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Grasett Park
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Grasett Park
Opened in July 2021, Grasett Park celebrates the response of the City of Toronto, particularly its physicians, nurses and other caregivers, to the influx of Irish migrants during the summer of 1847. Many of these migrants arrived gravely afflicted with typhus, known then as ship fever.
Situated at the corner of Adelaide Street West and Widmer Street (on the same plot of land as Toronto’s first purpose-built General Hospital), the park is named after Dr. George Robert Grasett, who was appointed as Medical Superintendent of the Hospital in June 1847 and who – along with fellow doctors, nurses, orderlies and other caregivers – died shortly thereafter from the same illness he sought to treat.
These courageous individuals played an important role in the medical history of the city. At the time, Toronto’s population was roughly 20,000. The arrival of 38,560 Irish migrants fleeing the Great Famine, including thousands who became sick during the perilous journey, quickly overwhelmed the Hospital’s capacity and resources. Temporary fever sheds were erected in the field behind the hospital, where Grasett Park now stands.

Opening & Dedication Ceremony – July 16, 2021
Lead Supporters
The creation of Grasett Park would not have been possible without the generous contributions of many community members. To honour the solemnity of the commemorative space, our donors graciously agreed that their contributions would not be recognized within the park itself. We therefore wish to highlight on this page our gratitude for the generous support of the lead donors listed below, whose contributions were essential to the park’s development.
Developed in Partnership with the City of Toronto
Supported by
Government of Ireland
Government of Canada
Government of Ontario
Private Contributors
The Haynes-Connell Foundation
Aaron Regent
Tyler & Claire MacNamara
BMO
TD Bank
Aidan Flatley
Pat Flatley
Mark & Emma Purdy
Jim & Silvia McGovern
The Duffy Family
The Robert G. Kearns Foundation
Robin & Mary Thistlethwayte
Arthur Kennedy
The Noel & Larry Friendship Fund
Geranium
Tovtel Enterprises Inc.
Davies Howe LLP
Rady-Pentek & Edward Surveying Inc.
Griffith Property Services Ltd.
Rice Commercial Group
HESL Holdings Inc.
BA Consulting Group Ltd.
SIMTM Consulting Inc.
Jeffrey P. Shankman
Malone Given Parsons Ltd.
Geoff Smith
Jade Acoustics Inc.
Sweeny and Co. Architects Inc.
Randy and Patricia Grimes
Brian White
Bazil Developments Inc.
SCS Consulting Group Ltd.
Joe and Laura-Lee Mullan
Carrick Design Inc.
Schollen & Company Inc.
Hutchinson Environmental Services Inc.
C. Aurora Paving
Shoreplan Engineering Ltd.
D. Bottero & Associates Ltd.
Brendan Murphy
Lowes Consulting Group Inc.
Frendel Kitchens Ltd.
Hunt Design Associates Inc.
John Sullivan
Media Partner: The Globe & Mail
Grasett Park Design & Construction Team
Architecture & Design: Denegri Bessai Studio
Design Committee:
Connor Turnbull, Jonathan Kearns, John Kissick, Robert Kearns, William Peat
Historical Research: Laura Smith, PhD
Construction Management: Boszko & Verity Inc.
Structural Engineering: Entuitive
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering: Smith & Andersen
Collaborating Architect: David Lieberman
Glass Structure & Installation: Explore 1
Metal and Stone Engraving: Accents of Distinction Stone
Granite Installation: Coivic Contracting
Lighting: Xbase Electrical
Land Acknowledgement
Canada Ireland Foundation acknowledges that Grasett Park sits on land that is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and that it is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
