rich with purple and pink blooms.

Medicine Wheel at John Hendry Park / Trout Lake

The Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF) has proposed including a medicine wheel garden populated with plants that serve as traditional foods and medicines for Indigenous peoples. One example of a similar garden can be found at John Hendry Park (Trout Lake).

The Cedar Cottage Food Network describes a medicine wheel as "an indigenous teaching that shows the inter-connectivity of different parts of life in relation with the nature and the spiritual world. The design consists of four different parts that represent directions, elements, seasons, or nations among many others. Traditionally, the medicine wheel is used for ceremonious, religious, and healing purposes, or to illustrate cultural concepts."

Description: Indigenous people are gathered in a semi-circle at Trout Lake, drumming together.

Description: People gather around a circular garden plot. It is segmented into four equal quadrants that represent an Indigenous medicine wheel. Some cut-out fish signs are posted at each quadrant, and people hold a banner that says "Wild Salmon Caravan", a celebration of wild salmon and Indigenous food sovereignty.