Montreal community gardeners say city can't keep up with demand

Forty years after the first community gardens were established in Montreal, gardeners say demand has outgrown the number of plots available across the island.

They say the city still needs to do more to ensure residents have a spot to grow their own vegetables. 

• Green roofs and 'agritecture' have potential to transform food supply in cities
• Montreal gardens bring paradise to downtown pavement
• Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to allow chickens

"There are not enough community gardens, and any threat to the community gardens that exists now, of course, should be of great concern to us all," said Jerry Bull, volunteer head of a community garden downtown which is one of two being displaced to make way for Ville-Marie Park.

In Centre-Sud, for instance, all 44 available plots are taken, while while another 55 people are on a waiting list.

Jean-François Blanchard, the volunteer head of the Centre-Sud Community Garden, said the key is to find a balance between development and the needs of citizens. 

Gardeners marked the 40th anniversary at an event on Saturday attended by Mayor Denis Coderre.

Coderre said it's not always easy to find space for new plots in locations where there is demand.

"There are available spots but people don't necessarily answer to them," he said. "And you have some others that would like to have a garden but they want some specific space and it's not necessarily available."

Still, Coderre said he will work to protect existing plots and create more in parts of town still waiting for community gardens.

Those with plots say the experience is about more than just gardening.

"When I run into people outside of the garden, in the neighbourhood, there's something because we garden together," said resident Kate Bush.