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with log benches and flowers; and raised berms that prevent kids from running
into each other in the small yard.
The current overall vision is to create an inner city oasis, blessing a community
with little existing greenspace. Given the schools hub role for the community,
the improved grounds would be available to the entire community including the
schools 140 students, its staff, the Dalhousie Daycare in the basement, afterschool YMCA program, Saturday Chinese programs, and residents.
Of course, ambitious ideas require funding. The school board tends to focus
more on the school itself rather than the grounds, says Mcguire. And the
community is poor so we decided to turn to donations again. St. Anthonys
began sending out proposals to a number of charitable organizations. Successes
followed. One was funds for mural development through Crime Prevention
Ottawas Paint it up program. Another was Evergreen providing funds through its
links with the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Program, which helps create
outdoor classrooms across the country. Ottawa Organic Farmers planted some
vegetables and free lessons for the students. Local MP Paul Dewar donated a
maple tree in May. Students also help, for example, through St. Anthonys
Weeding Wednesdays program.
Another answer came from Green Communities Canada which provided funding
for Ecology Ottawa to co-implement a new depaving project with St. Anthonys.
Appropriately named the Depave Paradise project, some 80 to 100 square
metres of school grounds was removed on June 20 -- after heavy equipment
broke up the pavement, over 30 community volunteers liberated the soil by
prying the asphalt up with hand tools.
Besides benefitting the school and community, Ecology Ottawa wants the project
to benefit the environment. Hard surfaces proliferate in modern urban
environments, says Clara Blakelock, Manager of Water Programs at Green
Communities Canada. We think that Depave Paradise will be an excellent model
for others for achieving environmental benefits such as increasing shade,
soaking up stormwater runoff and contamination, and increasing greenspace for
people, bugs, birds, and plants.
The June 2015 depaving day , received recognition from local media and even
attracted local politicians MP Paul Dewar, MPP Yasir Naqvi and Councillor
Catherine McKenney, as they kicked off the event. Come September, phase two
of the asphalt-to-oasis plan will take place as more volunteers will help in the
planting of new trees, shrubs and perennials. After that, the school grounds will
become a permanent outdoor classroom for the students and the community.
They will learn about how the city needs to do more to manage its water
resources. People will become more aware that being inner city doesnt have to
mean being concrete. And Dantes paradise will be a little closer.