SPECIAL CEREMONY
New Aberdeen society remembers former municipal councillor
Glace Bay Community Garden dedicated in memory of the late Darrell Flynn.
The memory of a former municipal councillor will continue to grow as a result of a community project.
On Friday, the New Aberdeen Revitalization and Affordable Housing Society dedicated its new community garden in memory of the late Darrell Flynn.
Flynn, who represented District 10 on the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council, died July 6, 2016, as a result of complications related to pneumonia.
“I’m proud,” said Eileen Flynn, wife of the late Darrell Flynn, who attended the dedication. “I know it embodies everything he was about, giving back to the community, creating new things and helping other people. All those things embodied who he was so it’s so appropriate.”
Flynn said her late husband grew up on Wallaces Road and had a lot of friends and family in the area. “When he was councillor it was part of his district and he was really proud of that. Being part of that was really important to him.”
Jennifer Ludlow, society chair, said the garden was created this year on land which was once home to the Town Daycare on West Avenue. The garden is one of many projects the society plans to tackle.
“Working with Town Day Care, we were able to get this land and we worked with bayitforward who helped us with grant writing to get the startup for it.”
The society received $17,000 for the project through the Department of Community Services. The money was used to hire a student co-ordinator and paid for startup costs such as garden boxes and soil.
A garden club for youth was formed which focused on healthy living activities including building the garden, cooking with food from the garden and taking hikes.
Dedicating the garden in Flynn’s memory was an easy choice, said Ludlow.
“It wasn’t just that he was a councillor and school board member, he was so involved in the community, a big community person who was always volunteering and doing things for kids.”
Dist. 10 Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger said the garden is great and it is a fitting project.
“Darrell was a giver, he unselfishly gave from himself and he gave from his business,” he said.
“It is only fitting this garden is dedicated to him, a garden that
will continue to grow and to give to the community.”
Bruckschwaiger also commended the volunteers.
“Without volunteers in our community we would be hard pressed to offer half the stuff that goes on here.”
Al Moore, society secretary, said there are two parts to this project
— honouring the memory of Darrell Flynn who was a strong supporter of the society and it’s an example of how young people can build a garden through challenging summer conditions.
“For me that’s a tremendous example of learning citizenship first-hand, that you can’t give or teach them, it’s something they have to earn. This year they earned it. They put in a very difficult summer and it’s all coming to fruition now.”
David MacKeigan, vice-president of bayitforward, said this project is an example of community development, involving the youth and partners such as the New Aberdeen society, Town Daycare, bayitforward and Relays, which constructed the garden boxes.
“There’s a lot of groups who came together to make it happen and in memory of Darrell Flynn. Everyone loved Darrell. Darrell loved kids and this all came together for him.”
Brandon Jolie, 22, the garden co-ordinator, helped set up the program and healthy living activities from gardening to hiking.
“It was all about teaching kids about a healthy lifestyle.”
Next week a cooking workshop will be held and the participants will cook a meal for their families using food harvested from the garden.
The garden includes a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, beans, onions, tomatoes and broccoli as well as flowers.
Gracie Blackmore, 12, of Glace Bay, one of the participants, said she enjoyed the project.
“It was very exciting, a fun program,” she said. “I really liked harvesting the radishes, beans and other things.”
Patrick Pembroke, 15, of Glace Bay, also enjoyed participating.
“I really liked the planting.”