HILLHURST SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY GARDEN

The Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden has been an integral and active part of the community since its start in 1989, and we have now been operating for more than 30 years. It was founded by community residents who wanted to provide a place for those with limited space of their own to grow their own gardens and provide for an opportunity to meet fellow residents with horticultural interests. Our goals are to foster the creation of a sustainable food system, environment, and community, by networking, educating, and sharing resources. In short, we grow community by growing gardens. We are an organic garden, and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides may be used. Our garden is in the northeast “corner” of Sunnyside at Sunnyhill Lane and 9 Avenue NW. It’s just below McHugh Bluff to the east of 4A Street NW. There are 33 plots, approximately 4’ x 24’ in size, each leased for $50 (plus an HSCA membership) for the season between April 1 and October 31. We welcome visitors to our garden and encourage people to stop by and chat with gardeners about our wonderful, vibrant community garden. To be eligible for a plot in a community garden, you must be a resident of Hillhurst Sunnyside. Proof of residency is more than simply purchasing a membership in the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association; you must reside within the boundaries of the Hillhurst and Sunnyside neighbourhoods. Gardeners from the previous year have the first opportunity to get the same plot for the next year by registering for a plot by the last business day in March. There is great demand for community garden plots, with more than 100 people on the waitlist and an approximate wait time of 18 to 24 months. For additional information, you can email hscg@hsca.ca. Please note that this email is monitored irregularly, especially during the non-gardening season.

KENSINGTON COMMUNITY FIRST GARDEN

Kensington Community First Garden was conceived in 2010 to address the community’s increasing demand for a collective space to grow vegetables and flowers. That year, a visioning session was held to collect ideas on garden elements and principals. These ideas were combined into a successful application to the City of Calgary for permission to transform the area West of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association’s facility from an under utilized area of grass and trees to a community garden. In the Spring of 2011 thirty five volunteers armed with shovels and table saws transformed the space into a functioning garden. In subsequent years, corporate volunteer grants have enabled us to build a garden shed, a three bin compost system, a boundary fence and additional plots. Today the garden has 23 individual plots and a communal area used to grow vegetables such as potatoes and zucchini for donations to HSCA’s food programs. It also has the beginnings of a small orchard, a picnic area and a berm that bounds the northern portion of the garden planted with raspberries, saskatoons and gooseberries. The principles that constitute the garden are democratic, inclusive of both persons and ideas as well as organic gardening practices. The garden welcomes all from the novice to the experienced and seeks to enable individuals to have the best growing experience in our challenging climate. Please note, the Kensington First Community Garden is only offered and available to those living in the Hillhurst, Kensington and Sunnyside communities that anchor the HSCA. We do not accept members living outside of these communities. Our garden fills up each year, and we are currently running a waitlist for plots. Our gardening season begins May 15 and runs until October 30. Each garden plot is $30 and gardeners have to have a valid HSCA Membership.

SUNNYSIDE SHARED GARDEN

This is a shared garden, where gardeners work together and share the produce they grow amongst each other and with the community. Any surplus produce goes to the HSCA's Community Food Programming.

To be eligible for a plot in a community garden, you must be a physical resident of Hillhurst Sunnyside. Proof of residency is more than simply purchasing a membership in the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association; You must reside within the boundaries of the Hillhurst and Sunnyside neighbourhoods. Gardeners from the previous year have the first opportunity to get the same plot for the next year by registering for a plot by the last business day in March, and since most gardeners keep their plots, there are limited openings. There is tremendous demand for a Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden plot, with more than 100 people on the waitlist and a wait time of at least TWO years.

How Do I Get Involved?

Garden meetings are informal gatherings of anyone who wants to get involved. These gatherings are planned to take place bi-weekly in Spring 2024. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or you’ve never planted a seed, you are welcome to stop by and see if you would like to join. To receive updates about the garden send an email to sunnysideshared@gmail.com (please note, this email are not regularly monitored during the winter months).