A Community Gardening and Food Security Program for Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario
The Melgund Township Community Food Security and Gardening Program is a multi-faceted initiative designed to strengthen local food systems, promote healthy living, and foster youth engagement across the region. Situated in Northwestern Ontario, Melgund Township faces unique challenges in access to fresh, nutritious foods, particularly during the long winter months.
This program transforms underutilized community spaces to establish gardens, greenhouses, and outdoor food-growing areas, ensuring residents have reliable access to fresh produce while strengthening community ties.
Central to the program is a focus on youth engagement and recreation-based learning. Local youth will participate in hands-on gardening, harvesting, and food preservation activities, cultivating skills in sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. By integrating these activities into structured recreation programs and seasonal camps, participants not only gain practical skills but also develop a deeper connection to the land and community, supporting long-term resilience and leadership.
The program also emphasizes community-wide participation and collaboration. Residents are invited to contribute to planting, maintenance, and harvest, fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. Community workshops will cover topics such as composting, greenhouse management, traditional food preparation, and small-scale food preservation, creating knowledge-sharing opportunities and reinforcing sustainable food practices across all ages. The gardens will serve as hubs for social and recreational interaction, providing a space for communal engagement and learning.
This program is informed by prior and ongoing recreation, arts and community-based participatory research supported by the ArcticNet Network Centre of Excellence, the Public Health Agency of Canada, The Government of Canada’s Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program, the Nunavut Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Manitoba Agriculture, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Global Dignity Canada, the University of Guelph, Nuclear Waste Management Organization, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, Isuma TV, the University of Montreal, the University of Victoria Community Based Research Lab, the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the OpenAI Researcher Access Program, the Aqquiummavvik Society, the Arviat Film Society, Lakehead University and the University of the Arctic.
2025-2026 Programs
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