Ireland Park Foundation - Toronto Irish Famine Memorial

Message from the Chairman

Sculptor Rowan Gillespie

Architect & Design

PARK CLOSURE

Ireland Park is temporarily closed and will reopen in the spring of 2012.

The City of Toronto is building a $5-million extension to the quay wall along the eastern edge of the park, so the area is off-limits for safety reasons.

When finished, the new seven-metre-wide structure will provide a tree-lined lakeside promenade adjacent to the park.

Ireland Park honours the Irish immigrants who fled during the Great Famine of 1847 and the 38,000 who arrived in Toronto that summer when the city’s population was a mere 20,000. Ireland Park is a bridge that will link two nations and two cities. It is the story of a destitute people overcoming unimaginable hardship and suffering, and speaks to the kindness and generosity of Canadians—traits which are as consistent now as in 1847.

It is a reminder of the trauma of famine, which still exists in many parts of the world today. The failure of a harvest is an act of nature. Starvation is the result of our failure to respond with generosity to those who are hungry.

Ireland Park Foundation is a charitable, non-profit organization whose purpose is to create venues and materials that symbolize the arrival and settlement of the Irish in Canada. Objectives include:

• Commemorate the 1,100 people who lost their lives during this tragic period in Toronto’s history, including both the Irish immigrants and those who died trying to help them.

• Celebrate the influence of the Irish who went on to make meaningful contributions to Toronto and Canada.

• Create awareness of the economic and cultural contribution of the Irish to Toronto and Canada before, during and after the famine period.

• Reinforce the Canadian tradition of welcoming waves of immigrants from around the world.

• Provide a strong foundation for the ongoing celebration of the Irish heritage and its contribution to Toronto and Canada.