While still looking for a permanent home, a community greenhouse project in Hinton hopes to have fresh, organic flowers and vegetables growing by May.

The Hinton Community Greenhouse Association acquired two greenhouses from Kinder Morgan last fall, after Jasper could not find a home for them.

Two potential locations are being considered by the community greenhouse in Hinton, both with their own challenges. The community greenhouse association will approach Hinton town council on March 16 to seek permission to use one of the sites. They will present a business plan to council, and have already started collecting memberships.

The first site is next to the Hinton curling rink on Switzer drive, and the site of the former Wellwood greenhouse. It is on municipal land, has a fence and water hookups, and is likely to receive municipal support. Ideally, the town would like to enter a lease agreement with the greenhouse association.

However the site does not have a great deal of expansion potential, no southern exposure and is located close to the pulp and paper mill. Pollution from the pulp and paper mill could contaminate the soil in the greenhouse, which may dissuade some gardeners from growing vegetables, according to the community garden board of directors.

However there is support to get the project moving by starting at the Switzer Dr. Site. Soil will be trucked in for the greenhouse.

The second site – a 40 acre parcel of land on Highway 16 near the Super 8 motel – is preferable to many of the members. The site receives more sun, which will expand the growing season, and has a great deal of expansion potential.

“We want it to be as close to all season as possible,” said past president Jerome Cranston. “This is the only spot available with southern exposure in Hinton.”

The site however, is owned by the province, which is currently attempting to sell the land. The province is uninterested in leasing the land, and there are no guarantees potential purchasers would want to have a greenhouse on the site.

In order to construct a year-round facility, glass will likely be purchased for the greenhouse. Currently, the greenhouse has plastic, which has about two years left of life, according to Cranston, and would likely be able to run six months of the year, depending on the weather.

According to Cranston, the larger site could allow for several expansion possibilities. Outdoor gardens, a spa, bistro and solarium are just a few of the ideas circulating for the community garden. Other communities have transformed their greenhouse into tourism draws; something Hinton would like to follow.

The society will likely hire an employee to run the greenhouse, who will be in charge of the daily operations of the site. They hope to fill the position by May 15, when they can begin selling plots. While a price has yet to be set, a similar greenhouse in Whistler, B.C. rents for about $3 a square foot a month. That works out to about $80 a year for a 2x6 square foot plot.

Cranston is encouraging Jasperites to take part in the community greenhouse. He’d love to see a greenhouse in Jasper as well, and says Jasperites won’t have to make daily trips to tend to their flowers and vegetables.

“A drip hose watering system will be in place for the entire community greenhouse,” Cranston said.

The facility will also be entirely organic, he said, as pesticides will be prohibited. Alternative power sources will also be explored.

“We want to get this off the grid as much as possible,” Cranston said.

The association has received a great deal of grant support from the Town of Hinton and the provincial government.

Debby O’Bryan of Jasper also attended the meeting. She encouraged the association to include Jasper, as there are many local gardeners interested in participating in the project.