This fall, two Barton St locations are getting new garden spaces thanks to the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, City of Hamilton and Ward 3 Office, Green Venture, Adele Pierre, the Barton St BIA, GALA, and other community partners.
At 342 Barton St E, Green Venture and partners will be extending the garden at the side of the building to make the space more pollinator-friendly. The garden addition will feature species such as Anise Hyssop, Blue Autumn Asters, Pale Purple coneflowers and others which will add more colour to the street. Next spring, you will see all the flowers in bloom as you walk along Emerald St or visit Maisy’s Pearl, the new restaurant that will be opening on-site.
Then, in mid-October, the east entrance into the Barton Street BIA will be getting a welcoming new public green space and mural. Green Venture, a local non-profit organization, Barton Village BIA, GALA and Landscape Architect Adele Pierre are working in partnership with the new business in this space; The Packing House, a wholesale butcher shop. These partners will transform the boulevard at 673 Barton St E into a beautiful garden by removing 72.57 m² of pavement and adding many native species such as Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Danica Cedar, Anise Hyssop, Prairie Smoke and more.
Executive Director of Barton Village BIA Nadine Ubl says “projects like these bring a vibrancy to our BIA that engages neighbours and builds community. We are thrilled to be working with Green Venture and The Packing House to create an inspiring and welcoming entrance to the BIA.”
Green Venture, along with Barton Village BIA are hosting an information night to learn more about the garden projects happening along Barton St. Come out to 659 Barton St E to give your input and learn how you can be part of the change! Join us on September 27, 6-7pm for the information night. Light refreshments will be provided.
Green infrastructure projects like these are invaluable to Hamilton as climate change effects threaten biodiversity and more intense weather events that lead to droughts and intense rainfall. Installing green infrastructure projects like the ones on Barton Street will be instrumental in mitigating the amount of storm water flooding that occurs during the expected increase in volatile weather.
“The Packing House is excited to be part of this initiative and a new part of the city of Hamilton. Projects like these allow us to not only beautify the street but also inspire a sense of pride in the Barton Village. Our business has been a trusted source for the dinner table for so many homes and restaurants since 2016 and cannot wait to open our doors to the community soon!” says Jeremy Losier , owner of the Packing House business and building.
Liz Enriquez, Program Manager at Green Venture, is excited to continue adding green spaces in that area. She says “every time I work at one of the gardens along Barton St, neighbours come up to me to say thanks! They love seeing the flowers in bloom and it’s a great feeling to know that these green spaces are bringing joy to the community.” Since 2020, Green Venture has transformed 5 concrete boulevards into greenspaces on Barton and on Cannon Street, removing over 438 m² of asphalt at these sites which absorbs an additional 390,000 litres of stormwater annually, and adding over 850 native trees, shrubs and pollinator plants. For more information, contact: Liz Enriquez (Green Infrastructure Project Manager, Green Venture) Email: liz.enriquez@greenventure.ca
