Ukrainian Canadian Memorial Park

North of Eglinton Avenue and East of Scarlett Road you will enter into a beautiful Toronto park that is dedicated to the Canadians of Ukrainian origin who served in the Military.

You'll know you are in the right place when you see a monument dedicated in honour of them at the entrance of the trail.  The epitaph is etched in Ukraine adorned with floral wreaths at the base.  

As you walk (or jog, or ride your bike) down the winding trail you'll get some brief relief in a shaded woodland which has its own little waterfall.  It's really more of a watershed, but we climbed down to take a shot anyways, never missing an opportunity to photo shoot a waterfall.

Surrounded by trees and street graffiti, this was a photo waiting to happen.  Climbed up to continue the trail through the park heading north.  Several winding trails cutting through fields of green, perfect for picnics and kite flying.  

Another waterfall drop, just a few metres ahead which is one of many along the Humber River.  Plenty of geese flock together rushing for the water as I zoom in to listen in on their daily chatter.

The Ukrainians have a rich culture in Toronto, as do many other heritages here.  There is a Ukrainian Cultural Centre located in Toronto on Christie Street which is the hosts of many of their events.  The "Christie" as is dubbed is a particular area in Toronto that is the heart of the Ukrainian community bringing together people with a common culture to share important ideas and keep their heritage alive.  
 
Carrying on further north along the Humber are some historical news up ahead on my next post.

Rowntree Mills Park

Rowntree Mills Park is a very lovely portion of the Humber River Valley between Kipling and Islington Avenues.  The river winds its way under foot bridges and parallel along tree-lined trails and ends up in Lake Ontario.

There are some very lovely large green spaces in this park areas as well which would be great for family picnics or large corporate gatherings or fundraising events.  In fact you would think you would see tons of activity here on weekends.  Not quite.  You see in 2009 a City councillor had closed off this park from cars due to criminal activity and rowdy parties.  This decision was a difficult one, but the idea to reverse this decision is not coming anytime soon either.

However, there are some positive sides to having no motor traffic in a park.  For instance, as you make your way deeper into the park you will find more exclusionary places for some peace of mind.

You can still get here on foot or bicycle and some have witnessed deer sightings here.   I spotted a raccoon hiding out in a little spot under some bushes.  He (or she) appeared wet which I thought was strange as he was no where near any water, so figured he may have been injured.  I happen to find raccoons adorable as opposed to being pests, and finding a baby one was neat.  I was told to not go near it though and he didn't seem to be all that interested in having any personal human contact either. 

Rowntree Mills Park, like Raymore Park was damaged by massive flooding caused by Hurricane Hazel in 1954.  Today, there are some very large remnants of that damage including large chunks of cement that remain here as a reminder.

Although the park is closed off to cars of the general public, vehicles are still allowed in by special permit. 

One final note, historically the Rowntree Mills Park was named in the honor of Joseph Rowntree who built a sawmill on the west bank in 1843 and a grist mill on the east bank of the Humber River in 1848.  These two mills were operated until the 19th century and were knowns as the Greenholme Mills.

Upper Mill Falls - Ancaster

The Upper Mills Falls  (also known as Ancaster Falls or Old Mill Falls) is situated beside the Ancaster Old Mill Restaurant and is about 7 metres high and 4 metres across.

It is considered a complex classic cascade, but I just consider it beautiful.  As in any waterfall picture, a tripod is necessary unless you can rest it steadily enough on a rock or ledge of some kind.  These two pictures are obviously taken a different times of day and from different vantage points.  

The waterfall is adjacent to the Ancaster Mill Restarurant which serves the classic fare that you can expect from an upper middle class menu.  A very popular location for wedding receptions because of its picturesque views from within the restaurant.   

Although the water treatment of the falls are man made outside the restaurant, the actual water source is taken from the Ancaster Creek and is an all-year-round flow (more or less) although it does sometimes freeze up in the winter.

Just a little background about the Old Mill Restaurant (Ancaster Mill).   In 1832 Harris and Alonzo Egleston who had once worked for the William Wiard's foundry had made enough money to eventually buy him out. 

They then expanded their own business and rebuilt the Grist Mill in 1863, which is now known as the Ancaster Mill on Old Dundas Road.  This was the 4th mill in Ancaster and the third to be rebuilt at the current location.  The originals were all destroyed by fire, one in 1812, the second in 1818, and the third damaged by fire in 1954. 

Scarlett Mills Park - (Humber River)

 In Toronto's west end about half-way between the Queensway and Hwy 401, there are a string of parks and trails to explore heading northwest from Eglinton Avenue west to Steeles West.

The first one located on the west bank of the Humber River is Scarlett Mills Park.  It's only about .9 miles long but it's got lots of nice little secret paths off the main trails.   Under a neat little cove surrounded by trees are clean and clear openings to the river, you can sit back and relax and try your luck on a line or two in the water or just enjoy the peace from the busy city.


Was funny to see an old black couch which has been meticulously placed by the river bank.  It looked a little worn, and probably used by many a ponderer or fisherman.  

Historically, the Scarlett family were early settlers in the area north of Lambton Mills where numerous members of the Scarlett family made it their home.  Father John Scarlett owned a sawmill and a distillery.  

Most of the Scarletts' estate is used today as a Golf and Country Club (Lambton Gold and Country Club).  

Another historical fact is that after the notorious Hurricane Hazel in 1954, many sources had contributed their time and money to restore the land and lives destroyed by this event to form the Scarlett Mills Park.



 







Further Notes:
The park can be entered by vehicle from Edenbridge Drive.  It is also accessible by TTC.  A special note to cyclists you can travel through the park along the Tommy Thompson Trail. 

Summerlea Park Trail

After the devastation of Hurricane Hazel in the 1950's Summerlea Park was one of the numerous conservation areas that was preserved afterwards.  In the north end of the park, Summerlea connects to St. Lucie Park and to the south Pine Point Park.   

Located in the west end of Toronto (bordering beautiful Etobicoke) Summerlea is used often by local wedding photographers, with its lush forests and accommodates a large party with its expanse of parkland.  

As a trail it's moderately flat making it very suitable for jogging (I don't do), walking, blading (weak ankles) and cycling.  The trail connects to the Humber River Recreation Trail (Pine Point or otherwise known as 'The Elms'). 

 
Like the Old Mill Park, we found some peaceful urban spots here as well.  Be warned, the ducks and geese live in a large pond nearby driving me crazy with their noises!  
 
One curious sight I did see, was this sort of inverted basketball net stuck in the middle of the crowd.  It wasn't long before a frisbee just missed my ear and apologies soon followed from two burly men who were obviously involved in some kind of competitive game.  I asked them what sport this was to which they replied,"frisbee golf" or disc golf.