Markham's Rouge Valley Trail -Wilbur Latimer Way

 We went on a nice walk with family this afternoon in Markham.  Met up initially to do some pottery painting, but it was far too busy in the 'Crock Pottery Barn' so we all strolled along the Main Street in Markham which is always bustling with locals and tourists especially when the weather gets warmer.  


One of my favourite shops is the old Firehall which has been turned into a confectionery shop with every kind of sweetness your heart desires.   There are plenty of outdoor cafes, patio bars, ice cream shops and crafts boutiques. 

My son and his fiance have a young Pomeranian puppy which came along for the walk too!  They call  it 'practice' for when the real baby comes, but I know there's a lot more to it than that! But I don't want to scare them off on the idea :)

Just a little piece of history about the Town of Markham:  It was founded in 1791 when John Graves Simcoe was appointed the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada.

Simcoe spent much of his term making improvements to the military security of the new territory by clearing Yonge street, and creating a system of free land grants, both of which greatly influenced the establishment and growth of what became the Township of Markham. He also responsible for giving the Township its name, after his friend, William Markham, the Archbishop of York at the time.

The architecture in Markham is seen today as some buildings still stand that were built as early at the late 1700's in the Georgian style tradition with simple details and an unadorned look of symmetry and practicality.  

The Georgian Tradition was tweaked in the mid 1800's into nuances of other forms of architecture like Regency, Ontario Cottage and Classic Revival which added French doors walking out onto tent-like verandas and bell-cast roofs with trellised and garnished posts - while keeping the symmetry as in the arrangement of the Georgian style.

I just want to add a little more about historical architecture...  Of course the reaction to this restrained and rational Georgian style became tweaked once again by the late 1800's during the "romantic era"  as seen in the style of Gothic, Roman, French Victorian and Italian with elaborate designs of steep roofs, bay windows, dormers, turrets, multi-paned and stained glass windows, fancy verandas with turned wooden posts, patterned shingles and decorative brackets and spandrels (spandrels are the decorated triangular pieces on either side of an arch)

However, most of the bubble popped by the 1900's to mid-century from the elaborate and garish design right back to its humble beginnings with simple box-like 2 storey structures.  Although there were no exterior ornaments, inside had chunky railings and decorative glass windows.  It was practicality at its best.  If you take heritage walks in Markham you can see examples of all of these style of homes and buildings.  That will be something I will want to do this summer.

The Markham today is one of the most diverse and financially successful towns in Canada and still growing.  It has beautiful parks as it's geographically located in parts of the Rouge Valley system. 


One such parkland is the Wilbur Latimer Way trail, which is part of Markham's Rouge Valley system.  As you can see by the photographs I took, it has so many features that any good trail would have.  Water fountains, water falls (small ones), bridges, vast green open spaces for picnics, and lots of trees and of course a lake bed with plenty of waterfowl.  

Oh and who was Wilbur Latimer?  This one was much harder to locate.  I still really don't know who Wilbur Latimer was, but I can tell you that his family owned several properties in Markham dating back over a century ago.  He was born in 1898 and passed away in 1993 and was laid to rest with his wife in the Bethesda Lutheran Cemetery in Markham. 

Markham's in full seasonal swing now if you come over and bring a basket or two.  Fill up on fresh cut flowers, locally grown produce or stock up on some goodies.  You can see on any street in Markham the old with the new world feel.  Quaint and rich in heritage, it's really a fun place to live and visit.

David J. Culham Trail - Mississauga

What a fantastic weekend, and so long in coming!  It seemed like winter would never end!! I almost didn't put away our winter clothes into storage because I was so sure that the ice would come, snow fall again, and the icebox would remain open.  But, alas with spring well behind us and summer simmering into the shadows I really think we can do just that.  Stow away our long coats, rainy boots, snowy boots and woolen mittens.

Without further ado, my summertime blog is underway with more treks and trails to explore.  Super-stoked and looking forward to it this year.

We headed for the David Culham Trail on Saturday with the plan that we would do a couple of kilometres after our lunch.  It turned out to be over 12 kilometres and it really didn't feel much like it at all.  We actually picked up the David Culham Trail after scouting through a few parts a little north east of it first (Credit River and River Run).  It's a very secluded neighbourhood with no throughway traffic permitted and I think they like that way and I don't blame them, so finding the entry point where we did was sheer luck and nothing else as it's not publicized.

The David Culham trail breaks up into two sections.  Dundas Street to Mississauga Road (which is Streetsville) and Church Street to the U of T Campus in Mississauga (Erindale park).

The Trail runs along the Credit River for most of the way but does share both urban and nature settings.  This is part of how the land is used and mostly due to urban development as the city grows so there's no way around having to share the peace of the forest with the noise of the city,  especially if you think you can ever get any peace when you're just minutes away.  If you are looking for that type of seclusion, you'll have to drive quite a lot further away from this trail I'm afraid.

Like other namesakes, I'm interested in the historical aspect of how trails are named or better yet who the person was behind the namesake.  This was an easy one and thanks to Google, it never takes long before we can find answers to any questions we have.

Don't you think that that has become a bit of a curse and a blessing?  I remember we as kids had to go to the local library to look up famous people, or explore historical facts like this.  Going to the library required effort, and gave us a purpose of some kind.  We met people, asked for help, shared ideas, listened and learned from others.  Now it's at your fingertips.  I'm not saying anything no one else has ever thought about, I'm sure.  My sons both have a keen interest in knowledge finding answers to everything.  That I respect in them.


Back to my story here about namesakes.  Who was David Culham?  He was a one time sitting Councillor in Ward 6 of the City of Mississauga from 1973 to 2000 making him one of the longest serving Councillors in Mississauga.  Before that he was a city planner after earning a BA degree from Laurier and a Masters in Geography and Planning from Western University.   In his career he was a teacher and a school principal.  What I was interested in was that David Culham had developed several initiatives while he was in politics, one of which was the "blue box recycling program" and here's where the naming of the trail comes in... He developed a policy of dedication of valley land by developers in Mississauga to allow for the creation of a trail system and the preservation of the Credit River Valley.   So there you have it. 


That's what I call a career, and a great vision to future generations.

East Don Parkland Trail

 Although the first of June called for rain later in the afternoon, we never saw a hint of it.  It was moderately warm with sapphire blue skies threaded with white lace.  Preparing to get rained on I wanted us to set out early Saturday morning so I could get a good dose of vitamin D and catch a few shots with my dusty camera.

Speaking about vitamin D, did you know that it’s pretty common for Canadians to develop a deficiency due to our inclement weather and long winters covering our skin up when we go outside.  

A deficiency can cause bone pain, tiredness and even depression.  So a good vitamin D supplement in the cooler months just to get yourself back on track if you develop these symptoms is a good idea (1000mm).

We started our trail at the corner of Don Mills Road and McNichol Avenue and walked northwest through Duncan Creek park until we reached Leslie street.  It was only 1.5 km walk and certainly not enough to feel like it was worth the trip so we crossed Leslie and did the East Don Parkland trail as well before going for lunch.

The East Don Parkland Trail is about a 6 Km hike, through moderately trafficked walk starting from Leslie and Steeles to Leslie and Sheppard.  It is mostly a paved, shared pathway with cyclists, joggers and trail blazers.  It is located in the valley so it will always be parkland as there’s nothing else that can really be done to it since condominiums won’t be built in a valley. 

It’s just wonderful that the City has the vision of keeping this land as it is and there are so many parks and trails in Toronto that feel at times that you’ve traveled a distance outside of the city to get the same natural settings as you experience here.

Niagara Parks Commission Trail (Niagara Falls)

The next time you're in the Niagara Falls area sightseeing or trying your luck at the casino, take a long walk along the Niagara Parks Commission Trail Route along River Road.  There's a tourist attraction as part of the Rapids in the Niagara River where you can take a chute down and walk along the about a half mile of a wooden boardwalk, where you'll see the grand rapids up close.

It's exciting to watch and to listen to.  The roar of the powerful cyclonic water smashing against rocks can be terrifying, but that's about all you get down there and for the money, I don't really think it's worth it even if it's a one-time deal.   Along River Road you'll be able to see some good views as well as stretch your legs after a long drive. 

Here are just a few:









By the way on the way back towards the hyper action of the casino and other Niagara sites, you can check out the Olympic Torch Run Legacy Trail which runs perpendicular to Palmer avenue from Niagara Parkway northeast to Niagara Falls City Hall (it's not very long)  only 1and a half kilometres, but it's worth noting.


By the way:

If you are a die-hard tourist though and really need to say you've done it, then you'll walk along to 4330 River Road.  The Attraction is called, "White Water Walk"