Sicamous is experiencing a bit of a growth spurt in the form of community berry planters and gardens.
The planters, pyramid-shaped wood structures constructed by the district’s public works department, are located in the downtown and at Beach Park, where a former flower bed has been converted into what is currently a thriving garden, packed with a mix of herbs, watermelon, strawberries, green beans, kale, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini and more.
The new growth has received a lot of positive attention from residents and visitors alike, and District of Sicamous head gardener Kayleena Taylor is pleased with resulting smiles she has seen.
“It’s definitely been rewarding,” says Taylor, who wanted to switch out the flowers for food that the public can pick and eat.
“I’ve wanted for the longest time to have a community garden, so this was my opportunity to put a nice space on the waterfront.”
Mayor Terry Rysz says he’s been impressed with the response the new planters and gardens have elicited, and credits the public works staff for the good work.
“Every comment that I’ve had has been really positive and it’s just an example, I think, of good things to come from our public works department – under Joe McCulloch as well,” said Rysz, referring to the district’s new operations manager. “He’s always open to ideas and Joe comes from Glasgow, and he was in charge of the botanical gardens in Glasgow so he has a lot of good ideas for the future.”
McCulloch, however, is quick to give credit to Taylor and district staff.
“The district staff all have fantastic ideas of how great Sicamous can look and I completely support all for their enthusiasm and creative ideas,” said McCulloch. “Our look and feel from a gardening and beautification standpoint is key in attracting tourists and new residents into Sicamous, and I feel that this will grow with what we are planning for next year.
“Replacing standard annual bedding plants with fruit and vegetables for everyone to enjoy and pick from again shows just how much we want people to come and enjoy what Sicamous has to offer.”