Farmland development often conjures images of cultivated fields and food production, but at Sandown, a former racetrack for 75 years, it takes on a deeper meaning. For Matthew Kyriakides, the Stewardship Manager at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, it’s about restoring the land, healing ecosystems, and creating connections between people and nature.
The land at Sandown is the ancestral territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, specifically the W̱SĺḴEM First Nation. For centuries, the SENĆOŦEN-speaking peoples stewarded these lands and waters, developing reciprocal relationships with nature that supported diverse and abundant food systems. Sandown’s landscape, once home to Garry Oak ecosystems that grew ḰȽO¸EL (Camas), a staple food of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, still holds remnants of this heritage. Yet much has been lost—Garry Oak ecosystems have dwindled, and only 512 hectares remain today from the 10,443 hectares that once thrived in the area.
In the mid-1800s, European settlers colonized this land, establishing a 500-acre farm estate that disrupted and displaced Indigenous food systems. European farming practices undermined the self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities and contributed to ongoing colonization. The promise of agricultural land was used to attract settlers, furthering the attempted assimilation, displacement, and erasure of Indigenous people from their ancestral lands and waters. This history underscores the importance of approaching land stewardship at Sandown with respect and understanding of its colonial past.
Matthew dreams of an agricultural model that nurtures land, water, and habitat while producing nutritious food in a way that is accessible and inclusive for everyone.
"Agriculture has often been a tool for displacement and colonization to the immense detriment of both people and land,” says Matthew. “The widened rift between so many people today, and the land from which they depend on, is a symptom of a larger issue that needs to be addressed. How can we work together to care for the land, our communities, and ourselves in a way that honours the past and reconnects us with each other?”. Matthew asks the deep and important questions of our time.
Today, the land bears scars from its past as a racetrack—compacted soils, layers of gravel and industrial debris, loss of topsoil, and invasive species. Matthew, an agroecologist and soil scientist, is leading a stewardship plan to restore Sandown’s degraded landscape and bring life back to its ecosystems.
Central to this mission is supporting people who want to farm. The Regenerative Farmer Program at Sandown aims to reduce barriers for new-entrant farmers by providing land access, tools, infrastructure, and mentorship. It creates a low-risk environment for new farmers to develop their skills and grow their businesses, all while regenerating the land.
But how can we be farmers and restore the land?
For Matthew, farming and ecological restoration go hand in hand. His vision is to build a regenerative agriculture center where farming works in harmony with nature—minimizing invasive species, managing stormwater, and supporting biodiversity. This includes the neighboring 25 acres of wetlands that now function as part of an integrated stormwater management system. While this area is unsuitable for agriculture, it plays a crucial role in controlling excess water during extreme weather events, though it faces pollution from nearby industries. Matthew is committed to restoring this regionally significant wetland to its full ecological potential.
Through reforestation, soil restoration, and wetland rehabilitation, Matthew’s vision of farmland development is regenerative. His PhD research at the University of Victoria explores the environmental and financial benefits of this approach, integrating ecological health with farming practices.
At Sandown, farmland development is not just about growing food—it’s about cultivating a future where ecosystems, communities, and agriculture thrive together. With the Regenerative Farmer Program, Sandown provides new farmers the opportunity to grow while contributing to the land’s restoration, proving that farming and ecological stewardship are deeply interconnected. By acknowledging and addressing the land’s colonial history, Sandown seeks to restore not only the land but the relationships that sustain it.
Interested in visiting the Sandown Centre? We offer 1-2 hour guided tours! We will take your group through the 83-acre site, including the farming area, meadow, forest, and a visit to the historic Garry oak. Get outside, onto the land, and learn more about what we are doing at Sandown.
Contact us for more information and to book a tour. You can also take a virtual tour of Sandown here. Also, join us for the Islands Region Soils 101 Workshop Series on Thursday, October 17!
We are excited to dive into the essentials of soil health with DeLisa Lewis from Green Fire Farm and UBC’s Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab! Whether you're curious about the what, how, or why of soil science, this workshop is a perfect chance to deepen your understanding of the critical role soil plays in sustainable agriculture.
Join us to explore ways to care for the land and build resilient agricultural systems. Register via Eventbrite here.
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