A Walk in the Park
I was enjoying the brilliant sunshine a few days ago which made me think of Spring. That made me think of walking. And that made me think of our parks.
We are so lucky to be flanked by 2 beautiful watersheds, the Humber and the Don, which are laced with a series of parks joined to our waterfront to the south. A necklace of parks.
We have the Toronto Islands, the jewel on the lake with its formal gardens, trees and wilderness, Bluffers Park, and a host of new whimsical parks strung along the waterfront.
We have urban parks like the one in Yorkville. And we have many parkettes dotting our residential neighbourhoods, offering a bench, perhaps a tree, some flowers – respite from the hot weather of summer, relaxing in the spring and fall. We even have our own Central Park… High Park in the west end.
We have sculpture gardens, a music garden, parks for people with disabilities, parks with greenhouses to cultivate plants and naturalized areas to allow plants & animals a place to breathe & breed. And, of course, our famous ravines. And we even have a park with a zoo and a zoo within a park.
No wonder they call Toronto "A City Within A Park".
| Come to the Urban Affairs Library and find out about our parks through our reports, books and maps. | ||||
4 thoughts on “A Walk in the Park”
What a pleasure to read about Toronto’s oases!
Who says Torontonians can’t enjoy a stroll in a park? Read on…
The people of Toronto do love their parks! Parks make cities appealing, but they also serve as community centers for people nowadays. Some people tend to oversee this benefit though.
Hi, Walter:
You are absolutely right. Our parks are not just pretty. Parks not only act as the “lungs of our City” in that they purify our environment. They are the community backyards for family gatherings, picnics and barbecues, office parties and sporting events, exercise classes and leisurely strolls. They are the community centres for group hikes and biking and provide educational opportunities for children and adults to learn about our flora and fauna. In winter, some parks have skiing, snow shoeing and skating, too. Let’s not forget the rivers teeming with fish, amphibians and insects to create a sustainable ecological environment for all.Sometimes we can fish in our parks; sometimes take a rest on a bench. Thank you for your comment.