Original story posted on the The Beat (internal newsletter).
In Chilliwack, a long-term care community is reviving its garden space grounded in Indigenous knowledge and the natural healing power of traditional plants and medicines.
A new kind of healing space is emerging at Heritage Village long-term care in Chilliwack – one that connects health and culture through relationship with the land.
Over the past several months, an Indigenous Healing Garden project has been moving from vision to reality, guided by Indigenous knowledge and Fraser Health’s commitments to sustainability and reconciliation. Featuring traditional medicines like salmonberry, sagebrush, and pearly everlasting, the garden will support the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of residents, staff, and visitors alike.
For many residents, particularly those unable to leave the care community, access to nature plays an important role in health and quality of life. The garden will provide a space for rest and reflection while offering an opportunity to learn about the rich cultural histories of the region.
The project also acts on Fraser Health’s commitment to environmental sustainability, recognizing that communities and ecosystems are impacted by the natural spaces where care is delivered. By enhancing biodiversity and restoring a native plant palette, the garden contributes to both ecological and community well-being.
In recent weeks, an important milestone was reached as the team moved from planning to planting. The garden space, previously occupied by mostly imported plants, has been restored to reflect the traditional species of the region – all locally sourced and propagated by Métis/Cree medicine gardener naskwâw Laframboise. Central to this work is a perspective that views plants not as resources, but as relatives: living beings that are part of a broader system of care, connection, and responsibility.
Working with the traditional plant relatives of the First Nations territories of British Columbia not only helps decolonize and heal the land, but also our own minds, bodies and spirits,” says naskwâw Laframboise. “Through restoring access to culturally significant medicines, teachings and ceremony, this garden creates opportunities for Elders to reconnect with traditional spiritual and medicinal practices that have too often been disrupted or denied.”
The garden reflects a broader shift underway at Fraser Health in how care environments are designed and experienced. At Heritage Village, approximately ten percent of residents identify as Indigenous, so the garden is a way of delivering equitable and culturally safe care. Spaces like these are a meaningful step toward rethinking how environments can support health by centring people, culture, and the living systems that sustain us.
This project was gratefully supported by funding from the regional Energy and Environmental Sustainability team and is part of a growing effort to integrate nature-based healing into care settings.
