The buzz on Bee Hive Garden Keepers

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

Shaunavon Standard

A dedicated group of community volunteers is helping improve the lives of long-term care residents in Shaunavon.

Known as The Bee Hive Garden Keepers, the local non-profit organization has taken on the mission of maintaining, improving, and revitalizing the outdoor garden and patio spaces at the local long-term care centre.

The volunteer-driven board – comprised of Patty Wright, Bonnie Fritz, Kim Wallis, Pam Bahnuick, and Karen Stevenson – has spent the past four years providing hands-on upkeep for the facility’s grounds. They’ve also done some important fundraising to support the ongoing effort.

Their focus has been to make sure the  centre has a vibrant, peaceful, and welcoming space to enjoy the outdoors.

The project, which was originally launched in 2023, stemmed from a personal place for the committee members through their personal involvement with life at the centre and their experience with family members living at the facility.

Patty Wright is one of those committee members who has had both parents live at the centre.

Patty was actually involved in a major project to build a beautiful garden area 12 years ago spearheaded by the Shaunavon Wildlife Federation. That effort included major landscaping, the construction and installation of garden beds and planters, and the creation of a seating area.

However, without ongoing maintenance and upkeep the area fell into disrepair.

The focus of the Garden Keepers was originally on that particular courtyard, although it wasn’t long before they were expanding their project.

Today, the team manages three distinct garden spaces which they have named the Sunrise Fountain Garden, the Bird House Nook, and the Flower Patch.

They have also done some major beautification work to make it more welcoming and appealing for those visiting the facility.

Meanwhile, funds from Affinity Credit Union were recently used to completely overhaul a southeast section of the building. What was once just a strip of gravel is now a lush garden filled with plants, topsoil, and fresh mulch.

Because the central organizing committee relies on just five core members, sustainability is built into all of the designs.

“We are very diligent about making sure that any project that we start be pretty maintenance-free,” Wright explained.

While the committee spearheads the effort, and rotates duties weekly throughout the summer, they rely heavily on seasonal community volunteers.

“We have spring volunteers that come and help clean up all the yards, and then we have a fall group that also comes in the fall,” Wright said.

That helping hand comes from local residents, family members (including grandchildren), and even the local high school archery group.

Along with the obvious visual improvements, committee members also draw satisfaction from how the residents have responded to the changes.

“My dad actually ended up in this room right here for five and a half years,” Wright shared during the Garden Party, pointing toward a facility window that overlooks the Bird House Nook, an area that features birdhouses, apple trees and a variety of flowers. “When he moved in, the grass was tall, with a lot of weeds, and there was nothing here.”

“So then we just started working and eventually we were able to turn it into what it looks like today, just a wonderful space.”

The residents don’t just view the gardens, they also get involved in the growing operation. The beds yield tomatoes, carrots, and rhubarb, among other items, which residents enjoy fresh. Recently, the harvest has also been featured in a series of cooking sessions with Chef Rusty of Harvest Eatery.

The gardens have also helped draw local wildlife right outside the windows of residents. Families have reported residents watching deer wander by, and hummingbird sightings have also been confirmed.

“They wouldn’t get that otherwise,” Wright noted, recalling a temporary resident who eagerly flagged down a Garden Keeper just to share the news of a bird raising its babies in one of the courtyard birdhouses.

Operating as a non-profit, the group relies entirely on local generosity.

Beyond corporate sponsorships like Affinity Credit Union, which has made donations since the initiative was first launched, the group runs two highly successful annual fundraisers. They include a spring online auction in April

– which raised nearly $10,000 this year – and a “Sunday in the Park” burger sale during July’s Boomtown Days.

Individuals also donate to the cause, and the group also receives meaningful memorial donations through their “Forever Bees” program when residents pass away.

For the Bee Hive Garden Keepers, the work is a long-term investment in the community’s future.

“This is going to be our home someday,” acknowledged Wright. “If we live long enough, we’re all going to end up here,” Wright said. “I want to look out my window and see flowers… We want it to look nice, and we want it to be sustainable.”

“We are very proud of what we’ve accomplished,” she added. “It is pretty awesome.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Bee Hive Garden Keepers can contact Patty for more information. People can also pick up an informational pamphlet located at the front entrance of the long-term care centre.