VICTORIA – New Democrat MLA Rob Fleming says that a project led by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre will strengthen food sovereignty and food security for people in Greater Victoria.

“The Victoria Native Friendship Centre’s work to promote food security and grow and distribute nutritious food will benefit so many members of the community,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake. “That’s why our government felt it was important to provide funding to support this work to expand and grow Marion’s Garden.”

The Victoria Native Friendship Centre is receiving funding of $80,000 for to expand Marion’s Garden, a garden at a residential property in Oak Bay, which was given to the Centre by the late Marion Cumming. Work will include removing invasive plants and adding native plants, beehives, pollinator plants, and vegetables to grow to increase food security and feed the community year-round.

Funding is being distributed through the Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Partnership Program (IFSAP). The program supports Indigenous governments, communities and businesses with agriculture, food processing and food-systems planning, as well as training and skills development, technological adoption, scaling up productivity and profitability, and climate change adaptation.

The program was developed with guidance from the B.C. Indigenous Advisory Council on Agriculture and Food. The program is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Government of British Columbia and delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023AF0031-000738