TORONTO — A new City of Toronto community recreation centre and library will be named for the Wendat word Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ and become the first city community recreation centre and library branch in the city to be named in collaboration with the Huron-Wendat Nation.
Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ means where they had a good, beautiful life and was first suggested by the Huron-Wendat Nation for the nearby park and lane, states a release, adding the location, near Bayview and Sheppard avenues in North York, is adjacent to a significant Huron-Wendat archeological site.
The new, multi-use facility, slated to open in early 2023, is under construction at 100 Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Ln., located within the Concord Park Place community.
The facility will include a community recreation centre, a new Toronto Public Library (TPL) branch and a child care centre.
In October 2019, North York Community Council approved renaming the street and adjacent park to Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Lane and Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Park. Public consultations at the time showed strong support for the renaming.
Staff from the city and TPL explored extending the name to the new facility with the Huron-Wendat Nation as a means of building upon and deepening the community efforts and engagement undertaken to commemorate the importance of this site, states the release.
Staff from the city and TPL are currently working with the Huron-Wendat Nation on a plan to commission Indigenous public artwork and historical and cultural interpretative content at the new site.
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