(Photo: Jen Stange)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Users were angered over closure

City announces ‘modified’ Community Garden Plot Program for 2020

Apr 9, 2020 | 7:30 PM

Red Deerians will be able to enjoy the city’s public garden plots this year after all, albeit under close watch.

After previously announcing it would be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, a decision that drew the ire of users and residents, the City of Red Deer says a modified Community Garden Plot Program will now run in this year.

City officials this decision came after further consultation with Alberta Health Services and an in depth review of program options. They say the program will operated in a way that will maintain resident and employee safety.

“The City’s Emergency Operation’s Centre continues to make the best decisions possible, based on the information we have at the time,” Karen Mann, Emergency Operations Centre Director says in a release. “The decision to revisit the closure of community garden plots stemmed from conversations taking place across the province about community gardens. Upon further review with Alberta Health Services and our operational departments, we determined we could reinstate the program in a modified way, putting measures in place to help ensure the health and safety of all program participants and employees.”

Under hybrid community garden plot program for 2020, the city says community garden plots will open this year “with the commitment and enforcement that users will adhere to all public health orders and practice physical (social) distancing, sanitization of tools, and employ proper hygiene.”

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Of note, only returning garden plot users previously registered in 2019 will be permitted to use plots for this year. These users will be contacted by the city and new registrations will be accepted for 2020.

“This approach will allow up to 151 gardeners to return to the Red Deer Garden Plot Program and will empower community groups to operate their 152 garden boxes, if they choose,” said Mann. “This means retaining over 300 garden plots in our community.”

On March 25, The City of Red Deer closed its recreation facilities, including the Garden Plot Program, and amenities until June 30 in an effort to prevent spread of COVID-19. City officials say the decision, at the time, was in alignment with direction from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health due to the densities of City-run gardens and parking areas, and knowing it would be difficult to ensure that all gardeners follow all necessary regulations regarding physical distancing. As well, some of the plots are run by multiple families and tools are often shared, city officials say.

The Government of Alberta has not formally declared community garden plots an essential service. However, city officials believe public health orders and physical distance can be achieved with the cooperation of garden plot users.

“We thank Red Deerians for their understanding and patience during these unprecedented, and ever evolving times,” said Mann. “We always carefully monitor our current situation and follow direction from Alberta Health Services. Any decisions we make are made with the safety of our residents and our employees at top of mind, and we are prepared to adjust our approach as new information is available.”

Tom McMillan, Alberta Health Communication, told rdnewsNOW earlier on Friday, “Any community garden or related program are not prohibited by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, but would need to comply with the gathering restrictions put in place, which subject to enforcement. They would also need to practice physical distancing and implement all other appropriate risk mitigations.

“It’s important to note that, while we are leading the province’s COVID-19 public health response, each municipality can implement additional measures as they feel it is appropriate.”

In British Columbia, community gardens were recently deemed an essential service.