There is something compelling about the grasslands and long sunlit vistas of the 26-acre property in the village core of Gabriola Island. Once a goat farm producing organic cheese, it had been on the market for 10 years when Amazing Grace Ecological Society (AGES), a non-profit society, secured it with the vision that it could one day be owned and managed by the community of Gabriola. That was in May 2005 and three years later the transfer of title to the community is about to happen.
Early forums with intense community involvement yielded a land use proposal for community projects sited on the non-arable portions of the land. Over the three years, committed volunteers met to develop structures to care for the property, to raise funds to help complete the acquisition, and to nurture it into being as the Gabriola Commons. It is the agricultural development of the Commons based on sustainable, organic principles, which has made the greatest impact on the community.
Land was cleared and fenced and two orchards planted within a year and a half by a volunteer farm management team. The gardens have begun to flourish, filling food bank shelves and providing the local gardeners with raised beds to facilitate cultivation. Potato and squash co-operatives have begun the conversion of sod into workable soil. Space within the gardens and fenced co-op is also being transformed into community garden allotments.
This ALR-zoned property on Gabriola Island weaves together a number of significant community amenities in one contiguous land holding. Natural features include: rich wildlife habitat centered on pond and wetland area; open vistas and meadows of rural farmland; age-old pathways linking cedar groves and forests with the surrounding village center services and neighbourhoods. Solidly constructed buildings and potential building sites are ideal gathering places for community celebrations and events. The agricultural capacity of the land is of central importance to the community’s vision, and is an essential part of the ALR-approved application for multiple uses of the property.
AGES currently holds title to the property and has made a sizable donation as down-payment. The Gabriola Commons Foundation (GCF), also non-profit, will be the owner of the property and is responsible for the next phase of mortgage payments, planning, and covenanting with The Land Conservancy of BC. Both AGES and GCF have entered into an agreement with The Land Conservancy to manage the charitable donations and purchase the conservation covenant. The covenant will preserve the working landscape of the farm, protect an ecological reserve around a wild pond, and safeguard the community cultural values that Gabriola shares with other Gulf Island communities.
For more detailed information, please visit: www.gabriolacommons.ca
Please direct your tax-deductible donation earmarked for Gabriola Commons to The Land Conservancy today! Online at: blog.conservancy.bc.ca/ or call 1-877-485-2422.
