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From The Bulletin
Labyrinth grant creates a-maze-ing green space
By Areej Hasso
“All people, all seasons.â€
That is the motto for a new development underway that has been a work in progress for the last seven years and initiated by the non-profit Toronto Labyrinth Community Network (TLCN).
The group is committed to the maintenance and creation of Toronto’s first public labyrinth and has recently been provided with an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant of $100,000 to be spent over one year to help fund the redevelopment of the existing labyrinth in Trinity Square Park west of the Eaton Centre.
The project began in 2000 with the City of Toronto’s agreement to try out the idea with a simple grass labyrinth, “to see if it was an appropriate thing to have in a park,†says Joanne Stevenson, chair of the TLCN. “The idea proved itself.â€
Its success initiated the call for an improvement to the project. With support from their partners, the Church of the Holy Trinity and Toronto Parks and Recreation, the launch of the project is finally underway this spring.
TLCN aims to promote awareness of labyrinths in conveying their socio-historical significance and the spirituality they represent. Stevenson describes this as a “tool for anyone to find relaxation and peace.â€
The 5-year-old grass-hedged labyrinth will soon be replaced by a more attractive 2-tone brick and an interlock pathway. Not only will this make the labyrinth that much more aesthetically appealing but more importantly, will be wheelchair accessible and will accommodate those who read brail. This, according to Stevenson, is the aim of the redevelopment: “universal access.†It will be open all year round, replacing the grass hedges with a more resilient brick.
Mimicking the Labyrinth laid in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France, a 13th-century design, the 70-foot-diameter labyrinth is likely to leave a historical footprint in Toronto.
Described as an “ancient mystical tool,†the labyrinth was first conceived of in ancient times and later created in cathedrals, where monks, nuns and pilgrims used it. Labyrinths symbolize spirituality and promote a sense of unity and calm. They are not intended to confuse or challenge logic but simply to allow users to regain focus.
TLCN describes the labyrinth as “a spiritual pathway…and a symbolic journey to the centre of ourselves.â€
The official opening will be held Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. For more information on labyrinths and to locate others, visit www.labyrinth-toronto.ca.
Labyrinth grant creates a-maze-ing green space
By Areej Hasso
“All people, all seasons.â€
That is the motto for a new development underway that has been a work in progress for the last seven years and initiated by the non-profit Toronto Labyrinth Community Network (TLCN).
The group is committed to the maintenance and creation of Toronto’s first public labyrinth and has recently been provided with an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant of $100,000 to be spent over one year to help fund the redevelopment of the existing labyrinth in Trinity Square Park west of the Eaton Centre.
The project began in 2000 with the City of Toronto’s agreement to try out the idea with a simple grass labyrinth, “to see if it was an appropriate thing to have in a park,†says Joanne Stevenson, chair of the TLCN. “The idea proved itself.â€
Its success initiated the call for an improvement to the project. With support from their partners, the Church of the Holy Trinity and Toronto Parks and Recreation, the launch of the project is finally underway this spring.
TLCN aims to promote awareness of labyrinths in conveying their socio-historical significance and the spirituality they represent. Stevenson describes this as a “tool for anyone to find relaxation and peace.â€
The 5-year-old grass-hedged labyrinth will soon be replaced by a more attractive 2-tone brick and an interlock pathway. Not only will this make the labyrinth that much more aesthetically appealing but more importantly, will be wheelchair accessible and will accommodate those who read brail. This, according to Stevenson, is the aim of the redevelopment: “universal access.†It will be open all year round, replacing the grass hedges with a more resilient brick.
Mimicking the Labyrinth laid in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France, a 13th-century design, the 70-foot-diameter labyrinth is likely to leave a historical footprint in Toronto.
Described as an “ancient mystical tool,†the labyrinth was first conceived of in ancient times and later created in cathedrals, where monks, nuns and pilgrims used it. Labyrinths symbolize spirituality and promote a sense of unity and calm. They are not intended to confuse or challenge logic but simply to allow users to regain focus.
TLCN describes the labyrinth as “a spiritual pathway…and a symbolic journey to the centre of ourselves.â€
The official opening will be held Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. For more information on labyrinths and to locate others, visit www.labyrinth-toronto.ca.