GET INVOLVED
Test Your Soil Quality
In collaboration with Royal Roads University, the Compost Education Centre provides free heavy metal soil testing to CRD growers and gatherers through a citizen science approach where you, a citizen scientist, collect the soil samples. We analyze the soil samples and share soil testing results with you along with resources and workshops to help you interpret the results. We also compile the soil testing results in an anonymized and publicly available online map. For more information about the program, check out the Healing City Soils webpage.
February 13, 2026
Healing City Soils – Accepting Soil Samples!
We are now accepting soil samples for heavy metal testing in the soil where you grow or are planning to grow food and edible plants.
To participate
Please follow the HCS 2026 Sampling Guide and bring your samples to the Compost Education Centre at 1216 North Park St during office hours (Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm). FREE soil testing for heavy metal contamination – no application required! The first 50 people to drop off their soil samples will receive their soil test results in the fall of 2026. All samples submitted to us thereafter will be stored for testing in 2027. We will continue accepting soil samples until further notice. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at healingcitysoils@compost.bc.ca or at our office hotline (250) 386 9676.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for submitting soil samples?
We are accepting soil samples until September 30, 2026.
Can I submit more than one soil sample?
We invite participants to submit two soil samples each. However, if your garden space serves multiple people (e.g., a community garden), or is covering a very large area, we can increase the number of samples on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to healingcitysoils@compost.bc.ca to discuss options.
Please note: our program only tests for Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Mercury, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc.
I don’t live in downtown Victoria, can I still participate?
Healing City Soils provides free soil testing for heavy metal contamination to residents of the CRD who are currently growing, or planning to grow food. We are eager to invite participants from North Saanich, Sidney, Brentwood Bay, Langford, Sooke, and other Westshore communities!
I live in an apartment with a rooftop garden – can I get my soil tested?
Sure! But because you don’t have a “native” soil sample to compare your garden soil sample to, you only need to collect one sample.
When will I get my soil quality results?
We aim to send the soil test result reports to all participants by the end of October with an invitation to a free workshop on Understanding and Addressing Soil Contamination on November 14, 2026.
Can I still garden while I wait for my soil sample results?
If you suspect your soil may be contaminated, please check out factsheets 11- Understanding and Addressing Soil Contamination; and 12 – Best Practices for Healthy Urban Gardens for more information.
Grow food in a healthy and safe way.
The Healing City Soils program offers education and resources to dismantle barriers to growing healthy food.
