Tucked away in a ravine outside downtown Toronto is the Evergreen Brickworks. The shorter version is that it is a former brick factory which has been converted to an environmental community centre. However, that description is only the beginning of the story. The different spaces at this site, however effortless they seem, regale a thousand stories if you are willing to listen to them. Even when you have left the site, their tales continue to capture your attention . It is then that you realize the many layers that make up these spaces – that is the longer story of Evergreen Brickworks. This article is not a close inspection of those layers, it is a translation of the sights and experiences of being present, into words. The layers are for you to subtly imbibe For almost a century, the site in question hosted a quarry and a brick-making factory - in fact, it supplied most of the bricks that was required to build Toronto. After a 100 years of changing owners, the city decided to acquire the site, given its partial location on a floodplain. Restoration of the site began in the 1990s with the goal of bringing the soil and its ecosystem back to its full health. At the end of it, what opened to visitors of all ages - was a sensitive and splendid educational and cultural environment centre. Sustainability seems to be the watchword at Evergreen. Right from its home
Facing page - Bird’s eye view of grown plants, to the ecofriendly promotion of its sponsors, to the food served the Evergreen Brickworks. Image credit: Evergreen Brickworks at Cafe Belong and the local goods sold at the Evergreen Garden Market! Subtle Visitor’s Guide lessons on environmental awareness are found everywhere you look!
Entry into Tiffany Commons. Image credit: Jiya Benni
June 2016 | CITY OBSERVER103