City to grow flowers, reconciliation

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This article was published 03/05/2022 (1607 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than $20,000 has been raised from external sources so far in preparation for Truth and Reconciliation Week festivities, Brandon City Council heard on Monday night.

That’s according to Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council community co-ordinator Michèle LeTourneau, who said the plans are more ambitious heading into the second year the city has acknowledged the occasion.

She said that the estimated cost for this year’s celebrations will be $56,100, and BUAPC has been looking for grants to help fund things on top of the $20,000 that city council put forward during this year’s budget deliberations.

So far, $5,000 has been received from the National Centre from Truth and Reconciliation, $5,000 has been received from Wyth Financial, $10,000 has been received from funding for community projects for Trust and Reconciliation Community Projects, and local credit unions have donated $4,500.

This month and next month, the council has several events being planned. There will be reconciliation teaching sessions at Princess Park on May 16 and another hosted by the Manitoba Métis Federation at a to be determined date.

Those events will involve the presentation of video testimonies collected by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will also be shown to groups at Assiniboine Community College, Brandon University and the Brandon School Division.

On June 14, the Circles for Reconciliation project, which is half made up of Indigenous volunteers and half made up of non-Indigenous volunteers, will come to town and create knowledge circles that will discuss topics essential to reconciliation.

LeTourneau said that under advice from city manager Ron Bowles, she’d submitted work done by BUAPC for awards given out by both the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators and the International City/County Management Association.

After LeTourneau’s presentation, Coun. Shaun Cameron (University) asked if BUAPC will need long term funding for Truth and Reconciliation Week. LeTourneau said she believed funding would be on a year-to-year basis.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) gave BUAPC credit for maintaining momentum and running events even while the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult.

Also at Monday’s meeting, Jane Neil gave a presentation on Year of the Garden, a Canada-wide celebration of the 100th anniversary of horticulture in the country taking place over this year.

Adorned with a bright yellow bee hat and giving councillors packages of sunflower seeds, Neil ran down both the benefits of gardening and the fun events coming to Brandon as part of the campaign.

Local events will include a “Picnic in the Park” event at Stanley Park on National Garden Day on June 18, “Garden Days” events from June 13-18, a program recognizing Brandon’s garden heroes, participation in Communities in Bloom and open garden tours.

One fun fact Neil presented to council was that the Brandon Horticultural Society is the oldest such organization in Manitoba.

Residents are encouraged to participate in Year of the Garden by planting red plants to honour Canadian soldiers who have died in the line of duty as well as sunflowers in support of Ukraine as that country continues to fight off an invasion by Russia.

Neil said there were already plans to give out sunflower seeds for people to grow because they’re easy to get going, but the Ukraine war solidified for organizers that it was the right thing to do. Sunflowers are Ukraine’s national flower.

Sunflowers also support pollinators like bees, which the city supports through its partnership with Bee City Brandon.

For locals who are still working on developing their green thumb, Neil said gardening advice will be offered through the program including a how to grow sunflowers guide by The Green Spot owner Bernie Whetter.

Residents can keep track of garden events this year by visiting brandon.ca/yotg2022.

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