Toronto’s New 22-Storey Mural in Cabbagetown Celebrates the City’s Urban Forest
Toronto has a new landmark in Cabbagetown. Ecology of Us, a massive mural by Canadian artist Emmanuel Jarus, now covers the entire south face of the 22-storey apartment building at 140 Carlton St., right across from Allan Gardens.
Completed on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the artwork features a towering portrait of a maple tree that was originally photographed in Allan Gardens. The piece celebrates Toronto’s urban forest and the connection between people, communities and nature.
Mural Details
- Title: Ecology of Us
- Artist: Emmanuel Jarus (@youngjarus)
- Location: 140 Carlton St., Cabbagetown, across from Allan Gardens
- Size: Covers the full south wall of a 22-storey building
- Program: StreetARToronto Monumental Program, co-funded with the building’s owner
How the Mural Came Together
The project was supported by StreetARToronto’s Monumental Program, which provides up to $100,000 for artworks on buildings at least 100 feet tall. According to the city program, it is the only artwork of this size it is helping produce this year.
Before painting, Jarus hosted workshops with locals in Allan Gardens about ecology, nature and climate change. Those sessions helped shape the final design, and leaf sketches drawn by community members are included in the bottom right corner of the mural.
Jarus painted the piece over several weeks this fall using a swing stage, the same suspended platform used by window cleaners on high-rise buildings. He has also created large-scale, photo-realistic murals in Sudbury and Saskatoon.
Next time you’re walking through Cabbagetown or visiting Allan Gardens, look up and take in one of the city’s biggest new pieces of public art.
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