| My summery biking adventures through Toronto | | | | ravines that criss-cross the city, have remained |
| continue. This morning I packed my backpack and | | | | largely untouched by development and provide a |
| as usual I entered the Taylor Creek Park system. | | | | natural oasis in this densely populated metropolis. |
| Heading down into the lush green river valley that | | | | These ravines were formed when rivers and |
| is fully closed in by trees and bushes on both | | | | creeks cut deep gouges into the glacial deposits |
| sides is always such a great feeling, as if the big | | | | that were left over after the last ice age about |
| city was miles away. A few kilometers west my | | | | 12,000 years ago. Due to the danger of flooding |
| trail joined up with the Don Valley biking trail and I | | | | these ravines are largely uninhabitable and have |
| started to ride south. But instead of heading all | | | | remained virtually completely in their natural state. |
| the way down to Toronto's lakefront, I saw an | | | | Today, Toronto's ravine lands are protected by |
| old road branching off to the right north of | | | | municipal bylaws. Cedarvale Park is located in one |
| Pottery Road and I thought I would just ride in | | | | of those ravines and riding westwards I looked up |
| there and see what I could discover. I had never | | | | to admire the structure of the Bathurst Street |
| before left the main trail and was curious to | | | | Bridge. I arrived at the western end of Cedarvale |
| explore this new area. Actually, I thought I would | | | | Park where a cricket match was in full swing. |
| arrive at the Don Valley Brickworks, the leftovers | | | | Back on city streets I cycled south into a St. Clair |
| of an industrial brick making complex dating back | | | | West neighbourhood called Hillcrest Village which |
| to the late 1880s that was closed down some | | | | was just celebrating Latin culture with its big |
| time ago. The bricks from this quarry were used | | | | annual festival: Salsa on St. Clair. First launched in |
| on many famous Toronto landmarks, including | | | | 2005 Salsa on St. Clair has become a popular |
| Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall and Queens Park (the | | | | street festival that features all sorts of Latin |
| Ontario Legislature building). The green space | | | | music performances, street vendors, Latin |
| surrounding the empty buildings has been turned | | | | American delicacies and special events. Salsa |
| into a public park by the city. But as I continued | | | | lessons, jumping castles, children's soccer |
| the road turned into a narrow pathway that | | | | competitions and all sorts of free samples and |
| crossed a field and the path started taking me in | | | | giveaways enchanted the crowds. From here I |
| a northwesterly direction, away from the | | | | cycled south on Christie Street and then headed |
| Brickworks. Now I was really wondering where | | | | over to Ossington and south to Queen Street. In |
| this path was going to lead. After crossing some | | | | a small neighbourhood park I ran across a large |
| more meadows the path took me into a forested | | | | group of teenagers dressed up as medieval |
| area where the narrow trail continued, sometimes | | | | knights who were practicing their jousting skills. |
| over roots and stones, sometimes beside some | | | | Sometimes Toronto is truly like a box of |
| railway tracks. Now you might think that it could | | | | chocolates: you never know what you're gonna |
| be quite dangerous for a woman by herself riding | | | | get...Once on Queen Street I cycled past recently |
| these trails, but I actually felt quite safe. The only | | | | renovated landmarks like the Drake Hotel and the |
| people I encountered were a father and daughter | | | | Gladstone Hotel into the Parkdale neighbourhood, |
| team who were enjoying their own little mountain | | | | one of the most colourful areas in Toronto. The |
| bike adventure. I kept riding through the forest, | | | | neighbourhood underwent a serious decline and |
| up and down and at some point I saw a road just | | | | today features a large aIn the late 1800 Parkdale |
| above the embankment that I was cycling beside, | | | | was an upscale residential suburb of Toronto that |
| but my suspense grew as to where I would | | | | featured great Victorian mansions and superb |
| actually end up. Finally I saw an opening in a fence | | | | views of Lake Ontario. Today the neighbourhood |
| at the edge of the forest and I realized I had | | | | is being revitalized due to its beautiful architecture, |
| popped up at the southeastern end of the | | | | established trees and favourable location close to |
| Loblaws Supermarket in Leaside. This was quite a | | | | downtown and Lake Ontario. Signs of |
| bit further north than I had anticipated. So back | | | | gentrification are noticeable everywhere. The |
| on city streets I decided to ride through the | | | | Victorian mansions on Cowan Avenue impressed |
| residential area of Leaside, one of the most | | | | me and as I got closer to the Lake I can only |
| popular residential areas in Toronto. Settled as | | | | imagine what a beautiful residential district this |
| early as the beginning of the 19th century by the | | | | must have been in its heyday. I crossed the |
| Lea family, the Town of Leaside came into being | | | | railway tracks and the Gardener Expressway |
| in 1913. Today many houses from the early 20th | | | | near Jameson Avenue and arrived at the |
| century remain and are being renovated or | | | | multi-purpose trail in Marilyn Bell Park on Toronto's |
| expanded. Leaside has become particularly popular | | | | lakefront. Close to a century ago this was one of |
| with real estate investors who buy some of the | | | | the most popular areas in Toronto and featured a |
| small single story bungalows and convert them | | | | large amusement park from 1922 onwards. The |
| into two or three story mansions. Bayview | | | | area was drastically changed in the 1950s with the |
| Avenue marks the western boundary of Leaside | | | | construction of the Gardiner Expressway which |
| and is a popular entertainment area with lots of | | | | essentially reduced the parkland in half and led to |
| retail stores, cafes and restaurants. I cycled south | | | | the destruction of the amusement park. Today, |
| on Bayview to the Intersection of Moore Avenue | | | | the only original buildings remaining from this era |
| where there is a local landmark: a concrete | | | | are the Palais Royale (a recently restored ballroom |
| moose that is located in front of a company | | | | and banquet facility), and the Sunnyside Bathing |
| called IntegraCare, a private nursing company. | | | | Pavilion which houses a popular waterfront |
| From April to October of 2000, the City of | | | | café. Despite these changes, Toronto's |
| Toronto was graced by 172 moose sculptures | | | | western waterfront in Humber Bay is hugely |
| that were located all over the city and painted | | | | popular with people. Walkers, picnickers, inline |
| and decorated by local artists. The event was | | | | skaters and bikers make extensive use of the |
| called "Moose in the City" and similar in idea to | | | | Waterfront Trail. Three beach volleyball nets |
| other animal sculpture campaigns in places such as | | | | grace the narrow strip of sand in front of the |
| Chicago, Mexico City etc. After the completion of | | | | café and a boardwalk made from recycled |
| the campaign the moose were auctioned off for | | | | plastic invites for a walk on the waterfront. I |
| charitable purposes and more than 75 local | | | | grabbed myself a slice of pizza and relaxed a bit |
| charities benefit from this unique fundraising idea. | | | | on bench, watching the comings and goings in a |
| Events like "Toronto's Running of the Moose!" and | | | | beautiful sunny spot by the water. I then started |
| "Moose Jam on City Streets" enlivened the | | | | heading eastwards along the Waterfront Trail past |
| campaign and entertained the public. I figured | | | | Ontario Place, a multi-purpose entertainment and |
| Integracare must have purchased one of these | | | | seasonal amusement park. Opened in 1971 Ontario |
| moose sculptures and after doing some research | | | | Place consists of three artificial islands that feature |
| on the Internet I found out that the moose's | | | | walking trails, food and drink concessions, an IMAX |
| name is "Florence Moosengale, RM (Registered | | | | theatre located in a geodesic dome-shaped |
| Moose)", her name obviously inspired by Florence | | | | structure, an amusement park for children and an |
| Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Three | | | | outdoor concert facility, the Molson Amphitheatre. |
| Integracare employees regularly create new | | | | Immediately adjacent to Ontario Place is |
| costumes for the moose which has been dressed | | | | Coronation Park, a park centered around a royal |
| up as Santa Clause, a witch for Halloween, a pink | | | | oak tree that was planted in tribute to King |
| Easter Bunny, a prison inmate, a lady bug, and in | | | | George VI. Right in front of the park is a marina |
| many other outfits. Currently Florence is dressed | | | | that houses hundreds of sailboats. Cycling further |
| up as a rider in the Tour de France, complete | | | | east I passed by the recently renovated Tip Top |
| with a yellow jersey and an oversized bicycle. | | | | Tailor Building, a historic property built in 1929 in |
| Well, this moose always makes me chuckle and I | | | | true Art Deco style. From here I snaked onto |
| truly applaud the efforts of the three ladies at | | | | Queen's Quay and made a stop at the Toronto |
| Integracare in brightening up the intersection of | | | | Music Garden, a waterfront garden that was |
| Bayview and Moore Avenue. From here I rode | | | | inspired by Bach's First Suite for Unaccompanied |
| into the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto's | | | | Cello and designed by internationally renowned |
| largest cemetery which stretches from Bayview | | | | cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir |
| Avenue in the east to Yonge Street in the west. | | | | Messervy. The Toronto Music Garden features |
| Originally conceived in 1873, the cemetery opening | | | | spiral-shaped walkways surrounded by lush shrubs |
| in late 1876 and became the final resting place for | | | | and flowers and is highlighted by an outdoor |
| more than 160,000 Toronto citizens. The | | | | amphitheatre that offers free concerts to the |
| cemetery holds many local celebrities, including | | | | public. My ride continued to Harbourfront, a popular |
| Frederick Banting - the co-discoverer of insulin, | | | | entertainment area at Toronto's waterfront. |
| Timothy Eaton - a Canadian department store | | | | Harbourfront Centre, a former warehouse, today |
| magnate, Hart Massey - a 19th century tycoon in | | | | holds a high-end shopping centre, commercial |
| the farm equipment business, Robert Simpson - | | | | office spaces and condominiums. The bottom level |
| another Canadian department store magnate, | | | | also features restaurants and outdoor patios that |
| pianist Glenn Gould and W. Garfield Weston, a | | | | look out on the docking facilities for the many |
| business magnate and member of one of | | | | tourist boats that depart from here for harbour |
| Canada's most wealthy families. By accident I | | | | tours. Free concerts are held every weekend at |
| came across the grave of William Lyon Mackenzie | | | | Harbourfront on the Concert Stage while the |
| King, one of Canada's longest-serving and most | | | | World Café and the International |
| influential prime ministers. Although inline-skating is | | | | Marketplace feature foods and merchandise from |
| prohibited it is possible to ride a bicycle in the | | | | around the world. Additional cultural offerings are |
| cemetery and many people also use this beautiful | | | | provided by the Power Plant Gallery, the Premiere |
| environment to go walking or jogging. The | | | | Dance Theatre, the Enwave Theatre and the |
| gravestones in the western, older section of the | | | | York Quay Centre. A Cuban music group was |
| cemetery are particularly beautiful, and its large | | | | enchanting the crowd at the Concert Stage. |
| tree collection makes it one of North America's | | | | Finally, after an action-packed day full of |
| finest arboretums. I then crossed Yonge Street | | | | explorations and almost 60 km of riding I got on |
| and rode west along Heath Street in order to | | | | my iron horse one last time to make the 45 |
| avoid the busy traffic along St. Clair Avenue. The | | | | minute trek home along Toronto's lakefront. |
| surrounding Forest Hill neighbourhood is one of | | | | Summer in Toronto is amazing; I had cycled from |
| Toronto's most affluent areas. Today many huge | | | | secluded nature areas, through a Victorian-era |
| mansions grace the neighbourhood and two elite | | | | cemetery to a Latin festival, enjoyed the |
| private schools, Upper Canada College for boys, | | | | waterfront and caught two more free concerts in |
| and the Bishop Strachan School, a prestigious day | | | | or near Harbourfront. There is so much going on |
| and boarding school for girls, are also located here. | | | | in this city in the summer and the bicycle is the |
| Underneath the canopy of leafy trees I turned | | | | ideal way to explore it. |
| onto a street called Lower Village Gate and | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal |
| unexpectedly found myself in Toronto's Ravine | | | | for unconventional travel & cross-cultural |
| system. One of the most distinctive features of | | | | connections. |
| Toronto's topography is a multitude of deep | | | | |