The Sunshine Garden is a CAMH-led partnership with FoodShare that has been growing for over 20 years. Under the guidance of Javad Mozafari, Garden Manager at FoodShare, patients take part in horticultural therapy while learning about food production and urban biodiversity.
In spring and summer, patients plant, compost, cook, and preserve their harvests. As the seasons change, their activities shift to the greenhouse, where they raise seedlings and take part in seasonal workshops. Beyond practical skills, the garden brings joy, a sense of community and a deeper understanding of nature and sustainable food systems
CAMH’s Community Engagement and Gifts of Light teams provide the leadership and resources that make this program possible.
Weekly Sunshine Garden MarketThursdays, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. From June to October, the Sunshine Garden hosts a weekly market offering fresh vegetables and herbs, open to all community members. |
Program Highlights (last year)
- 15,000 seedlings planted in the greenhouse (over 128 crop varieties);
- 59 varieties of vegetables and crops grown in the garden;
- Seedlings distributed to 35 community gardens and farms across Toronto;
- Over 3,200lbs of produce harvested!
Visiting the Sunshine Garden?
The outdoor garden is surrounded by trees and shrubs, supported by a greenhouse and storage area. It’s a hidden gem, located at the southwest corner of our Queen Street site (see the yellow star on the map!).
We invite everyone to enjoy this greenspace. Please respect the work of patient gardeners by keeping pets out of the garden and not removing any harvest.
Contact
Community inquiries: Janet Mawhinney, Director of Community Engagement - Janet.Mawhinney@camh.ca
Patient participation: Johnathan Pathmanathan - Johnathan.Pathmanathan@camh.ca
