On Friday, May 17th, the Roncesvalles Village BIA and the Friends of Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden celebrated an Award of Excellence for Public Space Improvements received from the International Downtown Association (IDA) for the Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden (DRPG) . This Award is particularly significant because the IDA values collaboration. In its realization, this project galvanized the support of many community groups, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, artists from both communities, and the City of Toronto. The project features heritage recognition, green street gardening,, community welcoming, pollinator habitat development, and acts as a living dedication of renewed relations between our community and Toronto’s indigenous people.
The IDA is a world leader in taking up the challenge of revitalizing downtowns around the world, from the USA, Canada, Europe and further around the globe, by encouraging best practices, and broad-based learning. It recognizes that innovative and effective renewals absolutely need cooperation between multiple interests, to promote good works. This was the only project given an Award of Excellence for improvements to public space, from the IDA in Canada for 2018. A copy of the plaque for the IDA Award was conferred upon the City.
PLANT Architect, and, the group of officials who helped bring the project to life attended, and were thanked for working so well with our community.
Part of the outdoor ceremony involved sharing with a representative of the Mississaugas of the Credit, with whom we exchanged sacred tobacco seeds, and planted sage — this year’s featured indigenous plant at the Peace Garden.
In our neighbourhood, the search to better understand our living history of Indigenous habitation, loss, and dispossession, starts with the Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden. This Peace Garden is dedicated to seeking better relationships between our peoples, and with the land, which desperately need healing. Our intentions are embedded in this little plot of living green, restful, revitalized public space.
A class of grade 7 students who participated in our annual Tulips for Peace program, attended to see the beauty of the tulips they planted last fall.
