Green Chinatown Montr\u00e9al (GCM) was founded in 2011 by two Concordia University professors in partnership with the Montreal Chinese Hospital, as a gardening and occupational therapy program for long-term care residents. Its volunteers worked with the hospital\u2019s staff and residents to maintain an above-ground container garden through the growing season.<\/p>\n
After six years of successful partnership, GCM had to find a new location for its garden. So, in late 2017, it developed a vision for a larger, first-of-its-kind community collective garden for Chinatown residents. While efforts are being made to bring this vision to fruition, the collective garden operates in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, both as a neighbourhood greening and beautification project as well as a commitment towards community members to promote urban agriculture, intercultural exchange and food security for marginalized communities.<\/p>\n
This year, with the help of FGM\u2019s Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition, GCM has been able to revive its vision of returning to Chinatown to establish a new community gardening space. Montreal\u2019s Chinatown lacks sizeable parks or green spaces, and is facing increasing pressure by land developers. It is also in need of revitalization for its marginalized residents, the majority of whom are Chinese-Canadian seniors.<\/p>\n
GCM has been able to leverage the $10,000 FGM grant \u2013 and the vote of confidence it represented \u2013 to form a new partnership with the Ville-Marie borough. In partnership with its Division of Sports and Recreation, the organization is now quite close to confirming a site for its new garden. Moreover, the City has already agreed to help with resources and services, such as access to water. GCM\u2019s vision of an inclusive green space for Chinatown is close to realization!<\/p>\n
Furthermore, under the mentorship of the Chinatown Round Table, a multi-sectoral platform uniting Chinatown\u2019s diverse communities, GCM will be working to ensure that the project will reflect the community. This new garden is on track to become an inclusive, intercultural and intergenerational experience, reflecting the district\u2019s diversity. GCM is also planning to include the Projets Autochtones du Qu\u00e9bec Indigenous community group in its programming. In addition to learning about growing Asian vegetables, members of PAQ will be able to sow native plants. Those are of particular significance to Indigenous peoples, either as foods or as medicines.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Green Chinatown Montreal will use its FGM grant for both physical materials and community outreach. GCM will need to plan, design and build its garden and create an inclusive community of gardeners, partners and stakeholders. Green Chinatown Montreal plans to hire local artisans to source materials and build planters and structures. It will also use the funds to hire interns from within the community to help it to coordinate, consult, and promote the project along with its goals of inclusivity and sustainability, food security, and climate resilience. And of course, GCM will have a huge celebration on the opening day of the new Chinatown garden!<\/p>\n