Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams at Rideau Hall
The Rideau Hall Heart Garden remembers the First Nations, Inuit and Métis children who died in the Canadian residential school system and those who survived. Each heart is a symbol of our collective responsibility to listen to and carry forward their stories—of pain and disappointment, strength and courage—and to commit to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action.
The garden features native plants and heart sculptures created by Indigenous artists. Each year, from National Indigenous Peoples Day to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it also includes paper hearts created and planted by visitors. The garden is open to the public, offering a permanent space for all visitors to reflect on our shared history. We invite you to visit this site, take a moment for personal reflection and learn more about the plants and stories behind the sculptures.
This garden was initiated in collaboration with the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society.
Heart Sculptures
Each of these sculptures represents one of the three recognized Indigenous groups in Canada. Created by artists from each community, the works reflect their views on reconciliation, honour the lives lost or traumatically impacted by the residential school system, and express hope for the future.
Claire, Emily, Mairi and Simon Brascoupé
Heart of the Land / Odey Akíng
Painted bronze
The Brascoupé family—Simon, Emily, Claire and Mairi—are Anishinaabe artists from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Algonquin First Nation. As a multi-generational group, they engaged in a collaborative creative process that reflects Algonquin traditions and the journey of reconciliation through the eyes of different generations. The sculpture they created collectively features a scalloped motif inspired by the hills and waters of Algonquin territory, a design frequently seen on birch bark baskets. A mother bear and her cub represent family bonds and the protection of children, while images of canoes guided by animals along the sculpture’s edge symbolize the return of children to their communities. The artists also integrated the strawberry, known as the "heart berry"; as the first fruit to ripen after winter, it serves as a factual symbol of hope and new beginnings. Through these layered symbols, the work captures a sense of cultural continuity and the promise of a brighter future.
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
Maggie Napartuk
Tummitaavut (Our Footprints)
Wonderstone
Inuk multidisciplinary artist Maggie Napartuk created this work to bridge Inuit heritage with the shared history of all Indigenous peoples. In this sculpture, a child-sized kamik and moccasin stand together, representing the young children who were taken from their families to attend residential schools. A braided cord, reminiscent of the traditional ties used to keep clothing secure, connects the two boots so that they remain inseparable. This bond symbolizes the profound interconnectedness of nations and the shared weight of a collective legacy. The stone selected by the artist features hints of symbolic colours: orange for remembrance, red for the suffering endured, and white for the hope of healing. By integrating floral motifs inspired by traditional beadwork, Napartuk reflects on resilience and the path forward.
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
Candace Lipischak
Reconciliation Rivers / Weechiwawhkoostouwin Li Rivyayr
Powder-coated steel
Candace Lipischak is a Métis artist and a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation. She designed this sculpture using symbols that resonate across communities, focusing on the historical memory and cultural landscape of the Red River Métis. The focal point of the work is an orange heart, coloured to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This heart is outlined by the traced renderings of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, which serve as a dual metaphor for the tears shed by families and the waterways used to guide lost children home. Lipischak also included the lemniscate (infinity symbol) to identify the Red River Métis; here, it represents the infinite nature of the grief felt by Indigenous communities and the enduring strength required for collective healing.
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
Plant your paper heart
Visitors are invited to put reconciliation into action by writing their personal commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on a paper heart. Throughout the season, the site transforms as it fills with these individual messages, standing as a collective symbol of hope, strength and national responsibility. We invite you to add your voice to this commemorative space; supplies are available at the Visitor Centre.
