In 2019, Sea to Sky Community Services initiated the Pemberton Food Hub Project– a network of community-based organizations and locals working together to strengthen food resilience in the Pemberton Region. Supported by the United Way Lower Mainland’s Food Security Program, this “hub” is centered around the Pemberton Food Bank and expands to include “spoke” partners: other community groups concerned with the big questions of food security:
How do we lessen reliance on the Pemberton Food Bank?
How do we enable food producers to make stronger links in community?
How do we keep hunger, and its accompanying stigma, from our community’s doors?
Spoke partners of the Pemberton Food Hub include Stewardship Pemberton, the Sea to Sky School District, Qwal̓ímak Nlep̓cálten (Líl̓wat Farm), and the Southern Stl’atl’imx Farm and Garden project (administered by Xa’xtsa /Douglas Nation). SSCS works with these partners on projects including student and community gardens, school food programs and indigenous-led food initiatives. Sea to Sky Community Services helps with funding and advocacy, as well as building opportunities for partner collaboration.
The Southern Stl’atl’imx Farm and Garden project engages with First Nations youth who wish to learn to plant and harvest community gardens within their home communities of N’Quatqua, Xa’xtsa (Douglas), Skatin, and Samahquam. Food is distributed to community members. Three of these communities are remote, located many hours drive from Pemberton down a gravel road.
In the fall of 2023, the Southern Stl’atl’imx farm and Garden project faced some unexpected hurdles. Co-ordinator James Moch was having car trouble: not unusual when traveling regularly on the 90 km stretch of bumpy gravel road. At the same time, there were power outages due to regional forest fires. This affected the water pumping systems in these highly remote communities, and communication was also largely cut off. Challenges like these can have devastating impacts for a farm or garden project during a time of drought and uncertainty, especially for a profoundly isolated community.
Fortunately, a 15-year old resident of one of the Southern Stl’atl’imx communities took it upon herself to check on and water the garden by hand every day for 12 days during the drought.
“I love when I visit in communities, after these events, and see kids taking on problems and figuring things out”. -James Moch
Prior to this season, this community member had showed minimal initiative, but she told James that she was really worried about the garden. She has since been more engaged in stewarding its growth. Moch, who has a background in Youth Support Work, has been coordinating mentorship for young people in four of the Southern Stl’atl’imx communities: N’Quatqua, Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa. He recounts:
“There were young people who stepped up during this time. Some of them were not super engaged before this crisis, but when they saw that the need to act was there… they took initiative.”
Another 17-year-old went ahead with digging holes for fence posts, and even cleared the site for the building of the gazebo.
“It’s incredible initiative for anyone that age. I’m so glad [the youth] are taking ownership of this project”.
All youth participants in the Southern Stl’atl’imx Farm and Garden project receive an honourarium for their time, per best practices.
SSCS is grateful for the contribution that United Way has made to support this project, which demonstrates how we can grow community from the ground up, as we aim to bring all community members together toward a more food-secure future.
To support food security in our communities, please consider a donation to Sea to Sky Community Services.