SSQ Insurance is going green and beyond, with its plans to construct an urban garden at its Quebec office.

This summer, the insurer will utilize the roof of the SSQ building at 2505 Laurier Boulevard to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs - work on the garden will officially begin this month. A release has called the decision a “sustainable development initiative” which allows SSQ Insurance to give back to the community – the harvested produce will be donated to a community organization in Quebec City.

In order to create the garden, SSQ Insurance has teamed up with Les Urbainculteurs, a company that has been helping other businesses develop their own urban agriculture projects since 2009.

According to a release, the urban agriculture project also helps SSQ Insurance take steps towards reducing the effects of urban heat islands. The insurer also mentioned that the initiative is in line with its sustainable development and societal responsibility plan, as well as its environmental concerns.

“This agriculture project is a way for SSQ Insurance to show how ‘communities make us’,” said SSQ Insurance CEO Jean-François Chalifoux in a statement. “We want to contribute to our future and that of future generations by initiating eco-friendly projects that will also benefit the community.”