Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge and share with you the history of the Lutselk’e Community Garden.
Years ago, elder Alizette Lockhart of Lutselk’e had a vision of a community garden. She often spoke of her vision and succeeded only as far as planting a seed in people’s minds. Although she did foresee a community garden, there was not enough community support back then to make her vision a reality. However, over the years, Alizette and other community members finally decided to visit the idea of planting a garden, the seed that Alizette planted.
In 2007, Industry, Tourism and Investment introduced a Small Scale Food Program. They offered the community of Lutselk’e help to start a community garden. Stephanie Poole, Gene Hache and Nicole Redvers were the ones who initially started the community garden.
Upon seeing positive results, the community members started to participate and get involved in many different ways. Stephanie Poole and Tracey Williams have since taken an active leadership role in community gardens by way of doing various kinds of research on growing techniques and how to maintain a community garden. Whereas the community started a garden with one plot and now has not only two plots, but members community-wide have been growing their own gardens.
The community garden has turned out to be very positive in many ways. Many members who have started to participate eventually started to grow their own gardens. Members find it keeps them busy and productive in healthy ways. Members socialize in healthy ways by seeking assistance and advice from other members and find satisfaction in being self-sufficient, and family members find they’re a lot healthier and less expensive to grow their own vegetables and potatoes.
Once community members of Lutselk’e have finally decided to plant the seed of the elder’s vision and through accepting help from ITI started to reap the benefits in only a positive and healthy way.
