July
15, 2007
Hello from Toronto: A Bike Tour through
the Don Valley, Leaside, Salsa on St. Clair and Sunnyside Beach
My summery biking adventures through Toronto continue. This morning
I packed my backpack and as usual I entered the Taylor Creek Park
system. Heading down into the lush green river valley that is fully
closed in by trees and bushes on both sides is always such a great
feeling, as if the big city was miles away. Yet, I was riding right
in the middle of East Toronto, in the heart of Canada’s biggest
population centre.
Exploring the ravine systems of Toronto by bicycle
A few kilometers west my trail joined up with the Don Valley biking
trail and I started to ride south. But instead of heading all the
way down to Toronto’s lakefront, I saw an old road branching
off to the right north of Pottery Road and I thought I would just
ride in there and see what I could discover. I had never before
left the main trail and was curious to explore this new area. Actually,
I thought I would arrive at the Don Valley Brickworks, the leftovers
of an industrial brick making complex dating back to the late 1880s
that was closed down some time ago. The bricks from this quarry
were used on many famous Toronto landmarks, including Casa Loma,
Osgoode Hall and Queens Park (the Ontario Legislature building).
The green space surrounding the empty buildings has been turned
into a public park by the city.
Serene walking trails
But as I continued the road turned into a narrow pathway that crossed
a field and the path started taking me in a northwesterly direction,
away from the Brickworks. Now I was really wondering where this
path was going to lead. After crossing some more meadows the path
took me into a forested area where the narrow trail continued, sometimes
over roots and stones, sometimes beside some railway tracks. Now
you might think that it could be quite dangerous for a woman by
herself riding these trails, but I actually felt quite safe. The
only people I encountered were a father and daughter team who were
enjoying their own little mountain bike adventure.
Views of the Don Valley
I kept riding through the forest, up and down and at some point
I saw a road just above the embankment that I was cycling beside,
but my suspense grew as to where I would actually end up. Finally
I saw an opening in a fence at the edge of the forest and I realized
I had popped up at the southeastern end of the Loblaws Supermarket
in Leaside. This was quite a bit further north than I had anticipated.
Church in Leaside
So back on city streets I decided to ride through the residential
area of Leaside, one of the most popular residential areas in Toronto.
Settled as early as the beginning of the 19th century by the Lea
family, the Town of Leaside came into being in 1913. Today many
houses from the early 20th century remain and are being renovated
or expanded. Leaside has become particularly popular with real estate
investors who buy some of the small single story bungalows and convert
them into two or three story mansions.
Florence Moosengale has joined the Tour de France
Bayview Avenue marks the western boundary of Leaside and is a popular
entertainment area with lots of retail stores, cafes and restaurants.
I cycled south on Bayview to the Intersection of Moore Avenue where
there is a local landmark: a concrete moose that is located in front
of a company called IntegraCare, a private nursing company.
From April to October of 2000, the City of Toronto was graced by
172 moose sculptures that were located all over the city and painted
and decorated by local artists. The event was called “Moose
in the City” and similar in idea to other animal sculpture
campaigns in places such as Chicago, Mexico City etc. After the
completion of the campaign the moose were auctioned off for charitable
purposes and more than 75 local charities benefit from this unique
fundraising idea. Events like “Toronto’s Running of
the Moose!” and “Moose Jam on City Streets” enlivened
the campaign and entertained the public.
Western entrance to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery
I figured Integracare must have purchased one of these moose sculptures
and after doing some research on the Internet I found out that the
moose’s name is “Florence Moosengale, RM (Registered
Moose)”, her name obviously inspired by Florence Nightingale,
the founder of modern nursing. Three Integracare employees regularly
create new costumes for the moose which has been dressed up as Santa
Clause, a witch for Halloween, a pink Easter Bunny, a prison inmate,
a lady bug, and in many other outfits. Currently Florence is dressed
up as a rider in the Tour de France, complete with a yellow jersey
and an oversized bicycle.
Memorial to Steve Stavro, former owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Well, this moose always makes me chuckle and I truly applaud the
efforts of the three ladies at Integracare in brightening up the
intersection of Bayview and Moore Avenue. From here I rode into
the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto’s largest cemetery which
stretches from Bayview Avenue in the east to Yonge Street in the
west. Originally conceived in 1873, the cemetery opening in late
1876 and became the final resting place for more than 160,000 Toronto
citizens.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
The cemetery holds many local celebrities, including Frederick
Banting - the co-discoverer of insulin, Timothy Eaton – a
Canadian department store magnate, Hart Massey – a 19th century
tycoon in the farm equipment business, Robert Simpson – another
Canadian department store magnate, pianist Glenn Gould and W. Garfield
Weston, a business magnate and member of one of Canada’s most
wealthy families. By accident I came across the grave of William
Lyon Mackenzie King, one of Canada’s longest-serving and most
influential prime ministers.
William Lyon Mackenzie King, one of Canada's most influential prime
ministers
Although inline-skating is prohibited it is possible to ride a
bicycle in the cemetery and many people also use this beautiful
environment to go walking or jogging. The gravestones in the western,
older section of the cemetery are particularly beautiful, and its
large tree collection makes it one of North America’s finest
arboretums. Many large flower gardens, sculptures and memorials
add to the beauty of this location. While I reloaded my camera with
a new memory card, an elderly gentleman with a walker stopped and
educated me about the fact that this cemetery features countless
different species of trees and pointed out a rare Gingko tree, a
species that I did not even realize grew in Canada.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
I then crossed Yonge Street and rode west along Heath Street in
order to avoid the busy traffic along St. Clair Avenue. The surrounding
Forest Hill neighbourhood is one of Toronto’s most affluent
areas. Today many huge mansions grace the neighbourhood and two
elite private schools, Upper Canada College for boys, and the Bishop
Strachan School, a prestigious day and boarding school for girls,
are also located here.
The belltower of Upper Canada College
Underneath the canopy of leafy trees I turned onto a street called
Lower Village Gate and unexpectedly found myself in Toronto’s
Ravine system. One of the most distinctive features of Toronto’s
topography is a multitude of deep ravines that criss-cross the city,
have remained largely untouched by development and provide a natural
oasis in this densely populated metropolis. These ravines were formed
when rivers and creeks cut deep gouges into the glacial deposits
that were left over after the last ice age about 12,000 years ago.
Due to the danger of flooding these ravines are largely uninhabitable
and have remained virtually completely in their natural state. Today,
Toronto’s ravine lands are protected by municipal bylaws.
A game of cricket in Cedarvale Park
Cedarvale Park is located in one of those ravines and riding westwards
I looked up to admire the structure of the Bathurst Street Bridge.
I arrived at the western end of Cedarvale Park where a cricket match
was in full swing. Back on city streets I cycled south into a St.
Clair West neighbourhood called Hillcrest Village which was just
celebrating Latin culture with its big annual festival: Salsa on
St. Clair.
Salsa lesson, anyone?
First launched in 2005 Salsa on St. Clair has become a popular
street festival that features all sorts of Latin music performances,
street vendors, Latin American delicacies and special events. Salsa
lessons, jumping castles, children’s soccer competitions and
all sorts of free samples and giveaways enchanted the crowds.
Hot rhythms at the Salsa on St. Clair festival
From here I cycled south on Christie Street and then headed over
to Ossington and south to Queen Street. In a small neighbourhood
park I ran across a large group of teenagers dressed up as medieval
knights who were practicing their jousting skills. Sometimes Toronto
is truly like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re
gonna get…Once on Queen Street I cycled past recently renovated
landmarks like the Drake Hotel and the Gladstone Hotel into the
Parkdale neighbourhood, one of the most colourful areas in Toronto.
Medieval knights practice their skills
In the late 1800 Parkdale was an upscale residential suburb of
Toronto that featured great Victorian mansions and superb views
of Lake Ontario. The neighbourhood underwent a serious decline and
today features a large amount of low-income housing. The Parkdale
Village area close to Lake Ontario became one of Toronto’s
poorest neighbourhoods and in the mid 1980s many mental patients
that were discharged from the Queen Street Psychiatric Hospital
ended up in the low rental housing in this neighbourhood.
An orthodox church east of Ossington Avenue
Today the neighbourhood is being revitalized due to its beautiful
architecture, established trees and favourable location close to
downtown and Lake Ontario. Signs of gentrification are noticeable
everywhere.
Victorian mansions on Cowan Avenue
The Victorian mansions on Cowan Avenue impressed me and as I got
closer to the Lake I can only imagine what a beautiful residential
district this must have been in its heyday. I crossed the railway
tracks and the Gardener Expressway near Jameson Avenue and arrived
at the multi-purpose trail in Marilyn Bell Park on Toronto’s
lakefront. From here I joined the substantial crowd of bicyclists
and inline skaters and headed west to Sunnyside Beach.
A view of Lake Ontario at Marilyn Bell Park
Close to a century ago this was one of the most popular areas
in Toronto and featured a large amusement park from 1922 onwards.
The area was drastically changed in the 1950s with the construction
of the Gardiner Expressway which essentially reduced the parkland
in half and led to the destruction of the amusement park. Today,
the only original buildings remaining from this era are the Palais
Royale (a recently restored ballroom and banquet facility), and
the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion which houses a popular waterfront
café.
The entrance to the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion
Despite these changes, Toronto’s western waterfront in Humber
Bay is hugely popular with people. Walkers, picnickers, inline skaters
and bikers make extensive use of the Waterfront Trail. Three beach
volleyball nets grace the narrow strip of sand in front of the café
and a boardwalk made from recycled plastic invites for a walk on
the waterfront. I grabbed myself a slice of pizza and relaxed a
bit on bench, watching the comings and goings in a beautiful sunny
spot by the water.
Action on the Toronto's western boardwalk
I then started heading eastwards along the Waterfront Trail past
Ontario Place, a multi-purpose entertainment and seasonal amusement
park. Opened in 1971 Ontario Place consists of three artificial
islands that feature walking trails, food and drink concessions,
an IMAX theatre located in a geodesic dome-shaped structure, an
amusement park for children and an outdoor concert facility, the
Molson Amphitheatre.
Getting ready for the Chinese Lantern Festival at Ontario Place
Immediately adjacent to Ontario Place is Coronation Park, a park
centered around a royal oak tree that was planted in tribute to
King George VI. Right in front of the park is a marina that houses
hundreds of sailboats. Cycling further east I passed by the recently
renovated Tip Top Tailor Building, a historic property built in
1929 in true Art Deco style. This building was recently completely
restored and has been converted into loft condominiums.
Sailboats in the harbour
From here I snaked onto Queen’s Quay and made a stop at the
Toronto Music Garden, a waterfront garden that was inspired by Bach’s
First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello and designed by internationally
renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy.
The Toronto Music Garden features spiral-shaped walkways surrounded
by lush shrubs and flowers and is highlighted by an outdoor amphitheatre
that offers free concerts to the public. As I was riding by, dozens
of music enthusiasts were sitting in the outdoor concert facility,
intently listening to a free classical concert.
A free concert in the Toronto Music Garden
My ride continued to Harbourfront, a popular entertainment area
at Toronto’s waterfront. Harbourfront Centre, a former warehouse,
today holds a high-end shopping centre, commercial office spaces
and condominiums. The bottom level also features restaurants and
outdoor patios that look out on the docking facilities for the many
tourist boats that depart from here for harbour tours.
View of Harbourfront
Free concerts are held every weekend at Harbourfront on the Concert
Stage while the World Café and the International Marketplace
feature foods and merchandise from around the world. Additional
cultural offerings are provided by the Power Plant Gallery, the
Premiere Dance Theatre, the Enwave Theatre and the York Quay Centre.
A Cuban music group was enchanting the crowd at the Concert Stage.
I pushed my bike a bit further east and sat down with an ice cream
to enjoy the beautiful view across the harbour to the Toronto Islands
and to watch the colourful promenade of people strolling by.
Cuban music at Harbourfront Centre
Finally, after an action-packed day full of explorations and almost
60 km of riding I got on my iron horse one last time to make the
45 minute trek home along Toronto’s lakefront. Summer in Toronto
is amazing; I had cycled from secluded nature areas, through a Victorian-era
cemetery to a Latin festival, enjoyed the waterfront and caught
two more free concerts in or near Harbourfront. There is so much
going on in this city in the summer and the bicycle is the ideal
way to explore it.
A view of the Toronto Islands
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