Please join us for an exclusive screening of "Root Awakening," a new documentary series, currently streaming on Bell Fibe TV1. A reception with the cast and crew in attendance, plus an instagrammable photo wall will follow the screening.

 

The 5-part documentary series follows Faye Simmons and her friends through a growing season at The PATCH, a unique urban farm in the heart of a mid-sized city.

 

Faye loves being outside. She loves growing things and being part of a caring, compassionate community. But those simple pleasures don't come easy for Faye. Born with a neurological disease, Faye is a wheelchair user who depends on daily help from others. As a result, Faye understands the powerful need for dignity, belonging, and helping others. It's this unique point of view that led Faye to co-found The PATCH. This remarkable organization works at the intersection of urban agriculture, food security and accessible inclusion for people of all abilities.

 

Beginning with The PATCH's springtime opening and progressing through the annual growing season, Faye interacts with her friends and colleagues at The PATCH daily. But her experiences reveal a contradiction: While Faye enjoys more social activities in summer, every journey is hard. Whether to her places of work as a crisis counsellor and tutor, to see her friends at The PATCH, or from bed to wheelchair - even with a PSW’s assistance - getting around is difficult.

 

These experiences, hardly unique to Faye, demonstrate how many in our community face substantial barriers to living with dignity. Faye's compassion and determination show that everyone can make a difference, regardless of ability.

 

As winter approaches, Faye and her friends attend an Indigenous sunrise ceremony on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

 

With the leaves turned and a crisp chill in the air, The PATCH hosts a harvest festival celebrating the end of the season. As her community gathers around her, Faye reflects on the joyful celebration of dignity and inclusion for everyone.