Showing posts with label #bettysutherland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #bettysutherland. Show all posts

Jun 8, 2014

Betty Sutherland Trail





The Betty Sutherland Trail is not a very long trail, but it's interesting enough.  It starts from the south at Duncan Mill Road and travels northwest to Sheppard (and Leslie) in Toronto.

You will see a few trails in Toronto named after women influential in politics and community.  Another that comes to mind is the Kay Gardner Belt-line Trail.


Betty Sutherland was an elected representative who served 13 years in North York on the Council (before the amalgamation of the City of Toronto) until she went into retirement from her career in politics in 1985.


Betty loved nature, and had given almost ten years on the council of the Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority.  She had contributed much to the development of parklands, including the maintenance in the keeping with the natural environment of the City's parks and trails.  This included planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers as well as staying true to the existing landscape to improve on the existing wildlife habitat to endure the species of plants and animals that lived there.


Her contribution led to the naming of this trail as the Betty Sutherland Trial in 1988.

The trail is a fast and easy one (good for a lunch break if you work or live in the area).  Much of the landscape remains untouched other than some overhead bridge repairs.  Near the start of the trail, there are also some ruins of old pump houses that remain giving the landscape a bit of an interesting historical feature to it.  Other than the graffiti on the walls, the house still remains pretty much intact.




Off the trail at the end of one of the footpaths, near the river there's a cute little nook of chairs equipped with firepit overlooking a beautiful location for relaxing.

It always amazes me that in the heart of such a busy city there are so many of these little 'nooks' to be enjoyed.

Happy Trails!