Lori Gandy

The entrance is shown here with the damaged gates removed for the safety reasons. The will not be replace going forward. Photo by Lori Gandy

Main and Clegg streets lately, you might have noticed something new, or rather something missing, at the Old Ottawa East Children’s Garden – the front gates.

In a senseless act of vandalism one evening in early December, the gates were kicked in and damaged, to the extent that they had to be removed for safety concerns.

And that wasn’t the full extent of the damage. Cynthia Dwyer, Children’s Garden Committee member, received a text message from Colby Williams, a fellow Committee member, who was out walking when she was shocked to find one of the rain barrels from the Garden discarded on Main at Beckwith Road. “Someone had taken it out of the Garden, carried it down the street and then dumped it,” said Dwyer.

Dwyer then hurried over to the Garden and discovered the damaged gates, and more. Two plum trees, planted five and three years ago as saplings, had several branches hacked at with a knife and broken off. These trees have been lovingly nurtured through the years and are now bearing fruit. With some luck, they will survive this attack and bounce back in the spring.

Not the first time

The vandals also pulled up and tossed some of the small fencing that had been erected around the perennial beds three years ago to protect the plants from being damaged by visitors with offleash dogs. One of the plastic chairs was shoved up into the fence and more damage was visible near the shed. “I was heartbroken when I saw the damage,” said Dwyer.

The December incident followed an earlier act of vandalism in August 2024. That destruction included several tomato plants ripped from their supports. Anyone who gardens knows how much work is involved in planting and nurturing seedlings, staking and tending them throughout the growing season. Several other plants were ripped up or damaged.

As well, garden signs and markers were pulled up and tossed on the ground and some of the stone seats in the back of the garden were damaged. The seats are made of stones with wood slats on top and are positioned in a circle so children can sit and enjoy stories or games. A city crew came in to repair the damaged seats and they also did minor repairs to the other seats.

The gated entrance of the Children’s Garden on Main Street lies destroyed on the snowbank followinga December attack by vandals. Photo by Lori Gandy

“The city is very responsive when any of the hardscape needs attention,” says Marianne, the Garden’s Manager. “I think they gave special attention to the damage because in a children’s space, any safety issue such as exposed nails is a big concern. They were fantastic.” The Garden is a community space funded by donations and a muchappreciated grant from Sandy Hill

Community Health Centre, but money is always tight, notes Dwyer. She says this kind of senseless destruction is particularly egregious as it puts a strain on the Garden’s precarious financial situation.

It is impossible to know if the same culprit(s) are responsible for both incidents of vandalism. What Garden Committee members know is that the damage was random, senseless and heartbreaking for everyone who works hard to provide our community with such a lovely space to enjoy for free.

Looking for solutions

Dwyer and the Garden Committee are working with the city on solutions to deter vandalism, including possibly installing motion-sensor lighting at the back near the shed, as it is a particularly dark part of the garden.

As for the beautiful pickets on the now-removed front gates – pickets painted by children from Lady Evelyn Alternative School many years ago-these will be removed from the gates and relocated in the Garden.

A silver lining

Gardeners are good at looking ahead and being hopeful, and the removal of the gates is a case in point. One challenge over the years has been to ensure that people know the Garden is open to everyone. The closed gates have sometimes been interpreted to mean the Garden is a private space. Now that the entrance is open, the Garden will be more welcoming and inviting and more people will be encouraged to enter. It will also be more accessible as the gates were cumbersome to open at times.

The Children’s Garden is a curated space, lovingly designed, planted and maintained by the Garden Manager, a volunteer committee, and a dedicated team of volunteercommunity gardeners. It is a space where children learn respect for nature and for plants as living things, as well as respect for the work people do to create and maintain this special place. Much needed lessons in these times apparently.

How can you help?

If you live near the Garden, or pass by frequently, keep your eyes open and report any suspicious activity to ottawachildrensgardeninfo@gmail.com. You can also contact this email address to donate to help purchase seeds, plants, garden tools and implements or sign up to become a volunteer and help keep the Garden thriving.