Monday, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On this day, the much anticipated Spirit Garden will be officially opened to the public at Nathan Phillips Square at 1:00pm during the 2024 Indigenous Legacy Gathering.
This permanent memorial, designed by Indigenous artists, is a response “to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Call to Action 82, for governments to commission and install a Residential Schools Monument in each capital city to honour residential school survivors, and all the children lost to their families and communities.” (Toronto Council of Fire Native Cultural Centre)
The centre of the contemplative space of the Spirit Garden contains Anishinaabe artist Solomon King’s Turtle sculpture identifying the names of the 17 residential schools that were located in Ontario. Surrounding this contemplative centre are First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artist designed symbolic places of contemplation, celebration, and ceremony.
For more information on the Spirit Garden launch and Indigenous Legacy Gathering 2024, see: https://www.councilfire.ca/indigenous-legacy-gathering-september-27-30-2024/