Before the planter box ever arrived, Anne — like many families in Yellowknife — faced a growing challenge. The high cost of groceries in the North meant that fresh produce was often a luxury. On top of that, years of mining had left much of the city’s soil contaminated with arsenic, making it unsafe to grow food directly in the ground. For parents trying to feed their children healthy meals, the choices often felt limited — pay more at the store, or go without.
That’s why ADRA Canada launched the Planter Box Project — an initiative to help Yellowknife families grow safe, affordable produce at home despite the contaminated soil and high grocery prices.
Partnering with the local Seventh-day Adventist Church, ADRA provided families with planter boxes, soil, seeds, and the knowledge to start their own small gardens.
When Anne first heard about the project through a friend at her church, she didn’t think much of it. Gardening had never been more than a passing thought. But as grocery costs continued to rise and she looked for ways to feed her family healthier meals, the idea began to take root. Signing up felt like a small but hopeful step toward change.
Soon after registering, Anne received her wooden planter box, packets of seeds, and gardening tools — everything she needed to get started. Her children were especially excited, decorating their own little pots and planting tomato seeds with care. For Anne, it became a meaningful way to involve her family in something practical and positive.
As the weeks went by, green shoots began to sprout. Anne grew kale and zucchini — and to her delight, the plants flourished. Her family added fresh kale to their meals, discovering just how satisfying it felt to eat food they had grown themselves. For Anne, each harvest wasn’t just about the vegetables. It was about the sense of connection and confidence that came from nurturing something with her own hands.
“Having a garden right in our backyard has empowered us to think more about our food and enjoy the rewards of our hard work,” Anne shared.
Although she wasn’t able to attend the community cooking class offered to participants, Anne expressed her gratitude for the resources and materials provided. Gardening, she said, had changed the way her family thought about food — and about themselves.
“It’s more than just growing vegetables — it’s about what we’ve learned together as a family,” she reflected.
Today, Anne’s backyard garden continues to grow, producing fresh food and new memories. What started as a small planter box has become something much bigger — a reminder that hope can take root anywhere, even in the smallest patch of soil.
