By Joe Mancini
Published March 2022
The closing of the Market Garden is a time to reflect on its success producing over 13,000 kgs of greens, fruits and vegetables per year while teaching hundreds of people the techniques of market gardening. Ron Doyle invited The Working Centre to establish the garden on 2 acres at the Hacienda Sarria. He got the process started by landscaping 72 dump truck loads of soil. The Working Centre dove deeply into the mechanics of operating a market garden. Fr. Toby Collins CR worked with us to lay down 6000 square feet of interlocking brick pathways. The work of creating a beautiful urban agriculture project near downtown Kitchener resulted in lasting friendships.
Ten years later, Ron was focused on responding to homelessness through a project he called A Better Tent City. Working with Jeff Willmer, they had no luck identifying a site until Ron made the audacious decision to use a building at Lot 42 to allow an encampment to set up. He quickly found support from the Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region and The Working Centre. Fr. Toby immersed himself in the project, recruiting resources through St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
A Better Tent City is now into its third year, providing 50 people with interim housing. The relationships of trust and commitment that grew from the Market Garden have blossomed into a housing project. ABTC has become an enduring community providing needed alternative housing.
