'It will make a big difference': Pointe-Claire, Que. plants memorial garden to honour COVID-19 victims
In Pointe-Claire, Que., people are planting a tree for every victim of COVID-19.
A "Memorial Orchard" is in the works and the fruit will go to food banks. It started as a small idea, but has grown into a generous plan.
Susan Weaver is a local potter with a love of gardens — vegetable gardens that feed families. Weaver donates most of the bounty she grows in her Pointe-Claire backyard. Months ago, Susan asked her city to do some planting too, this time with trees.
"A lot of people died of COVID," she said. "People in our community. I knew of two people and I asked a council meeting if they could plant trees in memory of the victims of COVID-19."
The City of Pointe-Claire agreed and even grew the idea. They quickly announced that a Memorial Orchard facing the Bob Birnie arena was being planted with extra vegetable gardens, too.
"There were approximately 80 people that passed away from COVID and everybody is growing vegetables for food banks," said Mayor John Belvedere. "So, why don't we plant fruit trees and create an orchard and put them all together?"
He calls it a solidarity orchard.
"We'll plant 80 fruit trees — apples, plums and pears — and we'll donate that food to the West Island Mission, which will feed other food banks and citizens of Pointe-Claire," he said.
Trees to be planted in September will take time to bear fruit, but the gardens are already growing well.
Suzanne Scarrow of The West Island Mission said they are grateful for this upcoming harvest.
"In the West Island, there is a vulnerable population that is suffering from food insecurity so we serve a database of 250 active families," said Scarrow. "Our families come to West Island mission to shop. They come through and do their own shopping and choose what they like, want, and need for their family as opposed to just being delivered a box."
The solidarity garden isn’t the first in the area.
The mission relies on many volunteers and gardeners who help get fresh produce into the food banks.
"The fruit trees will just supplement that and the stuff in the raised beds, they've planted squash, eggplant and zucchinis," said Scarrow. "It will make a big difference."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.