South Niagara Hospital built on a foundation of Indigenous values – Niagara Health
Nov 25th, 2024
When Brian Porter first reviewed the requirements document for the South Niagara Hospital, he was immediately drawn to the unique nature of the project. It would be the first hospital he worked on where a request was being made to have Indigenous concepts and representation woven into the fabric of the entire project.
Porter is the Principal at Two Row Architect and one of only a handful of Indigenous architects in Canada. Opened in 1992, Two Row Architect is a 100-per-cent Indigenous-owned business operated from the Six Nations of the Grand River, Tkaronto (Toronto) and Calgary. The firm provides services to projects for Indigenous clients and those that incorporate Indigenous cultural ideologies and teachings into their architecture. Porter has worked with EllisDon on a number of previous projects and was asked to join the team at EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare (EDIH) in bidding on the South Niagara Hospital. The project called for an Indigenous architect to be part of the design team.
He could see from the requirements document that Niagara Health’s approach was ahead of many other institutions. Through the land acknowledgement ceremonies that took place on the site, to Niagara Health’s approach to smudging, to specific areas being incorporated into the plans to support gathering and contemplation, it showed that the organization greatly valued its relationship with the Indigenous community.
