In the summer of 2020, Maggie Donnelly was looking for possible opportunities for community service. The Session granted permission for her to create a Heart Garden, a project that could be carried out within the restrictions of pandemic times.
The concept of the Heart Garden came from The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. It encourages people of all ages to plant Heart Gardens in memory of children lost to the residential school system, to honour residential school survivors and their families, and to support the legacy of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Many Heart Gardens have popped up all over Canada. Some are as simple as paper hearts on popsicle sticks inserted into soil in a flower pot. Maggie wanted something a little more permanent.
First Maggie did her research on the residential schools run by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. She compiled a list of names of children who had died at the schools. With help from her sister Miriam, she collected rocks and they painted them, writing the name of a child who had died on each one. Elders Sandra Robertson and Kay Galbraith weeded and prepared the soil. With the help of Elder Cindy Similas, Maggie planted white sage, bee balm, bleeding hearts and other native plants. Steve Lynette built two signs so the neighbourhood would know what the garden was about. Each rock was carefully placed in the garden. Maggie also gave a reflection in worship on working on the garden and wrote an article about it for Presbyterian Connection.
In 2022–23, the Youth Class gave the garden a touch up, repainting some of the rocks that had faded, and rewriting the names which Maggie had carefully recorded. This year Otto Pallek created a new sign to replace the originals which had deteriorated.
The Heart Garden is on your left as you approach the Guildwood Parkway main doors of the church. We hope you will visit it and remember the children.
— Rev. Helen Smith