Vancouver British Columbia - Gardeners who have been issued eviction notices along Vancouver's Arbutus corridor earlier this month say they have gathered nearly 5,000 signatures for a petition supporting their activities.
 
The gardeners hope the show of support will help the city find a solution to its dispute with Canadian Pacific Railway on the future of the corridor.
 
Weeks ago, the gardeners were told they had until the end of July to pull up roots and leave a stretch of unused railway that belongs to CP.
 
Those who have plots at the Maple and Cypress gardens say the company is not budging.
 
"The representative from the CPR was firm in not granting us an extension beyond 31 Jul 2014," said Maureen Ryan, spokeswoman for the gardeners.
 
"They've put up new private property signs."
 
Ryan is hoping a way can be found to have the gardens co-exist with the tracks, even if trains are using it.
 
In the past, CP and the city have negotiated possibilities for keeping the corridor open, but nothing has come to fruition.
 
Ryan said that in the meantime the gardeners are working to educate the community on the situation.
 
"We respect private property, but our community gardens are a beautiful and educative asset for the city," she said.

Jeremy Nuttall.

Comments

Barb - 20 hours ago - Regrettably, it is quite simple. The gardens are beautiful and I am sure soothing for the soul to those who tend them. But the "Squatters" garden is on property that is NOT THEIRS. They must have known that this day would come along at some point. They have had a lovely opportunity to enjoy their time with the land, now it is simply time to (as one gardener put it) "respect private property" and give it back.
 
Westcoast Girl - a day ago - These people are squatters. They have paid no tax on the land, they don't own it, they don't lease it, but yet they want to keep using it. Why don't they use their own backyard? Or maybe they couldn't afford the real estate so they are just going to use someone elses?
 
Reverend Ken - a day ago - Time for the railway to start filing trespassing charges with the courts.
 
Michael Yun - 2 days ago - "We respect private property, but our community gardens are a beautiful and educative asset for the city," she said. So then respect what the owner wants to do. If the owner wants to close the area then respect that. It is not your land, you have been using for for years without paying a dime. How would anyone feel if some person just starts coming into your backyard and starts planting what they want, when you tell them to go away they refuse.