• Fabio Belli memorial plaque
• Seven 4x8 ft raised beds
• Four 4x4 ft raised beds
• Three 4 ft round concrete raised beds
• One ground 4x4 bed
• One wheelchair accessible bed
• Large area with ground beds
• Front entrance arbour with grapes
• Four pea teepees
• Access points and hoses to municipal water
• Community art feature including a garden sign
• Creator Turtle Garden art feature
• Monarch butterfly waystation (milkweed patch)
• Large Food Forest with fruit trees including apple, plum, and butternut trees; fruit bushes including gooseberry, current, and haskap; and ground crops like strawberry and herbs.
• Rain barrels for storing water
• 3 wooden compost bins
• Utility shed
• Picnic table
• Waste facilities

• Large ground beds
• 3 sisters garden
• Pollinator garden with native wildflowers and milkweed patch
• Sunflower patch
• Access point and hoses to municipal water
• Art butterfly seat
• Fenced 16x20 greenhouse with 10x12 storage shed

• Accessible crusher dust pathways
• Gardening tools including a wheelbarrow, shovels and rakes, small garden tools, watering hoses
• Municipal water

• Public washrooms
• Picnic tables
• Playground facilities
• Splashpad
• Tennis/pickle ball and basketball courts
• Baseball diamond
• Soccer fields
• Access to kitchen at playground building for garden events

• The garden began to take shape in fall 2014 thanks to generous community support. The project was driven by the encouragement and leadership of our new Ward Councillor, Fabio Belli, who helped get the idea off the ground.
• Rainbow Concrete donated three 4-foot circular culverts, and two additional beds were built by volunteers with funding from the Ward 8 Community Action Network using lumber provided at a discount by Home Depot, with delivery help from Bob’s Service Center.

• With continued support from community partners, the garden expanded in 2015. A grant from the TD Friends of the Environment. program allowed us to build four additional beds with help from volunteers from the Ward 8 Community Action Network, the Church of the Ascension, and other community members.
• The beds were built using a hugelkultur method, layering logs with soil, vermiculite, and Meeker’s Mix fish fertilizer donated by Vale. Special thanks to Bob’s Service Center for helping pick up supplies and soil, and to Linda Hachez for sharing her gardening expertise.
• We partnered with the New Sudbury Best Start Hub to start seeds and plant seedlings, while community volunteers helped care for the garden throughout the summer. The harvest was shared free of charge with families in need in the neighbourhood and with organizations such as the Blue Door Soup Kitchen.
• A Project Impact grant from the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury also supported the creation of a Creator Turtle Garden, designed by Indigenous teacher and artist Will Morin. Construction began in the fall and the garden was completed in 2016.
• That same year, fruit trees from the Fruit for All community project were planted, and four 4x4 feet raised beds salvaged from Long Lake Public School were relocated to the garden through a Community Garden Network initiative, with delivery help from Bob’s Service Center.

• We completed the Creator Turtle Garden and celebrated the year by planting 300 Canada 150 tulips throughout the garden.
• Local students played a big role in the garden that season. A total of 280 students from École St-Dominique and 160 students from Cyril Varney Public School started seeds in their classrooms, cared for the seedlings, and planted them in the garden in June. Ten families from the New Sudbury Best Start Hub also took part in starting and planting seedlings.
• Working with Union Gas Limited and the Community Garden Network, we installed three composters to support the garden’s sustainability.
• We created a small pilot tree guild with help from the Community Garden Network and the Fruit for All project.
• Students from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School helped retrofit raised beds salvaged from Long Lake Public School into wicking beds, which now reduce the amount of watering needed.
• We hosted tree pruning and tree guild workshops in partnership with the Fruit for All project.
• We planted milkweed donated by South End Greenhouse Growers to support pollinators, and created a new sunflower ground bed.

• We expanded the milkweed garden, planted additional fruit trees in partnership with the Sudbury Horticultural Society, and added a small 4×4-foot ground bed for young children at the Best Start Hub. We also created several new ground beds in a newly developed back section of the garden.
• Through funding from the Healthy Community Initiatives program, the City of Greater Sudbury installed municipal water at the park, making it much easier to maintain the garden.
• Part of the new back garden beds were used to create a pumpkin and squash patch, and we built a spiral herb garden at the front of the garden
• In partnership with the Healthy Kids Community Challenge and the Community Garden Network, we also worked with four local schools—St-Dominique, Cyril Varney, Jean-Ethier Blais, and Holy Trinity—along with the Best Start Hub. The HKCC program Cultivate Your Neighbourhood was run throughout the City.
• With this funding, students planted seeds and cared for them in their classrooms before bringing their plants to the garden in June to transplant them.
• We also hosted a summer garden celebration and a fall harvest lunch that brought together local schools, neighbourhood children, and community members.

• We expanded our ground beds to grow more tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and pumpkins, and created a larger sunflower bed.
• Working with students from Holy Trinity School and local artist Johanna Westby, we began creating an “Art in the Park” community mural, which was completed and installed the following year.
• We also continued our Cultivate Your Neighbourhood project, working with four local schools and the Best Start Hub to involve students in planting and caring for seedlings that would later be transplanted into the garden.

• The Art in the Park mural and a new community garden sign were installed.
• Garden beds were reconfigured to improve planting areas, and our partner Sudbury Shared Harvest created additional mini food forests around our fruit trees.
• We expanded the milkweed garden and introduced new garden features, including bean and pea teepees.
• Families from Place Hurtubise provided additional support for the Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program and helped with summer garden maintenance. We continued working with four local schools and the Churchill Best Start Hub through this project.

• When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, we were unable to run our school-based Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program. Instead, we registered with Volunteer Sudbury to involve more community volunteers.
• In late April, community gardens were declared essential services by the Government of Ontario. Local residents helped by starting seedlings at home and later transplanting them into the garden. We developed COVID-19 safety protocols, volunteer instructions, and orientation sessions to ensure everyone could garden safely.
• During this time we also reconfigured the spiral herb garden, moved the mint to a side bed near the picnic table, and refreshed the Creator Turtle Garden with additional white stone and mulch.
• Because of staffing challenges at the City of Greater Sudbury, volunteers stepped in to mow the grass. Our partner Sudbury Shared Harvest also expanded the garden’s food forest.

• COVID-19 restrictions continued, so we were again unable to run the Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program with local schools.
• However, several new garden improvements were completed. We installed trellises for peas and beans in two raised beds, built additional ground beds, and—together with Sudbury Shared Harvest—created a new pollinator garden in the back area of the site.
• The pollinator garden was later expanded with additional pollinator plants and a second milkweed area to support butterflies and other pollinators. The garden expansion was generously funded by a community member and a small stone plaque was installed in her memory.
• Educational signage explaining the garden’s features was designed for installation the following year.
• Lopes Ltd. donated an artistic butterfly bench, also installed the following year.
• Community volunteers helped repaint the picnic table in bright blue, decorating it with butterflies, bees, and flowers.

• We returned to our schools and relaunched the Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program. More than 250 students from four local schools—Cyril Varney, St-Dominique, Jean-Ethier-Blais, and Holy Trinity—along with a local Brownie troop, planted seeds and cared for seedlings in their classrooms.
• In early June, the children transplanted over 600 vegetables and companion flowers—including marigolds and sunflowers—into the garden.
• We participated in Seedy Sunday at the South End Public Library and received our annual donation of Meeker’s Mix soil from Vale Ltd..
• In partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury, we created bilingual educational signs explaining key garden features, including the Creator Turtle Garden art installation, pollinator garden, food forest, and milkweed patch. Volunteers installed the signs in November.
• Additional improvements included:
  • Installing the butterfly and bee painted picnic table at the front of the garden
  • Building an entrance arbour and planting Concord grapes at its base
  • Adding an accessible garden bed through a partnership with Canada Post and the Sudbury Community Garden Network
  • Installing the butterfly art bench donated by Lopes Ltd. in the pollinator garden
  • Rebuilding the spiral herb garden with new perennial and annual herbs
  • Adding stones to define the pollinator garden area

General Garden Work

• We again received our annual donation of Meeker’s Mix soil from Vale Ltd. and spread that to all of our beds.
• We completed the base of the garden entrance arbour and planted additional Concord grapes. Worn sections of the Creator Turtle Garden boxes were repaired, and a formal garden was created around the Fabio Belli memorial plaque.
• To make watering easier in the large garden, we installed three hose stations. We also carried out a major revitalization of the back ground beds, planted additional cherry trees and pollinator plants, and completed a wheelchair-accessible raised garden bed.
• Plant markers were also created to help identify many of the plants growing in the garden.

Special Projects

• Thanks to a grant from the Enabling Accessibility Fund – Youth Innovation Component, accessible crusher dust paths were built through the front garden beds, led by a youth volunteer.
• With major sponsorship from Lopes Ltd., a greenhouse was constructed behind the back garden beds. The City of Greater Sudbury prepared the site, supplied crusher dust, and contracted Bruce Tait Construction to build the greenhouse.
• We also applied for Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) funding for greenhouse fencing and began planning additional amenities for the space.
• During the year we rebuilt the bridge linking the two garden areas.

Programming

• More than 250 primary school students from three local schools—St-Dominique, Jean-Ethier-Blais, and Holy Trinity—participated in our Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program (Cyril Varney School had closed in 2022).
• We also collaborated with students from Sudbury Secondary School to plant a dedicated garden bed.
• Weekly Monday evening work bees brought together volunteers and neighbours to maintain the garden and strengthen the community gathering space.

General Garden Work

• We replaced garden hoses that were more than ten years old and planted additional pollinator plants in the back gardens.
• We tested ollas (clay irrigation pots) in one garden bed as a water-saving experiment. Monitoring showed they were effective at retaining moisture, so we planned to expand their use in 2025.
• We again received our annual donation of Meeker’s Mix soil from Vale Ltd..
• A new hill garden was created along the Gary Street side of the garden, where we now grow ornamentals, herbs, and vegetables. Expansions is planeed for 2025.
• Additional pumpkin and squash hills were planted in the back garden area, and apple and cherry trees donated by Beautiful Field Farm and Fruit Trees were added to the site.
• We also received a seed donation grant from Northern Wildflowers, with seeds arriving in January 2025.

Special Projects

Garden Accessibility

• Accessible gardening tools were purchased for volunteers.
• Crusher dust paths were extended throughout the garden thanks to a generous donation from Rainbow Concrete. Volunteers from the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee helped spread the material.
• We also converted the garden picnic table into an accessible table by replacing the wood and extending the table surface and seating.
• The wooden bridge between the front and back gardens was rebuilt by volunteers according to accessibility standards.

Greenhouse

• We applied for an HCI grant to bring municipal water to the greenhouse and connect it to a table and sink donated by a community member.
• A 10×12 shed was purchased for the greenhouse area, with installation planned for spring 2025.
• Solar-powered ventilation fans were installed, and Wi-Fi thermometers were added to monitor greenhouse temperatures and collect historical data.
• Through a Project Impact grant, we received $500 to build a potting table and a drying table.
• To improve accessibility and functionality, we also:
  • Installed stone walkways
  • Added a wheelchair-accessible work table
  • Added a children’s activity table
  • Installed four water barrels to help retain heat inside the greenhouse during colder months

Programming

• More than 260 primary school students from St-Dominique, Jean-Ethier-Blais, and Holy Trinity participated in the Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program, and students from Sudbury Secondary School planted a garden bed.
• Weekly Tuesday evening work bees, along with occasional weekend sessions, brought together volunteers to maintain the garden and build a welcoming community space.

• Volunteers created additional ollas and installed them in most raised beds (except for the wicking beds). Extra ollas were also made as replacements if needed, and some pavers were painted and stencilled to cover the top holes of the ollas.
• The hill garden was expanded and planted with additional herbs, vegetables, and ornamentals.
• In the pollinator garden areas, strawberry plants were moved to the edges of beds so they would be easier - especially for children - to harvest in spring. Bed centres were mulched with straw and wood chips.
• We used the remaining stock of Meeker’s Mix previously donated by Vale Ltd.. As this program was discontinued in 2025, we will explore other soil options in 2026, including additional composting.
• The City of Greater Sudbury donated wood chips, allowing us to mulch many garden beds. Volunteers completed six trailer loads and spread the chips throughout the garden.
• With support from the Twin Forks Neighbourhood Association, we purchased a battery-powered electric lawnmower.
• Additional work included:
  • Repairing several raised garden beds
  • Creating more bilingual plant markers
  • Planting new beds with native pollinator plants
• The Creator Turtle Garden was fully rejuvenated. Stones were lifted, the base levelled with crusher dust, and stones washed and replaced. Coloured mulch was added, and a drainage pipe installed to redirect water away from the garden. Volunteers from the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee helped with this major effort.
• On July 19–20, the garden was featured as a stop on the Sudbury Horticultural Society garden tour.
• A protected flyer box was installed so visitors can learn about volunteer opportunities. A volunteer also donated a bat house purchased through a Junction Creek Stewardship Committee fundraiser, which will be installed in spring 2026.

• In July, the City of Greater Sudbury connected municipal water to the greenhouse through HCI grant funding.
• The new 10×12 shed was installed behind the greenhouse in spring 2025 thanks to generous support from the Twin Forks Neighbourhood Association and an anonymous donor.
• Discussions also began with the City about installing electrical power at the greenhouse, potentially supported by future HCI funding.

• Edging was installed along most crusher dust paths, improving accessibility and making the paths easier to maintain. Volunteers contributed more than 100 hours to complete this project.
• The accessible picnic table in the front garden area was also stained and refreshed.

• We hosted an olla-making workshop at the greenhouse in partnership with the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.
• More than 200 primary school students from Jean-Ethier-Blais and Holy Trinity participated in the Cultivate Your Neighbourhood program. Fifteen students from Sudbury Secondary School also planted a garden bed.
• Volunteers gathered for 20 weekly work bees on Tuesday evenings between May 6 and October 23, along with 25 additional daytime drop-in volunteer sessions to support ongoing garden projects.