Toronto's Spirit Garden is a contemplative space where people engage with Indigenous teachings, learning, sharing, and healing practices. It symbolizes the city's commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, healing the past while fostering a future that honours Indigenous peoples. The Spirit Garden is strategically positioned in the iconic Nathan Phillips Square (the city's most prominent civic gathering place next to the City Hall), and Toronto's bustling Queen Street West.

To offer an informed cultural experience, Gow Hastings and Two Row Architect collaborated closely with Indigenous communities and artists (as well as a team of subconsultants), creating a landscape that forges reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians through rich symbolism, storytelling, cultural references, and native plantings.

At the heart of the 30,200-square-foot garden, a striking turtle sculpture references the creation story shared by Indigenous elders and knowledge-keepers. Crafted by Anishinaabe artist Solomon King from 10 tons of Indiana limestone, the sculpture is set within a reflective pool surrounded by the names of the now-debunked residential schools in Ontario that aimed to assimilate Indigenous children into colonial culture.

Adjacent to the Turtle Sculpture stands the Teaching Lodge, designed to resemble a turtle's shell and constructed from ash glulam beams. Clad in Muntz metal, valued for its durability and warm colour, the Lodge serves as a communal space for spiritual reflection. Its skylights indicate the Seven Grandfather Teachings: Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth.

Further enriching this inclusive and accessible garden are the Spirit Canoe by Métis artist Tannis Nielsen, the Three Sisters artwork by Raymond Skye from the Tuscarora Nation in Six Nations of the Grand River, and an Inukshuk by Inuit artist Henry Kudluk, which highlights the cultural significance of the north while guiding visitors. Threaded through the site is a Two Row Wampum walkway, composed of coloured precast concrete, serving as both a physical and symbolic path that connects Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples—a link between the past and the future.

Indigenous Architectural Consultant: Two Row Architect

Artists:
Solomon King (Anishnaabe Artist) – Turtle Sculpture
Henry Kudluk (Inuit Artist) – Inukshuk
Tannis Nielsen (Métis Artist) – Painting of Voyager Canoe
Raymond Skye (Iroquois/Haudenosaunee Artist) – Three Sisters Artist

General Contractor: Buttcon
Landscape Architect: PMA Landscape Architects
Heritage Consultant: Goldsmith Borgal & Company Architects
Civil Engineer: MTE
Structural Engineer: Entuitive
Building Envelope/Roofing: Entuitive
Mechanical Engineer: HH Angus
Electrical Engineer: HH Angus
AV/IT/Security: HH Angus
Commissioning: HH Angus
Water Feature Design: Waterworx
Code: Jensen Hughes
Cost: Turner & Townsend