Wait list FAQ
Q: How long is the CRCG waitlist?
A: Currently the waitlist has over 300 people waiting.
Q: How long have people been waiting for a plot?
A: We are contacting people who came onto the list in 2020 starting in March, 2026. 7 years.
Q. How long will people at the bottom of the list have to wait?
A: At present, those people will wait an estimated 7 years for a plot.
Q. Why is the wait for a garden plot so long?
A: Every year we have more people joining the wait list than we have garden plots available. The demand for garden space has been increasing, but the space available for community gardens in municipalities has not. Amenities such as green space have not kept up with population growth in the TriCities where a great many of our members live.
Q. When will the waitlist be reopened?
A: Once the wait for a garden plot is no longer than 2-3 years, we will reopen the list. Please check back for an update on the CRCG Waitlist and projected reopening date in 2027.
Q: Why are existing gardeners allowed to garden more than 1 plot when the waitlist is so long?
A: We have 320 members at present. Growing beyond this number of members by limiting the number of plots existing members are permitted is problematic, for the following reasons:
The challenge of creating a sense of community among our members who form a very diverse group is considerable with 350 members. Our success as an organization depends on the cooperation and commitment of members to the community garden as a whole, which is entirely maintained by members (ie. we have no on-site staff). Over time, members become increasingly committed to the organization and to one another. There is an evolution from caring about one’s own plot, to caring about the whole garden.
The parking lot at the Community Gardens serves all park users, and has only 70 parking spaces. We are already experiencing the closure of the parking lot on busy week-ends because it is full. There is no provision for “overflow”. This is frustrating. Though we have lobbied for more parking, both Metro Vancouver and the Kwikwetlem First Nation are opposed to expansion.
At present, we have 330 members as well as 140 associate members cultivating 581 plots. On average, gardeners have 1.57 plots. Relatively few gardeners have the maximum plots allowed of 4 plots amounting to a garden of 1000 square feet.
Baraga allotment garden in Burnaby is similar in overall area to our gardens (10 acres vs. our 7 acres). Members there can only have one plot. However, their one plot is the equivalent of 4 of our plots, 1,000 square feet! We believe that the 4-plot limit at Coquitlam River Community Garden is appropriate for those gardeners who have the time, energy and expertise to look after that size of garden, given the scale of the community gardens overall, and its remoteness, requiring vehicle access and some commuting. Only when a gardener demonstrates that they can properly look after their original garden, and after reapplying to the waitlist, can a gardener add a plot.