Lincoln, ON – (November 3, 2025) – The Town of Lincoln is proud to announce the opening of Sho’aríshon Park, a Neutral Nation Legacy Site in Jordan. The new park was celebrated on November 1, 2025, with a community gathering that brought together Indigenous partners, artists, educators, funders, community members, and elected officials.
Sho’aríshon Park was created in close collaboration with Indigenous partners to honour and reflect the history, culture, and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples on this land, with a particular focus on the Neutral Nation, the first known inhabitants of the land now called Lincoln. The park provides space for cultural learning, gathering, ceremony, reflection, and relationship building.
Honouring the Neutral Nation
Sho’aríshon (pronounced So-ah-ree-son) is a contemporary Mohawk (Kanyen’kéha) spelling of a name of a Neutral Nation Chief recorded by French missionaries in the early 1600s. The name translates to “He is shaking a net,” reflecting both Neutral Nation history and the movement of the nearby Twenty Mile Creek.
The Neutral were an Iroquoian-speaking people who lived throughout what is now southern Ontario, including the Niagara region, at the time of early European contact. Skilled farmers, fishers, and traders, they lived in longhouse communities and were known for trading flint with surrounding nations. Their population sharply declined in the mid-1600s due to disease and conflict, and survivors were absorbed into other Indigenous nations. Sho’aríshon Park helps bring this history forward for today’s community.
A Step Toward Reconciliation
The creation of Sho’aríshon Park reflects the Town of Lincoln’s ongoing work to advance learning, understanding, and relationship-building with Indigenous peoples.
While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action are directed toward all levels of government, several relate directly to municipalities through education, commemoration, and public awareness. Sho’aríshon Park responds to these calls by:
- Creating a space for truth-telling and learning about Indigenous histories that pre-date settlement;
- Elevating Indigenous voices and cultural expression in a public setting; and
- Supporting inter-cultural understanding, empathy, and respect for Indigenous rights, identity, and presence.
Cultural Design and Artistic Expression
The park’s design features cultural forms inspired by Indigenous architecture, including a longhouse-inspired structure for shade and community events, and a palisade-inspired feature referencing traditional village design. A rain garden with native species, walkways, paved parking, enhanced trail access, bicycle parking and repair station, convenience power, water bottle refill station, educational signage, seating and gathering spaces support land-based learning and community use.
Public art is central to the identity of Sho’aríshon Park. With guidance from Indigenous advisors, the Town commissioned permanent works by Indigenous-led artist teams. The works include Two Row Helix (David Beyer and Lilly Otašević), a sculptural piece inspired by the Two Row Wampum, and Water Scroll (Kathryn Corbiere and Sophie Anne Edwards), honouring language, story, and the waterways that connect us. A series of salmon-shaped trail markers created by Alderville First Nation artist Ryan Woodruff will link the park to the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre and to Ball’s Falls, forming a cultural and interpretive corridor.
Project Partners and Funders
The Town of Lincoln extends deep gratitude to the partners who made Sho’aríshon Park possible:
Funding Partners
- Niagara Region – Public Realm Investment Program Funding 2020 and 2024, and cost sharing partner, contributing to the parking lot
- Greenbelt Foundation – Resilient Greenbelt Fund
- Niagara Community Foundation - David S. Howes Fund and Environmental Grant
- The Government of Canada
- Plenty Canada
Collaborators and Design Team
The development of Sho’aríshon Park began in 2019 as a collaboration with the Niagara Regional Native Centre (NRNC), who guided the earliest stages of visioning and community engagement for the site. As the project evolved, the Town brought on Indigenous cultural specialists, language experts, historians, and artists, including Tim Johnson, Karl Dockstader, Alyssa General, and many more.
The Town of Lincoln would also like to thank Two Row Architect and adesso design inc. as well as the construction team of the Niagara Region, WSP and Urbanlink Civil Ltd. The construction of the park unfolded alongside the Niagara Region’s bridge replacement project, which will include an additional public art installation inspired by Neutral Nation iconography.
Quotes:
“Through projects like Sho’aríshon Park, we invested in spaces that celebrate Indigenous culture and strengthen the social and economic fabric of our communities. This park is a meaningful step forward on our shared path towards reconciliation.”
— The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
“This park is more than a gathering space. It is a commitment to truth, learning, and relationship-building. Sho’aríshon Park brings forward stories that existed long before our families arrived here, and it helps ensure the next generation grows up knowing this history. It is a gift for today and a legacy for tomorrow.”
~ Sandra Easton, Mayor, Town of Lincoln
“Sho’aríshon Park demonstrates how we can build places of connection that honour the past and inspire the future. This space reflects years of collaboration, learning, and relationship-building, and it will continue to guide how our organization approaches community development and reconciliation in the years ahead.”
~ Michael Kirkopoulos, Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Lincoln
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of this multi-year process. Not only have we created a meaningful and aesthetically beautiful park setting, but also developed a unique living Indigenous legacy art site founded upon the First People of this land, the Neutral Nation. Together — as is fitting during this era of Truth and Reconciliation — through this park we have built a foundation for trust and establishing stronger and more knowledgeable and empathetic relations among our peoples."
~ Tim Johnson, president of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations and Indigenous advisor to the Town of Lincoln
“Niagara Region is proud to collaborate on this important project as one of the strategic investments along RR81, the site of this park. As this road follows an historic Indigenous route, the Region is honoured to contribute to helping fund and facilitate the construction of Sho’aríshon Park to celebrate Niagara’s indigenous heritage and culture, which we know will serve as a wonderful gathering space for the community.”
~ Diana Morreale, Director of Infrastructure Planning and Development
About the Town of Lincoln
The Town of Lincoln is a growing Niagara community rooted in agriculture, natural beauty, and cultural connection. Through Sho’aríshon Park and ongoing cultural initiatives, Lincoln is committed to strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples and supporting education, reflection, and shared learning toward reconciliation.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Liliana Busnello
Manager of Corporate Communications
Town of Lincoln
905-563-2799 ext. 230
Official Opening of Sho’aríshon Park, Town of Lincoln, November 1, 2025