Vanier College Gardens
Over the summer, the Vanier Gardens were busy working on the wonderful environment that they have nurtured over the years with the help of staff members and students. A Vanier student employee, Soumaya Al Asadi, shares information and what it is like to be part of the Vanier Gardens through her own experience as well as her role and occupation.
Get to know the team and some of their tasks:
“The team is composed of our head gardener, Mark Reynolds, and two lovely gardeners, Myriam Mansour and Rosemarie Brodeur. As for the student employees their names are Sofya K., Kaleln M. and Cyrus S. They are just awesome!
“My daily tasks for the summer included planting, weeding, watering, composting, shoveling, harvesting, dehydrating, etc.” (Al Asadi, 2025).
What has the Vanier Gardens achieved over summer 2025?
“The Vanier Gardens have accomplished a lot this summer! Aside from embellishing and helping everything grow and flourish greatly, the Vanier Gardens have also worked on different projects aiming to create and improve biodiversity on campus as well as informing students and staff members of those awesome projects in the making” (Al Asadi, 2025).
What happens to anything the Vanier Gardens grows and harvests?
“Some of the products are dehydrated while others are made into jams, soups, and meals. Most of it is given back to our community, or shared within the Vanier College population” (Al Asadi, 2025).
What opportunities does the Vanier Gardens offer?
“Aside from the incredibly gratifying experience, the gardens also offer great job opportunities for students to work for a good cause while having the most fun” (Al Asadi, 2025).
What most people don’t know about the Vanier Gardens:
“People often assume that the gardens have always been the way they looked now, but the truth has it, the gardens started as an orchard. For awhile it was only dead grass and without our amazing gardeners, it would still look like that to this day” (Al Asadi, 2025).
The Vanier Gardens space is larger than one might think: “The gardens are composed of different sections: the shed and cedar shed area, the veggie boxes, The Pergola, The Food Forest, the Ano’owara (Turtle), The G-Complex Gardens, The Willow Structure and The Secret Garden. Shh…” (Al Asadi, 2025).
Join the Vanier Gardens! I promise it’s fun! -Soumaya Al Asadi
