What’s Growing in the Burnaby Hospital Redevelopment Office Garden

Tomatoes, basil and kale are just some of the plants and vegetables being grown on the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project office terrace.

The project team’s food garden was developed after Florrie Levine, senior leader, Design and Construction, was awarded funding as one of the recipients of Fraser Health’s 2022 Innovation Grants under the Environment and Sustainability category.

The Innovation Grant gives Fraser Health innovators an opportunity to turn ideas into reality. The office food garden was based on Florrie’s vision to support planetary health.

“I have a deep concern for sustainability and wanted to find linkages between my work in capital project planning and planetary health,” says Florrie. “Planetary health means many things such as creating local food, supporting bees and butterflies, and improving staff health.”

The Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project team, located at the office building next to the hospital, put together a food garden committee to plan, plant, prune and harvest the garden.

“Research shows that office green space can increase employee engagement, relieve mental fatigue, improve work performance and more,” says Florrie. “This is all evident for us. Our committee has become more of a garden therapy group.”

The food garden is a fun way to promote and share healthy eating within our project team,” says Florrie. “We look forward to seeing how this project grows over time.”

The Burnaby Hospital redevelopment garden is growing chives, green onion, kale, rosemary, oregano, basil, tomatoes and peas, and is expected to expand over time. The food garden committee plans to establish a garden maintenance plan for fall and winter, liaise with Royal Columbian Hospital’s Food Services Project and expand the garden.

Originally Submitted by Romika Riquelme, communications coordinator, Burnaby Hospital Redevelopment and featured in The Beat, October 27, 2022. Posted here with permission from Fraser Health