Creator's Garden opens at Greater Sudbury school

A new garden at a school in Chelmsford is helping to educate people on the cultures of First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples.

Last Friday, the Creator's Garden officially opened at École Alliance St-Joseph in Chelmsford. 

Richard Meilleur is Métis and was on hand to mark the occasion. He says the garden provides a place of teaching.

"Then they start understanding," he said. "The flame, as I always say, the fire that's our heart re-ignites and the flame grows bigger and bigger."

The garden includes four sacred plants: tobacco, cedar, sage and sweetgrass. Meilleur says education about the plants is important for the students.

"When we talk about tobacco you've got to make them aware it's not tobacco as what we say today, like a smoking tobacco," he said.

"The tobacco was the first plant that was here for the First Nations and it was made for offering."

His granddaughter Elizabeth attends the school. 

"So we're the only school in the Conseil that has one of these gardens," she said.

"It is pretty amazing. Just knowing that I am identified for being a Métis. Yeah, it's pretty cool."

The school says the garden is just one of many reconciliation efforts taken recently by the board.