City of Toronto readies The Burn
By Adnews Staff
The City of Toronto is preparing an initiative called “The Burn,” which takes the form of an interactive installation on the subject of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the city, the effort is intended to provide “a place for transformation, healing and letting go.” From Jan. 19 to March 12, residents can “set healing intentions” on wooden spheres and place them in travelling vessels that will stop at 20 locations in the city. On March 11, the third anniversary of the declaration of the pandemic, the spheres will be brought to Nathan Phillips Square to be burned in a display of fire, water and sound over a 24-hour period. An event commemorating those who died in the pandemic will follow. Ashes from the burned spheres will be mixed into soil and used in city gardens. The initiative was developed by artists Roger Mooking, Javid JAH and Wyandot Elder Catherine Tammaro.
“I'm so pleased that the city, in partnership with the Government of Canada, has created ‘Stronger TOgether’ for residents to reflect on their individual and collective experiences in the pandemic,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “‘The Burn’ will demonstrate the hope and resilience of our residents. I invite Torontonians to reflect on their experiences and the experiences of their communities, and how far we've come.”