Community garden in Enterprise, N.W.T., a 'little oasis' amid 2023 wildfire wreckage

Among the charred trees, empty lots and piles of rubble in wildfire-ravaged Enterprise, N.W.T., there's still plenty of greenery to be found these days.

When wildfire tore through the small South Slave community a year ago, it spared the hamlet's community garden. The lot, which sits near some of the few buildings left standing last year, is now covered with rows of shrubs, vines and veggies. 

"It's like a little oasis," said Chaal Cadieux, a foreman with the hamlet. 

Klaudia Mika, a gardener for the hamlet, says she loves being able to play a part in the community project, bringing sustainable produce to residents. Plus, she says, the crops taste really good. 

"I like the onions, and the tomatoes are my babies," she said. "And the beet leaves — mmm, magic."

Mika works from about mid-May to the end of September caring for the crops, and the harvest is open to community members. She'll post on Facebook to say there is a bucket of produce ready to be taken and residents come by to collect their veggies. Cadieux and other workers and volunteers also deliver some of the harvest to residents around town and those displaced in Hay River. 

They also sometimes leave the garden's spoils at the hamlet office. 

Jessica Stanway, who works at the hamlet office, says that's good for residents who aren't on social media but can still enjoy some of the produce if they drop into the office. 

She says the staff at the office have gotten to enjoy the fruits of their labour too.

"One day we had a huge bucket full of green beans. It was actually kind of overwhelming how many green beans we had," she said. 

Stanway says she sees the garden as an example of a positive project, after last year's devastation in the community.

"Just something nice for the community to try and move forward," she said.

Russell Chase spearheaded the garden initiative, years ago, as a way for Enterprise to be more self-sufficient and to encourage residents to eat their veggies. 

He believes it was running by 2019 — but doesn't remember exactly when it started. 

Chase had been living about 18 kilometres outside of Enterprise before last year's fire. He said he farmed his own meat, grew his own veggies and produced his own power. 

"I realized that, if one person can do that then any small community can do it," he said. 

He says he believes the garden produces about 1,500 lbs of food for the community in a growing season.

Chase now lives in Peace River, Alta., but he says he still drives up to Enterprise every now and then to help out with the garden.  

For Mika, the gardener, it means something to have a shared project and a green space after last summer's fire.

"For people that went through this thing that we went through, it feels safe," she said. "There's people that are willing still to help, and you don't feel so lonely."