The Labyrinth Rejuvenation Project - You can Help!

The Carleton Place Community Labyrinth will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026! The focus for this year is to restore and renew the gardens at the labyrinth.

What has been accomplished so far? As a first step we held a “Hosta Party” and a few volunteers (former Labyrinth Committee members) got together and planted more than 20 hostas under the Spruce trees bordering the contemplation ring. We plan to add some bulbs this fall – for a bright spot of colour next Spring.

It has been wonderful to also have the company of the Carleton Place and District Horticulture Society volunteer gardeners on our Tuesday garden tending days. We are collaborating to make the grounds of the Carleton Place Beckwith and Heritage Museum property beautifully landscaped, in an open and flowing manner.

A big change took place when four old and overgrown shrubs (a type of spirea) were removed, with the help of the Town of Carleton Place Parks and Recreation crew. Suddenly things felt more spacious and flowing. Summer staff have helped with garden tending when time permitted.

We are thankful that the Carleton Place Hackberry Men’s Shed folks have been able to help too. So far, the benches at the labyrinth have been power washed and are going to be sanded. The split rail fence is going to be repaired or replaced. And the Community Labyrinth sign lettering is going to be repainted.

We used to have a budget for labyrinth activities through the Carleton Place in Bloom subcommittee, but since it's closure we now rely completely on community donations. So far enough money has been raised to hire a local gardening company, Shelley The Garden Gal, to help with the heavy work of preparing the garden beds for planting.

What is still needed? How you can help!

We are looking for volunteers that can help at a gardening work party on Tuesday October 1st – from 9 am till noon-ish. See information about registering below.

To date we are encouraged to have raised more than 60% of our fundraising goal. But we still need additional financial donations to help us obtain the plants and bulbs for the garden restoration. We may also need more soil, compost and mulch.

All donations appreciated!

Our Plant Wish List:
Shrubs – 4 Hydrangeas, 2 Ninebark Perennials – 12 Sedum (Autumn Joy); 6 shade perennials with burgundy foliage (Cimicifuga, Snake Root or Bugbane); 6 Phlox
Bulbs – Daffodils

To volunteer or make a donation, please contact:
Christine Hume
Volunteer Labyrinth Keeper and Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator
Cel: 613 859 2136
Email: christinehume@bell.net

Join us at "Light up the Labyrinth" in Fall 2026 for a special 15th anniversary celebration!

Revitalizing the Labyrinth Gardens

The intention for this year is to revitalize the gardens at the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth. They were originally designed and planted in 2011. And fourteen years later the gardens surrounding the labyrinth are no longer in good shape. They are overgrown, weedy, need edging and mulch, and more.

There is currently not an active committee looking after the labyrinth, the Town of Carleton Place cuts the grass but does not tend the gardens. The idea is to have a master gardener help provide some plant replacement ideas. Once there is a plan and when we secure some funding, a gardener and crew will help to do a one-time clean up of the beds.

We had a good start with a Hosta planting party at the labyrinth last week. A small group of former Labyrinth committee members, with the help of a Carleton Place and Districut Horticultural Society member, planted several dozen Hostas under the spruce trees bordering the Labyrinth.
All who come to walk the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth comment on the peace and tranquility they find at this special place. We are very hopeful that the beauty of the gardens will soon be restored.

Celebrating World Labyrinth Day!

Despite the rain, we had a small, enthusiastic group turn out to celebrate World Labyrinth Day at the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth in Carleton Place, Ontario Canada on Saturday, May 6th 2017 at 1 p.m.

WLD participants (from left to right): Julia, Monika, Stephanie, Chris, Connie, Kathryn and Debby.

Once again - we are very thankful to local media for helping us to promote our event - in particular "The Humm" and Lake 88 radio station.

We were happy to collaborate with Grace Amirault, Veriditas Council Member via Facetime to read the following opening prayer together.  We wanted to connect with another labyrinth facilitator at the start of our walk - to symbolically represent the power of bringing people together globally to recognize the labyrinth as a special tool for healing and peace.

We walked together and felt contained and held by the space and fully protected by our umbrellas!

 To the Four Directions (a reading for individual voices)

Spirit of the East, spirit of air,
 Of morning and springtime;
Be with us as the sun rises,
In times of beginning,
Times of planting.
Inspire us with the fresh breath of courage
As we go forth into new adventures.

Spirit of the South, spirit of fire
of noontime and summer;
Be with us through the heat of the day
And help us to be ever growing
Warm us with strength and energy
for the work that awaits us

Spirit of the West, spirit of water,
Of evening and autumn;
Be with us as the sun sets
and help us to enjoy a rich harvest.
Flow through us with a cooling, healing quietness
and bring us peace.

Spirit of the North, spirit of earth,
Of nighttime and winter;
Be with us in the darkness, in the time of gestation.
Ground us in the wisdom of the changing seasons
 as we celebrate the spiraling journey of our lives.
Joan Goodwin

This year World Labyrinth Day events were held around the world with 159 participating locations in the United States, 25 in Australia, 18 in Canada, 14 in England, 6 in the Netherlands, 4 in New Zealand, Norway & South Africa, 3 in Germany, Ireland, Italy and Scotland, 1 in France, Hungary, Hong Kong, Sweden, Greece, Lithuania, Spain and Switzerland. An interactive map depicting this can be found at this link.

 

Blooming Art and Garden Tour

Spend a day in Carleton Place touring seven private gardens, the Victoria School Garden and the Community Labyrinth.

Enjoy the beautiful, individual styles of landscaping and horticulture with the added features of local artists and members of the arts community presenting a variety of artwork, music, and performance art.  Added attractions include samplings of culinary delights and special surprise guests.

Truly a delight for all five senses!

Saturday, July 6,  2013, 10:00-4:00 p.m. (rain date July 7)

Tickets $25.00

For more information visit:
Blooming Tour 
Carleton Place in Bloom 
Arts Carleton Place

New Sign to be Unveiled at World Labyrinth Day Walk

Walking the labyrinth on World Labyrinth Day is the perfect way to celebrate spring!

Join us on Saturday May 4th for our first public event of 2013  as we "Walk as One at 1 pm" in celebration of World Labyrinth Day.  If you are new to the labyrinth experience, this Saturday walk will be the perfect introduction for you. This year, volunteer “labyrinthkeepers” will unveil a new sign that will serve as a year-round guide for visitors to the labyrinth.

Helpful tips for walking and learning more about labyrinths

World Labyrinth Day, declared in 1998 by The Labyrinth Society, brings people together globally to recognize the labyrinth as a symbol, a tool, a passion, and a practice. This will be the fifth World Labyrinth Day walk for the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth, as we join enthusiasts from around the globe who will walk their local labyrinth at 1:00 pm. in their local time zones.

By walking a labyrinth, we are rediscovering an ancient tradition which is still relevant today. Labyrinths offer a special place in a community for people to come together for significant celebrations, to resolve a problem, to enjoy a meditative walk, or to simply take time out of a busy day. The newly built stone-bordered pathway of the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth is situated in a peaceful garden setting beside the Carleton Place & Beckwith Heritage Museum at the corner of George and Baines Streets.

Labyrinths exist in many forms, in places as diverse as Peru, Iceland, Egypt, France, and the United Kingdom. Some have been built on private lands, while others, like the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth, have been created as a public space for all to enjoy. Labyrinth construction was made possible by the Town of Carleton Place, individual, business  & community sponsors, and a Trillium Foundation grant. Garden benches and a wheelchair accessible contemplation ring encircle the labyrinth for those who wish to enjoy the natural setting of "Labyrinth Park".

Members of the volunteer Labyrinth Committee invite you to experience the good feeling walking a labyrinth can make in your life!  Fascinating information about the history, benefits and unique aspects of the labyrinth will also be available.

For more information contact Debby: 613-257-1014
Like us @ Facebook.com/CarletonPlaceCommunityLabyrinth

Trillium Foundation Grant Application Update

The Carleton Place Community Labyrinth Committee has applied to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for funding to support the building of the permanent community labyrinth. We will hear whether we have been successful by the beginning of November. The funds from Trillium will be used in the creation of the labyrinth itself as well as enhancing accessibility features of the site.

Our ideal is to have an accessible paving stone pathway from the parking lot to the labyrinth and a path wide enough for wheelchair use around the outside of the labyrinth. We also hope to have two seating areas that can accommodate wheelchairs. Our dream also includes the provision installation of a permanent finger labyrinth -- allowing anyone who cannot walk the 0.5 km labyrinth path to "walk" the miniature version. The Trillium foundation grant will play a pivotal role in making these dreams a reality. Wish us luck!

Deborah Conners, CP Community Labyrinth Grant Committee

Strawberry Social and Labyrinth Walk

The Strawberry Social will be held in the gardens at the Victorial School Museum on July 10th, 2010 from 1:30 until 3:00 with the Carleton Place and District Community Band playing and refreshments and food served.  Several Carleton Place Community Labyrinth committee members will be on hand and the labyrinth will be available for an open walk!

A portion of the proceeds raised at the Strawberry Social are to be donated to the Labyrinth. Your support for this event is most appreciated.

Lure of the Labyrinth

Community Candlelight Walk June 26th Features 'Sisters of the Drum'

"Lure of the Labyrinth" is the theme for this summer's official opening of the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth, a grass labyrinth located behind the Victoria School Museum on 267 Edmund Street in Carleton Place. The Labyrinth Committee (TLC), invites you to join the free festivities from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. on Saturday June 26th, as we celebrate the first week of summer solstice with an 'alluring' evening candlelit walk.

For this sixth public labyrinth event, hundreds of luminaries will be set up along the path, casting a warm glow and guiding the pathway for people of all ages. “This will be a high energy, fun gathering of old and new friends and families", says Christine Hume, a member of the Labyrinth Committee, who will provide an introduction to the labyrinth for participants.

An exciting feature of this year's event will be Sisters of the Drum, a traditional Algonquin hand drum group with members from across Eastern Ontario, who will accompany us on the walk. Sisters of the Drum share native culture and teachings to communities through storytelling and singing, as well as their magnificent drumming ceremonies.

For those new to the labyrinth experience, a labyrinth is a circular path, derived from an ancient spiral symbol. The path of a labyrinth is 'unicursal'- the path on which you enter, is the same path on which you exit. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth holds no tricks or dead ends. The walker can focus on a thought, a prayer, or simply enjoy the walk itself. Walking a labyrinth works through our senses, and can be helpful in supporting healing, meditation, and personal growth.

Don't miss a chance to walk our Community Labyrinth: an evening walk under a full moon, with flickering luminaries, the sounds of the drums, a roaring bonfire, and refreshments promises to satisfy all the senses!

For more information, including how to volunteer for this event contact:
Christine Hume: 613-859-2136 or chume@bsl.com

Photo Credit:  Hand drum image

Worldwide Labyrinth Day - Celebrated Together

Glad to have celebrated World Labyrinth day with you all today on the site of our “getting closer to reality” permanent labyrinth. A crowd of about 30 people gathered - all were interested and supportive and it was lovely to see some new faces. 

There was a postive energy and a natural flow to the day - from the church bells tolling right at 1 pm - to the recitation of the "Simple Tools" poem by Inez - and to the moment of entering the labyrinth and walking the path - one by one. 

There were smiling faces, embraces, tears and hugs, spine-tingling moments, the much-maligned dandelions brightly leading the way - to the centre!  A moment of being all together - resting awhile - then refreshed , feeling renewed, treading softly back to the entrance, entranced by the feeling of being one of many walking the path today!

Join us on our journey to establishing a permanent labyrinth in Carleton Place

Welcome to the blog for the Labyrinth Committee (a sub-committee of Communities in Bloom, a striking committee of the Town of Carleton Place). Our committee is working toward the installation of a permanent community labyrinth for Carleton Place. It is our intention to share the story of this journey through this blog.

A labyrinth is a circuitous path with one entrance point that leads through a series of switch-backs to its centre. When followed, the labyrinth leads eventually and without making choices to the centre. Today, labyrinths are undergoing a modern revival in response to the contemporary needs of our time. Labyrinths are being installed in hospitals, schools, parks, retreat centres, and churches all around the world, as a way to reduce the toll of our stressed and hurried modern culture.

Whenever you feel like taking a break from your busy lives - feel free to join us here or on the labyrinth - for a quiet moment of inspiration!