Mark Cogswell, a very active community member is looking to expand on his community’s garden space and he has created an event which will bring the community members together for conversation and inspiration.
One of his community members will be providing a seminar on composting. Mark has asked if I, Jacqulynn Mulyk, will provide information on how the principles of City Repair can assist his community in developing their vision for expansion. If you are interested in attending their event please register at: http://bowbottocommunityspaces.eventbrite.com/
Mark Cogswell started off by writing a letter to his community and it was a great invitation to participate. I am sure Mark would be happy if you used his letter as a template to invite your community to join in on some action:
Hello Deer Parkers!
The community garden has generated many conversations and ideas about what can be done to make the church grounds more beautiful. The image of a garden is frequently used in our spiritual life and this reflects our deep connection to nature. The tremendous blossom of lush green foliage has prompted many suggestions for park benches, shrubs, and flowers. The presence of a garden reminds us of ways that we can enjoy our property and take our sense of community outside into nature.Do you have an idea? I suspect most of us have thought, at one point or another, of some improvement that would make the church grounds more beautiful, accessible, or enjoyable. The idea of a memorial reflection garden has been put forward as a starting point. The church property is a gift that we share in our church community and I would like to establish a community vision for how we transform our property.
A community vision starts with a conversation and the conversation itself strengthens our sense of community. Over the summer, I will be looking for ways to start this conversation. If you have ideas about how you would like to use the property, please let me know. If you have something you would like to learn about gardening or landscaping, this is an opportunity to learn while surrounded by your church family. If you have a skill or passion you would like to share, this is an opportunity to share it with people who are eager to put new skills to use.
If you would like to be part of the conversation, you can contact me by email at or by phone at:
We have a wonderful resource and an opportunity to transform it into something that can enhance our community and our spiritual life.
City Repair Calgary 
Hi Mark: my name is Murdock Morrison and I am trying to research the possibility of creating a memorial park( benches, garden,viewing areas,monument, etc.) on land ( 1/4 of an acre) that was formerly a 125 year old church.We also have stained glass windows that we would love to put into a small replica of the church that would be the centepiece of the memorial site. I have tried many sites without much luck and wondered if you knew of a site(s) that I could study as we need to demolish the old church( in very bad shape) and develop a plan for this memorial park. Thanks – Murdock Morrison