Urban Toronto: Petition Launched to Expand Allan Gardens Conservatory

Appreciation event with Mayor Olivia Chow, image courtesy of Friends of Allan Gardens

By: Anthony Teles

A public campaign is underway to expand one of Toronto's most beloved greenhouses, the Allan Gardens Conservatory, with Friends of Allan Gardens launching a petition urging municipal, provincial, and federal governments to support a major new addition to the Downtown landmark. Announced on January 27 at a volunteer appreciation event attended by Mayor Olivia Chow, the initiative frames the proposed expansion as a generational investment in year-round public green space, responding to mounting demand on a conservatory originally built for a far smaller city.

Established in the 1860s when Toronto was still a compact city of roughly 40,000 residents, Allan Gardens has long served as a public park, botanical garden, and greenhouse conservatory. While the surrounding neighbourhoods have intensified, the conservatory’s footprint and facilities have remained largely unchanged.

Led by Friends of Allan Gardens alongside design partners Zeidler Architects, Janet Rosenberg & Studio, and ERA Architects, the campaign envisions a new conservatory building that would nearly double the site’s existing indoor greenhouse space while improving circulation between the currently disconnected wings. “Allan Gardens has always functioned as essential social infrastructure in our city,” said Michael McClelland, Chair of Friends of Allan Gardens. “Expanding the conservatory is the natural next step to make this public institution more accessible for the people it serves.”

Today, Allan Gardens supports a wide range of volunteer-driven programming that operates throughout the year. Activities include cross-cultural and cross-generational events, a regular farmers’ market, food-growing initiatives that support food banks, horticultural education, live music, and Indigenous-focused programming such as language keeping and storytelling.

Supporters argue that expanding the conservatory would allow Allan Gardens to scale this existing work, creating room to host more programs, accommodate higher visitation, and improve partnerships across the city. “Toronto needs more greenhouse space, and the Friends of Allan Gardens is ready to deliver,” said Matt Canaran, Executive Director at Allan Gardens. “For many Torontonians, Allan Gardens is a lot more than just a nice-to-have greenhouse. It’s a hub for connecting with like-minded people, a year-round sanctuary to escape the city’s hustle and bustle, and a venue for young families and friends to connect over activities, at markets, and during events that help nurture and strengthen the social fabric of the city.”

The proposed expansion includes commitments to environmentally responsible construction and climate-resilient infrastructure. Project backers indicate that the new conservatory would be designed to leading sustainability standards, with green building strategies that improve energy efficiency and long-term durability while positioning Allan Gardens as a model for public greenhouse and park facilities.

Beyond additional indoor space, plans call for expanded interpretive gardens and planting strategies. This includes greater representation of native species and Canadian landscapes, alongside cultural plants that reflect the communities connected to the site. 

A further pillar of the campaign centres on strengthening Indigenous presence and authorship within Allan Gardens through expanded space and long-term partnerships. The proposal emphasizes Indigenous-led programming and placemaking as integral components of the conservatory’s future. 

To advance the project, the Friends of Allan Gardens are calling on all three levels of government to participate in funding and enabling the expansion. The campaign argues that municipal, provincial, and federal investment would recognize Allan Gardens as more than a neighbourhood amenity, instead supporting a free, inclusive, and climate-resilient public institution that serves a growing downtown population and aligns with policy goals around sustainability, health, and community-building.

Interested parties can read and sign the petition here.