Ensuring all people have access to affordable, culturally
diverse, fresh and nutrient-rich foods is vital to the overall health of
the community. Regent Park has a long history of food advocacy. In the 1980s, the high cost to buying fresh food was identified as a barrier to good nutrition, so the Regent Park Community Health Centre,
along with the CRC, negotiated various green spaces in Regent Park to convert
them to urban gardens. Well over 300 families worked on their own allotted gardens
and grew foods for their families.
What we found was we had some excellent urban farmers living in Regent Park. They’ve been able to grow such foods as okra, black pepper, and even rice!
However, we also knew that not everyone
could farm nor did we have the space to ensure there was enough room to grow
food for everyone who lives in the community. Developing food security
initiatives has therefore long been a priority for Regent Park.
Currently, there are several new projects that are
working to enhance food security for the community. The new Food Centre at the
Christian Resource Centre and the Regent Park Farmers’ Market are just a few of
the initiatives that are coming into the neighbourhood this year.
Even more food initiatives will be developing
alongside the completion of Regent Park park and still more when the Athletics
Grounds are complete.
With the support of long-serving community
agencies, urban farming continues to be a vital tool for many residents, and we are excited to see the new food projects being initiated in Regent Park -- especially the Regent Park Farmers’ Market, which launches today! Make sure to stop by and check out the flyer on our website for more information.
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