This year’s 3rd Annual Abbotsford Garden Tour did exactly that, bringing together garden lovers, neighbours, volunteers, sponsors, and friends of Abbotsford for a beautiful day in support of older adults in our community.
The Garden Tour was once again a tremendous success, raising over $40,000 in support of The Glebe Centre Community Programs at Abbotsford. We are deeply grateful to everyone who purchased a ticket, opened their garden, volunteered, sponsored the event, helped promote the tour, or joined us on the day. The success of this event is a true reflection of the generosity and community spirit that make the Glebe and surrounding neighbourhoods such a special place.
Now in its third year, the Abbotsford Garden Tour has quickly become one of our most important annual fundraisers. While guests come for the gardens, the impact reaches far beyond the pathways, patios, flowers, and carefully tended beds. Every ticket sold helps support programs and services that allow older adults to remain active, connected, and supported as they age in the community.
At The Glebe Centre Community Programs at Abbotsford, we provide a wide range of programs and services for older adults and caregivers. Through our Seniors Active Living Centre, members take part in fitness classes, arts programs, music, language learning, lectures, clubs, and social activities that support connection, wellness, and lifelong learning. Through our Community Support Services, clients and caregivers can access important supports such as Adult Day Programs, transportation, friendly visiting, luncheon programs, and other services that help reduce isolation and support aging at home.
Although our programs receive some funding, we are not fully funded. Fundraising is essential to our ability to continue offering accessible, meaningful, and responsive programs for the community. Events like the Garden Tour help ensure that an older adult can find friendship in a class, a caregiver can receive much-needed respite, a client can get to an important appointment, and a member can continue to feel a sense of belonging at Abbotsford.
We are especially grateful to the generous homeowners who opened their gardens for this year’s tour. Each garden offered something unique, whether it was a peaceful retreat, a burst of colour, a creative design, or a reminder of the joy that comes from nurturing something over time. Sharing a private garden with the community is a generous act, and we thank each of our garden hosts for helping make the day so memorable.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our sponsors. Your support helped make the tour possible and ensured that the funds raised could directly benefit older adults in our community.
A special thank you goes to our Canopy Champions: Brian Lonsdale and Trinity Development Group. Your generous support provided a strong foundation for the success of this year’s event, and we are grateful for your commitment to Abbotsford and to the community we serve.
We would also like to offer our deepest thanks to our lead Pollinator Patrons, Amica Senior Lifestyles and Glebe Whole Health Compounding Pharmacies. Your leadership support helped this year’s Garden Tour truly flourish. Amica Senior Lifestyles continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting older adults and building meaningful community connections. Glebe Whole Health Compounding Pharmacies has long been connected to the health and wellness of the community, and we are grateful for their continued support of programs that help seniors live well close to home.
An event of this size depends on many helping hands. To our volunteers, staff, ticket sellers, sponsors, garden hosts, community partners, and everyone who helped behind the scenes, thank you. Your energy, care, and dedication made the day possible.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended. By taking part in the Abbotsford Garden Tour, you helped support programs and services that make a real difference in the lives of older adults and caregivers across our community.
We are already looking forward to next year’s tour and to continuing this wonderful tradition of gardens, generosity, and community support.
