Victory Gardens

By Mark Merlino

Before the Second World War, Powell River wasn’t a town of dedicated gardeners, but necessity changed that.

By 1943, virtually every home in Powell River had set up a Victory Garden with the aim of being able to feed their own families with the vegetables they grew in their own yards.

The war disrupted the supply chains throughout the world and this led to price gauging and shortages of food staples, especially meat, and imported goods like chocolate and car tires.

Lester Price in 1947.

The Canadian government responded by implementing price freezes on food products and then rationing food staples like butter and sugar.

By growing their own vegetables and keeping laying hens, Powell Riverites were able to relieve some of the pressure on the supply chains, while improving their nutrition with this satisfying pastime.

One of the most surprising things is that the Victory Gardens outlived the war by two years, as it took considerable time for domestic and international food suppliers to restore the services that had been disrupted.

Victory Gardens Kept Powell River fed through WWII The renewed interest in food gardening inspired the Library’s adult services coordinator, Mark Merlino, to make a video about WWII’s local gardening efforts. Find it at prpl.ca.

Brooks Home Ec room supervisor R.C. Marlatt makes jam for Britain in 1942. Photos courtesy of the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Society