Category: Events

Annual General Meeting 2026

May 22, 2026

2026 Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, June 10 20, 2025 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

At our Annual General Meeting (AGM), staff and board members of the CEC will review the important work that the organization accomplished in 2025. We will recap educational program achievements, new projects and programs.

Everyone is welcome to attend – members, volunteers, and neighbours curious about our work.

Anyone can attend the CEC’s AGM. For members and non-members, attending our AGM is a great way to support the CEC and learn more about the work that we do here!

2025 Annual Report with Unaudited Financial Documents

Posted in Annual Report, Blog, Events, Uncategorized

Green Valley: Film and Fundraiser

May 14, 2026

Join us for “Green Valley: Film and Fundraiser” 🎬🌱

Join us at The Vic Theatre for a special one-night screening of Green Valley, the debut feature documentary from Victoria-raised filmmaker Morgan Tams. Filmed over two and a half years entirely off the grid, the film follows the residents of Blue Jay Lake Farm — a remote, self-sustaining community on BC’s West Coast — as they build homes, grow food, raise animals, and find their way to each other.

This isn’t just a screening. It’s a gathering. Victoria Cool Aid Society, the Compost Education Centre, The Gardener’s Pantry, and Wilder Restoration have all come together around this film — bringing native plant seed packet giveaways, community displays, a raffle, and much-needed plant nerdiness. Proceeds from the evening support the Victoria Compost Education Centre.

Green Valley premiered at the 2025 RIDM Documentary Film Festival to critical praise. Tonight it comes home.

Friday, May 22nd | Doors 6:30 PM | Film 7:00 PM The Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas Street, Victoria BC

Your ticket supports the Victoria Compost and Conservation Education Society and our hands-on education programs. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to reduce waste, build healthy soil, and strengthen our local ecosystem—one garden, one compost bin, and one neighbor at a time.

Posted in Blog, Events, Fundraising

Garden Party and Mural Celebration

April 1, 2026

What: A celebration of public art installations and an opportunity to meet your neighbours at the Compost Education Centre.

When: Sunday, May 24; 12:00pm-4:00pm

Where: 1216 North Park St. Compost Education Centre

Event Description: The Compost Ed Centre’s artist-in-residence is painting a cool road surface mural just outside our gate at 1216 North Park St. We’re hosting a party to celebrate the mural and welcome our new Caledonia neighbors to the Fernwood community. The event will feature pedal-powered music and local musicians, kids activities, botanical elixirs from Green Muse Herbs, and more! Please support this community event by bringing a baked good (with a list of ingredients) to share.

Site Accessibility: The Compost Education Centre site has paths made of wood chips. Mobility devices with wheels (such as wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are sometimes difficult to use on site. The Strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp, and it has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside the Strawbale, the floor is a level hard surface. There is a single-stall gender-neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp up to the washroom door and a small step over the door frame into the washroom. The retail space is not wheelchair accessible; there are four steps up into our retail space.

Posted in Blog, Events

Spring Plant Sale – May 9th, 2026

February 12, 2026

Save the Date! The Spring plant sale will be held on May 9th, 2026 from 10am-2pm. The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation. No one turned away from lack of funds. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

Accessibility Information

The sale will be happening in Haegert park which is grassy and slightly sloped, there are curb cuts at various entrance points to get into the park.

Visitors can park at the Vic High parking lot between Gladstone Avenue and Grant St. The parking lot is a 200m walk from Haegert Park.

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Hatchet & Seed
• LADR Landscape Architects
• Biophilia Collective
• Country Grocer
• Cold Comfort
• Habit Coffee
• Patagonia Victoria
• The Private Network
• Zero Waste Emporium
• Chek News
• West Coast Seeds

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Xwsepsum and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Posted in Blog, Events

The Good Food Gathering

December 18, 2025

Here at the Compost Education Centre, we see composting as essential for the cultivation of good food. Yet compost is just one ingredient in the recipe for good food – we also need growers, distributors, chefs, teachers, elders, researchers, and youth.

On November 27^th, I was grateful to be able to attend the 10^th Annual Good Food Gathering (GFG), where I was able to learn about the work of many folks involved in these various roles throughout the Capital Region District. The Good Food Network exists to support and connect us, which is facilitated by CRFAIR.

As a relative newcomer to the “food system” scene, I was particularly excited for this event. As I stepped into the spacious upper hall of the Gorge Pavillion, with a beautiful view of the Gorge waterway, the room was abuzz with reunions, new connections, fruitful discussions – and of course, delicious food. Though I was feeling a bit shy in this busy room, throughout the day many people introduced themselves to me and made me feel welcome and shared a bit about their work with me.

The day began with an overview of the current context surrounding food systems – how recent years have seen skyrocketing grocery prices but stagnating farmer incomes and increasing food insecurity, especially among equity-denied groups. Despite these growing concerns, many folks have made large strides in our region’s food system over the past 10 years, from Flourish!’s school food programs to Pauquachin First Nation’s clam garden restoration to the development of regional FoodHubs, there is much to celebrate.

After this (and my favourite part of the day), 10 individuals shared stories about their work, their successes and challenges. During these stories, I was especially excited by the work of Ariel at Iyé Creative, where they have done significant research into increasing community capacity to grow culturally relevant food crops. Importantly, a key learning from the Good Food Gathering was that we still have a lot of work to do in our region around supporting the cultivation of cultural foods and prioritizing Indigenous food systems. For those of us engaged (or wanting to engage!) with our local food systems, it is of the utmost importance that we envision food that feeds not only our bodies, but our minds and spirits, and serve everyone equally  – and this is what I took away from this awesome day.

Though there was much more that occurred at the GFG, such as an afternoon of group discussions and a yummy lunch, I will leave it there. For myself (and I think others) this was a day to look back, celebrate our successes, name our challenges and shortcomings, and look to the future, energized and focused!

Posted in Blog, Events, Food Security, News

Annual General Meeting

October 18, 2025

2025 Annual General Meeting

Thursday, November 20, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

At our Annual General Meeting (AGM), staff and board members of the CEC will review the important work that the organization accomplished in 2024. We will recap educational program achievements, new projects and programs.

CEC members in good standing will have the opportunity to vote on decisions that affect the future of the organization, including helping to elect new members to our Board of Directors.

Anyone can attend the CEC’s AGM. For members and non-members, attending our AGM is a great way to support the CEC and learn more about the work that we do here!

2024 Annual Report with Unaudited Financial Documents

Posted in Annual Report, Blog, Events, Uncategorized

Fall Plant Sale Fast Approaching!

July 4, 2025

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Fall plant sale! August 9, 13-16, 10:00am-4:00pm!

The plant sale will take place in our site at 1216 North Park street. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Fall Organic Plant sale features veggie starts that are perfect for your overwintering vegetable garden.

What you can look forward to:

• A selection of annual vegetables suitable for fall and winter growing

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The Compost Education Centre is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for all our community members.

Getting to the Compost Education Centre

The Compost Education Centre is located at 1216 North Park St. The closest bus stops are:

• Pandora Ave at Chambers St (Stop ID: 100169) (300 meters away) served by Routes 2, 5, 27, and 28;
• Cook St at Balmoral Rd (Stop ID: 100160) (350 meters away) served by Routes 24 and 25;
• Fernwood Rd at Grant St (Stop ID: 100227) (450 meters away) served by Route 22; and
• Bay St at Cedar Hill (Stop ID: 103733) (750 meters away) served by Route 10.

A bus transit planner is available on the BC Transit website (https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/).

The Compost Education Centre is accessible by bicycle, and there is ample bike parking available. Bike routes are visible on the CRD website (https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap).

Parking

Parking is very limited. The closest parking options during the week are:

• Two 2-hour parking spots at the corner of North Park St and Chambers St (50 meters away);
• Three 2-hour parking spots at Haegert Park (100 meters away);
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of North Park St and Cook St (250 meters away);
• Multiple 1-hour parking spots on Gladstone Ave opposite the Fernwood Community Centre (300 meters away); and
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of Caledonia Ave and Cook St (350 meters away).

All other parking within 400 meters of the Compost Education Centre is residential-only. While construction is occurring adjacent to the Compost Education Centre at 1211 Gladstone Ave (projected to be complete in June 2025), parking is even more limited.

On Saturdays, parking is available in the Victoria High School parking lots that are accessible off Grant St and Gladstone Ave. From these parking lots, it is less than a 300 meter walk to the Compost Education Centre.

Site Accessibility

The Compost Education Centre site has paths made of wood chips. Mobility devices with wheels (such as wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are sometimes difficult to use on site. The Strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp, and it has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside the Strawbale, the floor is a level hard surface. There is a single-stall gender-neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp up to the washroom door and a small step over the doorframe into the washroom. The retail space is not wheelchair accessible; there are four steps up into our retail space.

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, Organic Gardening

2025 Spring Plant Sale, May 10, 10AM-2PM

April 16, 2025

The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation. No one turned away from lack of funds. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Xwsepsum and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Accessibility Information

The sale will be happening in Haegert park which is grassy and slightly sloped, there are curb cuts at various entrance points to get into the park.

Visitors can park at the Vic High parking lot between Gladstone Avenue and Grant St. The parking lot is a 200m walk from Haegert Park.

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, Organic Gardening

Fall Plant Sale Fast Approaching!

July 25, 2024

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Fall plant sale! August 10, 10am-12pm!

The plant sale will take place in our site at 1216 North Park street. Stay for a while and enjoy bike pedal-powered music in the garden. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Fall Organic Plant sale features veggie starts that are perfect for your overwintering vegetable garden.

What you can look forward to:

• A selection of annual vegetables suitable for fall and winter growing

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Live bicycle powered music!

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The Compost Education Centre is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for all our community members.

Getting to the Compost Education Centre

The Compost Education Centre is located at 1216 North Park St. The closest bus stops are:

• Pandora Ave at Chambers St (Stop ID: 100169) (300 meters away) served by Routes 2, 5, 27, and 28;
• Cook St at Balmoral Rd (Stop ID: 100160) (350 meters away) served by Routes 24 and 25;
• Fernwood Rd at Grant St (Stop ID: 100227) (450 meters away) served by Route 22; and
• Bay St at Cedar Hill (Stop ID: 103733) (750 meters away) served by Route 10.

A bus transit planner is available on the BC Transit website (https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/).

The Compost Education Centre is accessible by bicycle, and there is ample bike parking available. Bike routes are visible on the CRD website (https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap).

Parking

Parking is very limited. The closest parking options during the week are:

• Two 2-hour parking spots at the corner of North Park St and Chambers St (50 meters away);
• Three 2-hour parking spots at Haegert Park (100 meters away);
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of North Park St and Cook St (250 meters away);
• Multiple 1-hour parking spots on Gladstone Ave opposite the Fernwood Community Centre (300 meters away); and
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of Caledonia Ave and Cook St (350 meters away).

All other parking within 400 meters of the Compost Education Centre is residential-only. While construction is occurring adjacent to the Compost Education Centre at 1211 Gladstone Ave (projected to be complete in June 2025), parking is even more limited.

On Saturdays, parking is available in the Victoria High School parking lots that are accessible off Grant St and Gladstone Ave. From these parking lots, it is less than a 300 meter walk to the Compost Education Centre.

Site Accessibility

The Compost Education Centre site has paths made of wood chips. Mobility devices with wheels (such as wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are sometimes difficult to use on site. The Strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp, and it has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside the Strawbale, the floor is a level hard surface. There is a single-stall gender-neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp up to the washroom door and a small step over the doorframe into the washroom. The retail space is not wheelchair accessible; there are four steps up into our retail space.

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged announcement, event, live entertainment, news, plant sale

Spring Plant Sale happening soon!

April 19, 2024

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic May plant sale! May 11th, 2024 10AM-2PM

The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

There will also be a Parent-Child workshop taking place during the sale, from 11:00am-12:00pm so bring the whole family!

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

• Live bicycle powered music!

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The sale will be happening in Haegert park which is grassy and slightly sloped, there are curb cuts at various entrance points to get into the park.

Visitors can park at the Vic High parking lot between Gladstone Avenue and Grant St. The parking lot is a 200m walk from Haegert Park.

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged entertainment, event, music, organic gardening, parent-child workshop, plant sale, spring plant sale