›› Alieda Blandford & Travis Paterson

When people think of Fernwood, they think of an emerging patio culture in the square, a longstanding arts and ­theatre scene, live music, colourful character houses, community gardens, and more. Like everywhere in the South Island, ­Fernwood is a key piece in the housing affordability puzzle, and is at the heart of density and urban transit ­challenges. That’s why now is a good time to become a ­member of the Fernwood Community Association (FCA). Membership costs $5 for the year, you can find more information here: thefca.ca/membership.

The FCA’s annual general meeting has been postponed for 2020/2021, and is expected to happen later this autumn. To become a voting member, one needs only to have their membership in good ­standing for 30 days. Whether you would like to have your say and vote for the incoming board of directors, or consider standing for a board seat yourself, we would encourage you to become involved!

The FCA building, located at 1923 Fernwood Road, is home to the Pandora Arts Collective, Theatre Inconnu, ­numerous social programs and tenants, and currently, a wellness library. Our theatre, the Paul Phillips Hall, is once again available to be booked for community initiatives at a reasonable rate. The building is also home to the Little Fernwood Gallery, a space where emerging and established local artists can show their work, free of charge.

The FCA also operates two community allotment gardens: the Fernwood ­Community Garden next to the Compost Education Centre on Chambers Street, and the Earthbound Community Allotment Garden on Garden Street.

An important part of the Fernwood Community Association is facilitating the volunteer Land Use Committee (CALUC). The Land Use Committee works to raise awareness about development ­proposals in Fernwood, and acts as a conduit between neighbours, developers, and the City. CALUC meetings occur on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00pm via Zoom.

On August 5th, the Fernwood Land Use Committee will be joined by the North Park Neighbourhood Association to ­discuss the future of long-term planning in ­Fernwood and North Park. All Fernwood and North Park neighbours are welcome and encouraged to attend, thefca.ca/event/land-use-committee.

We hope that you will become a member or renew your membership with the ­Fernwood Community Association today—and tell your neighbours. See you at the AGM!