Over the years, Green Venture has worked with partners such as Green Communities Canada, the City of Hamilton, Ward 2 and 3 offices, FedDev Ontario, and more to replace pavement with native species and permeable surfaces. This process is commonly referred to as “Depaving”.
Why do we “Depave”
Hard surfaces, such as driveways, parking lots, and buildings, interrupt the natural water cycle by preventing rain water from soaking into the ground. This in turn leads to flooding, poor water quality, and creates urban heat islands that are warming up our cities. By removing pavement and replacing it with green space, we are increasing the infiltration rate of rainwater, cooling our neighbourhoods, keeping our water clean by filtering polluted runoff, increasing natural habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies, and providing us and our children with greater connections to the natural world.
Through partnerships with local schools, organizations, and community groups, Green Venture removes asphalt and concrete to renew and beautify community spaces by adding natural playgrounds, community vegetable gardens, trees, rain gardens, permeable pavers, and other permeable surfaces. In addition to building a strong sense of community, this program also increases usable public space and frequently improves a community’s water quality.
Seeing too much pavement in your community? Tell us where! We depave everything from city property, school playgrounds, old parking lots, to business fronts & more! As long as it’s pavement where people will appreciate more greenspace. We want to make your wishful thinking a reality! So get excited and be sure to send us an email at depave@greenventure.ca with any and all potential sites!
What makes an ideal depave site?
Here are two potential depave sites. Check them out to see what we’ve highlighted as things we look for in sites before we can approve them.
What about funding?
We endeavor to make the process of adding green space to your property as easy as possible. Green Venture secures all funding through various environmental grants and sources the landscape architects and contractors. All that is needed from site hosts is a signed contract approving Green Venture to carry out the work.
Area Depaved:
Plants added: 6 trees, 500+ native plants
After months of community feedback in the area, Green Venture and community volunteers transformed Westinghouse with hundreds of native plants and trees! In addition to building a strong sense of community in the neighbourhood, these greenspace transformations mitigate flooding, improve a community’s water quality and reduce stormwater runoff. The native plants support important pollinators and help maintain the natural water cycle by temporarily holding and soaking runoff that otherwise drains off the pavement into our sewer systems.
Westinghouse HQ, Barton BIA, Adele Pierre, the Ward 3 office, and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Area Depaved: 185 m2 +
Plants added: 16 trees, 500+ native plants
Volunteers engaged in environmental education and action through a morning of hands-on planting experience! The Ottawa St. community is overjoyed with the increased greenery, accessible seating, and stormwater benefits of this community-led initiative, illustrating how small actions—like planting native species in forgotten corners—have a big impact on community well-being.
Green Communities Canada, ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Corporate Community Fund, Green Cities Foundation, Rain Haven, Reactine, and Tree Canada
Area Depaved: 73 m2
Volunteers came together to plant a sustainable space that will provide many ecological services to the community. Some of these including helping reduce stormwater runoff and urban pollution. Over seventy squared meters of concrete was removed and replaced with garden. Be sure to view the beautiful mural on the wall behind the garden by Koe Design, as it showcases Ontario native plants!
Barton Village BIA, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect, Canada Community Revitalization Fund, City of Hamilton, Pinch, Packing House Inc., Twenty Creek Landscaping, Ward 3 Office, GALA.
Area Depaved: 197 m2
Green Venture staff worked with community members and volunteers to remove 50 m² of asphalt and replace it with a permeable surface, outdoor AODA compliant seating areas, a native Serviceberry tree, and 50 native plants for the neighborhood to enjoy. Some plants present in this garden include Amelanchier canadensis, Agastache foeniculum ‘Blue Boa’, Anemone x hybrida ‘Whirlwind’, Aster laevis ‘Blue Autumn’, Echinacea pallida, and Liatris spicata,
Barton Village BIA, Adele Pierre, Landscape Architect, Beautiful Alleys, GALA Community Planning Team, Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann, Green Communities Canada & Depave Paradise, Planning and Economic Development Department, and the City of Hamilton. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Plants added: Over 380 native species plants
The Green Venture team alongside Hamilton Public Library staff, community members and volunteers planted dozens of wonderful native species with fantastic names, including New Jersey Tea, black eyed Susan, hairy beardtongue and zigzag goldenrod. Visitors to the library can walk through a new garden path and witness bees, butterflies and other species enjoying this green space.
Hamilton Public Library, Barton Village BIA, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect, GALA Community Planning Team
Area Depaved: 93 m2
Storm Water Diverted: 82 770 L annually
Plants added: 7 trees, 20 shrubs, 500+ perennials
Location: Good Shepherd Venture Centre (155 Cannon St E, Hamilton ON)
In the spring of 2022, a long awaited initiative to add more green and shade along Cannon St E was completed! After depaving two long beds at the Good Shepherd Venture Centre, right beside the sidewalk in September of 2021, volunteers added hundreds of plants and 7 native trees to the Beasley Neighbourhood. The site has a combination of native species and hardy nativars that have been specifically chosen to provide year-round beauty, stormwater infiltration, shade/cooling and pollinator habitat. A partnership between the Beasley Neighbourhood Association, Friendly Streets Hamilton—an initiative of Environment Hamilton and Cycle Hamilton, Good Shepherd Venture Centre and Green Venture led the project with funding from PlanLocal Ward 2 Beautiful Streets and Spaces, and the Green Communities Canada Depave Paradise program.
NVK, Budget Bin Environmental Disposal, Venni Gardens, Rei Mar Forming Construction, Lehigh Hanson Heidelberg Cement Group, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect
Area Depaved: 197 m2
Storm Water Diverted: 257 500 L annually
Plants added: 12 trees, 33 shrubs, 268 perennials
Locations: 578-581 Barton St E. & 539 Barton St E.
In the spring of 2021, amidst pandemic restrictions, we depaved 2 city-owned boulevards in partnership with the Barton Village BIA and Amaprop Canada Inc. We made the difficult decision to carry out the projects as planned because we didn’t want to delay the benefits of urban greenspaces in Hamilton. Building up community-based climate resilience simply could not wait until the pandemic allowed. Engagement took place in other ways, including a street clean-up and education at street events later in the summer. Green Venture’s coordination of this Depave Paradise is made possible by funds from the Ontario Trillium Foundation through Green Communities Canada. Project support from the Barton Village BIA was via the TD Green Space Grant program—a grant made available through a partnership between TD Bank and the Arbor Day Foundation.
NVK, Budget Bin Environmental Disposal, Venni Gardens, Rei Mar Forming Construction, Lehigh Hanson Heidelberg Cement Group, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect
Area Depaved: 89m2
Storm Water Diverted: 364 000 L annually
Native Plants: 1 tree, 10 shrubs, 120 plants!
Volunteers: 20
Hardworking community volunteers came together on October 19th and 21st, to remove asphalt and replace it with gardens at EduDeo Ministries. The downspout draining the roof of this building was re-directed into a rain garden, and a pollinator garden and permeable seating area were also added. A huge thanks goes out to our many community partners and sponsors, and to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Green Communities Canada, and the Hamilton Community Foundation for making this possible.
Area Depaved: 172m2
Storm Water Diverted: 143 620 L annually
Native Plants: 542 + 12 trees!
Volunteers: 204
Students, staff, administration and community volunteers created an environmental learning space at Yorkview Elementary School. Three rain gardens, hundreds of native trees, shrubs and plants and 10 garden boxes, one for each class, we’re created by volunteers. See our graphic for sponsors and partners. Thanks to Conservers Society and District for charitable sponsorship for the Yorkview Depave Paradise project.
Check out the project in our blog post!
Area Depaved: 202m2
Storm Water Diverted: 160 694 L annually
Native Plants: 219 + 3 trees!
Volunteers: 105
Over 100 parents, students, teachers and administrative staff helped to Depave this area to create a natural green space for students including a permeable pathway through a rain garden, butterfly garden, native grass garden, sensory garden and the “Lake Adelaide” garden.
Area Depaved: 50m2
Storm Water Diverted: 59 000 L annually
Native Plants: 30
Volunteers: 42
Welcome Inn Community Centre and New Horizons Thrift Shop partnered with Green Venture to install 2100 square feet of EcoRaster permeable pavers at the James St. parking lot. Seeded with microgreens with parking lot with absorb and filter stormwater!
Area Depaved: 113m2
Stormwater Diverted: 126 660 L annually
Native Plants: 174 + 5 trees!
Volunteers: 74
The Crown Point Garden Club, Homeside Hub Community Planning Team, Crown Point Planning Committee, and Green Venture partnered to change four parking spots in the lot into a vibrant garden for all to enjoy!
Area Depaved: 185m2
Storm Water Diverted: 205 000 L annually
Native Plants: 2 trees!
Volunteers: 69
Students and staff from Monseigneur de Laval depaved a portion of their schoolyard to create an outdoor classroom!
Area Depaved: 53m2
Storm Water Diverted: 47 496 L annually
Native Plants: 104 + 1 tree!
Volunteers: 53
St. Brigid school transformed a section of their asphalt yard into a green space. Each student participated by drawing their vision for the area, then helped to make it a reality by planting, mulched, raking, depaving and watering!
Area Depaved: 58m2
Area Depaved: 130m2
Area Depaved: 93m2
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Barton St is blooming! Explore the neighbourhood gardens using this self-guided tour guide. Green Venture has worked with community partners over the years to install four green spaces along Barton St and one large pollinator garden at Good Shepherd Venture Centre on Cannon St. Green spaces have various proven environmental and health benefits and have…
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