After five years of restorative work at the Piper Creek Community Gardens, the non-profit group ReThink Red Deer is finishing it all by rebuilding a cherished barn.

Rene Michalak is the project lead for the Piper Creek Restoration Agriculture Project, who says the previous barn had to be torn down last summer due to lack of air flow and moisture problems.

However, he says the new one will serve more of a function for gardeners by collecting rainwater and hosting what they promise will be the world’s largest pollinator hotel.

Michalak adds the barn will be constructed using green methods and will serve as a place where people can visit and learn how to practice permaculture on their own.

“Because what we believe is sustainability starts at the backdoor. If you yourself do not become sustainable, it’s very difficult to contribute to a sustainable community,” Michalak says.

“So we’re hoping it becomes a recreational, educational location or destination for people of Red Deer and area. But also a tourist attraction because we have the world’s largest pollinator hotel people are going to want to see.”

ReThink Red Deer is partnering with Top Peg Timber Frame Construction and the Timber Framers Guild for the project.

They’ve secured a $25,000 grant from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.

Michalak says they’re hoping to crowdfund $20,000 that they can use to apply for matching grants, or to entice sponsors to cover the balance.

Once funds have been raised, the group will apply to the City of Red Deer for a building permit.

Five years ago, ReThink Red Deer and the Red Deer River Naturalists received $50,000 in federal grants to do restorative work. Some of that included conducting an inventory of weeds, removing a non-conforming creek crossing and riparian planting.