Dear Editor,
Today is the final day that Metro Vancouver will welcome public comment on the proposed Killarney Meadows Garden—A Pollinator Initiative & Demonstration Garden. I’d like to thank all those who have taken the time to share their thoughts on the project—both for and against—with our regional government.
I’d also like to address some of the circulating misinformation and speculation—some of it unfortunately rather malicious—concerning the process to date.
In 2010, on the eve of the anniversary of the founding of Captain Jack Cates’ Terminal Farms, a small Bowen Agricultural Alliance working group began discussing the idea of some kind of outdoor education centre on Agricultural Land Reserve land in Crippen Regional Park.
Earlier that year we had taken the idea to an open-space meeting held at Bowen Island Community School and attended by about 40 people—representatives of a broad range of community organizations. The excitement in the room was palpable as speakers voiced support for the idea of creating something special in the meadows.
As is the case with almost all purely volunteer initiatives, the idea percolated for a few years as we tested it with a variety of people and worked on other projects. We considered several locations, and came back to the meadows again as the site that offered the best combination of beauty, agricultural heritage, foot traffic, and proximity to all of the island’s learning centres.
After approaching Metro Vancouver, the landowner, and getting a positive initial reaction—as the idea met a number of its objectives—we commissioned a professional site assessment by Janine de la Salle, one of Canada’s leading professionals in the emerging field of planning and designing for food and agriculture.
De la Salle collaborated with an agrologist to create a comprehensive site assessment, a snapshot of barriers and opportunities. We also “walked the land” with local growers, sustainability and permaculture specialists, and farmers, looked at other similar projects, and consulted with Metro Vancouver biologists.
In May and June of 2013, we approached representatives of 21 community groups and organizations asking to sit down one-on-one and privately talk about the idea of an agricultural education centre in the meadows—two declined to meet with us. We asked those that met with us what they liked, didn’t like, and for suggestions and any opportunities for collaboration. Of those who met with us, all expressed support. We recorded their detailed feedback, their concerns and hopes.
We then held a half-day visioning session with a subset of this group in 2013. It was actually out of this meeting that the current native pollinator concept emerged.
Metro Vancouver parks staff did not feel they were ready to approach the community for feedback on the idea until they had a conditional green light from their Environment and Parks Committee. With that received last fall, Metro Vancouver set a date in early December for a community consultation and public comment period that ends tonight.
Our team has worked hard for hundreds of volunteer hours on a proposal that clearly has enjoyed a great deal of interest and support, both from the community and Metro Vancouver. We have heard much thoughtful discussion around the idea and have tested and discarded many ideas, all the while in consultation with islanders.
Frankly, it’s been disheartening to read the sniping, speculation, and character attacks that have emerged on the Bowen Phorum, fired out from the relative safety of a computer keyboard. This is the kind of behavior that we are all really trying to put behind us. I hope the above detail provides useful context to those who assert that we didn’t make an effort to reach out to the community with this proposal.
Comments close tonight, Friday, January 30: email Metro Vancouver at [email protected] or call (604)224-5739.
Sincerely,
Michelle (Elle) Pentz Glave , BAA President
