The Spirit Garden

Client

Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre and City of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

Client

City of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

General Contractor

Buttcon
Toronto, Ontario

Indigenous Architect

Two Row Architect
Toronto, Ontario

Sheet Metal Contractor

Mariani Metal Fabricators Limited
Toronto, Ontario

Three Sisters Statue

Raymond Skye

The Spirit Garden is an unprecedented landscape of learning and memorialization located at the southwest corner of Nathan Phillips Square—Toronto's most significant civic gathering space. Dedicated to Indigenous history and culture, it is among the first public spaces built in a Canadian capital city that honors those impacted by the Residential Schools program. The Spirit Garden's "Teaching Lodge" is formed with Ash glulam beams and clad with Brass panels—materials symbolizing the natural world. The brass panels, skillfully cut to precise dimensions and assembled like a puzzle, simulate traditional birchbark coverings. Additionally, Brass panels are installed at the ends of the landscape for continuity with artwork by Tuscarora artist Raymond Skye, titled 'The Three Sisters'. The intricate engravings tell the story of a traditional Indigenous planting system; corn, beans, and squash are grown together to promote soil health and nourishment. The Three Sisters' brass panels remind us about our relationship with traditional materials, the land and community and how we move about the earth. This project blends architectural precision with cultural storytelling and traditional materials.