Jon Fagan award presentation to Don Fenwick Aug 14 2021
The John Fagan award is a very special award given to a gardener who has contributed ‘over and above’ what is expected of a Board member or gardener and embodies the mandate and mission of Grow Regina in their actions and words: Promoting the social, economic and cultural well-being of others through community gardening, and: Teaches others how to garden.
Don has been involved with the garden since its opening. Don served on the board and actively worked to maintain the garden’s beauty by serving as garden inspector for many years. Don’s dedication to his own garden plot is unparalleled; he can be seen in the garden almost every day from April through September. Don greets everyone he meets in the garden and will will eagerly share his wisdom with anyone who has gardening questions.
Like the award’s namesake, Don has contributed ‘over and above’ what is expected of a Board member or gardener. It was our pleasure to present the 2021 John Fagan Award to Don Fenwick this year.
Got extra produce? Why not donate it to the Regina & District Food Bank! Bring you produce to the Co-op Community Gazebo at Grow Regina at 12 pm this coming Wednesday July 21st as we are collecting to make a drop-off that day.
You can also drop off fresh produce at 445 Winnipeg Street. There will be a drive-through drop off every Wednesday from 9-4pm.
The food will go into hampers, and also into fresh meals for students at Albert School. Any excess food will be dropped off in the community fridges.
Grow Regina would like to say a big thank you to Mike’s Independent Grocer for your thoughtful plant and seed donations you have provided for gardeners over the past couple years. Thank you for your support in helping to make our gardens grow.
Co-op Community Gazebo at Grow Regina, designed by Victor Cicansky
Well it has been a long time coming but we finally have a date set for the installation of the Co-op Community Gazebo designed by Victor Cicansky.
Important Dates:
On April 29th and 30th 2021 safety fencing will be going up around the area.
On May 3rd-5th 2021 the Gazebo is being installed.
Remember Safety First
Please remember the COVID-19 no-gathering rules are still in place, so only come to the garden to go to your own plot – and admire the Gazebo from there.
If you are in the garden on these dates please be careful and watch for machines and trucks, etc. especially on Monday May 3rd.
We can’t have any kind of grand opening event right now due to COVID restrictions – so lets all celebrate together but apart 🙂
Thank you to our sponsors, project volunteers and gazebo artist!
Thanks to all, we couldn’t have done it without you
Victor Cicansky for his artistic genius for the Gazebo design
Co-op Community Spaces Grant
The City of Regina
Yvette Crane – Volunteer Project Lead
Lakeview Community Association
City Councillor Bob Hawkins and wife Marie-France Menc
And to the many other donors, Grow Regina gardeners, volunteers and contributors
The Grow Regina Garden is accessed by Queen Street where the street infrastructure renewal is going to happen. This means that you may not be able to park on the street or in the church parking lot while the work is being done.
The renewal project on Queen street is scheduled to start the week of April 26, 2021 and anticipated to be completed in 6 weeks, pending weather or unforeseen circumstances.
The City of Regina has hired a contractor to complete this work which may include concrete renewal, improvements to drainage, sewer repairs and road repair/resurfacing.
Work will be completed under a road closure. You may not be able to drive or park on the street during the work. Watch for signs and barricades.
While vehicle access will be maintained, it may be restricted periodically to ensure the safety of workers and citizens. At times, there may only be pedestrian access.
For Parking
Make other arrangements for parking, as you may not have access to your driveway or on-street parking.
Please provide the following information: name, plot number, phone number and email address. Also please mention the week which you would prefer to have your rototilling done. We will do our best to accommodate these requests. Our goal is to have all rototilling completed by the May long weekend, depending on the weather, of course.
Plowing for People accepts etransfer, which is our preferred method of payment. We are set up for automatic deposit, so you won’t need a code word. Please etransfer your payment to plowingforpeople@gmail.com
Rates for rototilling are as follows: 10’x10′ plot $20 10’x20′ plot $25 20’x20′ plot $35 20’x30′ plot $45
Plowing for People is a registered non-profit charity in the province of Saskatchewan. Our goal is to provide excellent service and garden rototilling at a reasonable price. All of our workers are volunteers and all profits go to charities chosen by the Board of Directors of Plowing for People. In 2020, our donation went to help bring a refugee family from South Sudan to Canada. This family is being sponsored by St. Mary’s Anglican Church.
Grow Regina will not be taking any new applications for garden plots this year 2021. After placing the returning gardeners and the applicants wait listed from 2020 there are no vacant plots left. Every year the number of new people we can take in is different, this is the first year we could not take any new applications. Please check back next spring 2022. Go to https://growregina.ca/regina-2019-community-gardens/ for a list of other community gardens in the area.
The long-awaited “Co-op Community Gazebo”, designed by our own, world-renowned artist Victor Cicansky, is going to be installed this fall.
In fact, the first stage – the Gazebo’s foundation – will begin on Monday September 21st. It will be amazing to finally see this beautiful & functional piece of public art we have been fundraising and planning for over 12 years, finally realized.
The gazebo will not take up any existing garden space. It will be placed in the Center circle of the garden – that was the planned spot for this gazebo from the very beginning drawings when the garden was first planned.
Funding for this project did NOT come out of gardener fees. The majority of funding came from the Co-Op Community Spaces Grant for 90,000. We also received a donation from City Councillor and Lakeview Community member Bob Hawkins and his wife Marie-France for $5000 and a matching grant and separate donation from Lakeview Community Association for a total of $6000. And we got a grant from the City of Regina for $30,000 as well. So a big THANK YOU to all who have helped make this possible, including Yvette Crane who has lead the Gazebo fundraising and Project committee.
Here are some of the things you will need to know for the coming weeks:
1) Water will be turned off early this year. The City will be turning off the water on Thursday September 17th. Please do plan to water-in everything you need to – including any perennials, or if you have orchard trees – very well this weekend or early next week.
2) A Safety fence will be erected around the centre circle so you may find you have to get to your garden by a different route. Please stay safe and be mindful of any heavy equipment.
3) The GFL organics bin for your garden wastes will be re-located – likely to an area near the front of the garden. (Queen St.)
4) This may be a great year to plan to finish your harvest and clean-up early! Remember the deadline to have your garden completely cleaned out is Monday October 12th. That includes all boards, sticks, cages, structures etc. etc. Unless you request & have approval to leave a structure: https://growregina.ca/grow-regina-structure-approval-request/
Thank you everyone for a wonderful gardening season and we are so excited for the culmination of this project!
Spring has sprung at Grow Regina with a majority of the plots planted we are well on our way into a new growing season.
Unfortunately, due to the importance of social distancing during COVID19 the gardens are not open to the public this summer. Normally, we love to show off the beauty of the garden and welcome visitors but for this year, please do not enter our garden unless you are a member of Grow Regina.
Below are the protocols that must be followed by all gardens as established by the City of Regina and Saskatchewan Health Authority. Gardeners must adhere to the guidelines to help keep everyone safe and to help ensure the gardens can remain open. Thank you for your cooperation. Please visit growregina.ca for more information.
Do not enter the garden and return home if you have:
– cold or flu-like symptoms (cough, sore throat, fever, shortness of breath);
– travelled outside Canada within the last 14 days; or
– been in close contact with a COVID positive person in the past 14 days.
All gardens are closed to the public and only accessible to members.
Garden members may only be accompanied in their garden plot by immediate family members, no more than four people.
Physical distancing of two metres must be adhered to.
If someone is too close, create the necessary space and kindly remind the person of the distance requirement. If physical distancing becomes a problem due to too many people in the garden at one time, schedules may need to be created.
Gardeners are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer and sanitize hands upon entering the garden and before leaving.
Clean and sanitize taps and hoses after each use with the provided sanitizing wipes.
There are no garbage facilities on site. Used wipes must be taken home.
Leave hose stretched out on the ground next to the cribbing to minimize handling of the hose in many places.
No sharing of tools or equipment is permitted. Benches will be put away and not available for use.
The Grow Regina tool supply will remain in the locked sheds. Gardeners will need to bring their own garden tools, hose nozzles and chairs. They must be removed from the garden or left in a safe place within the plot upon leaving.
There will be no in-person start-up meeting or work bees allowed.
Information to gardeners will be “electronic.” Please notify Grow Regina if you need information to be mailed.
• Only one person can access a shed at a time and each gardener must clean door handles after leaving the space. The locked garden sheds are not accessible to the gardeners at any time. Sanitizing wipes are available for those authorized to enter the sheds.
Note: To print these Guidelines go to Guidelines – COVID-19 look for print button at the bottom of page.
