March 12, 2026 ·
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By JAMES MATTHEWS
Orangeville’s Centre Street will soon be abuzz with activity.
The municipality and Dufferin County have agreed to a partnership to establish a pollinator garden at 30 Centre Street. The bed size will be about 150 square feet, and town council agreed during its March 9 meeting to earmark $6,000 for the work.
That location is recommended for the town’s first such garden because it is a high-visibility location conducive to community engagement. It will also maximize ecological and operational benefits, according to a report to council.
The location is adjacent to the community garden, where increased pollinator presence can directly support garden productivity through pollination activities.
A report to town council highlights that the site is situated within a strong ecological environment, with full-sun exposure and proximity to a water source, Mill Creek. It will be part of a broader native plant corridor that will reinforce habitat value and connectivity.
The municipality will convert an existing garden rather than add a new one.
It comes “at a time when parks resources are under increased demand due to the transition of additional gardens from the Horticulture Society, while also supporting community alignment with the Horticulture Society and other municipal partners,” according to the report.
It was previously recommended that the pollinator garden be established along the Mill Creek Trail south of Montgomery Boulevard between Chapman Road and Gooseberry Street.
The proposed new location, 30 Centre Street, is county-controlled land. The town and Dufferin County already have an agreement governing the land’s use through the community garden.
“Given that there are currently agreements in place establishing the use of some of the spaces and that this location is (of) high visibility, it was determined that the pollinator garden located in this area would be a natural fit,” according to the report.
Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor broached a second part of the report that indicates municipal staff will assume maintenance of the pollinator garden, as was done with the community garden.
“We don’t do a great job at this overall,” Taylor said. “They tend to get missed or it falls apart a little bit. My fear is that here’s one more thing that the town has taken on.”
The site used to be maintained by a group “of hardy volunteers,” he said.
“My concern is will we do a good job at this?” Taylor said. “Do we have the staff set up?”
He said his concern wasn’t meant to disparage town staff that will have a presence at the pollinator garden. He simply wants to ensure the best possible job is done on the project.
Tim Kocialek, the town’s infrastructure services general manager, said a pollinator garden needs little maintenance.
Katherine Rog, the town’s senior climate and sustainability specialist, said pollinator gardens are typically self-sustaining after about three years.
“That’s the beauty of these gardens,” Rog said.
The town inherited five of its 12 gardens from the horticulture society. Staff decided to simply repurpose one of those parcels as the pollinator site.
“So we’re not creating a new garden,” Rog said. “We’re updating one of the existing gardens that we will be inheriting.”
The Centre Street location is pretty handy to the Orangeville Transit bus transfer station. Taylor asked if a pollinator garden in such proximity would create problems.
Rog said that would be doubtful, given that there are already pollinators at the site to serve the community garden there.
She said there are more pollinating insects than bees. But concerns about bees so close to transit riders can be addressed.
“In the future, if there is that issue, we will consider that and update the garden accordingly,” Rog said.
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