There is a new garden in front of St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic School in Barrie in honour of the school’s 25th anniversary and it was only made possible because of efforts of many people in the school community.

The idea of the new garden was planted by the Catholic School Community Council and quickly blossomed into something beautiful when United Lumber Home Hardware Building Centre and Tree Canada made a generous $1,600 donation to support the project. Bradford Greenhouses, Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club and Tim Hortons also contributed to the initiative. Members of the school council, parents, students and even grandparents all worked long hours over the summer to transform the garden space.

On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, the school’s community put its finishing touches on the garden and celebrated its official unveiling. City of Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman, along with representatives from sponsoring organizations joined students and staff for a ribbon cutting, ceremonial tree planting and a student performance of “The Garden Song.”

“This garden is a shining example of how a community can come together to accomplish something wonderful,” said Patrick Shannon, Principal. “We were so blessed to have the financial and in-kind support from businesses in the community and it was truly amazing to witness how our families came together to see the garden through to fruition. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our school’s 25th anniversary.”