Bronte Creek Provincial Park

Starting out early on September 4, hours before another summer would be a distant memory, we were determined to bike as far today as possible. Since the weather was agreeable, and the western ride along the waterfront trail is a fairly easy one, I didn’t expect any difficulty with this.

Passing through familiar parks I’ve recorded and blogged before meant more time for traveling and less for stopping to take pictures. Some familiar sites were the Beaches (Ashbridge’s Bay, Tommy Thompson and Cherry Beach), through Old Toronto (Exhibition Place, Humber Bay Parks) to New Toronto (Colonel Samuel Smith and the stinky-in-summer “Marie Curtis Park”). The stink is caused by the Sewage Treatment Plant, which although is necessary, I am sure very much unwelcome by the neighbourhood.

About a half hour west is the Lakefront Promenade Park near Port Credit. I waded into the fresh water at the bay inlet up to my shorts and splashed the cool water on my arms before continuing west to the Rattray Marsh Conservation Area in Clarkson. I didn’t want to stop to take many pictures here, partly because the scenery was familiar and because I had a dislike for the name of the park (I have been known to have pet-peeves with words).

Southdown Road in Mississauga was coming up and I could feel the sweat pouring out from me from the high summer sun. I was getting hungry so we took our first exit north off the trail for some welcomed food. We agreed to go to the Moon Sushi AYCE in Mississauga. I’m not someone who can eat a lot of food at once, but I agree to compromise. Click here if you want to see the review

With a nice cool off and full stomach, I was concerned about the time lost in the day, as the darkness was over shadowing the sky, it would be just another few hours before we would have to stop. Heading south on Southdown Road west along Lakeshore Blvd to Oakville is a really pretty waterfront trail ride. Finally it was time to consider a final stop in Bronte where we went north to the Provincial Park.

Bronte Creek is a Provincial “landlocked park” which means there’s no access to any public streets to get to it. It has a lot of parking, a lot of field space, and that means wide open areas for picnics, family dos and barbeques.

There are a few cute trails like one of which are probably endearing to children like the fairies trail. We saw the Children’s Petting Farm, but no children. Unfortunately at this point late in the day most everything was closing up. My favorite part here was the looking at the horses that were outside and allowed me to pet them. Not a horse-lover myself, I still found them quite beautiful. My fear of them came from being thrown off of one when I was young as the owner wasn’t taking into account that the horse had been straddled over the winter in the stalls, and he allowed people to sit on her in the dawn of spring. This is apparently why I was thrown. I think even then that they were making excuses and that it was very possible the animal sensed my fear.

So that’s about it. It was a challenge getting here, but looking forward to the Go Train ride back from Bronte Go.

 

 

 

 

 

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Victoria Day - came back in May 2021 -  - for a picnic with my hubby

Free Admission today!

 

 

Asbridge Estate - A Historical Home

One of the oldest homes in Toronto is right out front and personal on Queen Street in the east end near Coxwell (between Leslieville and the Beaches).   It's called the Ashbridge Estate and dates back to the late 1700s when the Ashbridge Family (United Empire Loyalists) came here from Pennsylvania and were given a large plot of land.  Can you imagine that?

So out they set clearing and farming and constructing several buildings including the main house, which still stands today.  The Ashbridge's (hence the namesake of Ashbridge Bay of course) were one of the first families to live here in our great city of Toronto and as the city grew, they eventually sold off most of their land by the 1920's leaving only the current 2-acre property which is now listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places, thanks to the two remaining family members who donated their estate to the Ontario Heritage Trust.


But back to the beginning for a second.  When they arrived in Toronto as Quakers, the Ashbridge's were United Empire Loyalists (which simply means that they remained loyal to the British crown after the american Revolution) Fearing politicial persution, they fled to Canada and were officially granted 600 acres of land.  This land stretched from from Lake Onatrio to what is now known as Danforth Avenue.  If you know east Toronto, that is a huge spot of land!

I read that a log cabin was built on the trail close to the shoreline of Lake Ontario on a bay formed the mouth of the Don River, and boy I can imagine how beautiful that must have been.   They survived like most did back then on fishing and waterfowl from the bay and pigs that they raised.  They also were able to grow wheat and sold it to market, and ice in the winter.

If you take the time to learn about the places you visit or pass for that matter, you'll be amazed at what you'll learn.  There's a bit of history in everything you see.  It's important to take the time to appreciate that.  I think that's why I take pictures.  To remember that piece of history I left behind.

Toronto Waterfront Trail (Boardwalk Access)

The Waterfront Trail in Toronto covers some of the most gorgeous natural settings you will ever see.  Because of the amalgamation of the cities, Toronto runs from Etobicoke from the west to Scarborough Bluffs in the east.  

That being said, the waterfront trail is accessed from Kew Beach in the East, not Scarborough at all.  In fact the waterfront trail ends and can be picked up to the east in 22 km which is quite a trek of overhauling over rough terrain with your bike to get to where it begins again.  I always prefer going west for this reason only. 

I've comfortably been able to ride my bike from Toronto to as far west to Bronte and beyond going west using the Waterfront trail this past summer.  

The entire trail runs along Lake Ontario and covers an expanse of about 350 kilometers.  On the western shores of Lake Ontario it runs from Stoney Creek to Quinte West.  There are dozens of access points in Toronto and Mississauga to get onto this trail.  

The mere historical value of anything that you'll pass along the trail such as Commissioner Street for example, which runs from Cherry Street to Leslie) is one of the oldest streets in Toronto.  I love it because it's quiet and it makes me feel so good inside like a child again when Toronto was way less busy as it is now.


Now there are several movie studios that earn quite a pretty penny working out of Commissioner street.  Of course one of the now most popular spots at the foot of Leslie Street is the Tommy Thompson Trail (or the Leslie Spit)  

Biking has taken on a new meaning in Toronto since we hosted the Panam games in 2015.  Although in the aftermath of spending over $2Billion dollars constructing  venues and infrastructures such as the Union-Pearson Express rail train, we were left with the most amazing bike trail ever!  It's a marked path, that runs beautiful along the harbourfront right down towards the exhibition stadium and continues right through to the west.  

I might add a few more pictures here later, but for now you get the idea.

Happy trails! 

Allan Gardens

Allan Gardens is another beautiful reminder of the Victorian Era.  Founded in 1858, it is one of the oldest parks in Toronto and features a children’s conservatory, a playground and the main greenhouse (conservatory) which houses rare tropical plants from all over the world.

In total there are 5 greenhouses covering 16,000 square feet.  They include two tropical houses containing a waterwheel, orchids, bromeliads and datura.  Incredibly humid inside, the windows drip with moisture, but as you pass through the exit doors you enter into the “Cool House” featuring a waterfall, a little pond with goldfish and citrus trees. 

The “Palm House” is my favorite, housing plants I’ve never seen up close such as tall banana trees, bamboo and Screw pine.  Finally the Cactus house has some lovely arrangements of cacti and succulents, such as aloe.   

Allan Gardens is open every day of the year and is free.  It’s also an ideal location for field trips in Photography class as there are so many great photo opportunities to hone your skills and perhaps learn some new ones. 

Located at 19 Horticultural Avenue in Toronto (corner of Jarvis and Carlton Avenues).  It's amazing you can live in a city all your life, and I'm still seeing things for the first time.