Indigenous Sacred Fire Site, Allan Gardens, Toronto

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❖Indigenous Sacred Fire Site, Toronto, 2024[open in full screen]

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The designated Sacred Fire sites across the city are located at Allan Gardens, Christie Pits Park and Norwood Park. If you are not Indigenous, fire pits in City parks are available to book. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have used Sacred Fires for wellness, healing and gatherings. Fire is a sacred gift from the Creator, as well as a doorway of communication with the Spirit world, ancestors and creation.

The City collaborated with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to create designated Sacred Fire sites with additional sites planned for the future. Through designated sites, the City aims to create safer access to land for ceremony while minimizing interruptions, as well as continue to build relationships to meet the needs of Indigenous communities.

Once pine forest and meadow, the land that would become Allan Gardens has long been traversed by Indigenous peoples. Allan Gardens is located on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

Allan Gardens is a park and an indoor botanical garden with six greenhouses comprising over 16,000 square feet. The indoor conservatory features colourful plants and flowers from around the world. Seasonal plants supplement the permanent plant collection of botanical importance since 1858. The conservatory boasts the "Palm House" (1909) modelled after similar structures in the United States and England.

The park is known as a meeting place for the Indigenous community in the city, with many nearby agencies and organizations dedicated to aboriginal causes. Northeast of the park on Carlton Street was the home of Dr. Oronhyatekha (Dr. O), who was a Mohawk physician, the CEO of a multinational financial institution and a notable figure in the history surrounding British colonization and the Indigenous community. Dr. O was also the first known Indigenous Oxford scholar and a strong voice for the rights of women, children and minorities. As a well-recognized figure in the Victorian era, he gave speeches on issues of Indigenous suffrage and social equity.”

We have one similar sacred place in our collection, we are not sure that they are urban squares, still they definitely deserve to be here.

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❖..c l a s s i f i c a t i o n ... s y s t e m..❖
more about evaluation method		more about types of squares
sociability	8	ceremonial	x
uses & activities	8	religious	x
access & linkages	8	social	x
comfort	7	residential	x
image	10	courtyard	x
tourist value	10	with park	x
total	51	street, shopping	x