Public Service Announcement

Mayor’s Grand Parade garden to benefit food bank

(May 30, 2011) Halifax – Mayor Peter Kelly and dozens of eager pre-schoolers will be exercising their green thumbs by planting a vegetable garden in the Grand Parade at 4 o’clock Tuesday, May 31.

This is the second year that the mayor and youngsters from the nearby Saint Joseph’s Children Centre have cultivated a vegetable/herb patch right in the heart of downtown. As before, the harvests will all be donated to the Parker Street Food Bank in Halifax.

“It’s great fun for the children and a stress-reliever for me,” said Mayor Kelly, a keen gardener. “Most of all, however, we’ll be helping a worth-while cause.”
This year, the mayor plans to have two gardens; one will contain potatoes while the other will have a variety of vegetables including tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, green beans and herbs.

Mel Boutilier, executive director of the Parker Street Food Bank, welcomed the start of another Mayor’s Garden. “One of the things every family must have is fresh vegetables to make nutritious meals, especially for the children,” he said. “We never get enough fresh vegetables and we are looking everywhere, hoping someone will help us.”

Mayor Kelly noted that community gardens are becoming popular in HRM and encouraged residents who are interested to learn more by phoning 490-6666 or by going to www.halifax.ca ( http://www.halifax.ca/ ) and entering the words Community Gardens in the search box.

Contact:

Mayor Peter Kelly
490-4010