You may have noticed the new Community Canoe at the front of the school, if not please take some time to enjoy it and possibly share with others. This is a project with the David Suzuki Foundation’s Homegrown National Park Project to bring environmental awareness, art and community together. Ranger Aidan helped install the canoe with 3 different classes from da Vinci and Lord Lansdowne. He explained how our school sits between Garrison Creek to the east and Russell Creek to the west, two of the “lost rivers” of Toronto that were buried once they became over-polluted. The lost rivers can still be heard in some of the sewer grates around the city. The canoe helps us remember these waterways (also that our site used to be under a lake that extended to Davenport). The native pollinator plants in the canoe will attract birds, bees and butterflies, bringing back some of the wildlife that used to exist all through this area. The moccasin on the canoe symbolizes the Aboriginal people who used to live on this land. As seen on the canoe, you can get more information from www.communitycanoe.ca.
Please explore, discuss and enjoy this new addition to our school grounds. Feel free to ask Mr. Leung any questions you may have.