General How an Indigenous community garden on Georgian Bay is bringing locals together By Corinna Vangerwen Published: June 19, 2024 Updated: June 20, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 Photo courtesy of Sharon Langfield A growing community “We’re not just growing vegetables,” says Sharon Langfield of the Indigenous community garden project in Waubaushene, Ont., that she spearheaded with her husband. “We’re growing community.” View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 Photo courtesy of Sharon Langfield The Sacred Medicines and the Three Sisters The garden is planted with the four Sacred Medicines: tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass, as well as the Three Sisters crops of corn, beans, and squash. View in Fullscreen Related galleries Meet 7 early risers of the wildlife world Perched on the Bay of Fundy, these curious, colourful cottages might be Nova Scotia’s best-kept secret At the Helliwell cottage—and all over cottage country—pickleball is serving up hours of fun 1 2 3 How an Indigenous community garden on Georgian Bay is bringing locals together When a group of kids are engaged in a passionate conversation with their friends, it would be fair to assume they’re discussing video games. But when Sharon Langfield noticed four boys talking as they leaned against the fence of Waubaushene’s community garden one day, what she overheard was a debate about the merits of different varieties of lettuce. (One had a preference for curly-leafed; another insisted Romaine was superior.) Sweet moments like these are the fruits of an Indigenous community garden project, spearheaded by Sharon and her husband, Peter Cox, who were looking for a way to bring the Georgian Bay community together after the isolation of pandemic life. With help from the Talpines Property Owners’ Association, which secured funding from the township for building materials, and the guidance of neighbour Jennifer Brunelle as their Indigenous advisor, the couple, along with a group of volunteers, created a circular garden that’s 20 feet in diameter. Sitting in a park at the centre of town, it has become a thriving hub of local activity. The garden is planted with the four Sacred Medicines: tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass, as well as the Three Sisters crops of corn, beans, and squash, to honour Indigenous cultures, and also to teach us how to build community, explains Sharon. Sharon and Peter are dedicated to the concept of “Two-Eyed Seeing,” bringing together Indigenous Knowledge and western science, and they actively seek out ways to bring some of the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission forward at a local, grassroots level. “We thought that the plants could teach us how to work in community,” says Sharon. “The plants give us a model of how we’re all different, but if we cooperate, things go better.” It’s an initiative that was recently recognized as part of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations Achievement Awards. A true co-creation, the garden features art by locals, a story-time circle of log stools, multilingual signage, changing displays to celebrate various holidays, and a message board for community events. Planting ceremonies, harvest festivals, seed swaps, music performances, and kids’ activities attract locals and visitors of all generations. “We’re not just growing vegetables,” says Sharon. “We’re growing community.” Related Story Land trusts can help protect ecologically sensitive land in cottage country. Here’s how they work Related Story The Inuit paddler who is reclaiming kayaking culture in Labrador Related Story How do you connect with the land?
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