The Allard Street Community Garden's Native Species Project provided the Garden this year, 2006, with native perennials, soil, Pro-Mix, lumber for raised beds, and flats of colourful annuals to further beautify the grounds.

This year we expanded the project to include Boston Avenue; 615 Bay St.; Adrian Drive; Shannon & Capp; Chapple-Albion and Second Line with various planter boxes, raises boxes, playground planter boxes and baskets).  These were planted up by Society members and family members living on site.

Sault Housing Corporation has constructed all the raised planter boxes ($700 value each) over the past 3 years, filled them with soil and installed metal brackets on their buildings for the hanging baskets as well as providing summer staff and access to a rototiller for the Society's other community work.  Special thanks to New North Greenhouses and Downing's Greenhouses for supplying plants.

We thank Steve Baum of Camp Korah, the Phoenix Outdoor Education Program of the Huron Superior School Board and Don McGorman for providing a team of much-needed hands for the creation of a children's garden located behind the cabana at the Second Line site.  The Housing Corporation provided lumber, screws, and soil for the four raised vegetable beds and several sheets of plywood for colourful murals to decorate the cabana's sides.  The gardens were initially planted up and maintained by Society members in June and the Metis Family Resource Centre and residents in the summer / early fall.  Suzanne Hanna coordinated a Children's Gardening program which ran weekly at the garden during the months of July and August.  Harvested veggies were shared amongst the various families and seniors.

The Allard St. Community Garden's Native Species Project provided monies to purchase lumber and supplies to construct two large raised garden beds at the northern entrance of the Second Line site.  They were planted up with a variety of native perennials and shrubs designed to attract birds.  Special thanks to the Guerrilla Gardeners who planted up the second border using the light of the moon, Steve McGuire of the Regent Property Management who supplied used carpet for underlining the pathways, the City Park staff who supplied wood chips to cover the carpet, the Kids Being Kids Summer Staff, Rona Cashway, Bella Casa, Rome's Independent Grocer's Garden Centre and New North Greenhouses.

In 2007, we hope to streamline the plantings through the standardization of the planting schemes, ordering the plants in volume and hosting a Planting Day to do up all the hanging baskets for the various sites.  The Housing Corp. intends on topping up soil levels and providing some transportation.

Good things happen when everyone pulls together!

The Sault Housing Corporation donated $200 towards garden expenses for the satellite program at Second Line.

Members continue to meet every 2 weeks for work bees, general meetings and Potluck Socials under the Shade Structure.

Don McGorman and various community volunteers continue to maintain the Compost Demonstration site.

Organizations involved include:

Special thanks to Local 2724 who donated monies towards the construction of a new wheelchair accessible, raised planter bed that will be built in the spring of 2007 to accommodate 4+ individuals at the same time; to Jenna, the Red Cross summer student who helped us during the month of August; to all who donated plants, materials, time and effort.

Horrendous vandalism to the community Tool Shed on November 11th, 2006, resulted in cracked, melted or burn-to-ash the entire shed contents valued at over $3,000 - membership lost just about everything but not hope.

Due to the reporting efforts of Brian Kelly of the Sault Star, the Sir James Dunn Construction class (under Greg Horsford) became aware of our plight and received permission from the School Board to construct a larger shed for the garden.  They are hoping to install the shed in February 2007.  Heartfelt thanks to all those who have donated monies, tools or gardening supplies. 

A summer bulb fundraising campaign will be carried out in the spring to raise additional monies for the replacement of the lumber used in the construction of the 32 raised beds in the lower part of the garden.

The Native Species Project, funded by Wal-Mart Evergreen in 2005, led to the creation of two native species gardens at the Allard Street Community Garden as well as the development of public education materials and garden signage.

Once again, Veronica Bahun lined up volunteers from our Society (and a few we didn't recognize but would like to thank!) to assist Gerry Ouelletee, the site groundskeeper, with the planting of flowers at the Cross garden.   The Lighted Cross Organization received an OHA Community Improvement Award for their efforts!