September 13: Site preparations

With design, preparation and construction well underway, this blog will become more of a photo essay (with commentary). The team had a busy day preparing the site.
Here are some of the highlights:

• Staked out the GreenShed building
• Kindergarten, Grade 1 & 2 students visited and built a pollinator / bug palace!
• Excavated the site for the foundation / footings
• Moved the storage shack across the road

The team's day ended before 5 pm for the wake. The funeral for Elder Adeline Redman is taking place on Tuesday so out of respect, construction will be put on hold until after the feast. 

Students draw their favourite foods and discuss what could be grown in the Community Garden.

Youth on a scavenger hunt to find materials for the pollinator palace (a.k.a. bug hotel).

Youth putting together the bug hotel, which will attract frogs and salamanders that will eat slugs and other insects that can be pests to the vegetable garden. Helpful pollinator insects such as bees will also live in the palace, helping the garden grow. 

The boys add straw to the bug hotel. 

The students enjoy lunch after their busy morning of activities on site.

The team discusses foundation details before the excavation starts.

And the excavation begins! Wendell Peigan from Pasqua First Nation brings his machinery to the site.

More excavation - this time the bobcat gets stuck, but only for a minute!

Curtis Whiteman helps prepare the storage shack for relocation.

Derek Stevenson from Pasqua First Nation has a building moving company, and helps out with the move.

The shack is finally on its way across the road to its new home; housing will repair the shack and use it to store tools.