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  • The Children's Garden Improvements
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The Children's Garden Improvements

From October 2024 to Spring 2025, this space will be closed while we make exciting improvements to the amphitheatre and fireside experience. We appreciate your patience during these changes.

About the improvements

We’re making exciting improvements to the amphitheatre and fireside experience in the Children’s Garden! We can’t wait to bring you even more fun-filled, nature-based play here at Evergreen Brick Works — just in time for spring!

 

The revitalized amphitheatre and fireside experience will be distinctly visible from the main entrance, inviting visitors to gather in the Children’s Garden. The structure will feature a large, feather-shaped wooden canopy designed to evoke a feeling of lightness while providing essential shelter, shade and cooling. New accessible and movable seating will enable more visitors to the amphitheatre.

 

The beloved firepit area, a year-round favorite in the Children’s Garden, is being reimagined in a new location and retains a close relationship with the amphitheatre seating, creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

 

Surrounding the firepit will be a new gathering circle. The circle will hold slate paving slabs etched with tracks from animals that make their home in the Don Valley. Mosaics will be created utilizing reclaimed materials sourced by the artist in collaboration with Evergreen. Integrated into the composition are spaces to inlay children’s artwork.

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Why are we making these improvements now?

Make it accessible and welcoming

The rebuilt amphitheatre will create an inviting and inclusive space in the garden, accommodating large groups around the firepit. Improvements include fully accessible seating with features like different heights and widths, backrests, lumbar supports, armrests and under-seat lighting, as well as colour contrasts on outer rows, and cane-detectable surfaces for those with low vision. 

Support more children and families

The Children’s Garden improvements will enable more visitors to enjoy a variety of programs. Movable seating will accommodate large-scale events, while new lighting will extend the hours of use for evening activities. Electrical upgrades will also support advanced audio-visual capabilities. 

Expand commitment to outdoor play and learning

The new firepit will provide a space for children to learn safe fire practices, from basic safety protocols all the way to planning, building and lighting fires responsibly. Beyond offering warmth and a place to cook in the great outdoors, the firepit will become a hub for Evergreen’s nature connection, skill-building, and “risky play” programs. It will inspire storytelling, cultivate learning, and connect children to the elemental forces of nature in a safe, exciting way. 

Children's Garden timeline

2008
2010
2018
2024
2025
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The original Children’s Garden took shape before Evergreen Brick Works as we know it today and played a key role in shaping the space we have today. It was co-created by artists, playworkers, children and their families. 

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Evergreen Brick Works opened as a year-round demonstration of how past and present could unite to create greener models for urban living. The Children’s Garden was envisioned as a natural oasis, encouraging hands-on, multi-sensory exploration of the Earth’s elements—plants, wood, mud, fire, water, sand, and clay. Its goal was to connect children to nature, fostering future environmental stewards through place-based education, loose parts play, and a design that evolved with the seasons and the activities of its visitors.

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A revitalized Children’s Garden adds new elements to enhance and evolve the play experience, with the addition of natural play elements, water works components and outdoor making space. 

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Starting October 2024, the Children’s Garden will be closed while we transform the amphitheater and fireside experience. 

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Following this magical transformation, the Children’s Garden will reopen in spring 2025. 

Engaging the community

The Evergreen team hosted a weekend pop-up in the garden to engage children and their families in the revitalization process. Activities included storytelling by the fire with hot chocolate and marshmallows, and model building using clay and LEGO. 

  

In addition to gathering feedback from visitors to the Children’s Garden, our extensive engagement process leaned on the expertise of Evergreen staff with first-hand experience hosting groups on site. Staff participated in several rounds of conceptual design development, with special attention given to input from members of the Evergreen Indigenous Inclusion Working Group. The design team also collaborated with award-winning Métis landscape architect Terence Radford of Trophic Design to shape the design concept and landscape plan. 

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