by Mark McGuire
July 2006

In our summer Continuing Education course in Dawson College's Humanities department we've been exploring global warming and climate change, threats to our food security and biodiversity posed by industrial agriculture, and the looming peak in the global oil supply. We ask, "How does our participation in modern consumer culture implicate us in the rapid devastation of our human community and natural environment? What are our responsibilities as human beings and global citizens to respond collectively with imagination to these huge, complicated problems? What obstacles prevent us from getting good information and developing creative strategies for resistance?" By taking seriously and actually lending a hand to the ongoing efforts of local community organizations (Santropol Roulant and Alternatives, to name but two) to find meaningful and sustainable solutions to these problems, students have discovered that, as our course title suggests, "Another World is Possible," so long as we abandon despair and commit to activist-engagement with our local communities.

With a small bit of cash and the generosity and good will of
Dawson's Continuing Education program, Facilities staff, astronomy
department (the terrasse is their observation deck), and an ever curious
security staff ("Oh la vache, are those ground cherries?") we've made the college rooftop, at least a small patch, bloom with delicious vegetables, fruits, and herbs for use in Santropol Roulant's kitchen. And along the way inspired a small but growing group of students, staff and teachers with an example of just what is possible with equal parts organic hen fertilizer, enthusiasm, and compost. Thank you to the committed staffs of Alternatives and Santropol Roulant for enabling us to experiment with urban agriculture and partake of your inspiring efforts to create a better Montreal and a better world.

See more pictures of the garden here

Posted to: Nos histoires / Our stories | Community Involvement
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Submitted by rotem on Thu, 20/07/2006 - 12:56pm.