Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

The City of Gatineau will provide $79,200 in funding this summer to support 24 community and
collective gardens across its territory, continuing a municipal commitment that spans five
decades. The initiative supports local food production, promotes sustainability, and strengthens
community ties through accessible urban agriculture.

In Aylmer, several well-established gardens are poised to benefit, including Jardin collectif
North, Jardin communautaire Deschênes, and Jardin aux saveurs du monde. Each is
coordinated by a local non-profit, such as Enviro Éduc-Action, Groupe communautaire
Deschênes, and the Regroupement des cuisines collectives de Gatineau.

Jardin collectif North stands out as the city’s only fully collective garden, operating without
individual plots. Instead, members share the responsibilities of planting, maintaining, and
harvesting as a community. The garden is working to raise awareness of its model among
residents of Aylmer, particularly targeting populations that may not have easy access to
gardening space.

Over the past two years, the garden has partnered with the CISSS de l’Outaouais to make the
space more accessible to seniors living at the nearby CHSLD d’Aylmer. A gate was installed last
summer to connect the two sites, and with this year’s funding, plans are to construct a paved
gazebo to better accommodate residents with reduced mobility during the 2025 growing season.

In addition to expanding accessibility, the garden is also focused on increasing membership
among low-income households and newly arrived immigrants. The aim is to foster a space
where diverse agricultural knowledge can be shared and where food-growing skills contribute to
both individual well-being and collective resilience.

Municipal funding also supports a range of operational needs at Jardin collectif North, from
purchasing organic seedlings and offering workshops, to maintaining critical infrastructure like
greenhouses, sheds, and irrigation systems. The garden’s sustainability efforts include a pedal-
powered compost initiative, Pédale au Compost, which collects food waste from local
businesses to produce compost for use on-site.

Elsewhere in Aylmer, Jardin à l’assiette—a project run by the Regroupement des cuisines
collectives de Gatineau—has already been approved for an additional $15,000 in support. The
funds will go toward constructing raised garden beds aimed at improving access to fresh
produce and offering hands-on food education.

Beyond Aylmer, the city has announced the creation of two new gardens in Hull: Jardin collectif
du Shamal and Jardin communautaire Laurent-Groulx. These additions will bring the total
number of supported gardens this season to 24 and will be reflected in an updated municipal ​
map of community and collective gardens later this year.

Gatineau’s Community and Collective Garden Support Framework offers annual assistance for
operational costs, infrastructure renewal, and program development. While demand for garden
plots continues to grow—especially in urban sectors like Aylmer—these green spaces
increasingly serve not just as sites of food production but also as places for education,
connection, and community-building.

Photo: Gatineau is investing over $79,000 to support 24 community gardens this summer, with a
strong focus on accessibility, inclusion, and food sustainability in the Aylmer sector. (TF) Photo:
courtesy of Jardin collectif North