Dear President Marsden, Vice-president Clark, Dean Victor, Mr. Arthurs and other members of the Land Use Coordinating Group,

I represent the 100 community gardens and 4,500 community gardeners of Toronto through our organization, the Toronto Community Garden Network. We link and support community gardeners and their gardens, encouraging a vibrant communit gardening movement in Toronto. I have recently become aware that York University's Land Use Coordinating Group has plans to remove the Maloca Community Garden and replace it with a parking lot. I was very disturbed to hear this because I believe it sends a signal that the university does not value the very things that any and every community garden represents: building healthy communities through communication and connection between people of different cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds. Community gardening is about more than just growing vegetables. It is one of the best social development tools for building strong communities and connecting people of diverse cultures. Toronto needs more, not fewer, opportunities to strengthen our communities. Our city government recognizes the value of this activity. The Toronto City Council has passed and is currently implementing a community garden action plan which will result in a community garden in every ward within the next year. Across North America other cities are implementing similar bylaws. For York University to act in opposition to recognized urban planning best practices is rather surprising considering that the faculty of Environmental Studies has several professors who are also interested in the value of community gardening and many, many students who are focusing their research on this area as well.

You may not be aware that Maloca is a study site in two important urban research projects . It is a partner with the Seeds of Our City Project which is funded by the Urban Issues Program of the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation. Through that project, it is involved in the CURA project that is a partnership of York University and the University of Toronto under Professors David Bell and Beth Savan. Maloca also has significant support and community partnerships with other community, food security and environmental organizations: OPIRG, FoodShare Toronto, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Multicultural History Society of Ontario, Afri-Can FoodBasket, City of Toronto Parks and Recreation, City of Toronto Food Policy Council, Greenest City, Seeds of Diversity, Farm Radio Network, as well as our organization, the Toronto Community Gardening Network

I urge you to reconsider this plan or, at the very least, provide the Maloca garden with a new and suitable home with all possible speed. Time is of the essence and any delay at this critical time could result in the loss of this year's planting season. I am sure that with York's considerable property, a much better site could be found for the Maloca Community Garden.

Sincerely,

Laura Berman

Chair, Toronto Community Garden Network
238 Queen St. West
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1Z7
Phone: (416) 392-1668
Fax: (416) 392-6650
email: cgnetwork@foodshare.net
web:   www.foodshare.net