The Willow Creek Community Garden is receiving funding for a project involved with the new senior's lodge in Meadow Lake. (File photo,meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Elliott Knopp

WCCG Funding

Willow Creek Community Garden receiving financial assistance with senior’s lodge project

May 20, 2021 | 4:23 PM

The Willow Creek Community Garden (WCCG) has received a $5,000 grant from the Meadow Lake Park and Recreation Board. The funding is being used to cover the costs of a project designed to bring garden beds to the Northland Pioneer Lodge once the facility has been completed.

Pat Morley, garden coordinator at Willow Creek Community Garden, said the project focuses on providing seniors experiencing transportation challenges with access to garden beds.

“Now is the time to be addressing this need because they’re building the new facility,” Morley said.

“The raised beds are on legs that they can move with a wheelchair. Knowing [the residents] couldn’t come out to the garden, we thought the best thing would be to take it to them so they can make use of it at their facility.”

Morley mentioned herself, along with the rest of the board, were requested to meet with people in the dietary department of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. She explained authorities involved in this project were looking into what could be done to provide patients with activities before deciding to install accessible garden beds at the lodge.

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She added the gardens will provide residents at the facility with the freedom to grow and care for any items of their choosing.

“It’s up to them to decide what they want to do with it. Whether they want to have some colour and flowers, have some greens, that’s totally up to them. We’re just providing the means for them to make use of it. They’re going to be hiring staff specifically to build this into their project, and that’s another reason why it’s an important step at this time,” Morley explained.

“My whole idea behind the community garden is to provide mentorship and a way for the community to come together and grow a healthier lifestyle. This is just one extension of something that the community garden project as a whole is helping the community.”

Running exclusively off of donations and financial contributions, Morley stated the WCCG frequently looks for opportunities to give back to the community. She said this project reflects how much the community supports local organizations and their efforts to create positive change in the community.

“We’re working together to give back to not just our own community garden group, but also to the community as a whole by providing extra produce to the Door of Hope, the seniors, family services, any place that we have the opportunity to give back to the community,” Morley stated.

“All of the donations that we are getting from the community are just such a wonderful thing. NorSask [Forest Products Inc.] has been donating lumber to us to rebuild the fence, fix the old raised beds, picnic tables. It’s just a wonderful project that the community as a whole is coming together to make work.”

meadowlakeNOW has reached out to several sources involved in this project and has not received a response at time of publication.