Barbara Hall Park

Barbara Hall Park
Part of the park in 2023
Interactive map of Barbara Hall Park
LocationToronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°40′0″N 79°22′50″W / 43.66667°N 79.38056°W / 43.66667; -79.38056

Barbara Hall Park[1] (formerly Cawthra Square Park) is a park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[2][3] The park was renamed to commemorate Barbara Hall in 2014.[4] Hall was the first Mayor of Toronto to march in the Toronto Pride Parade in 1995.[5] An AIDS memorial is installed in the park.[6] The memorial was vandalized in 2023.[7] A trans memorial was installed in the park in 2014.[8]

Trans memorial

A memorial wall for transgender people is located within the park, near the Toronto AIDS memorial. It was originally created as a temporary chalk memorial by local trans women on July 10, 2014.[9] Inspired by the recent passing of a trans community member, the memorial was envisioned as a place where trans people and their lived names could be honoured and remembered.

Shortly after the installation of the trans memorial, and in preparation for the official renaming ceremony,[10] clean-up crews removed the memorial from the wall. Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam apologized for the removal,[11] and the memorial was immediately restored. Following the official ceremony, Barbara Hall, a human rights advocate and long-time ally of trans people[12] met with community members to pay her respects.[13]

Since then, despite a subsequent erasure and restoration of the memorial in 2017,[14] the park has acted as a community hub for vigils,[15] Trans Day of Remembrance events, and a focal point for trans advocacy.[16]

Redesign

Recognizing the cultural significance of the park as a gathering space for the LGBTQ community, and the need to honour the park's memorials, the City of Toronto invested in a major redesign beginning in 2023.[17] Staged improvements began in 2025 and are expected to be fully completed by 2027.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "City of Toronto Park Listing".
  2. ^ "Wave of crime including animal shootings has locals worried about safety of Toronto park". www.blogto.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  3. ^ Leon, Calvi (2023-09-28). "'Sickening': Toronto's Church-Wellesley community still reeling after dog shot and killed in park". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  4. ^ Wetselaar, Sean (2014-07-15). "Park renamed in honour of former mayor Barbara Hall". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  5. ^ "Pride Month 2025". City of Toronto. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  6. ^ "Barbara Hall Park Review - Toronto Ontario - Sights | Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  7. ^ "'Deeply upsetting': AIDS Memorial at Barbara Hall Park vandalized | CityNews Toronto". toronto.citynews.ca. Archived from the original on 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  8. ^ "Trans memorial appears in Barbara Hall Park | Xtra Magazine". 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  9. ^ "Trans memorial appears in Barbara Hall Park". Xtra Magazine. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  10. ^ "Park renamed in honour of former mayor Barbara Hall". Toronto Star Newspaper. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  11. ^ "Cawthra Park officially becomes Barbara Hall Park". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  12. ^ "ProudPolitics welcomes Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, to our Advisory Council". Proud Politics. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  13. ^ "Hall pays respects at trans memorial". Xtra Magazine.
  14. ^ "Toronto trans memorial erased for the second time". Xtra Magazine. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  15. ^ "Toronto advocacy group hosting vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance". NOW Toronto Magazine. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  16. ^ "Vigil and march for Alloura Wells". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  17. ^ "Toronto is revamping its AIDS Memorial and wants your input". NOW Toronto Magazine. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  18. ^ "Barbara Hall Park Improvements". City of Toronto. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
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