Led by Ecosource in collaboration with TRCA and Starlight Investments, a Local Food Action Project was delivered as part of the Tower Demonstration project in Burnhamthorpe SNAP.
Located at 1315 Silver Spear Road in Mississauga, owned by Starlight Investments, this food-focused environmental initiative involved the installation of two accessible garden beds and delivery of microgreen growing kits to residents in the building.
In 2019, a summer tenant engagement event was held as part of the broader tower demonstration project to seek tenant ideas on building resilience and desired Ecosource-led action project, generate ideas for community programming, and connect tenants with local services.
The team engaged 100-plus youth and adult community members to vote on structures they would like to see implemented inside and outside the buildings. The results of this engagement revealed local interests and informed the design of the action project.
Three in-lobby booths were set up in the summer of 2020 to encourage participation, meet residents, and identify interested volunteers and leaders.
Above left: Accessible garden beds installed at 1315 Silver Spear Road; right: in-lobby booth, summer 2020.
Images courtesy of Ecosource.
This project formed part of the broader neighbourhood-scale tower program and demonstration project aimed at facilitating water, energy and landscape retrofits and community co-benefits at older tower properties in the Burnhamthorpe SNAP area of Mississauga.
Key Outcomes
- Installation of two accessible garden beds
- 85-plus households receiving microgreen indoor growing kits
- Three in-lobby table displays to connect with tenants and encourage involvement
- 100-plus tenants engaged in summer event to identify a community action project and connect them with other local community programming
- Development of a long-term sustainability plan for management of the garden
Partners on the project continue to engage tenants at the sites, and look for opportunities to implement additional sustainability measures.
This is initiative was a collaboration with TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program and funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation and United Way of Greater Toronto.
QUESTIONS?
For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Rivera
Sustainability Education Manager, Ecosource
(905) 274-6222 ext. 309 | srivera@ecosource.ca
Shannon Logan, Senior Program Manager, Sustainable Neighbourhoods
(647) 284-1583 | shannon.logan@trca.ca
Partners:
Starlight Investments | Ecosource | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) | Ontario Trillium Foundation