Toronto to consider committing $10-million to expand Allan Gardens.
A piece of history may soon grow like the flora it houses.
The Allan Gardens Conservatory, a centuries old conservatory, will double in size if the city opts to expand funding by $9-million. The city of Toronto already gave $1-million earlier this year.
Expanding to 32,000 square feet, up from 16,000, there are plans to grow culturally significant plants, address food insecurity and keep the space free for all.
The announcement was made at a press conference July 28 by Councillor Chris Moyes, alongside Friends of Allan Gardens, who have been working toward the expansion for years.
The funding will go toward a master plan and new greenhouse building, with a broader goal of raising $50 million through private donors and other levels of government.
“We’re in the Allan Gardens Conservatory. We’ve had this space here available to the public for free and accessible for the last 165 years, and so it’s well utilized. It’s a jewel in the middle of the city,” said Moyes.
More than 7,000 people signed a petition supporting the expansion. Moyes said the response from the community speaks to how much the space means to residents, particularly in a dense urban ward where green space is scarce.
“Toronto Centre is not a wealthy ward. There’s a lot of people come here from other places, working three jobs, and can’t really afford to take their kids to the cottage, and for some people, this is really their oasis away from their regular day life.”
Matt Canarin, executive director of Friends of Allan Gardens, said the project builds on a long history of expansion at the site and reflects what the community has been asking for.
“We’re doing consultation on what kinds of horticultural spaces we want to see in these new greenhouses, and we’re hearing consistently that people want to see native plants and Canadian plants,” said Canarin.
The expansion will also include greenhouses dedicated to urban agriculture and food production, with a vision of inspiring new generations of growers while addressing food insecurity in northern communities.
“We’re imagining some of these new greenhouses that are deployed in Allan Gardens can be used as an example for what can be used in northern Indigenous communities and Arctic communities as a way to bring down the cost of food and inspire people to grow interesting plants used in those environments,” said Canarin.
At the announcement, Michael McClelland, chair of the board of Friends of Allan Gardens, noted that the park has long served as a reflection of the city itself and that the expansion is about more than plants.
“Everything that happens in Allan Gardens is everything that happens in the entire city. Toronto happens in Allan Gardens also. It’s kind of like a microcosm of the entire city, and I think that we want to show the best qualities of the city to the people of Toronto.”
For those who work and spend time at Allan Gardens every day, the news was welcome and long overdue.
Enzo Nolan Taffo and Hannah Sota, who recently opened Cafe du Jardin inside the conservatory, said the expansion reflects what the community has needed for some time.
“Honestly, long time coming. I think they deserve it. I really do think they deserve it. I think they just make our community a lot better. And honestly, this conservatory does so much for the city as well,” said Taffo.
Allan Gardens will remain free and open 365 days a year throughout and after the expansion.
