Ever seen a memorial bench in the city, looked up the name on the plaque and then wanted to share their story?

That Bench Project is exactly that. The founder, Valentina Gastaldo, wants the project to map memorial benches and share the history and the connections these benches hold with the neighbourhood. It lets you be curious and build deeper relationships with the people from your community, and it needs your help. 

The project started in 2023 with benches in Cedarvale Park. One day she had some thoughts to work through, so she walked around the park, sat on a bench and decided to look up the name written on the plaque. Reading about the person online made her feel connected to the park. She continued her search for their history by reaching out to family members online, sending a little message showing her appreciation for the bench.

Since then, she’s worked towards That Bench Project, building the site to be interactive with the map, leaving comments and making it easy for anyone to submit a bench they’ve found.

Gastaldo started this project because she thought it was important that we know their stories.

“I care for Cedarvale, I care for the people who are here and I want to learn the stories because it also relates to how I connected the land in this place,” she said.

Gastaldo wants relationships to be built from That Bench Project. Through the map, the project helps people discover the lives kept from being forgotten in their neighbourhood parks. Gastaldo pictures the project as a living archive where people can share memories online about the person.

Memorial benches are more than public infrastructure, Gastaldo says “they’re social and emotional infrastructure as well.”

How can you help That Bench Project grow?

Gastaldo wants the project to reach more Torontonians who not only get that it’s more than adding a bench to a map, but care for people they’ve never met. So, if that sounds like you, here’s how you can help.

• Visit That Bench Project online to familiarize yourself with the site and the benches already shared.
• Visit your local park to find a bench, learn about the person; if you’re comfortable, reach out to family members online and hear their stories.
• Have the following information ready when you click “add a bench” on the site:
  • Your name and email
  • The bench’s coordinates or general location
  • The name on the plaque
  • Any extra information written on the plaque, like a description of who they were, what the park meant to them, etc.
  • Anything you know about the person if you’ve spoken to their family, found them online, etc.

If you’d like to get more involved in the project, you can request to become a park steward. You’ll just need to note what park you would like to represent and what it means to you, then submit the form on the site.