Crunch time for Arthur Hatton’s “Gardens for Good” bid

Oct 12, 2018 | 4:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s getting pretty frosty throughout parts the city overnight, which means if you haven’t already cleaned out your gardens you should soon. For one elementary school located near the North Thompson River, they’re already looking to next year’s growing season, and hope their garden game can go to the next level.

Arthur Hatton Elementary is in the running for a $15,000 grant from Nature’s Path Organic and their Gardens for Good contest. The contest awards two grants — one in Canada and one in the US — to help empower urban garden projects to grow organic food and to empower their communities. Teacher Paul Denby says the school would use the grant to expand their current garden program, by building more boxes at the school.

“It would allow us to donate the boxes to a different family every year,” Denby explained. “A family in need at the school could apply, and then we could pick out the families… and then that would be their box for the growing season.”

Right now Arthur Hatton sits in second place overall, and it’s looking for more support from the community so they can move up into the top spot by the time voting closes Oct. 15. Vice Principal Roy Styles says if Arthur Hatton wins, it has the potential to positively impact a greater number of students, as well some families in the area.