Volunteers who run Ottawa’s community gardens are raising concerns over updated agreements from the city, saying the requirements could make it more difficult for the gardens to remain in operation. There are more than 140 community gardens operating across the city, with nearly two dozen in city parks, where residents can rent plots to grow their own produce. Pastor Terry Orchard, with Britannia Baptist Church, says the congregation has had a garden plot at Michele Park in the city’s west-end for 12 years. Orchard says his church grows beans, zucchini, squash and peas, which are harvested mainly for single mothers. He also says they serve people from a range of backgrounds, including newcomers to Canada and residents of social housing. Now, after the city of Ottawa provided new agreements, he worries the requirements, which he says raise concerns about insurance, paperwork and potential liability for volunteers, could threaten the future of the gardens. “The city has brought forth a new five-year, 21-page contract, which is so restrictive that it is very hard to continue insurance wise, and some of the other regulations for community gardens are being killed by bureaucratic overload,” he says. “We have a five-year contract, but the insurance that you can get through the city is only for one year, and every year the people who are involved in running the gardens change. So, what happens if one year the contract is missed or not renewed, people could be liable if something happens in that garden.” The City of Ottawa says it is updating and standardizing its community garden agreements to reflect the program’s broader scope, which now includes greening initiatives beyond food gardening. “This is not a new transfer of liability, and there have been no recent changes to the City’s Community Partnership Insurance Program that reduce coverage for eligible groups,” says the city in a statement, noting eligible organizations can still access city land at no charge. “As part of this work, the City is helping community groups understand their governance, insurance and liability considerations. Unlike incorporated organizations, unincorporated groups are not legally separate from the people who run them, which means those individuals may face personal liability in certain circumstances. This potential risk exists independently of the new agreement. By clearly outlining these considerations, the City is helping groups understand their responsibilities and make informed decisions about their governance and insurance needs, including whether incorporation may be appropriate.” Orchard is urging the city to work with garden operators to find a solution that allows the gardens to continue. “At a time when the city is pushing sustainability, resilience, and green, these gardens are meeting those requirements,” he says. “I would encourage the city to limit the attempt to kill these sustainable gardens by bureaucratic overload and work with the community gardens to come up with a more rival solution, instead of letting it go now and letting the gardens die.”
