Complete with Story Murals and the Toronto Council Fire Native’s Cultural Centre this community keeps on growing. The murals are connected with the Centre’s Spirit Garden Project, and it’s funded in part by Canadian Heritage and the Toronto Arts Council (TAC). Muralist Philip Cote <photo above> has painted Indigenous stories all across Toronto. Chances are you’ll come across Philip’s murals as this is a special time for our city’s “Year of Public Art” The Arts Council helps by animating the streets.  “Philip Cote, Anishinaabe-Algonquin, painter, historian, young spiritual elder and educator’s work could be found in public spaces big and small.  Thanks again, Philip.
Council Fire began in 1976 with a small group meeting for worship at St. Barnabas Church. They’d noticed increasing numbers of Native people were gravitating to the downtown core. Many were becoming homeless, and as a result began to attract and serve a client base of infants to seniors, as well as those new to Greater Toronto. The drop-in area in particular has become a popular place now to meet friends, have coffee and play bingo. Now the Council Fire is going through restructuring and revitalizing. The Cultural Centre in the future envisions providing the same level of quality support and services now as it grows along with the community.