Cedarvale Park (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
Cedarvale Park is a park located in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is bordered by very steep hills, and is located in the Cedarvale
neighbourhood of Toronto. The Spadina subway line tunnels underneath it, between St. Clair West
and Eglinton West
stations. The north end of the park contains the Phil White (Cedarvale) Arena and Arlington Middle School (soon to be The Leo Baeck Day School
). It is commonly used for dog walkers and students returning from the nearby school and the large open fields are heavily used by the community for everything from cricket
games to flying kites.
South of the fields, the park angles southeast, and becomes more of a deep, naturalized ravine with steep sides, with a heavily-used footpath down the middle. Cedarvale ravine contains very sizable wetlands east of Bathurst Street in Forest Hill
; the remainder of the natural portion is young regrowth forest (the ravine was largely clearcut during the construction of the Spadina Subway in the 1970s). The path is heavily used and remains passable even in winter, with foot traffic packing snow down despite the lack of plowing, especially after drainage works in 2006 fixed water pooling and subsequent ice buildup.
The park benefits from its proximity to the Beltline trail in the north and the Nordheimer Ravine to the south; these join together to form a large trail system through midtown Toronto.
, Castle Frank Brook
, used to run through Cedarvale Park, but now it is buried
, except for a short section in the Cedarvale Ravine.
, an American
novelist, often frequented this park's path, which was then used as a cattle path, during his stay in Canada. There were plans in the 1920s and the 1930s to build mansions in the ravine, but the Great Depression
in the 1930s halted its construction. The Glen Cedar bridge that spans the ravine portion of the park was built during that time and restored in 1989, after being rescued from demolition. In the 1960s and 1970s, there were plans to build the Spadina Expressway
through Cedarvale Park but Jane Jacobs
successfully lobbied against the government to halt its construction project.
Since the 2000s, increasing ecological awareness has changed priorities within the park, with renaturalization projects already underway on slopes near the north end of the park; projects are planned for the area around the TTC
's Markdale emergency subway entrance from September to December 2007, although Toronto's budget crisis may affect this time frame. There is also the Glenayr emergency subway entrance located near the southeastern end of Cedarvale Park.
Cedarvale Ravine has a permanent off-leash area for dogs.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is bordered by very steep hills, and is located in the Cedarvale
Humewood-Cedarvale
Humewood-Cedarvale is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, historically part of the York borough. The neighbourhood is bordered by Bathurst Street to the east, Eglinton Avenue to the north, Winnett Avenue to the west and St. Clair Avenue to the south...
neighbourhood of Toronto. The Spadina subway line tunnels underneath it, between St. Clair West
St. Clair West (TTC)
St. Clair West is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is at 370 St. Clair Avenue West between Bathurst Street and Tweedsmuir Avenue. The sports field of St. Michael's College School is directly above the length of the station; a...
and Eglinton West
Eglinton West (TTC)
Eglinton West is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Allen Road/Everden Road at 1300 Eglinton Avenue West....
stations. The north end of the park contains the Phil White (Cedarvale) Arena and Arlington Middle School (soon to be The Leo Baeck Day School
Leo Baeck Day School
The Leo Baeck Day School is a Greater Toronto Area Reform Jewish day school composed of over eight hundred students from Nursery to Grade Eight. Named in honour of Rabbi Leo Baeck, it has two campuses, in Thornhill and Toronto.- School information :...
). It is commonly used for dog walkers and students returning from the nearby school and the large open fields are heavily used by the community for everything from cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
games to flying kites.
South of the fields, the park angles southeast, and becomes more of a deep, naturalized ravine with steep sides, with a heavily-used footpath down the middle. Cedarvale ravine contains very sizable wetlands east of Bathurst Street in Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Toronto
Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along with Lawrence Park, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, it is one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.-History:...
; the remainder of the natural portion is young regrowth forest (the ravine was largely clearcut during the construction of the Spadina Subway in the 1970s). The path is heavily used and remains passable even in winter, with foot traffic packing snow down despite the lack of plowing, especially after drainage works in 2006 fixed water pooling and subsequent ice buildup.
The park benefits from its proximity to the Beltline trail in the north and the Nordheimer Ravine to the south; these join together to form a large trail system through midtown Toronto.
History
A creekUrban stream
An urban stream is a formerly natural waterway that flows through a heavily populated area. Urban streams are often significantly polluted, due to urban runoff and combined sewer outflows....
, Castle Frank Brook
Castle Frank Brook
Castle Frank Brook is a buried creek and south-west flowing tributary of the Don River in central and north-western Toronto, Ontario, originating near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Dufferin Street....
, used to run through Cedarvale Park, but now it is buried
Subterranean river
A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth ....
, except for a short section in the Cedarvale Ravine.
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, often frequented this park's path, which was then used as a cattle path, during his stay in Canada. There were plans in the 1920s and the 1930s to build mansions in the ravine, but the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the 1930s halted its construction. The Glen Cedar bridge that spans the ravine portion of the park was built during that time and restored in 1989, after being rescued from demolition. In the 1960s and 1970s, there were plans to build the Spadina Expressway
Spadina Expressway
The Spadina Expressway was a proposed north-south freeway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was only partially built before being cancelled in 1971 due to public opposition. It was proposed in the mid-1960s as part of a network of freeways for Metropolitan Toronto. Its cancellation prompted the...
through Cedarvale Park but Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs, was an American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities , a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States...
successfully lobbied against the government to halt its construction project.
Since the 2000s, increasing ecological awareness has changed priorities within the park, with renaturalization projects already underway on slopes near the north end of the park; projects are planned for the area around the TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
's Markdale emergency subway entrance from September to December 2007, although Toronto's budget crisis may affect this time frame. There is also the Glenayr emergency subway entrance located near the southeastern end of Cedarvale Park.
Cedarvale Ravine has a permanent off-leash area for dogs.