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Project is a collaboration between SDSS Eco Club members and community volunteers
Published Sep 22, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
Leif Wahlquist and Rory Auster (from left) are two of the Stratford District secondary school Eco Club students who volunteered to work in this community garden. Bill Atwood/Beacon Herald jpg, SF, apsmcArticle content
It wasn’t the ideal place to plant at first.
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But after a couple of years of effort, this 15-metre-by-15-metre plot of land at the corner of Matilda and Smith streets has become one of the city’s best gardens.
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Recognized recently by the city’s Communities in Bloom committee, the garden — known formally as the West Village/SDSS Eco Club Urban Farm — came about as a true collaboration between members of the Stratford District secondary school Eco Club and a few volunteers from the neighbourhood.
They took a flood-prone site in the city’s northwest, and through their efforts, created a thriving community garden.
“The biggest challenge was the fact that this area here, anytime it rained, became a lake,” said former teacher Christine Ritsma, who, until she retired earlier this year, was the staff adviser for the Eco Club.
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With some city-provided soil to overcome the flooding, as well as a few several raised beds to mitigate what Ritsma described as a “stream of gravel,” the garden now features rows of vegetables and even some fruit, including strawberries, blackberries, cherries and a few apple trees.
“We found that the squash grows well (in the gravel). We also got the raised beds and put the composter on it because we can’t grow anything else on it. We found with this plot that, just because it’s been grass doesn’t mean it will be productive,” Ritsma said.
“It’s doing really, really well (now).”
Members of the Eco Club met twice a week during the summer months to tend to the garden and continue to do so on Saturday mornings since school started. For Rory Auster, working in the garden is a chance to do something they enjoy but don’t have an opportunity to do at home.
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“We don’t have much of a good garden space, and it’s hard to keep up with. Saturdays, when I come out, it’s just really nice to see all the progress,” Auster said.
While Leif Wahlquist does have a garden at home, he still makes an effort to help out with the shared garden.
“I like coming here. It’s really chill working on the garden,” Whalquist said.
Tim Elliott is one of the residents who has been involved since the beginning, tending to the garden while also providing compost from his home. The project has been both a great community initiative for the neighbourhood while giving the community volunteers an opportunity to meet young people, Elliott said.
“We all benefit from hanging out with young people and to have a common project — a common goal — where we’re moving earth and spreading wood chips and looking after the compost and just being together on the cause of food . . . and it’s really great to connect with them,” he added.
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Ritsma agreed with that sentiment, noting the ability to communicate across generational lines has deteriorated since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s really important to gain knowledge and learn how to collaborate and communicate with people of a different generation,” she said.
The collaboration began shortly after the Eco Club members began thinking about a community garden. After contacting the city about possible sites, the club was referred to the West Village residents about the potential collaboration.
Now with its ongoing success, Ritsma sees the garden as something that can benefit the wider community. While some of the produce is shared between Stratford District secondary school culinary classes, area food banks and local churches, the rest is available for anyone to take.
“Anybody in this area can come and, if they want to help or if they want to grab some food, (they can), Ritsma said.
The recent recognition from Communities in Bloom shows the garden was a worthwhile initiative to take on, Auster added.
“It shows it’s important to the community and it’s important to people,” Auster said.
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