Maple Community Garden

What was accomplished:

·        There was a good turn out on Sunday for the Fence Building and preparation.  Many members helped clean up the wood and debris to clear the way for the awesome fence crew who worked past 4 pm.

·        Apologies if you find things have been moved or disturbed.   We needed to move things out of the way in your plot areas like  trellises, boards etc. so there was a safe space for the fence crew to  install the 4×4 cedar posts.  Fence posts were installed in between  your plots to minimize loss of space.

FYI:  We did  not clear the stones and boulders on CP land…we are  hoping CP will take that away when they come to do more work on the tracks.  There is a big pile of wood at the East end of the Garden by  Jean’s Garden that we plan to dispose of…does anyone have a truck that  can make a trip to the dump?  If you have wood to throw out please use  this pile.  Please take any garbage home.

·        Measurements were re-done to insure our raised beds and other  garden structures are within our property line.  The installed 4×4  posts and a thin line marks the length of the property line.

What needs to be done?

·        Raised Bed Boxes that are ”over the line”  on CP land need to be cut back.   Some gardeners removed their North end board and moved soil so there would be access to trim back the boxes.
·        The Fence Crew hope to install the fence wire on the weekend.

What can you do to help?

1.      Go check your box to find out if it needs to be cut back. The fence crew have measured and marked what needs to be cut back. If you have tools and experience, please go ahead and cut back your box and reinstall the North board.

2.      If you do not have tools, the fence crew will cut back your box, but please do what you can to prepare for this weekend:
·        Remove the north facing end board,  as well as any plants and soil for about a foot.
·        Come back during the week to repair your box ASAP after the cut. It is very important that you get the north end board replaced before then fencing material is put up as you will not have access to that end to contain your soil.

Thank you from the Executive and Fence building committee.

March 2015

1. Bait garden for slugs – Use Safers Slug bait as it’s an organic one.
2. Work on garden clean-up, weeding and preparing garden beds. Add a handful of lime several weeks before planting. To improve your soil, use mushroom manure or compost.
3. Plant cool season veggies such as lettuce, spinach, kale & cabbage. Plants seeds of peas & sweet peas at this time as well.
4. Start tomato seeds indoors if desired.

April 2015

1. Continue to plant cool season veggies and flowers
2. Transplant raspberries & strawberries if necessary.
3. Plant early potatoes (Yukon Gold & Pontiac)
4. Fertilize perennials with all-purpose fertilizer such as fish fertilizer or organic fertilizer you can make yourself. See below
2 parts bonemeal, 1 part kelp meal, 1 part blood meal.
Apply the fertilizer during growing season.

This message is for the members of the Maple Community Garden

The work party schedule has been updated with 2 dates:

• Sunday April 5th, from 10am to 12pm (noon)
• Sunday, April 12th, from 10am to 12pm (noon)

For both dates, the meeting will start at the meeting room located in Maple Crest Apartments (2229 Maple Street) – please arrive early so that we can be efficient.

The purpose of these meetings is to:

1. Pay your membership dues for 2015 garden season
2. Participate in the work party to clean up and repair the common areas

Suggested Tools: Please bring your gloves, trowels, digging tools, edgers, shovels. For those who have building skills and tools bring your cordless drills and saws, hammer, nails.

We hope to get teams working on areas like the wheelchair accessible patio and boxes, a fence etc. Wear sturdy shoes or boots. Knee pads might be useful.

Mike Babiarz made the following video last Friday when CPR started destroying Cypress Community Garden, available through vimeo:

You can also check out this article on city farmer’s website: http://www.cityfarmer.info/2015/03/03/canadian-pacific-railway-cpr-destroys-hundreds-of-beautiful-community-gardens-in-vancouver/#more-266460

Article published today in the Georgia Straight (online version): CP Rail rips up Maple and Cypress community gardens in Kitsilano

 

Canadian Pacific has started to remove “encroachments” along Cypress Community Garden, just 1 block east of Maple Community Garden; click here for photos as of Saturday, February 28th. Work will resume after the weekend.

Unofficial sources reported that CP will start working along Maple Community Garden on Monday, at which point they will remove everything between the track and the orange markers.

This weekend may be your last chance to see the Garden as it exists today, before the “encroachments” are removed by CP.

To Maple Community Garden Members from The Executive

The 2015 Sign-up AGM scheduled for March 1 is POSTPONED

 

– CP Rail has stated this month in the media (newspapers)  that the community gardens on their property would be destroyed within a month. This week, bulldozers have destroyed the north-end of the Pine and Cypress Community Gardens that were encroaching on CPR Right of Way.

– The Executive is postponing the AGM, tentatively to be scheduled early April (date to be announced), in order to get more clarification on the situation as time goes on, and to give everyone a better chance to decide how to proceed.

– Your 2014 membership continues until the next 2015 AGM happens.

* The Executive has only the information published in The Province and The Courier, so please do not contact the Executive members for more info.

Thank you for your patience- and let’s wait and see.

Today February 24th, 2015, CP has destroyed the Pine Street Community Garden located along West 6th Avenue between Burrard, Pine and Fir streets.

This garden is located just two blocks away from Maple Community Garden.

CP has the right of way along the Arbutus Corridor, and is removing these encroachments as part of their plan to reactivate the railway for storage and training (even though it was also announced that they are not planning to use this section of the track at this time).

Source: https://www.straight.com/blogra/397311/cp-rail-tears-pine-street-community-garden-vancouver-photos

Excerpt from CP website:

“Arbutus Corridor upgrades, Vancouver

Update: February 6, 2015-  On January 20, 2015, a judgment of the BC Supreme Court dismissed the city’s application to prevent CP from operating along the Arbutus corridor and continuing its work. After taking time to evaluate the court’s decision, CP is resuming steps for reactivating the corridor for rail operations.

Letters informing residents that CP will resume brush cutting and removal of encroachments on February 10, 2015 should arrive in mailboxes as early as February 6, 2015.”

Scroll down to the section on British Columbia, which also includes a link to the CP Letter To Residents being distributed: 

http://www.cpr.ca/en/community/living-near-the-railway/rail-projects-near-you

 

As of December 17, 2014 the BC Supreme Court hearing continues for the City of Vancouver’s civil claim with CP Rail.  The judge is expected to give his ruling in the case at a later date.

The Province:  December 17, 2014 

http://www.theprovince.com/lawyers+rail+cars+Arbutus+corridor+pose+major+safety+risks/10660623/story.html

The Province:  December 10, 2014

http://www.theprovince.com/City+seeks+block+storing+rail+cars+Arbutus+corridor/10454140/story.html