Appendix A: LifeCycles Project Details

Project: Welland Orchard Site Safety and Accessibility Improvements

1. King of Tompkins County Apple Tree Pruning: The 13 Heritage King Tompkins apple trees along the upper east and west sides of the Orchard are very large trees that are located on a slope, making ladder pruning very challenging. At the size and condition they are now, LifeCycles is concerned that without a major prune, conducted by pruners with arborist experience, they will become unsafe for the public to navigate under. In addition, a major prune will limit disease and pest pressure, making the trees healthier and increase their production.
2. Wheelchair Ramp and Accessible Door Installation: The current ramp that extends into the Composting Toilet is not long enough, and therefore too steep, to be effective for those using mobility devices. There is also no platform at the top, which makes it impossible for those using mobility devices to open the door without assistance. In addition, the door does not currently meet BC Accessibility Standards as it is too narrow and does not have the correct hardware.

Dates of Project: Fall 2025

Areas we Operate:

Saanich, Victoria, Esquimalt, View Royal, Central Saanich, Victoria, Westshore

Staff and Volunteers

• Alex McArdle, Executive Director - Paid
• River Stevens, Welland Coordinator - Paid
• Welland Support Worker, hired during summer months - Paid
• Community Volunteer Teams - Volunteer

1. Describe your organization's mission statement and how your services meet them:

Our mission is to help support a resilient local food system in Greater Victoria by growing, harvesting and sharing food together and by working to educate our participants on food literacy issues and to offer placed-based food and growing education. We believe this will in turn allow participants to advocate for, help protect, and continue to amplify the region's already bountiful food resources. Year after year, we strive to make a difference by caring for the land, empowering our community, and building momentum within the local food movement to continue to connect people with healthy food. Our programming at the Welland Orchard allows us to educate as well as share with the community the abundance that the orchard offers.

2. Nature and goals of the project, program or event:

The goal of the projects is to both keep the Welland Orchard as safe as possible safe for the public who frequent it, and to improve accessibility so it can be accessed by as many people as possible.

• The 6 King Thompson apple trees along the upper east and west sides of the Orchard are very large trees that are located on a slope, making ladder pruning very challenging. At the size and condition they are now, LifeCycles is concerned that without a major prune, conducted by pruners with arborist experience, they will become unsafe for the public to walk or spend time under. This becomes increasingly important as we seem to be experiencing more and more wind storms throughout the year. In addition to increasing safety, a major prune will limit disease and pest pressure, making the trees healthier and increase their production. Especially given the heritage nature of these trees at approximately 100 years, we want to see them remain healthy for future years. Though River, our Welland Coordinator, is a very skilled fruit tree pruner, they do not have the equipment to climb the trees as will be needed for a major prune. As such, part of the Grant in Aid would be directed towards contracting Fruit Tree Pruners with arborist equipment and experience to assist with this work. Major prunes, especially those with safety considerations, do not have to happen every year and we are confident that once the trees receive this prune they will be able to be managed by ladder for the next number of years. Another portion of the Grant in Aid would be used to purchase a harness and the other equipment necessary to allow our Welland Coordinator to conduct this work in future years.
• The current ramp that extends into the composting toilet is not long enough, and therefore too steep, to be effective for those using mobility devices. There is also no platform at the top, which makes it impossible for those using mobility devices to open the door without assistance. In addition, the door does not currently meet BC Accessibility Standards as it is too narrow and does not have the correct hardware. Part of the Grant in Aid funding would be directed to rebuilding the ramp and installing a new door, so that they both align with BC Accessibility Standards. It would also help cover the costs of installing a transfer bar within the composting toilet itself. At the moment, LifeCycles has been granted $5000 from the BC Rehab Foundation to assist with this work, however, we are seeking contributing funds in order to complete the project.

** Please note, as described in our 2024 Grant in Aid Report, we were able to come in for the overall projects under budget. We would like to use the savings towards this year’s Grant in Aid. Though our budget requests $4000 from the Town, this is not additional money. We are hoping we might defer the remainder to use on this year’s projects. **

3. Summary of direct and indirect benefits to the Town of View Royal:

The main direct benefit to the Town of View Royal is that the Welland Community Orchard will continue to thrive and provide the residents of View Royal and the surrounding areas an extremely unique place to visit, rest and learn. One of the largest and most diverse public orchards in Canada, Welland Orchard offers a space to educate the public about our incredibly important local food resources, our local pollinators, and offer hands-on educational experiences such as fruit tree pruning, care and maintenance. While the contract that LifeCycles has with the Township allows our organization to offer general care and maintenance to the trees and plants on site, this grant would allow us to fix one major accessibility issue as well as making sure the park remains safe for all those who visit.

Increasing the site’s accessibility will also boost our organization's ability to host events, fundraisers and programming opportunities on site that cater to all ages and abilities. These events, such as fruit processing sessions and our Harvest and Sharing Day get-togethers, allow us to increase our reach to the residents of View Royal.