The Ireland Park Foundation was presented with the Community Heritage Award for its work commemorating the history of Irish peoples in Canada. Its diverse programming includes theatre exchanges, lectures, concerts and poetry walks. The Foundation’s first project, Ireland Park, memorialises Irish immigrants who died during the 1847 Irish Famine Migration.
Located on Toronto’s waterfront, Ireland Park was established as a tribute to the shared heritage between Canada & Ireland. The park occupies a location signifying the ‘Arrival’ of Irish Famine immigrants who first landed on Canadian shores, in 1847. It is a reciprocal tribute to the ‘Departure’ – a sculptural group of emigrant figures located on the Custom House Quays in Dublin, Ireland.
Ireland Park honors the Irish immigrants who fled during the Great Famine and the 38,000 people who arrived in Toronto in the summer of 1847, when the city’s population was a mere 20,000. Ireland Park is a reminder of a specific historical tragedy while drawing attention to the greater issue of famine, which still exists in many parts of the world.