[BCFSN] community gardens protocol in COVID19 era
Aaren Topley
aaren.topley at gmail.com
Thu Apr 2 12:52:14 EDT 2020
Hi Abra,
Good questions. Over the last year I've been working with the Public Health
Association of BC as their Provincial Manager for their Can You Dig It
program. Can You Dig It is a provincial community garden and urban growing
program. Over the last couple of weeks I've been working closely with the
City of Victoria to develop community garden protocol for COVID. Below my
signature is an email thread communicating the protocol to Community Garden
Coordinators and attached are some supporting documents.
If people are interested in having a more in-depth conversation about
community gardens in the face of COVID, I'm happy to set up a video call
for us.
In good food and health,
Aaren
Can You Dig It Provincial Manager,
Public Health Association of BC
*To:* Aaren Topley <sr.consultant at phabc.org>
*Subject:* City of Victoria Community Garden updates during COVID-19
Good morning community garden coordinators,
Please see the City of Victoria Community Garden Best Practices during
COVID-19 attached. Please circulate to your garden members and volunteers.
I have also attached the poster to have printed and visible at the
entrances of each community garden. In addition, please post the BCCDC Hand
Hygiene poster in the garden.
In order to reduce the risks, we strongly recommend to not share tools at
this time. Please advise members and volunteers to bring their own tools to
the garden and take them home when they leave. If there are no other
options than shared tools, please have strict sanitization protocols in
place (i.e. at the beginning and end of use).
Soap and water will suffice as cleaning agents for hoses and surfaces if
there is limited supply of sanitizer currently available.
As a reminder, the City of Victoria encourages community gardeners to
monitor the following resources for COVID-19 updates:
• City of Victoria
<https://www.victoria.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archives/2020-news/covid-19-information.html>
• Island Health
<https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/diseases-conditions/novel-coronavirus-information>
• BC Centre for Disease Control <http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/>
• Public Health Agency of Canada
<https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html>
Public health advice may change, so please check the above resources for
the most current information to protect you, your family and fellow
community gardeners.
Thank you, please reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
--
*Alex Harned*
Food Systems Coordinator
Parks, Recreation and Facilities
City of Victoria
1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC
V8W 1P6
T: 250.361.0621 C: 778.533.2934
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------------------------------
*From:* Alex Harned
*Sent:* March 20, 2020 4:35 PM
*To:* Aaren Topley <sr.consultant at phabc.org>
*Subject:* City of Victoria Community Garden updates during COVID-19
Good afternoon community garden coordinators,
The City of Victoria is taking the course of action to help slow the spread
of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and to flatten the impact curve on our health
care system. Following the advice from BC’s Public Health Officer for
social distancing and avoiding large groups, the City has decided to
postpone all public engagement events until further notice. This follows
the public health direction to cancel gatherings of 50 people or more.
“Federal and provincial health authorities have urged increased social
distancing measures and on March 16, 2020 the Prime Minister told Canadians
to ‘stay at home.’ That’s why the City is taking the measures within our
jurisdiction to limit contact between people and to keep our community safe
and healthy,” said Mayor Lisa Helps.
Steps taken to date by the City of Victoria (that relate to community
gardens):
· City of Victoria recreation programs and services offered at the
Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre and Royal Athletic Park will close at 5
p.m. on March 17, 2020 until further notice.
· The City is advising City-owned community and seniors centres,
which are run by independent non-profit societies, to close.
· All public engagement is postponed -- this includes any scheduled
open houses, workshops, meet-ups, and the Mayor’s Community Drop-In. Check
out the City’s engagement portal at engage.victoria.ca for the latest
information.
How this affects community garden operations moving forward:
- *Can You Dig It: Community Garden Coordinator Gathering* (scheduled
for mid-April) has been postponed until fall 2020
- PHABC and the City of Victoria will be offering an online "Community
Garden Coordinator Meet n' Greet" (stay tuned for Zoom invite) to happen on
Friday, April 17 at 1:00 - 3:00 PM
- The City is currently working on a guideline document, "Best Practice
for Community Gardens during COVID-19" to help direct how volunteers should
be managed and expectations for hygiene, social distancing, and cleaning
garden tools and surfaces as directed by BC Centre for Disease Control,
Island Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada (this document is
scheduled to be distributed next week).
- Water has been turned on early for all community gardens. Please let
me know if you have any questions or concerns about water.
- Leaf mulch deliveries for June 2020 are pending Parks services
availability, as we may soon be directed to only provide essential
services. I will keep you updated on this as soon as we know more
information.
- The Community Garden Volunteer Coordinator Grant's terms of reference
changes include expectations to offer public and private tours -- this
requirement will be postponed until further notice from Provincial Health
direction, as to abide by the social distancing standards and direction to
minimize large gatherings.
We understand to date that small gatherings of less than 10
people outdoors who are practicing 2-meter social distancing are currently
considered lower risk, but updates are emerging day to day.
We encourage monitoring the following resources for COVID-19 updates:
- Island Health
<https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/diseases-conditions/novel-coronavirus-information>
- BC Centre for Disease Control <http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/>
- Public Health Agency of Canada
<https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html>
Thank you, please let me know if you have any questions.
*Alex Harned*
Food Systems Coordinator
Parks, Recreation and Facilities
City of Victoria
1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC
V8W 1P6
T: 250.361.0621 C: 778.533.2934
On Thu, Apr 2, 2020 at 9:32 AM Abra Brynne <abrabrynne at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,,
> I am wondering if anyone has developed a protocol - particularly if it is
> recognized by a local authority (govt or health) to ensure that community
> gardens can continue during the pandemic. Seems to me that it would not be
> that hard to organize physical distancing but it would be good to
> collectively talk through issues like shared tools and other issues that we
> have not before had to deal with.
>
> any thoughts suggestions??
> thanks,
> Abra
>
> Abra Brynne
> abra at foodshed.ca
> 604 Gore Street West, Nelson, BC V1L 3H3
> Ph: 250.777.2480
> she | her | hers
>
> "Whoever suggested that good thinking should be in a straight line?"
> Brewster Kneen
>
> "Social justice does not come from passivity or non-caring. Justice must
> be struggled for. That is what life is, or should be all about - striving
> for justice. Not only or primarily as individuals, but as members of larger
> communities." Ursula Franklin
>
>
>
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--
Hyš'q̓a (Thank you)
--------
Aaren Topley
(He/Him)
~ I write in gratitude from the homeland of the Lkwungen people~
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