Update: FAQ's and follow-up from our in-park event

On November 20^th, staff from the Park Board and also the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF) were on-site at Burrard View Park to answer questions and share information about the proposal. The information we shared at the event is the same information we are sharing via Shape Your City, but offered in a different format (in-person) as a way to meet and connect with more residents. We spoke with around 40-50 people during the pop-up event.

We’d like to take this opportunity to provide answers to a few frequently asked questions and concerns that we heard from residents during the event.

1. Why does the survey feel like it directs the reader to a particular option?

We understand there have been concerns expressed by some residents about the survey design, and we want to acknowledge those concerns.

The survey does focus on opportunities and site qualities relevant to the success of the garden, however it’s important to note that there are fields that allow survey participants to offer open commentary on their specific perspectives, which will be captured in the reporting.

The survey was designed to help the Park Board and survey participants understand which of the two site options was most suitable based on community values. This is why the survey makes reference to the implications of each trade-off in terms of how the two spaces could be used, by whom, and what amenities are nearby.

There are real differences between the sites, each with different implications for the garden. Staff have tried to represent these differences, like the proximity to washrooms and importance of the multi-use area, honestly in the survey and ask respondents how important each consideration is to them.

For example, a drawback to the NW site is that there are expenses associated with connecting it to a water line. However, several community members shared that they felt the added expense of connecting water to the NW site would be an acceptable trade-off considering the benefits of preserving the SE site. The survey was designed to elicit this sort of feedback.

We will proceed with the survey period to honour the time and efforts of those who have taken it so far.

This response was updated on Dec. 2 to add additional clarifying details. No information has been removed.

2. Why can’t you use the tiered garden beds in front of the hospice?

These garden beds are part of the leased area of the hospice. The beds have been cared for by Park Board in the past and, at present, the Park Board and hospice are discussing the hospice taking over care of that space. The VUFFF could assist with care of that space, but the beds alone would not meet the needs or intention of the proposed community garden, meaning one of the two other proposed spaces is required.

3. Can the washrooms in the community room under the hospice be made available for the garden if it is located in the NW area?

The community room is operated by the Hastings Community Centre Association and is made available through a rental program. The washrooms are available when the room is rented, which might be possible for some garden events or programs. Having the washrooms open for the whole day like those in the field house would require ongoing expenses associated with daily cleaning and monitoring of the space by Park Board staff from the Hastings Community Centre. As the garden is intended to be a long-term installation in the park, and there are already washrooms open every day at the field house, it is not practical to have the washrooms in the community room open except during special events and programs when the room could be reserved for the garden’s use.

4. How will pests be managed at the garden?

The exact approach to pest management depends on the site selected and evaluating problems that arise. Some approaches that will be part of regular maintenance from the time the food forest is established are:

• Making sure all fallen fruit is harvested to avoid leaving attractants on the ground
• Constructing a secure, rodent-resistant compost bin
• Planting herbs like mint, lavender and thyme that deter rodents
• Promoting increased biodiversity with trees, pollinator plants and native shrubs that can attract predators like owls who help keep the population under control

5. What measures are in place to make sure the garden is kept in good order?

All societies managing community gardens in parks are required to enter into a license agreement with the Park Board. The license agreement dictates that the Society must, among other requirements related to repair and maintenance, “keep the License Area and those portions of the Lands used by the Society in a sanitary, tidy and safe condition”. If the Society fails to comply with this or any other clause in the agreement, they are required to vacate the area and, at the request of the Park Board, return the land to its prior state.

6. Why is the northwest site smaller than the southeast site?

The northwest site is smaller due to its proximity to the dog off-leash area. If a garden is created within 50 metres of an off-leash area, it requires one area or the other to be fenced. We have sized and positioned the NW garden site to avoid the need for a fence.

7. Why are there two options rather than just one?

Staff were directed by the Board to identify a suitable location for the garden. The two proposed locations meet the technical requirements of the garden (e.g., space, sunlight), although they differ in access to infrastructure (e.g., water) and amenities (e.g., washrooms and playground). Staff are seeking feedback from the public to inform a report to the Park Board commissioners who will decide which site is most suitable.

We acknowledge the engagement process in March of 2020 was flawed and, as such, we chose to offer the SE option in addition to the NW option for public feedback through the current, more robust engagement process. We also now are able to offer some idea of where a new playground could be installed, offering additional perspective on what the south section of the park could look like with a garden, passive space and playground.

8. How does the recently passed Local Food System Action Plan (LFSAP) affect the engagement process and implementation of the garden?

The LFSAP will not change the engagement process that’s in progress. The garden proposal aligns very well with the core principles of the action plan and implementation of the garden will be guided by the newly passed action plan. For example, established in VanPlay and reiterated in the LFSAP, all new community gardens on Park Board managed land will have at least 50% of total area dedicated to collective food growing; VUFFF’s garden is proposed to be 100% collective.

The VUFFF proposal aligns with the goals of the LFSAP by:

• Centering Indigenous practice, teaching and perspective in food-growing and community-building and addressing systemic issues of Indigenous food sovereignty.
  • The proposed garden and food forest includes native food-producing plants and programs centred around cross-cultural and Indigenous learning opportunities.
• Providing access to food-growing opportunities to equity-denied groups
  • "Map 8: Priority Areas" on page 56 of the LFSAP shows that within 2 blocks of Burrard View park is an area identified as high priority for increasing food and culture gardens, in particular cultural learning gardens, where it is likely that more people would have access and benefit to public growing opportunities than in a plot-based garden.
  • Equity-denied groups are those facing barriers to equal access due to attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on characteristics not limited to sex, age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, gender expression, nationality, race, sexual orientation.
• Increasing biodiversity
  • The garden will have edible, pollinator and food forest components that will enhance biodiversity in an area of the city identified as having only 10-15% urban forest canopy (Urban Forest Strategy, pg. 17), and limited features supporting biodiversity (Biodiversity Strategy, pg. 15).

9. Why does installing a water connection in the garden in the NW site cost more than at the SE site?

The northwest site is in proximity to a water line outside of the park. Work would need to be done in order to make this water line useable for the garden, including bringing a connection into the park, and digging and laying pipe to connect to a hose bib in the garden. There are fees associated with activating the connection since it is not currently connected to the park.

The southeast site has an existing water connection within the park that would require digging and laying pipe to connect to a hose bib in the garden, but no extra connection outside the park is required.

Staff are exploring all possible water connections for both sites to be sure that the most feasible option would supply water to a new garden.

Edited Dec. 2, 2021 to add:

We have explored the possibility of using the water source on-site at the hospice and it is not a practical means of supplying water to the garden. Because the water at the hospice is within their leased area, the use of their water line would create issues with their leasing agreement, administrative burdens in multiple departments and insurance risk. To supply water to the North-West site, the most viable option would be to create a new water connection to the water main on Penticton Street, as described above.

10. If the garden were to be approved for the SE site, would it take up any of the flat, multi-use area?

The proposed South-East site is largely situated to the north of the fieldhouse, on a slightly sloped area between the fieldhouse and the footpath. The proposed boundary does include a small wrap-around section on a portion of the west wall of the field-house, but otherwise, the majority of the flat area between the fieldhouse and the playground would be preserved.

The maps on the Shape Your City webpage are the most accurate and up-to-date depictions of the proposed boundary for each site. Information retrieved from other sources may be out-of-date or inaccurate.

We hope that this helps to clarify some of the common questions we heard. If you have more questions, you can use the "Ask A Question" tool on Shape Your City and we will provide a response as soon as we can.

- Park Board Environment Team