Land in Deep Cove donated as educating yard

The District of North Saanich has gained a donation of land from the estate of a extensive-time resident to be kept as a teaching backyard garden.

Sandra Mae Holloway remaining two adjacent properties in Deep Cove, collectively about 1.2 acres, to the district, as properly as $75,000. A person parcel fronts Wain Street and is partially fenced. It’s preserved in a purely natural state other than for vegetable garden plots, the district said.

The second parcel, at 10819 Madrona Dr., contains a resource shed and an orchard of fruit trees. Neither home has a home.

Holloway still left the land, which is referred to as the Noble Backyard in the group, to the district in her will, declaring she desired the a lot to be out there as a instructing back garden and orchard.

The Noble Back garden has been a destination for backyard garden club excursions in excess of the years, the district stated.

The land is now managed by the Circular Food and Farm Society of Vancouver Island, which also manages the district’s Sandown Agricultural Lands, 83 acres that ended up transferred to the district in 2017 to be utilised for sustainable food items creation.

The society is protecting the gardens and orchard in partnership with Camosun College’s horticulture software and its younger farmer program.

Council accredited a small-expression upkeep system for the assets Monday evening, which involves formalizing an settlement with the culture. The plan offers the district time to take a look at for a longer period phrase programs for the house by way of local community engagement and talks with the modern society, the district mentioned.

Workers anticipate to report back on a extended-phrase program, together with money implications for the district, subsequent calendar year. The money remaining to the district by Holloway’s estate will be applied for ongoing routine maintenance of the gardens.

Mayor Peter Jones reported he’s joyful the land is becoming transferred to the district.

“It’s lands that has been tiny agriculture for many, several years, and will continue on in that vein,” he reported.

Holloway put in most of her life in the Higher Victoria area, apart from for a temporary interval in the 60s when she lived in London, England, in accordance to her obituary. She was an avid gardener and discipline hockey player, and was selected to play for Canada at a single point. She attended St. Margaret’s Faculty from kindergarten to Quality 12 and later served on the school’s board.

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