A Time for Humber.

"Did you say 'Epic Walk'?"

Who does not long for freedom?  As children, despite the varying magnitudes of restrictions that are placed upon us by our parents, we are at our most free.  We are free within our bodies.  Uninhibited in our souls.  Our thoughts and imaginations soar without boundaries.  Who we are to become is full of such limitless possibilities. 

For children of the modern age, where childhood has been deemed as most precious and the domain of play and dreams, the greatest freedom of childhood is Time.  It stretches before them vast and infinite, progressing slowly.  There is all the Time in the world in which to dream and explore.  The particular golden blessing of the modern child is the summer vacation.  Sure, it may be filled with camps, play dates, soccer games and museum outings.  However, even the most rigidly scheduled child will experience a slowing down, a greater freedom.  There is always that sense that there are a million things that can be accomplished before heading back to school and a million years in which to accomplish them all. 

As adults, pressured under the constraints of work and family, of obligations and bills, Time, and the freedom it allows, is much more precious.  When you are a mom who works full-time, also holds down a part-time job, writes and, for the most part, parents alone, Time and freedom are more rarer and treasured than diamonds and platinum.  Time is no longer a freedom but nagging task-master and who we were becomes lost to it’s constant demands. 

One of the things I have wanted to do for the last few years was to walk the entire Humber Trail from the top of the City down to the Lake.  I have done the whole thing in short two or three hour looped or backtracked segments but never the whole thing at once.  It has always seemed something that would have to be put off.  As a working mom with little support, my days lie rigidly tied to the confines of the school day and my own odd work hours.  My evenings are busy ferrying my children from one activity to another.  I also walk dogs during the day.  While my own dog is a trooper, my other pals don’t have the kind of endurance to go past a couple of hours.  It’s difficult to schedule in that kind of epic adventure with the life that I lead.

A month ago the stars lined up beautifully.  My husband had been sent home from his work assignment in Saskatchewan nursing a broken arm and would be around to meet our children after school.  None of the other dogs I walk needed to be walked that day.  It was cool but sunny, so it likely wouldn’t be too hot for my pup.  It was probably my one and only chance this year to give it a go and I grabbed it, even though I had pressing things to do with work and my home.  Wanting to try some serious hiking this year, it would be the perfect opportunity to see just how big a hike my dog would be happy to endure and to also gauge how much food and water to pack for him as I’ve never taken a long hike with him before.  If I ran into any problems, I live a very short drive from most access points to the trail, so it would be easy to call my husband to pick us up if we needed.  A good trial run. 

I ended up starting much later than I should have because we did need to wait and see what arrangements my husband could make for some last minute doctors appointments.  If I had to be home to meet the kids, the dream would be shelved for another day.  I would have preferred to have gotten the show on the road by 8:30 am but he wasn’t able to make confirmations until midmorning.

  

I packed up, in my better backpack, over a gallon of water, food for both him and me, sunscreen and hat, sunglasses and rain poncho.  I loaded up a fanny pack with the dog’s travel water bowl, a water bottle for me and a few small necessities.  I decided a pair of yoga pants, T-shirt and comfy sneakers would be the best bet for the day.  Yoga pants or splash pants are my pants of choice when dog walking because I don’t care when the dogs jump all over them.  When my buddy saw me pull those on, he went gonzo.  He knows what walking pants are for.  

My husband dropped me off near Kipling and Steeles and I picked up the trail on what seemed to be a service road.  Although nearby apartment towers loomed over the tops of the trees I felt incredibly isolated and alone.   I walked deep in the dappled shadows of urban forest, the trees themselves only allowing the briefest glimpse of nearby towers.  It was green, all the greens of the natural world.  The greens I dream of, cool and dappled, as I sit for hours and hours in my grey cubicle in the sky.  The crisp gravel beneath my feet, the breeze through the trees and soft birdsong provided a gentle soundtrack to my lonely trek.  

From the start, it seemed as though I drifted through a dream...

It was almost an hour before I saw another person.  Once I joined up with the main paths at Rowntree Mills Park, it was raucous children and dogwalkers all around.  I ran into a young woman and her beautiful dog in one of the parking lots there and she joined me for a while and chatted.  I was grateful for her company and she was very informative about the coyote and deer sightings in the area and some of the regular peoples and goings on in the park.  I think in all my time of walking in the trail I have never once come across someone so friendly.  Usually people might say hello or exchange smiles and a little back and forth about dogs or the weather.  It was enjoyable to have a little connection and conversation.  Because of safety considerations, I don’t usually listen to music when I am hiking.  I prefer to be aware of my surroundings.  So usually it is just my lonely inner dialogue and me.  

Gentle drifts of purple and white followed me, beckoned me, until I was dashed upon the harsh shores of highway and concrete...

My journey through Rowntree Mills Park is short and, with good and pleasant chatter to speed the time, I was in Blue Haven Park before I knew it.  About halfway through the park I was compelled for reasons unknown to look behind me and spied a deer.  Soft in shadow as if a dream.  We mutually froze on the spot and gave each other a good, long, silent stare, and then, suspecting I wasn’t much of a threat, it meandered up the path and into the trees.  I’ve seen deer a few times up this way now and then and it’s always a breathtaking sight. I was lost in a daze for a while after that.  

I only remembered my camera when it was too late.

I gradually made my way to Summerlea Park.  It’s a big park and It took forever to walk.  I haven’t been able to determine the square acreage but I am certain that it is the same size or even bigger than High Park.

Hydro lines slice through the heart of Summerlea

Counting 20 minutes to rest, water up and eat it took roughly two and a half hours to traverse it from end to end.  As I passed a retention pond, I could hear hymns drifting over the water, haunting and atmospheric.  At first I thought it might be a TV or radio from a nearby apartment tower but it turned out to be a prayer meeting in a recreation building at the back of the park.  It was another long walk with hardly another soul in sight, but peaceful and beautiful.  One of my favourite go-to walks. 

Despite the signs of human life all around, Summerlea is often vacant and unused.

Then it was through Pine Point Park, a short little thing that I have written on before.  At the south end of the park, one is forced under the 401 to continue on the trail.  Usually there is ample room to manoeuvre under there but the overpass is currently being repaired and foot and bicycle traffic is forced through a very narrow passageway.  Twice, in the short span of time that it takes to traverse it, I was almost bowled over by a cyclist going way over the speed limit (and there are extraa signs posted at both entrances even reminding cyclists to slow down).   He didn’t even have a bell or bothered to call out to let me know he was behind me.  I have encountered this fellow back here before. Most cyclists and pedestrians do their best to share the path, but he’s a bit of a bully.  First aggravation of the walk.

A tight squeeze under the 401.

The second frustration came shortly after at the end of Crawford-Jones Park.  Here, the trail ends and to pick up the next portion of it you have to walk down Weston Road a short distance.  Normally this isn’t too bad, but for the next couple of years this corner is going to be under continued construction as Metrolinx work swings into full gear.  

The noise after five hours of isolation was jarring.  The exhaust from cars and buses and the dust from all the construction work was choking.  The traffic was snarled and angry and impatient with the long waits.  My plan had been to walk along Weston and join up with the official entrance at Cruikshank Park but I quickly decided against that.  I headed down the stairs at St. Philips Road, not the safest of choices when walking alone, but a far more pleasant alternative that offered a very quick escape and meant not having to endure an attempt of crossing over St. Phillips Road. 

Back to green and life.

 The path underneath St. Philips is isolated, nothing more than a narrow dirt footpath.  The branches of the surrounding trees dip low onto the path and the grass grows tall on either side.  It is claustrophobic and eerie.  A dead dog or coyote spied in the grass only intensifies my uneasiness.  

The type of sight one might expect in a horror film...  There be chainsaws and masked men here, I know it.

Another rest in Cruikshank Park made me suddenly aware of how out of shape I really had become after the winter and a prolonged illness.  My legs ached.  It was there I regretted not bringing another gallon of water (my dog is a little water obsessed), more dog food and a sweater for myself.  Ominous clouds had been rolling in over the course of the afternoon and the temperature dropped considerably, chilling my enthusiasm.  We lingered a little longer here than at our last break while my dog enjoyed a good stick.  This is a short chain of three linked parks but, by this time, I was also feeling a little discouraged as this portion of the trail runs east/west instead of north/south and, after having spent a good portion of the trail in Summerlea going the same direction, I really hadn’t felt like I made much progress during the previous four hours.  

Hurricane Hazel Victims memorial at Raymore Park

Raymore Park turns north/south again and the short but steep climb at the South portion of it was a killer given the already five plus hours of walking I had endured. 

The river is strong here.

By the time we reached the Ukrainian Canadian Memorial Park I could tell that my poor dog had had it.  He was still very perky, but was definitely tiring out.  While waiting for the lights to change at Scarlett and Eglinton I gave my husband a call and asked him if he could pick up the dog at James Gardens.  This is another frustrating section of the trail which temporarily forces the user to deal with traffic, and by then it was rush hour.  I could walk the path further down to James Gardens but decided to get off and cut across Edenbridge Drive and wait at the main entrance to the park.  I drive across there all the time but didn’t realize the entrance to the park was so far from the eastern end of the road.  This is one of the most pedestrian unfriendly roads in the entire city.  Much of the road does not have a sidewalk.  The shoulders of the road are very narrow with deep ditches almost immediately next to them.  Despite the million dollar price tags of the homes along there, many lawns are unkempt and not conducive to walking.  Cars whiz by at speeds much higher than the posted limit.  I keep my dog very close and do my best to move as quickly as I can to my destination.  

It had been my intention to carry on without the dog and just TTC it home when I was done.  By the time I got to James Gardens, though, it was 5:30 p.m.  I began to think about some of the more isolated portions I had to walk through further down and the time it had already taken me to walk the distance so far and decided I didn’t want to do it completely alone.  Disappointed, I called it a day.  The trail isn’t going anywhere, and for the time being, neither am I.  It certainly wasn’t a waste of Time, it was an incredible gift of Time.  I am immensely grateful for the day of freedom I was given which I have not experienced since I had children.  It was recharging.  Even now, when I feel a little overwhelmed by the demands of my life, I seek refuge in those rippled greens, dreamy purples, the gauzy soft deer, the feel of a cool breeze on my face, and the fleeting glimpse of the person I had once been all those years ago, when Time was all I had.    

Journey's end.

Let’s save it for another day, hopefully another window will open up this year.  

The next day I kind of thought that when I put on my walking pants my dog would run hiding, but no, he was totally ready to get back at it, even if it was just around the block this time.  

There are a few comments to give a heads up to anyone who may want to attempt a longer walk through here.  Bring a buddy.  There are a considerable number of isolated stretches that are just not very popular, and it can be a very long time before you see anyone.  Meet up with the wrong person and it could quickly turn a pleasant outing upside down.  Coyotes are also frequently spotted in many sections of the trail.  Be aware and vigilant for them.  Be prepared for a serious lack of access to bathroom facilities and fresh water.  If there isn’t a facilities building located in a park, there will usually be a port-a-potty, but only in the summer months and they may be located at the main entrance of the park which may not handy or marked from the main trail or easy to miss.  Summerlea, in particular, stands out as you would have to leave the trail for a considerable distance before hitting the main entrance.  Peeing out in the open in Toronto parks is illegal but I’ve come across volumes of people seeking relief in the bushes on my various treks and it’s easy to understand why.  I was also nervous about tying my dog up if I did use one because I did not want people to think I was abandoning my dog and usually there is never anything handy to tie him up to even if I wanted to.  The port-a-potties are usually out in the wide open some distance a way from trees or fencing.  I have never used one either so I also can’t vouch for the condition or cleanliness.  I did not notice one working water fountain the entire trek.  If there was one visible from the path I stand corrected. If you’re going to do an extended walk on the trail, pack your own water and pack a lot.  There were also very long stretches without a garbage can, so be prepared to tote your garbage and dog waste bags. Again, at the time, Summerlea was by far the worst for lack of garbage cans (this situation has now been somewhat corrected).  There are many rules but not much assistance to ensure users don’t break them.  Things like this are never too much of a concern if you on a short walk but were issues for me on the longer trek.  

In the end it took me over seven hours to walk the stretch that I did.  Keep in mind that I am a very short person and my brisk gait is a slow crawl for most people.  I was also travelling with a canine companion, which meant frequent breaks to water, eat, rest, pee and poop-and-scoop. It totalled out to roughly 9.7 miles.  

Useful Information:

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly four to seven hours (based on short legs, picture taking and doggy care)
• Difficulty: EASY.  Relatively flat terrain throughout.  A few short steep hills, mostly paved, with some gravel and dirt paths.
• Parking:  Lots of parking available at various park entrances. 
• Washrooms:  Yes.  Facility buildings and Port-a-Potties only at park entrances. 
• Local Coffee Haunts:  No.  Really not much of anything. Coffee dies North of Bloor Street.  
• Safety Factor:     Medium-High.  Buddies are best.  Be watchful for coyotes  
• Special Gear?:   A good pair sneakers, food and water.
• Suitable for Dog Walking?:  Yes.  Dogs must be on leash.

Happy Trails!

This Ain't No Skatin' Blog! Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Etobicoke

Skates unloved...

I’m about to admit a deep dark secret, one so profound that it will likely cause mysterious men in sunglasses, black hockey jerseys and toques to enter my house in the dark of night, confiscate my passport, my VHS collection of CBC shows and bottles of maple syrup before whisking me off blindfolded to an undisclosed location deep below the 49th parallel.  

I can’t skate.

There, I feel better now that it’s out.  The number of times that I have donned ice skates can probably be counted on one hand.  And each of those occasions involved more time spent on my ass than on my feet.  For a short time before I took the plunge into motherhood, and therefore sensibility, I did inline skate,  but they always felt better and sturdier.  The wheels are pretty thick and it always felt I had a solid base to work with.  I was never any good at it and again had my fair share of embarrassing on-my-ass time, but I could awkwardly propel myself around parks for some exercise and that was all that mattered.  Ice skates I can’t seem to master.  Tottering on those thin little blades, ankles going here there and everywhere, gliding on sharp knives while everyone else is gliding by on sharp knives.  It’s cold, your toes ache, the skates are as hard and uncomfortable as hell.  I have a lot of respect for people who do it for a living because I have never had anything but a miserable experience on them.  

Thank goodness that this is not a skating blog because then were would we be?  With very few entries, that’s for sure!  This is a hiking blog!  But all the hoopla about the new skating trail at Colonel Samuel Smith Park has gotten me thinking about it and so with that I’ll take a few moments of your time to rave about the park. 

I used to live a few blocks away from the park, when my children were still small enough to be carted about in strollers and wagons, and we spent lots of time there enjoying nature and fresh air and the water.  I had all but forgotten about it after we moved until I was lamenting the lack of choices to exercise my dog and a friend pointed out that there was a new dog park there.  Always looking for new experiences for both myself and my dog, I took the time to drive down several times in October to check it out.  Chatting with another dog owner, he mentioned that the City was building an ice rink there, but he wasn’t sure where.  My friend and I kept our eyes open for it while we roamed but never saw heads or tails of an ice rink, but now I understand the confusion.  This the first ice trail in Toronto and I can’t think of a better place than here.  It’s nice to see the City developing new ways to get people using their parks all year long.  I can’t tell you how many great parks that I have explored over the past year that have been relatively empty but popular parks like High Park remain crowded all day long, seven days a week.  Anything that gets people out, exploring their City and putting to good use everything it has to offer is a good thing.  And the buzz generating around the ice trail will hopefully also get people excited about what is in general a buzz worthy park.

Wetlands

That’s not to say that there hasn’t been controversy over the development of the ice trail.  There have been concerns about the impact it will have on the local environment and the species which make it their home.  Compromises were made and the final design was in the end considered tolerable.  I always have very mixed, stomach tightening feelings about such matters.  I like to think of myself as a fairly green person and love nature.  But when you live in the City, surrounded by concrete and smog and traffic and noise, it becomes very easy to forget about the natural world.  We have removed ourselves too much from that natural world and these parks can go a long way to bringing us back.  Finding an appropriate balance between our needs and those of the world around us is difficult and not to be taken lightly and we certainly need to take steps both individually and as a whole to keep our impact minimal.  But if it takes a skating rink, which is located close the to the entrance of the park, to get people, especially children, outdoors and into the real world, then let’s do it.  

Colonel Samuel Smith was a Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in the early 1800’s.  Born in New York, a loyalist and veteran of the American Revolutionary war, after the war he continued his service under the crown, spending time in England and in New Brunswick  and finally being stationed in the Niagara Region.  Upon his retirement he purchased a 1,000 acre tract (comprising the area between Kipling Avenue and Royal York Road, Bloor Street and Lake Ontario) in Etobicoke and became one of the first settlers in that region. 

The grounds where Colonel Sam Smith Park are located were formerly part of grounds of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, an important part of our City's collective history.  Opened in 1889, this hospital complex ran for almost 100 years until it’s closure in 1979.  Despite its use in some movie and television productions, it fell into disrepair for a number of years.  Much of the complex is now used by Humber College, Lakeshore Campus.

A reminder that we're still in the City - A view of downtown Toronto

This particular area of Etobicoke is vibrant and active and one of my favourite areas in all of Toronto.  There are lots of independent shops and small, good restaurants and lively pedestrian activity.  Out of the three waterfront parks in this area, this has always been the one that I have noticed to be most used, at least during the weekdays. There is also great access to the park as the Kipling South bus goes right into it.  Numerous species of birds, turtles and beavers can be found here and there are plenty of new, helpful interpretive signs that provide a little bit of insight on much of the local wildlife and environment.  A small wetlands area has been created, which is one my favourite features of the park, it is very picturesque.  Another feature that I love is that it is right on the lake.  Except on the hottest, most still days, there is always a little bit of a breeze and, just like nearby East/West Humber Parks, there is a really great view of the downtown core on clear days.  There are plenty of trees throughout and it is really pretty to visit in the fall.  Trails take you right out to the peninsula and it's great vistas of Lake Ontario.  The trails are part of the Waterfront Trail system which is an ongoing effort to have an extended trail system along the Lakes and St. Lawrence. 

Trees were getting bare

On my last visit there, I went with a friend.  We hit the new dog park first and gave our dogs a good run and then hit the trail.  It was a gorgeous sunny day, although a little on the brisk side, with a good wind.  There were plenty of people out and about except on the long stretch along the peninsula, fellow dog walkers, students and a lone jogger.  This isn’t a massively large park, you could do the whole thing in a leisurely stroll in less than an hour.  But there are all sorts of different environments to check out, from wetlands, to shrubby, rocky waterfront.  Trails are mixed with mostly light gravel surfaces and some paved paths.  If you want to extend your walk, stroll west through my old haunting grounds on Lake Promenade about 20 minutes to Marie Curtis Park, another charming waterfront park with a forested trail following Etobicoke Creek.  The neighbourhood in this area is an interesting mix of old cottage/bungalow style homes and newer, more upscale development and is a great walk.  This is a great park for families with a small playground nearby and lots of learning opportunities around every corner.  

New dog run.

Useful Information: 

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly one hour (based on short legs, picture taking and doggy care)
• Difficulty:  EASY.  Relatively flat terrain.  
• Parking/Getting There:  TTC:  (Subway) Get off at Kipling Station on the Bloor line.  Take the 44 Kipling South straight into the park.  It is the last stop on the bus run. (Streetcar) The 501 Queen Route heading rest stops right at Lake Shore and Kipling and the park is just a short walk down Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr.   Parking:  There is paid Green P parking available in the park.
• Washrooms:  There is a bathroom at Williams Coffee Shop.  Only available on weekdays.
• Local Coffee Haunts: There is a Williams Fresh Cafe on the Humber Campus.  Strangely, it is not open on weekends. 
• Safety Factor:  SAFE.  There were generally lots of people around, good for daytime treks.  As always though, you should be mindful of your environment and the people around you.  
• Special Equipment: No.  Sneakers should be fine.
• Suitable for Dogwalking?:  YES.  But please keep your dog on a leash.  There are sensitive habitats and dogs can be very disruptive.  

Links of interest:

Colonel Samuel Smith Park

Friends of Sam Smith Park

Waterfront Trails

Guided bird walks:

Citizens Concerned about the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront

Star Article (with video) on the new ice trail:

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/917950--ice-trail-is-like-a-walk-in-the-park-on-skates




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He's Mister 20 Below

Old Snow Miser was singing his song today.   Everything was frosty and bitter.  Three layers on the bottom, four on the top, hat and scarf and a pair of too small mittens as I had to send my gloves to school with an absent minded child who has probably left 10 pairs of gloves and mittens at school so far this year.  I do have to say that my new boots did their job.  One pair of socks and my feet were comfortable and they seemed to keep their grip too.  I had two dogs to walk this morning and no access to my car which meant a half hour walk each way to the other pup's house on top of the hour that they pay me for.   My pup was not appreciative of the all business attitude of today's trek.  Kept him on a short lease to keep him from pulling me all over the place on the ice that has glassed the paved surfaces and to ensure that we were actually walking instead of stopping every two seconds to check out the smells. Too cold for smells.  Ears were pulled back in resentment, but he was good and, after slipping himself a few times, I think he figured out what the issue was.  Mr. Whippet was not interested in doing much more than his business and high-tailed it back to his house in short order.  He wasn't even in the mood to play and run in the backyard for a bit which is what I usually let them do after a walk.  I'd like to wax on about what I saw or did, but alas the sky was grey, it was horribly cold, and I spent most of the time staring vigilantly at the ground watching for ice.  Ah! Canadian Winter!  May it be short this year.  Would have given anything to have a hot chocolate when I got home, but that's off the menu, at least for the time being.

After Christmas, I am finding lined pants, long underwear, snow pants and a balaclava.  Have a lot of winter walking ahead of me and am determined to be warm.  

First Snow

Last Monday was welcomed with the first real snow of the year.  The first snow is always so soft and gentle and fluffy.  It covers the world in a pure velvet blanket.  The light of the world is softer, hazier.  All is quiet and hushed.  It’s a charmer, warming the hearts of even the most hardened winter haters; it lulls you into a false sense that maybe all will be well.  It makes you forget all the deep freezes, slush, snow dumps and back breaking labour of the dark winter to come. 

Dogs, in particular, love the first snow.  They get right into it.  They frisk and strain at the ends of their leashes.  They paw it, lick it, eat it, snorfle their noses right into it and throw their faces to the sky, chins heavy with snowbeards.  They kick it up with their feet, they swish it with their tails, they roll and scamper and love it.  Their lives are not disrupted by it (unless they get walked less).  They seem to thrive in the cold.  They are invigorated by it and embrace it.  You can’t help but feel a little of their excitement. 

I dreaded going out.  As pretty as it was, I am most whole-heartedly not a winter soul.  But I had warm boots, coat, hat, gloves and two dogs that were dependent on me to get out there and trudge in the damn stuff.  I anticipated that it would be blisteringly cold, but it was actually pleasant.  Even the best of walkers get lazy or put out if there’s a change in the routine.  Best to adopt the attitudes of the dogs and deal with whatever Mother Nature dishes out with a little fun.  If life gives you snow, throw on your boots and kick up your heels.

Now if only I could feel that same attitude when I get served up a heaping helping of extreme cold like we have today...

Walking in a Different Direction

Today's walk with the boys was short and sweet, since it was cold and rainy and I had yet another doctor appointment.  We did the obligatory hour that I got paid for and nothing more.  In fact if the new guy had had his way it would only have been a half hour walk.  He's a sensitive little soul and likes his comforts.  We stuck around his neighbourhood and it was mostly a "scratch and sniff" session.  If you have a dog you know what I'm talking about, you don't really do a lot of walking, mostly just standing while they nose about and sniff whatever it is they find so darn fascinating on the ground, around fence posts, each other's butts.  I'm pleased to report that they had a good enough time and it must have been sufficient as my fellow is plum tuckered out and curled up on his bed, all fluffy and content-like.  

While I was standing around letting them do their thing, I had plenty of time to mope around and feel sorry for myself.  I got some bad news at the Doctor's office yesterday.  Not end of the world kind of stuff but something that is going to seriously change how I live.  Turns out that there's a strong possibility that I have a food allergy or intolerance.  It's something that I suspected but didn't want to hear.  I fancy myself a bit of a gastronome, most who know me would agree that I definitely do like my eats 'n drinks.  So the thought of cutting out huge swathes of food that I really, really love from my diet was really a tad depressing.  Just in time for the holiday season I've been put on a strict elimination diet.  While everyone else will be stuffing their faces with chocolates, cheese, cookies, and candy, i'll be eating, well, rice.  And more rice.  It didn't really hit me how hard it was going to be until I opened the cupboard this morning for breakfast.  Out of a full pantry, three cupboards, a full fridge and upright freezer I can eat the following:  apples, oranges, a pommello, rice, orange juice, some tetra pak soymilk, and a can of chickpeas.  

But when I was back at the Doctor's office this morning for some different tests I just came to the realization that this is just an obstacle in the path.  I can choose to curl up in fetal position in my own little pity party or I can choose to just walk in a different direction and deal with the notion that path I wanted to follow is closed.  Maybe this new one will be better.  And perhaps I should walk myself over the grocery store...

Toronto Discovery Walks

Not long after we moved to Toronto, I began to notice these strange brown signs all over the place.  Two brown circles.  One with arrows, the other with footprints.  All mysteriously labelled with “Discovery Walks”.  No one that I asked seemed to know what they were for.  After a while they just blended into the surroundings and I stopped noticing them.

This spring my dog was old enough to begin taking extended walks and he seriously needed them.  He was so hyper that the only way it seemed we could get any real peace was to walk him.  I’m not talking about a jaunt around the block; it requires an undertaking of several hours.  I’m certainly not going to complain.  I wanted to start walking again and it seemed like I had found the right match to get myself back on track.  The only problem is that I have a very poor attention span and get bored easily.  I found that doing the same route day after day got old fast.  I turned to Google maps and looked for green areas, but found that to be hit or miss.  Some places might be suitable for walking, others might just be wooded areas without any sort of trail or path at all.  The City of Toronto website listing of parks was equally frustrating, as it didn’t always point out which ones were suitable for extended walks.  Some of the park listings had very little information at all.  I found all sorts of information on hiking outside of the City, but it had certainly looked like the City itself might have had a lot to offer.  Fishing around on the City’s website, I finally discovered Discovery Walks. 

In my honest opinion, this is one of the best things that the City has put together.  Walking around is one of the best ways to learn about the area you live in whether you have lived there your whole life or you are new.  There are 11 Discovery Walks in total.  Each walk focuses on a different area of the City, walking you through historical highlights and natural wonder, all within the City confines.  One walk may take you through calm, wooded ravines, the next through the vibrant downtown core.  Some stroll through popular venues, like High Park, others through quiet neighbourhoods.  You may pass the final home of a favourite author, catch some interesting artwork, sooth your soul under old trees, stop to smell the roses in a lush garden, find the historic grounds of a native village or learn of some of the more monumental or tragic happenings that have helped to shape the City into what it is today.  These walks are a lot of fun to do with children.  Sometimes the historical plaques are hidden and it can be a real game for kids to find them.  My eldest is obsessed with maps and spent the summer being the navigator.  Most children have a genuine curiosity about the world around them and will find it very cool to check out the city’s secret places and history.  My kids called them “adventures”.  Some of my favourite walks are now Discovery Walks. 

The walks range from one to three hours.  Each route is marked along the way with Discovery Walk signs.  One circle signals that you are on a Discovery Walk route.  The second circle will indicate which direction you may take to follow the walk.  If there are two arrows, this means that you have some options as to where you can go.  As well, you will find from time to time, full posted maps of the Discovery Walk.  Don’t count on being able to use those however as many of the City’s taggers have thoughtfully covered them with spray paint.  There are maps/brochures that are available from civic centres or you can download them from the City website.  I highly recommend the brochures as sometimes there is a fair amount of distance between signs or they can be a little hard to find.  I will caution though, based on experience that sometimes the maps and the signs do not seem to jive.  Several of the walks actually link together, so you could, if you are very ambitious, make a day of it.  The brochures will highlight some points of interest.  The maps within them direct you to those noted points of interest and will also point out where you can park, catch the TTC, find washrooms, and locate historical plaques and Discovery Walk information.  These maps will also indicate some basic terrain highlights, such as steep hills, unpaved surfaces, stairs or intersections that may require a little more caution when crossing.  They also often indicate the best point to start, although you can begin a Discovery Walk at any point in the route.  The brochures also provide the distance of each route and a rough estimate of the amount of time the route will take and the amount of calories you will burn while hiking. 

This past summer, I managed to accomplish visiting half of them, although I have still not completed a couple of them.  Two have become regular walks.  From time to time, I’ll post my thoughts and try to flush out some of the history and high points of each walk.  There are actually a number of other places that I can think of which deserve Discovery Walks, although I’m not optimistic that our new mayor will be making the creation of new ones a high priority.  I hope that I’ll be able to inspire you to discover more about your City through walking. 

Discovery Walks

Happy Trails!

Dogwalking in Kingsview Village

This morning was beautiful and sunny and my boy and I couldn’t wait to get moving.  We stopped and picked up his friend.  I had decided to do the half hour walk to his house instead of driving as it would burn a little of my guy’s wild energy.  It was my first attempt at walking them together and, excepting an incident where the two of them decided they should try for cat for breakfast, all went well for me (and the cat too; no animals were harmed in the making of this blog).  It was nice to get the boys together again and they had a grand time.  All my worries about it being too hard to handle them both at the same time went out the window, minimal pulling and silliness, just lots of walking, exploring, and sniffing all the new smells. 

Today we explored a portion of the Kingsview Village neighbourhood in Etobicoke, focusing on the area north of “Little Mogadishu” (Kipling & Dixon).  Past the bustle of this very busy neighbourhood lies a very quiet community of tidy homes, mostly constructed in the 1950’s and 1960’s, although there is evidence of recent homebuilding activity.  The lawns are huge, something rarely seen in the 416.  The atmosphere is strong with quiet pride of home and the hard working attitude of its residents.  There are few routes of access from the main roads, so traffic is minimal and local.  This does make walking the area somewhat constricting.  I chose to walk without a paper map or map app on my phone and stumbled across many dead ends.  Some streets meet the retaining wall of the 401.  Others are fenced off, ending at wooded areas, backyards or high rise complexes.  Several schools and a Seventh Day Adventist Church are tucked away on different stretches of streets.  Sidewalks frequently come to an abrupt end in the middle of a block forcing the user to cross the street to continue.  Typical of the time and attitude that this neighbourhood was built, sidewalks usually only line one side of the street.  This was not a neighbourhood made for walking but rather built for the burgeoning cult of the car.  There were lots of people out for strolls however, mostly retirees.  This is obviously a close knit neighbourhood, one of those ones where everybody knows your name.  Judging from the prolonged stares, it was obvious that I wasn’t from around these parts or else they just weren’t used to dog walkers.  But it was friendly; many who I passed gave a friendly “hello”. 

In the lower portion of this neighbourhood is a small park.  Basically just an alleyway between Kingsview Boulevard and St. Andrews Boulevard, it consists of one brief paved path with a playground and splash pad on one side and tennis courts and something that looked like it may be a petanque court.  

The hour passed quickly and we made our farewells to our little pal and made the stroll back home, tired for the day. 

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly one hour (based on short legs, picture taking and doggy care)
• Difficulty:  EASY.  Relatively flat terrain.  You will need to cross some streets.  However traffic is low here.  Sidewalks are paved and in relatively good condition.  
• Parking:  Street parking all the way. 
• Washrooms:  No
• Local Coffee Haunts:  There is a Coffee Time at Kipling and Dixon.  
• Safety Factor:  Medium.  I would walk this in the daytime.  Fair number of people about.
• Special Gear?:  No.  A sturdy pair of sneakers is sufficient.
• Suitable for Dogwalking?:  Yes.  Dogs must be on leash.  Be mindful of possible unleashed dogs.    

My Secret Affair ... In Pine Point Park

On Monday I started an affair.  The awkward greet of an acquaintance in his home.  Fumbling with strange clothes and collars.  He sensed my inexperience and showed me what to do.  The nervous tension as we built trust in each other.  The elation and joy of a new experience and of the connection, understanding and respect we began to develop for each other.

No, my husband has nothing to worry about.  It’s my dog that needs to hire the P.I.  

I have a friend whose hours at work have changed and now she’ll be away from her house for most of the day.  Her dog won’t make a whole day without being let out at least once during the day.  We’ve made arrangements for me to stop by once a day for a brief walk.   

I did feel kind of guilty not bringing my dog along.  These two are actually walk buddies.  They know each other well and get along famously.  But my dog is still in the puppy phase, and while he’s generally well behaved and follows commands well, when there is another dog around its nutzoid time.  He loses all focus and sees, hears, smells and thinks of nothing else except that other dog.  He pulls, he does violent ballet leaps in the air, he sprints helter skelter to the very end of his leash, he jumps on his friend and on my friend.  Usually it takes a good long walk by ourselves or a run in the dog park to burn a little energy before we can consider a shared walk, and even then it can be a bit nightmarish for the first few minutes of happy greeting.  Once he’s settled it’s not so bad.  I know that I have to keep working on the socialization skills with my dog and also know that his friend will pass on some good leash manners, but the thought of handling the two of them together makes me nervous.  At any rate, I figured it would probably be best for me to at least walk this other dog a few times alone so I could get a good feel of how he walks.  He was a dream dog to walk, so I think we’ll be okay together.   

(The new guy in my life.  November 22, 2010.)

I took him down to Pine Point Park in Etobicoke (Rexdale).  This is a regular haunt, primarily because it can either be done as a short walk on it’s own or as a long extended walk if you continue north into Summerlea Park.  It is a peaceful park that follows the Humber River.  I usually park at the Hadrian Drive entrance and on this particular occasion I decided to head south, which I haven’t done before.  Pine Point Park is located right at the entrance/exit ramps for the 401 on Islington Avenue, on the north side of the 401.  While you generally will be quickly free of the noise and bustle of the highway by heading North, travelling South takes you right into it, forcing you under a gritty, graffiti-tagged underpass.  The noise of the traffic above is amplified and somewhat distressing.  The drone of cars speeding along, trucks changing gears, loud banging and clangs.  It is dark and damp and smells, and covered in all sorts of unpolite, rude and crude graffiti.  This is not a place to get your inner peace on.  

 (Not the most inviting sight.  November 22, 2010)

Immediately after the overpass, you are forced to make a choice.  You can go right, but that path is just a dirt path that will just take you right out to Islington (often, while walking along Islington I had seen people exiting this path and had wondered where they were coming from).  Left takes you over a high bridge and across the river.  

The path continues on for a short while and then connects with Crawford-Jones Memorial Park.  This park is named after Jim Crawford, an area policeman, and Herb Jones, a local contractor who both heroically worked together to save many lives during Hurricane Hazel.  Mr. Crawford received a medal of merit for his actions.  He also witnessed the last execution at the Don Valley Jail, and in fact, the last executions conducted in Canada.  

Jim Crawford Obituary 

The park is not fitting of its namesakes.  While clean, it is small, with a solitary picnic table.  We see not one other soul in our time there.  What once had been an open field has now been planted with many trees in the recent spate of city-wide forestry efforts.  In a grove of older trees, someone feeling keen civic spirit has felt it obligatory to hang bags of doggy poo from branches; the blue and clear bagged fecal ornaments bob heavily in the wind.  The path dead ends at Cardell Avenue.

My new guy and I backtrack back to familiar territory, Pine Point Park.  This park is a multi-use community park.  A soccer field is on site; a pool, hockey arena and tennis court are nearby.  There is ample parking at the park and despite its popularity, it is never full.  It features a short heavily used, paved trail (Bicycle Route 15).  In the summertime, the entrance can be litter strewn, but in the spring and fall, it is relatively clean.  Following the trail north, you are flanked on the left by a steep wooded hill.  To the right, the Humber is bottle green and meanders past a small island, tracing broad, graceful curves. 

At this time of year, the trees are bare, leaves heavily carpet the ground below. A stately heron stands guard on the banks of the river.  As you walk, the city din lessens, and is only disturbed by planes on approach to the airport.  We cross the Humber by footbridge just south of Albion Road.  Here we could continue northward to Summerlea, or take the pedestrian connection towards Weston Road, but alas, our time is almost up and we turn around and head back to Hadrian drive. 

 

{A small path not noticed before to explore another day.)

Useful Information:

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly one hour (based on short legs, picture taking and doggy care)
• Difficulty: EASY.  Relatively flat terrain throughout.
• Parking:  For Pine Point Park, generous parking is available off Hadrian Drive.  For Crawford-Jones Park, parking is available off Dee Ave. [? – I didn’t personally check out the street, I’m getting this off of the City Trail map].  You can access Pine Point Park by TTC by taking Islington Route 37North and getting off at Allenby St. and walking east several blocks until it dead ends in the park. 
• Washrooms:  No.  I will note that there was a Port-a-Potty this past summer located by the parking for Pine Point Park, however I cannot vouch whether it was available for public use. 
• Local Coffee Haunts:  No.  But I suppose you could hit the McDonalds located a few blocks away inside the Walmart on Islington.  
• Safety Factor:  Crawford-Jones Park:  Very Low, at least the walk from Pine Point.  Walk at your own risk, have a buddy.  Pine-Point Park:  Medium-High.  Walk at lunch time when the teachers from a local school crowd this park for their break.  Buddies are best.  
• Special Gear?:  No.  A good pair sneakers is all you need.
• Suitable for Dog Walking?:  Yes.  Dogs must be on leash here.

Happy Trails!