Boulevard Veg! – Vancouver

Michelle Marcus proudly displays the seedlings for her Boulevard Veg! project. Photo by Vincent L. Chan.

Vancouver Foundation’s “Green Generation” Awards kick-start youth-run environmental projects

Wendy Szeto was a bit skeptical about the idea of planter boxes popping up on her boulevard in Vancouver’s leafy Dunbar neighbourhood.

“At first, we didn’t think we would participate in the project,” she says. “But we decided to give it a try. And we are so glad!”

Szeto lives on the same block as 14-year old Michelle Marcus. Marcus is shy and soft-spoken, but she’s also a keen environmentalist.

Marcus really wanted to start a community garden, but didn’t have access to any land. So she daydreamed of putting food planter boxes on the generous boulevards of her street.

Then she heard of Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green Awards. The project offered young people, 6-24 years old, cash awards for projects that would “green” their neighbourhood.

The Foundation wanted to celebrate Vancouver’s 125th birthday and support the city’s goal of becoming the world’s “Greenest City” by 2020. They also wanted to empower a generation of young community leaders.

Marcus promptly submitted an application. She was ecstatic when her “Boulevard Veg!” project was one of 19 projects (out of 120 submissions) chosen for funding.

The $1,250 award paid for the lumber and soil. Marcus and her mom Yvonne spent weeks building the planters themselves. Then the community-minded teen told her neighbours about her project.

The response was overwhelming. “We ran out of boxes really quickly,” says Marcus.

Marcus then filled the boxes with food plants, and taught some of the gardeners how to care for them. A few months later, the planters were overflowing with cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, beets, beans, peas and potatoes.

For Szeto, growing her own food was a revelation.

“I never knew you could grow your own food in the city,” says Szeto, who came to Canada from Hong Kong 30 years ago.

“But it was so easy! We grew beans and green onions. We ate some of the beans last night. They tasted so good! And we haven’t had to buy green onions all summer!” Szeto’s face glows with pride.

“We plan to grow more food next year. We are going to open up some garden space behind our house.”

“We got to know our neighbours too, because you are out on the street to water the plants, and harvest, and your neighbours are out there too, and you have something to talk about. Before I didn’t know my neighbours’ names. Now I know all my neighbours. It’s been a multi-purpose project,” she says happily. “I think these projects should be encouraged in every neighbourhood!”

Marcus too is thrilled how her idea turned out. “Everyone was amazed at what we could grow! I’ve seen lots of people taking walks and looking at the signs . It’s going to keep going; we want to plant winter crops next.”
“I wanted to bring people together, and teach them about the environment and growing food, and it really worked.”

This young Vancouverite had a great idea. Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green Awards helped make it a reality. Now, not only is her block greener, her Dunbar neighbours have grown together.

Even better—Marcus wasn’t alone in her efforts. Across Vancouver, 18 other youth projects were greening their own patches of the city.

Find out more about Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green Awards here.