Grow Regina is a volunteer group operating under the auspices of The Regina Food Bank (formerly Regina & District Food Bank Inc.) with a mandate to enhance the social, economic and cultural well-being of Regina residents through community gardening.

Grow Regina has a long term vision to develop the YARA-Grow Regina Community Garden in McLeod Park at 3500 Queen Street into a world class facility through improvements and upgrades planned over the next several years as funding materializes.

Grow Regina came into existence in 1994 when a group of community volunteers joined forces with the City of Regina and The Regina Food Bank to make use of empty space near the corner of College Avenue and Broad Street to form one of the largest community gardens in Regina. The project began with 127 irrigated garden plots and by 1997 were 275 plots – feeding hundreds of families all over Regina.

In 2005 the site was sold, after which Grow Regina temporarily relocated to the Wascana Centre Authority for the 2005 season. In 2006 Grow Regina decided to focus its resources on finding a new more permanent home and suspended garden operations, although Grow Regina remained active on a number other projects.

One such project was the successful Rae Street Community Garden which was a joint partnership between Grow Regina and the North Central Community Association. In the spring and summer of 2007, Grow Regina volunteers, North Central Community Association members and local residents came together to build a mini oasis on an abandoned lot owned by the City at 1345 Rae Street in North Central Regina. The garden was a success and escaped the vandalism many expected! Statistics even show reduced calls to the police in the area surrounding the garden!

Grow Regina volunteers are also involved in mentoring children and their families to help them establish school yard vegetable gardens. In this way we are helping today’s families while creating future Grow Regina gardeners.

In cooperation with the City of Regina and working under the new Community Garden Policy, Grow Regina began its search which culminated in 2007 when a 3.5 acre parcel of land known as McLeod Park in southwest Regina at 3500 Queen Street was made available. Officially, designated a municipal park, the land is leased to Grow Regina on a 5 year renewable basis by the City of Regina under the terms of the Community Garden Policy.

Breaking ground at the YARA-Grow Regina Community Garden (formerly known as Saskferco – Grow Regina Community Garden) in November 2007. (photo left to right) St. Mark’s Pastor Craig Moeller, Saskferco’s Brad Delory, Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco, and The Regina Food Bank CEO Wayne Hellquist, as a CTV cameraman reporter Wayne Mantyka looks on.

Initial site and soil preparation began in the fall of 2007, with irrigation and pathway construction beginning in the spring of 2008. By early June 2008, the season commenced with 150 families actively gardening and by September the first community orchard in Saskatchewan was started with the planting of 39 trees and shrubs. Grow Regina expects to be fully allocation this upcoming 2009 garden season, with over 200 families renting plots.

Initial phase once construction consisting of the irrigation and pathway infrastructure was underwritten by a generous $50,000 contribution from Saskferco Products Inc. (now YARA Belle Plaine). In recognition, the garden is officially known as the YARA-Grow Regina Community Garden in McLeod Park. Additional funding for site preparation was provided through a community development grant from the City of Regina and Clifton and Associates generously donated their professional services for a phase one environmental study.

The YARA-Grow Regina Community Garden photo collection below is taken at the new community garden location at 3500 Queen Street, Regina, SK, Canada from the initial development stages until the fall harvest of 2008.

Below, Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco joined Andrew Swenson, Wayne Hellquist and Karen Watkins in cutting the ribbon to officially open the YARA-Grow Regina Community Garden followed by a tour of the gardens.

Grow Regina Constitution & Bylaws
Grow Regina Executive & Board Members
Grow Regina Committees
Grow Regina Past Chairperson & Board Members
Grow Regina Annual Reports