Franklin Drive garden to continue through 2026 growing season

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The community garden located in the green space at the end of Franklin Drive will still be operating this year, despite being terminated by the City of Stratford just last week.

The Green Thumb Community Garden, which has been running for 57 years, is led by an executive by the same name, managing a number of garden plots on the city-owned parcel of land. Many community members and organizations participate in the garden, growing vegetables for personal consumption or for donations to local foodbanks and programs.

Last week, members of the garden’s executive received word that the garden will cease to operate and a new lease would not be signed, flooring them.

“We were putting out 100 stakes, and with string, and it took us three members … four hours to do so,” said Jim Westman, spokesperson for the gardening club. “… We got the email saying that we had to be evicted, all sheds had to be taken down, tools that have been in there since 1969, all perennials, blueberry trees, currant trees, garlic had to be removed. … Even the city, three days ago or a week ago, actually delivered soil from the compost, so one arm of the city's not talking to the other.”

In a statement released by the city and posted on its Facebook page, it stated that due to “significant and escalating conflict” among some garden members over the past year, and the failure to reach a resolution, the decision was made to terminate the lease. The statement referred to multiple instances and multiple individuals, including an incident last week when escalation resulted in emergency services being called to the site.

“I don't want to get into details, because again, I feel like individuals have been centered out, and that's not really the case,” said City of Stratford chief administrative officer André Morin. “We were receiving numerous conversations about concerns, which is why we've addressed or tried to address those with the club, and now kind of moving things forward, so that there's a better governance and oversight model in place, so that we can ensure that there's fair and equitable use of the community garden there.”

According to Westman, however, the executive was aware of one incident earlier this year which resulted in a member of the community being evicted last year, an incident he was not able to speak to much further.

“They were told there was too much conflict in the garden,” Westman said. “We had a meeting yesterday, and there was absolutely zero conflict in the garden. There was applause when someone said they were evicted, but that happened back in September. There's no conflict … We get along and there's no conflict in the garden. These are some friends from all walks of life. There's affluent people … there's artists, there's people from housing, there's people on welfare, and it costs the city nothing, zero, to have these people garden and have a purpose.”

Furthermore, Westman said the city was informed of the long eviction process by the executive team from the outset and was in the loop for every developement. No issues were flagged prior to the recent lease-termination, according to him.

Since speaking with the Times about the disruption, Westman was informed that the 2026 planting season will still be underway and a meeting with Morin and city staff is scheduled. Morin disclosed the meeting is to discuss a more long-term solution.

“Meet with the gardeners, understand what their needs are for the 2026 season,” Morin said about the city’s goals. “They understand what our needs are from the long-term governance structure and vision for what a community garden is, and I think now let's figure out that temporary arrangement. … Hopefully we can within the next few days wrap that up … And then for the future we'll now do some public engagement, engagement with members in council around what are our needs for a community garden? What does that look like? What are the requirements? All of the details.”

Westman reiterated to the Times that the club’s sole goal is to move forward and have the gardeners be able to garden peacefully with everyone involved and moving forward constructively.