Lady Flower Gardens is serving as the animating agency of a collaborative proposal for the development of a therapeutic community within one of the Neighbourhood Structure Plans in North East Edmonton. 'The Acres' is the working title for this intentionally designed 'village with supports' in order to build an urban-agricultural community that will provide different land based opportunities for people who are in recovery. The community will be created in order to develop skills, relationships and a sense of purpose and belonging. This initial research papers are the starting point for a larger discussion and we plan on scheduling meetings with potential stakeholders in order to recruit a formal working group. The working group will then hire a project manager who will facilitate further research, decision making, planning and building on the foundation of land, food and fellowship.
We feel that one of the most essential functions of The Acres neighborhood is to serve as a valued local destination for the larger community, where Edmontonians come to learn how to sustainably grow, store, prepare and eat local food with the residents of 'The Acres'.
We also realized, after reviewing this first round of research from the Social Justice Community of Service and Scholarship students and the Community Service Learning students at the University of Alberta, that relapse is a normal part of recovery. Therapeutic supports should be made available to the residents, either onsite at The Acres, or through strong, intentional relationships with agencies that provide key offsite services, like a detox centre and a rehabilitation centre. The Acres would need to work collaboratively with these other agencies in order to provide an adequate spectrum of care for its residents. Our hope is that this village will serve as a bridge over the gap in the social service net that often opens and swallows people in recovery who graduate from their programs but continue to need key supports when they try to integrate back into the larger society.
We trust that you will discover how these research papers, which are all grounded in the grassroots experiences of the people who face substantial barriers to their health and wellness, have been created to inspire further discussion about the crucial features of a permanent, supportive, urban-agricultural community and set in motion a government backed launch into a more substantive enterprise.
Please click on the Turquoise Buttons on the right hand side, to access the reports.
We feel that one of the most essential functions of The Acres neighborhood is to serve as a valued local destination for the larger community, where Edmontonians come to learn how to sustainably grow, store, prepare and eat local food with the residents of 'The Acres'.
We also realized, after reviewing this first round of research from the Social Justice Community of Service and Scholarship students and the Community Service Learning students at the University of Alberta, that relapse is a normal part of recovery. Therapeutic supports should be made available to the residents, either onsite at The Acres, or through strong, intentional relationships with agencies that provide key offsite services, like a detox centre and a rehabilitation centre. The Acres would need to work collaboratively with these other agencies in order to provide an adequate spectrum of care for its residents. Our hope is that this village will serve as a bridge over the gap in the social service net that often opens and swallows people in recovery who graduate from their programs but continue to need key supports when they try to integrate back into the larger society.
We trust that you will discover how these research papers, which are all grounded in the grassroots experiences of the people who face substantial barriers to their health and wellness, have been created to inspire further discussion about the crucial features of a permanent, supportive, urban-agricultural community and set in motion a government backed launch into a more substantive enterprise.
Please click on the Turquoise Buttons on the right hand side, to access the reports.
Community Engagement
By: Campion Cottrell-McDermott The Acres engagement process grew out of the ongoing partnership between LFG, member agency staff, gardeners, and the University of Alberta Community Service Learning Program (CSL). This collaboration enabled the participation of vulnerable populations in answering the question " if you were to design an inclusive and accessible urban agriculture community, what services and supports would you want?" |
Why Agriculture? By: Kehinde Olabimtan This report elaborates on the importance of sharing the labour and learning that goes into producing locally grown food, as well as the social, health and environmental benefits of working close to the land for the benefit of the whole community.
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Community Governance By: Megan Butchart and Matana Skoye This report outlines successful governance models that include democratic community participation and structural supports. Grassroots democracy has proven to be a successful model within different food justice movements and this report argues in favour of resident centered governance. |
Community Safety By: Claudia Wakulchyk and Nagma Grewal This report offers examples and strategies that are in practise in Edmonton and different parts of the world where residents have experienced substantial social disorder, but then developed grassroots methods that were grounded in the community experience to increase safety, and quality of life for the whole neighbourhood. |
Cost-Benefit Report
By: Delaney Belfroy, Beth Comba, Nicole Burkmar, Dawson Schlosser, Jenna Reid, Michelle Ngo Edited by: Kaleigh Greidanus and Emilie Porter This report looks at The Acres as a proactive government and stakeholder expenditure for vulnerable individuals in order to decrease reactive costs of houselessness such as shelter use, hospitalizations, policing, incarceration and child protective services. The costs of affordable housing within a permanent supportive community would create social benefits and decrease overall government spending. |
The Built Environment
By: Sebastian Kilcommons This report explores the prospect of The Acres residents developing a broader sense of community, beyond their immediate neighbourhood, out to other Edmontonians from all walks of life, and what types of structures would be needed onsite to foster those wider relationships. It also discusses the spectrum of housing that could be made available as the residents develop the skills to assume new responsibilities. |
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San Patrignano and River Garden.
In the journal 'Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy' two different articles present studies on two existing therapeutic communities for people in recovery. The neighbourhoods are founded on agricultural social enterprises. One drug recovery program is relatively new, small and tailored for the Scottish socio-cultural experience and the other larger, older community is based in Italy. |