City of Toronto: The Spirit Garden is a landmark designed to foster teaching, learning, sharing and healing for Indigenous communities and all who visit. It responds in part to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 82. It enhances this Call to Action by creating a prominent and highly visible space featuring diverse programming, teachings, ceremonies, and gatherings to share the cultural traditions of the Original Peoples.

The Spirit Garden also incorporates diverse elements that represent First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures, such as a Teaching Lodge, an amphitheatre, a Three Sisters seasonal garden, a Two Row Wampum walkway and more.

The 20,650-square-foot garden serves as a space for contemplation, gatherings and spiritual ceremonies, open to all people seeking connection and understanding. Featured art works and artists include:

Turtle Sculpture

At the heart of the Spirit Garden stands a six-foot-tall limestone turtle sculpture, composed of 10 individual pieces and weighing approximately 10 tonnes. Positioned within a reflecting pool and aligned with Magnetic North, the turtle represents Turtle Island – Mother Earth – embodying First Nations creation stories. The names of 18 residential schools that once operated in Ontario are displayed in stainless steel lettering on the pool’s north wall.

Solomon King is an Anishinaabe artist from Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario, and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. With a diverse educational background that includes a BFA in Painting and Drawing, a Diploma in Digital Media Design and a Certificate in Stone Carving and Restoration, he brings over 20 years of experience in stonemasonry, heritage restoration and sculpture to his work. His artistic practice reflects his deep connection to his heritage and his mastery of various techniques.

Spirit Canoe

The Spirit Canoe is a 36-foot-long stainless-steel sculpture with laser-cut artwork and painted infill panels. The canoe is a tribute to the Métis Voyageur tradition, representing resilience, collaboration and the connection of the Métis people to land and waterways.

Tannis Nielsen is an Anishnaabe-Red River Métis multidisciplinary artist and academic. As a visual artist, her practice includes drawing, painting, new media installation, sculpture and performance. Her work explores Indigenous decolonization methodologies, oral histories, feminism and investigations between Indigenous science and quantum physics.

Inuksuk

The Inuksuk is a traditional stone landmark, standing five-feet-tall and stacked in the Spirit Garden on a raised plinth. It serves as a cultural marker and symbol of guidance for Inuit peoples, representing safety and reassurance on the land.

Henry Angootinmarik Kudluk, born in Churchill, Manitoba and raised in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, draws inspiration from his upbringing among nine siblings and a rich cultural heritage. Kudluk’s passion for carving ignited in 1998 while working at the Inuit Art Foundation, where he observed expert carvers during annual arts festivals. He honed his skills through their demonstrations and guidance, particularly from renowned Inuit artist Mattiusi Iyaituk, who taught him inlaying techniques. Today, Kudluk is celebrated for his unique carvings that reflect his deep connection to his heritage.

Three Sisters

The Three Sisters artwork is etched onto Muntz metal panels depicting the symbiotic relationship between corn, beans and squash and shared values associated with stewardship of the land and planning for the seventh generation. The story serves as a model for, “how to be a woman in the world.” Women are teachers, life givers and support one another as they work with the ground (Earth).

Raymond Skye, from the Tuscarora Nation in Six Nations of the Grand River, is a self-taught artist celebrated for his wildlife portraiture. Utilizing pencil, charcoal, pastels, watercolour and coloured pencil, Skye draws inspiration from his parents’ traditional teachings, which guide him in authentically portraying his culture with dignity and respect. His dedication to his craft reflects an appreciation for his heritage and the natural world.

Teaching Lodge

The Teaching Lodge is a pre-formed laminated Ash wood structural frame enclosed with a white cedar tongue and groove exterior enclosure and sheathing. Operable skylights provide ventilation, and the space is secured with doors located at the east and west entrances to the lodge. The interior features built-in seating for approximately 60 people. The lodge reinforces the importance of family, represents life’s journey and serves as a spiritual home for all First Nations peoples.

John Keeshig Maya-waasige is an Anishnaabe Knowledge Keeper from Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation. His work focuses on preserving Indigenous knowledge and teachings, which are integral to his creating sacred spaces like the Teaching Lodge.

Kaswentha (Two-Row Wampum Walkway)

This unbroken path connects the Tree of Peace to the Peace Garden and symbolizes the long-standing treaty agreements between Indigenous peoples and settlers represented by 2 parallel lines. Traditionally Kaswenthas are made with white and purple quahog shells.

The Spirit Garden project was led by Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto. The Spirit Garden was designed by Gow Hastings Architects and Two Row Architect. Site construction by Buttcon Construction.

Funding for the Spirit Garden has been provided by Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, the City of Toronto, and the Government of Canada.

More information on the Spirit Garden is available at on the City of Toronto’s and Toronto Council Fire’s  webpages.

Site map of the Spirit Garden

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