Indigenous mural unveiled, celebrated by church community

A powerful Indigenous mural called Roots of Hope mounted on the west wall of the Church of the Redeemer, Bloor St. is becoming a Toronto landmark.

The Ven. Steven Mackison, incumbent of Redeemer, Bloor St., describes the mural as a “visible message to Torontonians of Indigenous art and culture that we believe will contribute to understanding and reconciliation. It is strong evidence of our parish’s vision to reach out to the world around us.”

On June 7, parishioners were joined by Ojibwe artist Donald Chretien for the mural’s dedication led by Archbishop Chris Harper, the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop and Presiding Elder of Sacred Circle. Chretien, a member of Nipissing First Nation, based the colourful mural on traditional bead work, devising a striking fusion with digital technology. The exterior placement of the 72 ft. long, 17-panel mural emphasizes connection to the earth and the beads that symbolize the church’s roots, Chretien explained. “The roots are the base of the tree of life from our ceremonies and reach to the sky.”

The mural is accompanied by plaques in English and Ojibwe that read, “We invite you to walk the path of beaded roots. They reach deep towards an ancient, buried creek. They spring from land lived upon by humans for 18,000 years; from the Huron-Wendat and the Petun and the Seneca to the Mississauga of the Credit River. These roots now rise to embrace the living church. What comes before nurtures what comes after. With stories. With healing wisdom. With hope.”

Stephen Allen, the dedicated leader of the church’s active Indigenous Solidarity Working Group (ISWG), shepherded the project to completion over many years. Reflecting on the culmination of this project, he said, “At this busy intersection of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, may this mural communicate our commitment to truth and reconciliation, and may this mural be a celebration of Indigenous art and culture.”

Dawn Lee, the design and project coordinator, highlighted the mural’s dynamic inspirations and the significance of Indigenous roots holding up a church. “The colours shift in ‘waves’ travelling along the wall to represent the four stages or ‘hills’ of life, the four seasons, the four cardinal directions of the compass and the four colours of the Medicine Wheel,” said Lee.