Wonderful initiatives happening in Bolton-est
TThe Scoop By Mable Hastings
here are a lot of great things happening in the Municipality of Bolton-est with the support of Mayor, Joan Westland-eby and the Bolton-est Municipal Council.
Situated in the Missisquoi Valley between the river and the mountainous Appalachian Corridor, Bolton-est celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2017 and is a community surrounded by nature, celebratory of its loyalist history and strengthened by the involvement and implication of its residents. Known by many for its “Spa des Chutes Bolton” where guests can enjoy a relaxing massage or just sit by the water and enjoy the picturesque surroundings, this small community is growing and evolving.
The recent inauguration of the Bloomfield gardens and unveiling of the Commemorative Plaque (pictured here) celebrates just one of the many projects happening that gives Bolton-est residents the opportunity to volunteer in their community and volunteering is what has brought so many improvements to the project.
A project that was in discussion for some time, the Bloomfield Community Garden is located in beautiful Terrio Park in the heart of Bolton-east. Council member, Vinciane Peeters was pleased to take responsibility for the
garden project as part of her municipal councillor role. The Municipal Committee Composition is: President Luc Jacques, Secretary Vinciane Peeters, Joëlle Quenneville, Dave Gibeault, Frédérique Voissard, Clémence Côté, Michèle Bernier, Michèle S. Côté, Louise Lapierre, Ann Oliver, Marie Claude Labrecque, Ginette Breton who have met six times from February to August.
These gardens are mixed type; part individual plots and a collective portion. Presently there are 20 gardeners and 23 plots. Families wishing to take care of an individual garden must be willing to get involved in the tasks and chores of a community garden.
A contribution of $ 20 per year is required for the rental of a garden plot. This contribution gives residents access to the garden, self-service tools and water. The size of the garden plot is about 7 feet X 10 feet.
According to their Facebook page, Bloomfield Community Gardens is a space for education, the producing of healthy and local food, and local agriculture. The goals of these gardens are to energize the community by bringing the generations together and strengthening the sense of belonging. There have been in kind donations of barrels, shovels, picnic table, parasol and other tools…
“The decision to name the gardens after Margaret Bloomfield was in large part taken because the people involved in the project wanted to acknowledge the role of the pioneer families in developing this area,” explains Joan Westlandeby (Mayor). “Margaret’s family were one of the first in the area and the farmhouse still stands on East River rd. The organizers also wanted to draw attention to the fact that having a garden was essential to every family. It was their grocery store. The only items people used to buy or trade were essentials that they could not grow in their garden or produce on their farm. Those involved in the project also liked the name Bloomfield, feeling it gives a sense of vegetation and produce,” she added.
Recent work includes the creation of a water supply to the garden with a 400 foot casing buried to bring the water directly to the garden. This involved one volunteer bringing his machine in to dig, pick up the rocks, assure the proper depth of the trench, connecting the hoses, burying them and then raking… while also running to the hardware store to gather what was needed which was no small feat. Big thanks to Luc Jacques and the team of wonderful volunteers who gave of their time and talents.
The organizing committee and the community have done an outstanding job of publicizing the project including the work and the joy of seeing it become a reality. Collaboration with other groups and community initiatives is already taking place and like the garden, the interest grows.