East Gwillimbury unveils signature planter and interpretive sign on Nokiidaa Trail

Yorkregion.com
June 27, 2022

The Town of East Gwillimbury honoured June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, with the unveiling of a signature planter and interpretive sign with artist Donald C. Chretien and writer Lauri Hoeg at the Nokiidaa Trail Head on Yonge Street.

Donald C. Chretien designed and built the signature planter which features a canoe and images of a marten, crane, bear, and deer, as they travel together in the canoe. The title of the piece is “Inaawanidiwag,” which translates to “they travel together.” The story behind the piece is installed on an interpretive sign completed by Lauri Hoeg, a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation.

“This signature planter and interpretive sign honour the Indigenous culture and moves us forward in our work toward reconciliation,” Mayor Virginia Hackson said. “My hope is that as people begin their journey along this trail -- they think about how each of the creatures depend on each other and on the environment to reach their destination.”

The design and construction of the signature planter took approximately five months to complete. The planter is an 18-foot cedar canoe with a mix of paint and lasered steel artwork incorporated into the design.