Centre For Local Research into Public Space (CELOS)
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You are on the [Edwards Gardens Notes] page of folder [Background Research]
For the cover page of this folder go to the Edwards Gardens
Master Plan for which the city paid $243,000 plus $19,000 (not counting GST):
excerpts:
Preparation of the plan
p. 18: The City of Toronto, in collaboration with Toronto Botanical Garden, oversaw the preparation of the Master Plan and Management Plan, and together will be responsible for its implementation. A consultant team, led by Scott Torrance Landscape Architect, a division of Forrec, including W. Gary Smith Design, Lord Cultural Resources, Matrix Solutions Inc., Moriyama and Teshima Architects, Urban Forest Associates Inc., A.W. Hooker Associated Ltd. worked closely with City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and Toronto Botanical Garden staff to prepare this document.
governance and control
P.117: Governance refers to the models, mechanisms, processes and relationships by which Edwards Botanical Gardens are operated, controlled and directed. It confirms the key partners are who will have oversight and decision making at the Gardens – the City of Toronto and Toronto Botanical Garden – describes the nature of their relationship, lays out roles and responsibilities, and outlines general principles for establishing monitoring and implementation policies by the members of the governing body.
Recommendations
• Edwards Botanical Gardens should be operated under a single not-for-profit governance structure led by TBG with requirement for reporting/input from the City of Toronto (land owner and park system manager).
• The management agreement between the City and TBG, which forms the basis of this relationship, should be renegotiated to reflect this change. However, change should be gradual and mirror the implementation of the Master Plan. Any new management agreement should include provisions which help to transition from the current dual-governance model to the new a single non-profit governance model. Under this new agreement:
1.The City of Toronto will continue to own Edwards Gardens.
2. The geographical scope of TBG’s responsibilities should be gradually expanded from its current 1.6 hectares to encompass the entirety of Edwards Gardens (14 hectares) and its Gardens, forests, lawns, and facilities, as and when the various phases of the Master Plan are implemented.
3. At the same time, TBG’s managerial duties should be expanded to include future maintenance, management and development of Gardens, forests, lawns, and facilities within these geographical areas.
4. The current investment that the City of Toronto allocates annually towards the management, maintenance and operation of Edwards Gardens through the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division should continue. Funding levels will be reviewed regularly.
5. As TBG gradually takes on more of the responsibility for operations and management of the Gardens, these funds will be transferred from the City to TBG to be applied accordingly.
• A Board of Directors will continue to have oversight over TBG as per the requirements of their Letters Patent and bylaws. This board should continue to function as a governance board, providing strategic direction, policy development, operational oversight, and fiscal responsibility.
P.119: 5.2.3 STAFFING AND VOLUNTEERS An expanded and enhanced visitor experience, and new services will require new staff and additional expertise. It is also likely that the roles and responsibilities of existing staff will change and duties for part-time staff may increase. Volunteers will continue to play a vital role in the operations of the Gardens, as will providing work experience and learning opportunities for students.
Recommendations
• TBG should continue to employ an integrated combination of full-time and part-time paid staff, and volunteer positions to ensure the smooth administration and operation of the Gardens, provide a high level of visitor services, program delivery and horticultural excellence, as well as to maintain the Gardens and its facilities.
• With expanded geographical scope, operations, programs and managerial duties, TBG should reconsider its current staffing needs and adjust its current human resources plan and organizational structure to be as efficient and effective as possible. Additional expertise and staffing capacity will likely be required in the following areas:
1. Horticulture
2. Curation and Collections Management
3. Education, Interpretation and Programming
4. Events, Permits and Rentals
5. Garden Shop
6. Administration
7. Visitor Services
8. Marketing
9. Maintenance
Professional standards for all positions, particularly horticultural positions, will need to be established. Skills, knowledge and ability should take precedence in staffing a botanical garden.
P.120:
• The use of volunteers will continue to be crucial to operations of TBG and minimizing staff costs, which are the largest expenditure of a cultural organization. TBG should look to grow volunteer support. Careful attention should be paid to which functions are fulfilled by paid staff and which are fulfilled by volunteers. The involvement of volunteers should complement and supplement the work of paid staff, rather than take the place of it. Also, as volunteers have limited time, some positions, such as the management of the Garden Shop and Reception, may need to become paid positions. This will ensure a consistent standard of service for an expanded, year-round operation of the Gardens.
• TBG should continue to provide and expand opportunities offered to youth and students to learn from Garden staff and be directly involved in day-to-day management, operations and activities at the Gardens. This could take the form of work experience, paid and unpaid internships, and apprenticeships.
With a view to strengthening the overall Toronto gardens network, TBG should work with other gardens and conservation organizations across the city such as the Toronto Zoo, Friends of Allen Gardens, Evergreen Brickworks, and The Bentway Conservancy.
The Bentway Conservancy??
PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
p.122: 5.2.7 • Partnering is both challenging and resource intensive. A partnership strategy is essential resource to help guide an organization in making robust decisions on investment in collaboration: the right issue area, the right type of partnerships, and the right type of partners to ensure the greatest value to the organization. TBG should consider developing a partnership strategy that will help to clearly define the areas of operation for which partnerships are desirable, how to choose partners, evaluating partnership requests, etc. As part of this strategy TBG should consider:
1. With a view to increasing horticultural excellence and becoming a showcase for ecological restoration of degraded ravine and riparian landscapes, TBG should investigate and develop partnerships with relevant organizations and higher education institutions who have expertise in horticulture, conservation and environmental science, and who are furthering research in these areas.
2. With a view to broadening its appeal as a botanic destination for locals and tourists, TBG should investigate and develop partnerships with relevant visitor attractions, organizations and higher education institutions who have expertise in hospitality, event planning, and heritage and cultural resource management.
3. With a view to using the Gardens as a backdrop for offering a wider program of cultural events, exhibits, activities, and learning, TBG should investigate and develop partnerships with relevant organizations, cultural communities, higher education institutions and artists who have expertise in, collections related to and access to artists across a number of fields including visual art, music, performing arts, cultural programs, etc. In particular, TBG should investigate establishing relationships with Toronto’s many recognized local, provincial and national organizations such as the Myseum of Toronto, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Opera Company, etc.
4. With a view to Indigenization, or a desire to infuse Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the restoration and management of the Gardens, TBG should investigate and develop partnerships with Elders and knowledgeable Indigenous community leaders and organizations who have expertise in Indigenous teachings, culture, and landscape management practices.
P. 138: Building adequate resilience into works was an identified goal by both project team and the public contributors during the EG/TBG Master Plan project. Resilience as a general term is and always has been a hallmark result of good planning, i.e., ensuring that our desired approaches will have longevity.
Future unknowns, whether they come as slowly evolving inputs or sudden shocks to the system, will arrive and test system readiness. More recent reference to resilience also connects us to Climate Change in particular, and this section of the report will also focus on its potential effects.
Resilience to physical changes outside of the EG/TBG site, especially related to water, is also discussed. Other important areas of resilience in the Master Plan for EG/TBG, such as financial, will be considered within their relevant programs, designs and ongoing management schemes.
p.139: Although not imminent nor currently planned in any large scale, the condition of the upper Wilket Creek watershed may be changed ever so slowly over time. The very same approaches for Low Impact Development-type stormwater approaches which are recommended within the EG/TBG Master Plan (see section titled Resource Management – Stormwater Management) have garnered wider interest for general implementation by the water management sector. Demonstration sites are being considered and implemented in other portions of the City of Toronto as there is a general recognition of resilience inherent in these types of designs. The EG/TBG site will contain these resilient stormwater management elements, and consideration should be given to highlight their implementation for others as an example.
p. 140: Recommendations
• As a botanic garden with conservation at the heart of its mandate, TBG should ensure that new buildings and structures employ innovative “green” design throughout in order to not only limit any negative environmental impact, but to provide a demonstrated example of excellence.
P.141 Recommendations (for event and permitted spaces)
• Appropriate use of indoor and outdoor event and function spaces at Edwards Botanical Gardens should be regulated and administered through a formal permitting process to prevent damage and unauthorized alterations to the Gardens. TBG will only issue permits for acceptable uses.
• Any spaces – indoor and outdoor – used for events, functions and other permitted activities should be maintained by TBG to a standard that will ensure that permitted spaces look as good or better after the event or function, as it did before the event or function occurred.
• Guidelines, specific to TBG group activities and events held in natural areas should be developed as part of the management agreement with the City. This would included guidelines for permitted activities, attendance/capacity, number of events per zone, number of events per year, etc.
P.143: The Maintenance Yard will be utilized by staff only (public access will not be allowed). Access will be controlled by card access through gates, both for individual and vehicular use. Card access (rather than key) would also be preferred for the various Maintenance Yard buildings: green house, garage and staff building.
Opposite for DG: maintenance is a joint responsibility with neighbours, no hidden spaces
Revenue generation
P.144: 5.5
Typically, a Canadian botanic garden is operated as a not-for-profit or charity and is able to generate income from three sources – earned income, contributed income and government support. With a revitalized and expanded visitor offering at EG/TBG, there will be greater opportunity for EG/TBG to generate earned income from its activities to help support the wider operations, management and maintenance of the Gardens. This is important for reducing the organization’s reliance on fundraising activities and helping to provide a more balanced and sustainable business model – the ideal being 1/3 generated from each category. E
Earned income
represents revenues generated by an organization from its activities such as offering programs, goods and services, and use of its facilities. Typically for a botanic garden this includes revenues generated from admissions, memberships, events and programs, rentals and functions, gift shop sales, café sales, and other services offered. Earned income is also generated through interest made on investments such as an endowment. The endowment is a gift to be held untouched, in perpetuity, however the interest generated from the investment can be used to support operations.
Contributed income
TBG’s status as a charitable organization also provides it the opportunity to access other funding sources through fundraising and grants that a City department would not be eligible for. Contributed income is defined as cash or in-kind resources that were given (not loaned) to the organization in the form of a gift or grant. Usually, this includes donations, grants from public sector organizations and private foundations, and corporate sponsorship.
Government support
represents regular direct funding from local, provincial and federal government departments for ongoing operations, rather than one-off capital grants.
Objective: To ensure that all potential opportunities for revenue generation are optimized to produce the level of funding required to maintain sustainable operations, ensure good fiscal responsibility and guarantee regular invest in the management, maintenance and future development of the revitalized Edwards Botanical Gardens.
EARNED INCOME
P.145: 5.5.1
Recommendations
• EG/TBG should be granted full and exclusive use and control of the Gardens and its facilities for earned income generating activities by EG/TBG and by other outside third-party users.
• Regular, day-time access to EG/TBG must remain free of charge to the public throughout the year. The management agreement with the City will outline to what extent.
• EG/TBG should continue to develop its membership program, offering such benefits as priority access to programs, facilities and spaces across the Gardens (of which it has control) and discount pricing, etc., so long as they do not inhibit public access and reasonable enjoyment of the Gardens.
• EG/TBG should continue to deliver a mix of free and charged activities for its members and the public, and expand its program of events, education, and activities as necessary. These activities should be directly related to the mission, vision and mandate of the organization, and relevant strategies and plans. Charges for participation in these activities should be developed according to the business plan and should not be so cost prohibitive as to create barriers for people from lower socio-economic brackets.
• EG/TBG should be able to provide, or contract an external-third party to provide, related income generating amenities and services such as food services, event catering, retail, etc. across the Gardens and facilities, where these amenities and services directly relate to providing a high-quality visitor experience, support the business plan and have no detrimental effect on the Gardens or public enjoyment of them. • EG/TBG should be granted control of administering, issuing and charging for any permits related to the use of the Gardens, its spaces and facilities by outside third-parties for activities such as photography, weddings, functions, events, etc. • EG/TBG should be granted control of the surface parking lot and the proposed parking structure and be given permission to charge for parking accordingly. Charges for parking should be developed according to the business plan and should not be so cost prohibitive as to create barriers for people from lower socio-economic brackets. • EG/TBG should establish an endowment fund to help generate a level of investment income that will help to off-set operational expenses. Further advice should be sought as to ideal the size of the endowment principle needed to generate the appropriate level of investment income and to the feasibility of raising such a sum.
5.5.2 CONTRIBUTED INCOME
Recommendations • EG/TBG should granted permission to and be responsible for generating contributed income through fundraising to support regular operations, special projects, events and initiatives, research, and capital campaigns, etc.
Contributed income can be developed through: 1. Applying for grants from public bodies and private foundations\ 2. Soliciting individual and group charitable donations and gifts\ 3. Offering a high-level patron’s membership scheme
• EG/TBG should be granted permission to generate contributed income by offering naming rights throughout the Gardens for the themed gardens, events, programs, facilities, and amenities where appropriate, except for:
1. The Gardens as a whole, which shall remain as Edwards Gardens, as per the purchasing agreement or the accepted name change\ 2. The Moriyama Pavilion\ 3. The Milne family cemetery
• All naming of assets will require the consent of the City, via established Council approval process and policies. Further consent should be sought from existing donors when choosing to rename assets which already bear a funders name.
• EG/TBG should be granted permission to generate contributed income by offering opportunities for corporate sponsorship for the Gardens’ events, programs, facilities, and amenities where appropriate, so as long as association with the sponsor does not impact negatively the reputation or credibility of either the EG/TBG or the City. Corporate sponsorship opportunities should be developed and considered based on principles of best practice and ethics, and in accordance with the EG/TBG’s fundraising strategy.
5.5.3 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Recommendations
• The current investment that the City of Toronto allocates towards the operation and maintenance of Edwards Gardens through the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division should continue. As EG/TBG gradually takes on more of the responsibility for operation and management of the Gardens, these funds will be transferred from the City to EG/TBG for distribution. Funding levels will be reviewed regularly.
• The City will lend its full support to EG/TBG in order to leverage relevant government support from Provincial and Federal sources
5.6.3 PERMITTED USES AND SPACES
Recommendations • TBG should be granted control of administering, issuing and charging for any permits related to the use of the Gardens, its spaces and facilities by outside third-parties. Appropriate uses should be left to the discretion of TBG, but could include:
1.Wedding Ceremonies
2.Functions and Events
3.Photography and Filming
4.Concerts and Performances
5.Markets and Fairs
6.Exhibitions
• Only those who have paid for, been issued a permit by TBG and display that permit should be authorized to engage in use or activity in the Gardens.
The opposite of us
5.7.2 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Recommendations
• TBG should leverage a multifaceted, year-round program of courses, lectures, events, and activities to expand audiences beyond garden enthusiasts, particularly youth and newcomers. Potential activities could include:
1.Art exhibits, particularly sculpture and glass art;
2. Environmental or Earth Art shows;
3. Cultural events of interest to particular ethnic or multicultural communities and to the wider community;
4. Evening light shows, either holiday-themed or specific to the creations of a particular artist;
5. Enhanced docent-led tours, including cart tours for those with accessibility issues;
6. Enhanced self-guided tours and interpretation, available in multiple languages, through means of a smartphone “Garden App” and garden-wide 7. wi–fi infrastructure;
8. Plants of tremendous public interest (“wow plants”) such as Amorphophallus titanum and Nymphaea amazonica, introduced to dispel the phenomenon known as “plant blindness”;
9. An expanded concert series, including small ensemble chamber concerts;
10. Expanded outdoor wedding/event opportunities;
11. Other performance art such as dance, opera & more;
12. Expanded course and lecture offerings;
13. Expanded school programs to bring more Toronto and region students to the new garden;
14. Organized symposia on environmental, horticultural and botanical themes
P.152: TBG should use the Gardens as an opportunity to exchange Earth knowledge by incorporating formal and informal learning opportunities throughout the Gardens using a variety of perspectives and interpretive and communication methods. Potential interpretive themes include:
1. Plants, horticulture and life science
2. landscape restoration, design and management
3. Urban gardening
4. Green building and resiliency engineering
5. Wildlife and habitats
6. Cultural heritage, including Indigenous teachings
• Use of the Gardens as an educational facility for schools, tertiary institutions and the general public should be encouraged.
• TBG should continue to develop its partnerships with the Toronto District School Board, and the Toronto Catholic District School Board to continue to deliver a high-quality school program that is strongly linked to the provincial curriculum. Partnerships with the Toronto Zoo, Evergreen Brickworks and Friends of Allen Gardens would help to strengthen programs and avoid duplication.
• TBG should continue to develop its partnerships with relevant high education institutions, colleges and universities in Toronto, Ontario and across Canada to develop horticultural internships, apprenticeships, training programs, and certifications.
• TBG should also act as a horticultural and botanic resource and develop research partnerships with relevant high education institutions, colleges and universities which leverage TBG assets for research. • TBG should consider working with health care providers and their neighbours at Sunnybrook Hospital in further developing horticultural therapy practice and courses.
p.159 5.9.1 BRANDING AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Recommendations • EG/TBG should be responsible for rebranding of the Gardens using the agreed name – suggested working title is Edwards Botanical Gardens. • EG/TBG will acknowledge City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry and Recreation as primary partner in all marketing, media, press, and promotion. The City of Toronto will acknowledge EG/TBG similarly. • The legacy of the Edwards family will be appropriately recognized, interpreted and celebrated. • All signage, wayfinding, interpretation and environmental graphics used across the Gardens (indoor and out) should have a coherent design approach which features any new logo and should be consistent with the new brand identity created for the Gardens. EG/TBG is ideally placed to lead on this.