L’Association Jardins Collectifs Ste. Rose has had to put its plans for a collective garden on the grounds of the Cap Vie Community Centre temporarily on hold.
The City of Laval has denied a permit for the project.
“When you want to change the landscape of a property, you need approval from the city,” said Carmen Cita, one of the co-organizers of the project. “We are planning to make mounds in the shape of stars to represent the vibrational energy in the area, but the city says that it is not legal to make a garden there. They tell us we’re going to have to wait for the new urban development plan, but right now it’s not legal. We are going to have to wait to see what’s going to happen.”
The City of Laval confirmed that they denied a permit for the project.
“You know that that garden was proposed for the yard in front of the building 367 Ste. Rose, next to a public road,” said Valerie Sauvé, a communications representative from the City of Laval. “According to bylaw L-2000, such a garden must be situated beside or at the back of a building. That’s why we refused to allow them to put the garden in the front yard, but they can put it at the side or the back of the building, no problem.”
When asked whether the regulation means that any garden in the front of any building in Laval is effectively illegal, Sauvé said that “landscaping is allowed, vegetable gardens are not.”
Cita said that no one from the city asked for her group’s plans, so she’s not sure what criteria they are using. She says that the group is very happy to create a landscaping plan instead of a garden plan.
Cita says that as long as they can combine permaculture principals with healing energy work to maximize production and save water while creating a beautiful space, she doesn’t mind what the project is called.
The St. Croix sisters who own Cap Vie also focus on alternative healing, which is why they agreed to have the group work with them.
Anyone who is interesting in being involved in the landscape plan can contact them via their Facebook page.
