The Government of Ontario designated essential services that are allowed to operate during the pandemic. Community gardens weren’t on the list.

On April 15, Grey Highlands Councillor Danielle Valiquette presented a motion to Grey Highlands Council to ask the Government of Ontario to designate community gardens as essential services, since they play a key role in food security. Given the urgency of the issue now that planting season is near, the Council waived its requirement that a notice of motion be presented one meeting in advance of a vote on the motion, and voted to ask that community gardens be designated as essential.

Councillor Valiquette, as well as members of the Grey Highlands Climate Action Group, encourage municipalities, climate groups and individuals from across the region and the province to write to Premier Ford and the local MPP in support of designating community gardens as essential.

British Columbia had also excluded immunity gardens from its list of essential services, but reversed that decision in the face of public support for the crucial role of community gardens.

source: The Village Green