March 19, 2026 ·
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Support comes through Caledon’s Climate Action Fund
By Riley Murphy
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Alton Village Association has been running its Community Gardens and ButterflyWay Projects for years now, and it’s able to continue its efforts thanks to full funding from the Town of Caledon’s Climate Action Fund.
The Climate Action Fund provides grant funding to eligible entities to implement projects that address climate change in Caledon and align with the targets and objectives of the Resilient Caledon Climate Change Action Plan.
In 2011, a lease agreement was signed between the Town of Caledon and the Alton Village Association (AVA), and funding was obtained from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the construction of Alton Village Square.
The Alton Village Square is owned by the Town of Caledon and managed by the AVA.
For the next 15 years, the AVA built and maintained the garden beds, expanded their vegetable gardens, educated the community on food security, and much more.
A large part of their efforts is also towards their ButterflyWay Project.
In 2021, the Town of Caledon was recognized by the David Suzuki Foundation as a
Butterflyway community, and inspired by the efforts across Caledon, the Alton Village
Butterflyway became an initiative of the Alton Village Association.
Butterflyway is a volunteer-led movement growing habitat for bees and butterflies in neighbourhoods throughout Canada through the David Suzuki Foundation.
The Butterflyway Project helps people create pollinator habitat in their neighbourhoods, as wild pollinators such as butterflies and bees are crucial to human survival and are constantly impacted by climate change, land development, and pesticides, explains the Foundation.
The AVA has worked to help residents build their own native Butterflyway gardens to bring
birds, bees and butterflies back to the community.
They share that their mission statement is to build, maintain and promote a network of community gardens, starting with the Alton Village Square, that will meet the purposes of the AVA “to work collectively to protect and enhance the quality of life, the environment and the character of the community of Alton, its residents and businesses.”
Also part of the mission is to support projects in their communities that align with the targets and objectives of the David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway and the Resilient Caledon Climate Change Action Plan.
Now, the Town of Caledon has approved this year’s AVA’s application to the Climate Action Fund for full funding, allowing them to carry on their efforts in the community.
The volunteers, residents, and businesses who run and contribute to the gardens and ButterflyWay work to create a native habitat and community vegetable gardens that add character to their neighbourhood, promote well-being and foster a spirit of community pride.
Julie Pomeroy, Director with the Alton Village Association, joined the project 12 years ago.
When she began gardening, she noticed the lack of insect life around her and, through research and with the help of Credit Valley Conservation, learned about dramatic insect decline.
“I learned about the neonicotinoids, the insecticides that they treat the seeds with, and the problems it was causing for pollinators and ecosystems, and call it death by a thousand cuts,” says Pomeroy.
After learning about the designation of Butterflyway in Bolton, she signed up to become a butterfly ranger with the David Suzuki Foundation and a pollinator steward with Pollinator Partnership to help bring it to her community.
“I’ve been directly involved with the gardens and the Butterflyway program in the village square. The support that we get through the funding grants, like the Town’s Climate Action Fund has really helped us expand the program. We’re pretty excited about what we’re planning for this year,” says Pomeroy.
To see the gardens and Alton’s Butterflyway grow to where they are now compared to twelve years ago, Pomeroy says, is satisfying.
“There’s so many benefits to the community to have the gardens,” she says.
She’s even been able to watch residents and local businesses start their own Butterflyways.
“We’re looking at other locations, public spaces as well, to expand into, because of course, for pollinators, it’s all about the network,” she adds.
For Pomeroy, she says this is her passion, and her way to give back to the world.
Now, with the Climate Action Fund, the AVA can put the wheels in motion on many of its 2026 objectives, such as adding two new raised-bed gardens, three trellises to support squash and beans, educational signage, and improvements to online communications.
It will also assist with the purchase of native plants and the ongoing general maintenance of the gardens.
In 2026, the AVA also hopes to continue building and improving the native habitat, Butterflyway, and fruit and vegetable gardens for residents and visitors to enjoy and learn from.
A large part of what they also hope to bring is the education aspect.
In the past, they have brought school groups in to learn about gardening, and in the future, they hope to continue this through signage, gatherings, educational workshops, webinars, youth mentorship programs, plant and seed giveaways/sales, and garden tours.
“Food and agriculture is really important in Caledon,” says Pomeroy. “So many people go to do a food shop at big stores all the time, and you never think about where the food is actually coming from and what it has to go through to get to that point where they can buy it to put on the table. That part of it is important.”
A lot of their communications and educational efforts are aimed at bringing the community in and engaging them with AVA’s projects.
“It’s all about community,” says Pomeroy. “We don’t have a lot of ways to raise funds and this is a benefit for the community and, for the Town, there’s so many reasons that native plants help us become climate resilient.”
Pomeroy encourages the community to get involved; those interested can check out the group on Facebook or on their website to learn more.
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