Potential sites
From PermaWiki
Important Characteristics of Project Sites
This is a list of the qualities we feel are most important when selecting the sites upon which we will focus this summer. We will use this list to prioritize the potential sites listed below. This list is not sorted by order of importance.
- Fertility (soil contamination? shade? soil compaction?)
- Accessibility (central location? can it be visited at any time?)
- Visibility (how much attention could it get, from passers-by, etc.?)
- Sovereignty (how much freedom would we have to implement permaculture methods? e.g. would there be a landlord to negotiate with?)
- Opportunity level (grey/rainwater? compost toilets? trees? bioremediation?)
- Long-term stability (risk of eviction or loss of land?)
- Security (risk of vandalism, theft, etc.?)
- On-site resources and infrastructure (raised-beds, roof for rainwater collection, shed for storage, ponds, trees, vertical space, etc.)
- On-site caregiver (to take care of the day-to-day tasks such as watering)
- Community-building opportunities (connection with other groups/individuals, creation of meeting place?)
Potential Permaculture Sites
If you know of any other sites where permacultural intervention would be welcomed, please add them to the list. As we gather more information about these and other sites we will expand the descriptions and prioritize our activities for the summer.
Sites that the MPG will be involved in
- MUCS Courtyard Garden
Description: A second-year container garden in the MUCS courtyard
Opportunities: Design, improve the container system, maintain a garden, demonstration site, rainwater
Challenges: very shady; must cooperate with multiple stakeholders (neighbours, landlord, etc.)
- Site in Old Montreal (after discussion with landowner)
Description: empty lot; was once the site of a building, so likely compacted.
Opportunities: establish a park, cob bench, nice space for people passing by. Gets lots of traffic as it is in a busy part of Old Montreal.
Challenges: surrounded by buildings, no protection of garden, no longterm security, need to discuss with owner what he's comfortable with, etc. Probably not great for food since no one would live there to harvest, best for enjoyment, not edible plants.
Location: Old Montreal
Sites that will be tended by some MPG members, however the rest of the group may be involved
- Eleuthera's yard
Description: 2nd year vegetable garden in a sunny backyard
Opportunities:food, ponds(?), rainwater harvesting, mushrooms, fruit trees, design.
Location: NDG
- Donna's yard (Chris and Rosemary)
Description: currently lawn, "useless" plants
Opportunities: establish a garden, espalier fruit trees, hedges. Donna will pay for plant costs and do maintenance of garden.
Location: NDG (corner Maisonneuve and Belgrave)
- Heartroot Farm (Kyra)
Description: 240 acre farm owned by Kyra's family
Opportunities: farming, design, very open to new projects and visits
Location: Eastern Townships, about 2,5 hours from Montreal
- Student Garden
Description: Steve and his homies will be heading a number of projects as they have received funding for this student-run garden: comparing different kinds of mulch, growing food intensively, building a treadle pump to move water through a drip irrigation system, weekly workshops on 'ecological agriculture', build a GIANT outdoor vermicoposter, build a bike powered grain grinder (to make flour.. or grind to grits).
Location: Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
Opportunities: Would love help for workshops, also "blitz-style day adventures"!
- Coop du Grand Orme Garden (Steve)
Description: a cooperative store in the West Island wants to establish a permaculture garden on their site. They have a gardening committee working on it, would love help
Opportunities: vertical cucumbers, vertical potatos, native herb garden, fruit trees, mushrooms. Gardening committee could use some help; "blitz-style" work projects.
Location: Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
- Centre Social Autogéré's Squat (Chris, Heather and Marina)
Description: A community group will squat a building and would like to permaculturize the space
Opportunities: Design, container gardening, composting toilet, chickens?, bees?, wastewater, rainwater
Challenge: No longterm security for space
- St.-Henri raised bed community garden (Marion)
Description: Bioremediation opportunities.
MUSErs who have volunteered space
See correspondence on Google Group.
Other sites involving cooperation with other groups, not a priority
See archive.
Sites to be visited, potential workshop sites (not MPG garden projects)
- Jardin Collectif de St-Jerome (Collective garden)
Description: Collective garden in St-Jerome
Opportunities: Group welcomed to come once or several times for workshops, work days, etc. Fruit trees to be planted. New garden space to be prepared and designed. Can be during the week or the week-end.
Challenges: Compacted clay soil, Laurentians climate (Zone 4)
Location: St-Jerome, about 45 minutes N of Montreal
- Nina's farm
Description: 40a farm in the process of development
Opportunities: 1-2 day workshop on permadesign by helping make a design for the site
Location: near Hemmingford- about 1 hour SW of Montreal
