To address increasing demand for year-round public green space, Friends of Allan Gardens—a volunteer-based charitable organization—has officially launched a petition calling on all levels of government to support the expansion of the historic Allan Gardens Conservatory in Toronto East.

Built in the 1860s, Allan Gardens park, botanical garden, and greenhouse conservatory have been unable to meet contemporary needs in terms of space and service offerings.

The petition proposes the construction of a new conservatory building that would almost double the site’s indoor capacity, allowing Allan Gardens to better support year-round public programming, cultural and educational activities, and provide more climate-resilient infrastructure in the city’s downtown core.

Today, Allan Gardens offers a variety of volunteer-led programming year-round, including cross-cultural and cross-generational celebrations, a farmers’ market, food-growing initiatives for food banks, horticultural education, music performances, and Indigenous-focused activities such as language keeping and storytelling.

The plan is being led by the Friends of Allan Gardens, Zeidler Architects, Janet Rosenberg Studios, and ERA Architects.