A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Anishnawbe Health Toronto Community Health Centre, which will take up an entire city block in Toronto's West Donlands. The Indigenous Hub will provide crucial services around health, employment and culture and hopefully encourage other groups and businesses to support investments in the Indigenous community.
According to Storeys Real Estate News, the 2.4 acre site is located at Front and Cherry Streets. The groundbreaking also featured a pipe ceremony with drummers and dancers.
"This site will be a gathering place for the Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and a home to support the reclamation of culture and identity. In fact, this project will advance on many fronts including the restoration of traditional medicines and the green space to this block that has an industrial past; implementing architectural guidelines for Indigenous design developed for this project; and to land ownership and lease agreements with development partners that will guide and support the Hub forward for seven generations and more."
Executive Director of Anishnawbe Health Toronto | Joe Hester
The mixed-use development will include the following:
- New 4 storey home of AHT
- 4 storey Miziwe Biik Training Institute
- Municipally-operated childcare and family centre
- 13 storey Canary House mixed-use condominium building
- Restoration of the historic Canary Restaurant building for commercial use by Dream Unlimited Corp. and Kilmer Group
- 11 storey purpose-built rental building developed by Dream, Dream Impact Trust, Kilmer and Tricon Residential
The project's master plan was designed by BDP Quadrangle, along with Stantec and Indigenous owned Two Row Architect, while ERA Architects is overseeing the restoration of the Canary Restaurant Building.
The Toronto Star reports that the project, who's partners include the city and province, has been over a decade in the making as Indigenous community groups were looking to create an infrastructure that would create opportunities for young people.
The property was returned to Anishnawbe Health Toronto by Ontario in 2014. In 2017 Anishnawbe Health partnered with Dream Unlimited, the Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential to co-develop the site. The Indigenous Community Centre will be completed in 2022 and the remainder of the hub will be finished by 2024.
The groundbreaking ceremony fell on Indigenous Peoples Day and just weeks after a mass unmarked grave of 215 children was found in Kamloops, B.C. at the site of a former residential school. More graves are being located, and Ontario this month pledged $10 million to uncovering and marking the sites.
Canadian Architect states that the Miziwe Biik Training Institute will serve as an employment and training partner and will offer:
- Hands-on carpentry workshop
- Tutoring classrooms
- A Business Incubator
- Other multi-purpose training spaces for programming and gatherings
- Childcare and family centre
The four-storey, 45,000 square foot Anishnawbe Health Toronto Community Health Centre will offer holistic health programs and services that will integrate Indigenous and Western approaches. The construction of the Health Centre will be funded by the Ministry of Health with community support from donors through the Anishnawbe Health Foundation.
DataBid is currently reporting on this project - Anishnawbe Health Toronto New Indigenous Community Health Centre - Canary District (0009090120)
