CreateTO Land Acknowledgement

Toronto sign outside City Hall

As the public agency responsible for overseeing the City of Toronto’s real estate assets, we acknowledge the lands we have been entrusted to manage are treaty lands and the traditional territories of many nations including the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and are now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. These territories are currently covered by Treaty 13 (1805) with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties (1923) signed with multiple Mississauga and Chippewa bands.

At CreateTO, our work spans the entirety of the City of Toronto’s geographic boundaries, encompassing many important waterways and lands that, for thousands of years, have been the homelands and gathering places for many nations. We gratefully acknowledge these Indigenous nations for their stewardship of this land.

We recognize our accountability to these Indigenous nations and support the realization of the priority actions outlined in the City of Toronto’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

We also look forward to strengthening our relationships with the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Toronto and to working together in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect to continue building a livable city for all who call it home.

Here is a snapshot of some of the work we’re doing at CreateTO to support the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan:

  •  Alongside the Indigenous Affairs Office, our team is working with several First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations to locate new and improved shelter, housing, long-term care, office and community spaces.

  • All CreateTO staff participate in Truth and Reconciliation: Indigenous Awareness training with Nbisiing Consulting Inc. The course fulfills the intent of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) calls to action respecting the need for all Canadians to learn about Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

  • Our development team is committed to ensuring Indigenous voices are represented in our work. On Leslie Lookout Park, for example, the input provided through our Indigenous Community Sharing Meetings shaped the design of the park, specifically the lookout tower, which features openings to the sky and the four cardinal directions. To honour the significance of the site and the Indigenous placekeeping within the park, a mural depicting the Great Anishinaabe Migration by Indigenous artist and architectural designer Dani Kastelein-Longlade of Brook McIlroy was installed on the hoarding while the park was being constructed and the official opening ceremony was held in a circle and included a ceremonial fire.