Green Chinatown Montreal is searching for a new home for its community garden.
It’s located in front of the Montreal Chinese Hospital, where there are now plans to build an outdoor gazebo on the courtyard.
“I’m very sad, it’s very sad,” said co-organizer Janet Lumb.
“But for the hospital, the staff and the goal of Green Chinatown, it’s touching and thrilling to know we’ve succeeded in a lot of ways to inspire the Chinese Hospital to be out here and to do things out in the front yard.”
The concept of the garden was inspired by a professor at Concordia University, who wanted to create more green in Chinatown.
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“It’s a good activity. Not just for food, but to get that knowledge that you could do something and make it grow, and you did it yourself,” said garden member Moriy Yee.
The garden has 77 smart pots, growing cherry tomatoes, peppers, arugula, cucumbers and a variety of fresh Chinese vegetables.
Its 10 members rotate planting flowers and harvesting food every day.
Though it now serves many people and purposes, members say it’s rewarding to watch hospital patients enjoy it as much as they do.
“Every day when we’re here, the patients come and see us, sometimes with their families,” said Lumb.
“They ask ‘what’s that?’ and we ask them how to cook it, and they say, ‘you should do it like this.'”
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Ideally, members say they would like to keep the garden in Chinatown, but they’re not sure they’ll find a space in the area that fit their needs.
They say what matters most is finding a place to continue their passion project.
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