Ernie Winch Park Community Garden
About this project
This project will build a community garden on City-owned land in Ernie Winch Park, located near Edmonds Town Centre in southeast Burnaby. This community garden will enable residents to grow healthy food, flowers and other plants at a space owned by the City of Burnaby and administered by Urban Bounty, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to community food security. Community engagement was held in the summer of 2024, with the garden expected to begin construction in March 2025, with planting beginning May 2025.
With the introduction of more community gardens on City land, we’re aiming to build a sustainable and livable community by providing better local access to community activities, exercise, and fresh, nutritious food. As more people in Burnaby live in housing without private outdoor space, fewer residents have the option to garden in their own backyards. Community gardens provide an opportunity for people to connect, get to know their neighbours, and create community spirit through shared care for the garden. Community gardens can also improve the mental and physical health of the people who participate.
With local food security also top of mind, we’re proposing at least 20% of the harvest of this garden go towards supporting food programs in the neighbourhood. We’ll be finalizing the details on how much is donated and to which programs after hearing from the residents interested in participating at our Community Open House this spring.
Registration for garden membership will begin on April 7, 2025.
Ernie Winch Community Garden Open House
If you’re interested in being a part of the community garden, you’re invited to attend an open house with our team. Attendees can learn more about the membership model for the garden, our community donation policy, and the practical details of how to apply and be a part of the garden. Representatives from both the City of Burnaby and Urban Bounty will be available to answer questions about the garden, membership, the future of community gardens in Burnaby, and more.
- Tuesday, March 11, 6-7:30 pm
- Rosemary Brown Community Centre (7789 18th Street)
Questions and answers
The City will provide the space for the community garden in Ernie Winch Park, and will construct the garden facility. Urban Bounty will be responsible for the garden’s day-to-day operations. This includes:
- administering the garden membership
- conducting reviews of garden site 3 times a year to ensure rules are followed by all gardeners in order to maintain the gardens as vibrant, safe, community spaces
- ensuring that all community gardeners use organic growing methods that reduce impacts on the local ecosystem
- collecting feedback from gardeners and the broader community to carry out future projects and programs
- maintaining shared tools that are stored in locked tool sheds at each site (ie wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, spading forks, and some hand tools)
Instead of individually-assigned plots, we are currently investigating a “membership model” for this garden, where all gardeners share the responsibility and benefits of the garden. Under this model, members contribute to decision-making on the plants grown, join work parties for garden maintenance, and receive a portion of the community harvest seasonally. The sharing model allows more people to join the garden, participate and learn about gardening in the community and share food.
You will need to have a Burnaby home address in order to register to participate in the community garden.