Founding

During 2007-2008, through the community work of Cease Wyss (Vancouver Native Health Society), David Tracey (Vancouver Community Agriculture Network), Paula Luther (Farmers’ Market) and Jill Dalton (Cedar Cottage Food Network), residents from the neighborhood were brought together to discuss the creation of a new community garden on the vacant City lot near Victoria Drive and Hull Street and the adjacent site under the SkyTrain guideway managed by Translink.

This group of community members met almost weekly month after month, to learn together, to envision, plan and organize collectively. In May 2008, partnership between Vancouver Native Health Society (VNHS), Cedar Cottage Food Network (CCFN) and CCCG was established to put forward a proposal to Translink to request the use of said property for a community garden; as described in the proposal, “funding for this project is tied to local First Nation organizations”.

In June 2008, on behalf of VNHS, Cease Wyss signed the contract agreement for the garden with Translink, secured the first year payment of insurance. On August 10, 2008, Cease Wyss gave her blessings at the garden and celebrated the completion of the first garden bed with songs and drumming. Thus began the story of CCCG.