Wanless Park

This island of green space is located in one of the small neighbourhoods of Toronto, just north of Lawrence Avenue between Bayview Avenue and Yonge Street. The park is relatively small in size, with approximately 5 acres of green space.

Recreation
The park is a favourite amongst the neighbouring communities as features an extensive array of fun and recreational activities. Numerous tennis courts, a basketball court, a children’s playground, a wading pool with a lifeguard, a baseball diamond and grass fields. During the winter, a skating rink is installed in the spot of the pool. During the summer, the park is utilized for camps and Ultimate Frisbee tournaments.

Sustainable Initiative
Every April (which is coming soon!) an annual “Clean up a Park Day” take place by the Wanless Park neighbourhood residents. They come out to clean up garbage and clear any non-compostable matter. The day usually falls on the weekend and all of the volunteers are provided with refreshments such as juice, tea and water. In addition, the residents donate and plant trees in the park in the memory of their loved ones. These trees typically have a plaque engraved with a name of their loved one in front of them.


Wanless Park is a great example of how community can encourage and promote sustainability in its city through care for its environment. The idea behind our blog is to inspire more of such green initiatives and instill love for the city's parks and green space.

Grange Park

Grange Park is a prominent public park in downtown Toronto, situated just south of the Art Gallery of Ontario, beside the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU). The Park lends its name to the Grange Park neighbourhood in the vicinity of the park. The park is actually owned by the AGO, but is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.

Recreational activities at the park include a wading pool turned natural ice rink in the winter, a children's playground, and numerous paths for walking or jogging. 


Park’s History
Park was originally a part of estate built by Boulton family in 1820. The Boulton family played an influential role in developing young city of Toronto. Park had paths that were utilized by carriages as means of getting to an estate. These parks remain today as a testament to the heritage. In 1910, Harriette Boulton Smith bequeathed The Grange house and estate to the newly founded Art Gallery of Toronto, for the purposes of building an art museum on the property.

The park currently is undergoing some debates in regards to its proximity to Butterfield Park. The two parks are separated by a fence and debates are under way whether or not to open up this fence and increase traffic as well as build a basketball court. As a result of the debated, the Grange Park Advisory Committee (GPAC) was established. The goal of GPAC is to create a great city and neighbourhood park, and capitalize on projects aimed at the restoration and revitalization of Grange Park, and to advise on an oversight structure for the on-going maintenance. Another focus of the committee is to examine ecological health of the park. Below are are some responsibilities and roles as directly stated by GPAC.

Responsibilities

• Advise on a restoration and revitalization plan for Grange Park that will be green, strikingly beautiful, resilient, sustainable, accessible, interactive as well as providing a place for contemplation while welcoming all neighbours, residents and visitors to our community by utilizing design excellence, state of the art conservation techniques and outstanding works of art.

• Advise on an ongoing structure after the initial project to ensure that Grange Park is sustained at a consistently high level: well-tended, healthy lawns, shrubs and trees, gardens; well maintained park furniture and works of art; active program of recreational and community activities; and a safe environment especially for children, seniors and people with disabilities; pay tribute to the unique ethno-racial heritage in the community; utilize water features in park amenities.

Roles

• As the Institutional advocate for the Grange Park Project, the AGO will be financially and legally accountable for the project.
• Facilitate the work of the Grange Park Project Committee
• Administer GPP funds including fundraising and the establishment of an endowment fund for ongoing maintenance.

Vision for Grange Park: “To undertake a restoration and revitalization plan that will make Grange Park green, strikingly beautiful, resilient, sustainable and accessible. To create a park that is interactive as well as a place for contemplation.To create a park that welcomes all neighbours, residents and visitors to our community by utilizing design excellence, state of the art conservation techniques and outstanding works of art.”

To learn more about the park and how to get involved in its greening initiative go to http://grangeparktoronto.ca/

Eglinton Park

Eglinton Park is situated in Toronto’s Uptown, on Eglinton Avenue between Dupex and Avenue Roads. The park can be reached by a short 10 minute walk from Eglinton subway station – skip the bus ride, use your feet! 

Recreational activities: two baseball diamonds, a soccer field, splash pool and outdoor tennis courts turned to skating rinks in the summer. Fun Fact: the park was originally a Pears Brickyard established in 1885 as a brick manufacturer. The park was then purchased by the City of Toronto in the early 90’s. It’s rectangular shape and valley location are a typical characteristic of Toronto’s parks that used to be brick manufactures.

The Naturalization Project

The project involves a restoration of park’s west slope to its native habitat. The project is a collaboration between North Toronto Green Community, Greenest City, the Evergreen Foundation, and the City of Toronto's Parks and Recreation. It involves replanting trees and shrubs to provide shade, a natural landscape and a habitat for birds and small animals, and create a healthy urban environment.

The Heritage Community Garden

"Human health and environmental health are intimately linked". Engaging in organic gardening and taking care of a lawns are fundamental steps in making the world a better place for both humans and environment. The gardening activity relives stress on the earth, hence the Heritage Community Garden initiative has been started. Seeds of Diversity Canada and the Garden Committee of the North Toronto Green Community brought this project to life in partnership with Toronto Parks and Recreation with help and encouragement from FoodShare, Martin Wade Landscape Architects and countless volunteers. The garden has come to mean many things to many people: a "hands-on" gardening experience for urban dwellers, an educational experience, and a lovely spot to rest and relax in the park with a riot of colour and a host of plant species to please and interest viewers. Those  who got involved learned more about organic gardening, heritage seeds and composting to provide chemical-free nutrients for the soil.

To find out more information or how to get involved in these projects go to http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/egltnparkkpjts.htm#nature