This June, Goulbourn Museum invites our community to take part in a meaningful act of remembrance by contributing to our Heart Garden.

The first Heart Garden was planted at Rideau Hall in 2015 during the closing events of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. For six years, the Commission listened to Survivors of the Canadian Indian residential school system and documented the profound and lasting impacts these institutions had on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, families, and communities.

For more than a century, over 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their homes and placed in residential schools. Many experienced neglect, abuse, and the loss of language, culture, family, and community connections. Thousands of children never returned home.

The Heart Garden serves as a powerful symbol of remembrance and reconciliation. Each heart placed in the garden represents a child, honouring those who were lost while showing care and support for the children, families, and communities who continue to live with the legacy of residential schools today.

Throughout June, visitors are invited to stop by the museum and write a message of remembrance, hope, or reflection on a heart. These hearts will be planted among cosmos and wildflowers in our Heritage Garden, creating a living space where stories, memories, and commitments to reconciliation can take root and grow.

As summer unfolds, the garden will continue to bloom, offering a place for quiet reflection, learning, and community connection. We encourage visitors to return throughout the season to witness the garden’s transformation and reflect on the importance of remembering the past while working toward a more inclusive future.

The Heart Garden is open to everyone. Whether you choose to create a heart, learn more about the history of residential schools, or simply spend time in reflection, your participation helps honour Survivors, their families, and the children who never came home.

Heart submissions will be accepted at Goulbourn Museum until June 30, 2026.

Together, we remember. Together, we honour. Together, we plant seeds of hope for future generations.