Ajax Pickering Hospital

Project partners: Lakeridge Health, Foundation, Town of Ajax

Timeline:  2022

Goal: C

Before and after

Our work at Ajax Hospital:

We helped the team at Michener to review the garden design created by their Indigenous consultant Kateri Gauthier, and narrow down the list of medicines to those most suitable for thriving in a tough, downtown space. We sourced all the plants and coordinated with their staff team to build the garden together. Miinikaan staff maintained the garden throughout the summer, taught staff how to collect seeds and harvest medicines, and assisted with watering during heatwaves.

Ultimately, this space will be very valuable for teaching and community engagement. It will provide a place where Indigenous people who get health services at UHN can access traditional medicines. In its first year, the sweetgrass has already been harvested and much appreciated by many folks, including cancer care patients in the Indigenous Health Program. The Indigenous gitigan (garden) at Michener is also really important for boosting the visibility of Indigenous culture and Indigenous presence in the urban core of downtown Toronto. 

We hope this small but meaningful space not only transforms the feeling of this downtown street corner, but also becomes an example and source of inspiration for other healthcare and hospital facilities. 

Miinikaan's role: Garden design and planting plan consultation, garden installation and maintenance.

Collaborators: I .

Gallery: planting the garden

Work with Us

Our speciality is Indigenous garden consultation, design and installation. In creating our gardens, we are revitalizing traditional Indigenous AgroEcology and Indigenous ceremony. We’re experts in growing food, container gardens and rooftop gardens, and we love transforming public spaces.
Get in touch to hire us for your project!