'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
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.