Moving at the Speed of Trust.
Photo of Dougall Ave. Parkette courtesy of Taner Yonar.
It was called the Dougall Avenue Parkette.
It was planned for 1 of 2 vacant lots in the core of downtown by several residents of Dougall Ave., Church St. & Bruce Ave. with the other lot being for a community garden. With a lot of enthusiasm, we devoted ourselves to creating renderings and writing grants in order to make this project happen. There was such a sense of optimism and excitement for something new in the neighbourhood. We petitioned City Council and got the approval we needed. In our minds, who could oppose a grassroots development such as this, one that would be making the neighbourhood look better? As it turns out - the actual residents who lived there.
This neighbourhood had been tormented by crime, neglect and disorder for a long while. And while there were a couple new young families wanting to improve the area, that zealousness was not enough to overcome the trauma and fear that had run rampant and unchecked for several decades.
With a lot of opposition that became organized and vocal (even involving our City Councilor), our project came to a head: Do we go ahead with the gardens and parkette at the expense of the neighbours’ trust? Or shelve the plans and focus our attention elsewhere?
After much deliberation, we chose the latter. It became apparent to us that rather than focus our energies on a space that was not completely wanted by the neighbourhood, we should shift our focus to other ways of supporting one of the key values of the project: more naturalized spaces with native plants that will support the pollinators in our neighbourhood.
And thus, the idea of the James Dougall Butterflyway was born. The goal is simple, get as many Monarch Waystations in as tight of a corridor as possible. If we can get 12 certified waystations, then the David Suzuki Foundation will recognize us.
In 2017, we diverted all time, energy, and funds to that goal. We currently have 9 gardens certified. We’ve worked with many residents in the community, including the well-known Leo Silvestri who has a passion for monarchs and milkweed proliferating across our city.
To support the project and bring more attention to it, an alley mural project was started under the DWCC’s umbrella. When funding to support the neighbourhood engagement initiative ended and then a global pandemic rocked our world, our project has now come to a halt. With all of our organizers having children to care for, family members to be conscious of, and work life still to be managed, the mural project was going to take a back seat in 2020.
Until Jill Thompson saw it and thought: “Hey, maybe Art Attack could help.”
So, this is where we are at currently:
We need money to finish 2 murals along the Dougall alleyway just north of Wyandotte. We started them last year with a base coat (thank you United Way volunteers!) but we want to keep going and get our Monarchs up! More information can be found here.
We need 3 more gardens to officially be a butterfly way with the David Suzuki Foundation. More information can be found here.
Why do I tell you this back story? Is it relevant to this group now asking for help in the midst of a difficult time in our city?
The reason I tell you is because I wanted you to know that you would be investing in a neighbourhood where neighbours support one another, and have come together to make it a better place to live. It is worth mentioning that one of those neighbours who vehemently opposed the original plan gave me both a tomato and an iris plant this past year after I started building my own garden. He used to say to me, “I like you, and I think you have good intentions, but I don’t like what you’re doing.” This has sat with me over the years and has been an important lesson in really listening and building trust in a neighbourhood. In deviating from the original vision, we still hold true to our goal of “greening” the downtown and adding more vibrant community spaces for people to enjoy. There are more ways than one to do that and by pivoting, we were able to meet the neighbourhood where they were at, even if it was frustrating to do so at the time.
With that said, in order to continue this project, we can’t do it alone. We need support from the whole city. These alleys are your alleys. These murals will also be your murals. These monarch waystations will be your gardens to support the pollinators that travel all over our region. We are not in a neighbourhood in isolation from the rest of the City - but very much in the heart of it. And we are needing your help.
The best things about cities are the people. The people who embody grit, creativity, perseverance, and humility to do something - when they really don’t have to. Windsor is full of these people. And we hope that you can support us.
Please reach out if you are interested in a monarch waystation or are willing to support us in some other way. Again the GoFundMe is found here and all proceeds will go directly towards supplies, artist fees, and any future murals along this corridor.
Photo of mural rendering courtesy of Andrea Pollock.
