On Friday, Sep. 26 at 1:30 p.m., UNB’s Green Society officially opened its new community garden to the public. All were welcome to the Grand Opening of the garden, located near the Canada Games Stadium on UNBSJ’s Tucker Park campus. Guests took in the promising garden while eating fresh and local produce donated by the owner of Kredl’s Corner Market, Dave Wolpin.
The community garden has been in the making since 2011. After years of planning and fundraising, the garden is finally complete and accessible to the UNB community as well as the greater Saint John area. With the help of Sean Haughian, leader of Green Society, Chris Callbeck, the Associate V.P. of Finance, and Kevin Simpson, the Director of Facilities Management, the community garden has become a reality.
While students, staff, and faculty formed and supported the Community Garden Committee, the production of the
garden was mostly due to the Administration, Facilities, and Capital Planning departments. Of course, the Green Society played a major role in the making of the garden, but it could not have been possible without the help and support of the community as a whole.
Seeds were ceremonially planted in the garden during the Grand Opening. These seeds will sprout into salad greens sometime next year, growing throughout the winter and representing the challenges that the Community Garden Committee faced when trying to make the garden happen. It was an extremely long process that was not at all easy for the community garden to come to fruition, and in a similar effort, the seeds will struggle to make it through the winter.
Although there is little currently planted in the garden, it will be in full use next year once spring comes around.
After Haughian provided some background information on the garden and what the Green Society will be planning for the coming year, Callbeck stated, “There is no question that if it wasn’t for Sean and his passion this wouldn’t have happened.”
To guarantee a plot for next year, make sure to contact the Green Society. With a plot, members of the community will be able plant what they please while enjoying the amazing garden provided by the UNBSJ staff and faculty.
For more information on the community garden and the UNB Green Society, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/UNB-Green-Society/158180802100
