Saint-François city councillor looking at alternatives for a potential reopening
Action Laval city councilor for Saint-François Isabelle Piché has announced that François Handfield, an agronomist and engineering graduate, will act as an expert at a public consultation on the future of the Nature Centre mini-farm she will be holding later this month.
“With his exceptional background combining field experience, technical expertise, and commitment to the development of the agri-food sector, Mr. Handfield will make a valuable contribution to this process,” the municipal opposition party said in a statement last week.
A former organic farmer and co-founder of Ferme aux petits oignons, François Handfield, according to Action Laval, has built a successful business, recognized nationally, notably for its innovation and profitability.
Agricultural expert
Today, as a consultant, speaker and trainer, says Action Laval, Handfield supports agricultural businesses, public authorities and local communities in areas as diverse as production, economic management, planning, marketing and regulation.
He is also the president and founder of Mana Culture Inc., a company specializing in the design and manufacture of agricultural equipment. “His hands-on experience as a farm entrepreneur allows him to offer realistic, innovative solutions tailored to real-world conditions,” Action Laval says.
“The appointment of François Handfield is a major asset to our consulting,” said Piché. “His expertise, combined with his practical experience as a producer and entrepreneur, will allow us to develop a rigorous, credible and sustainable approach to the future of the Centre de la nature farm.”
Rethinking mini-farm’s future
Piché will be chairing an advisory committee on the mini-farm’s future, supported by Dennis Fiévèt, who initiated a citizen petition to save the facility, and by Julie Vézina, a health strategist. A first phase of online consultations ended on March 31.
A second phase, during which the most popular options will be presented to participants in person, will take place on April 30 at a location to be announced. The recent closure of the petting zoo at the Centre de la nature sparked a strong grassroots reaction, with a petition that exceeded 20,000 signatures.
The city stood by its decision to close the mini-farm, noting that the facility was outdated and worn out, and the reconstruction costs were estimated to be between $15 and $20 million. The building itself had an immediate need for a new roof, with an estimated cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Mini-farm now closed
Fiévèt and Piché spearheaded efforts to rally the support of residents from all over Laval, in the hopes of saving the small but cherished mini-farm which housed a range of domestic animals, including sheep, geese, chickens and donkeys.
Since then, the city took measures to replace the mini-farm with a mobile petting zoo that will be visiting the Centre de la nature on a regular basis beginning this summer, while offering visitors (many of whom are children accompanied by parents) the opportunity to interact with domesticated animals as they did for many years at the Centre de la nature’s mini-zoo.
