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Christopher Greaves

Roycroft Park

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I set off to walk from Bay and College streets to St Clair, using a park trail I had spotted yesterday on Google Maps. I came home by TTC, but the walk (stroll more like it!) was 60 minutes.

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I leave the concrete jungle at 11:40 to traverse part of the concrete jungle in search of leafy glades.

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My path lies up Bay street to Davenport; Here I approach that intersection, ready to head West.

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I cross Avenue Road. Here is the view to the north.

I rather think that those tall buildings, top centre of the photo, are on St Clair Avenue – my destination is on St Clair but further west.

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Here I am at the corner of Davenport and Dupont, I think.

Casa Loma peers above the Esso gas station.

Not far to go now.

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I cross under the rail line and take the road to the right “Poplar Plains Road”.

I am now in the Republic of Rathnelly!

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Past the pumping station.

I wonder how many of these are scattered throughout Toronto.

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A local school has a Bee And Butterfly Garden.

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How twee to be a Bee!

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Two minutes later I have climbed to the Poplar Plains entrance to the little Ravine Park.

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I cross a short park to reach Boulton Drive.

Some kind of eagle is sitting, wings spread.

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At first I thought it was a turtle, but as I drew within thirty feet of it, it twisted its feathered head and kept a close eye on me.

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Here I am at Roycroft Park.

The trail heads west behind the sign.

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There you go; plug 150 Boulton Drive into your GPS and head on over.

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The path is similar to many trails that run along creeks of Toronto.

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The first of two explanatory signs.

This little brook has been starved of water by the street drainage system.

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Each side of the path is brown and green. Life slaves away here while I’m at home reading a book.

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On my right hand side – north of the path – runs a small muddy drainage ditch. I suppose that immediately after a rain storm this becomes a creek.

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Suddenly I spot the high-rise buildings of St Clair Avenue. Can a coffee shop be far away?

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Another wetland sign.

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Small trails lead off the main track.

Given that this one is well-worn, my guess is that it leads up to a public street rather than to a private gateway.

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Here is the Spadina Avenue bridge approaching St Clair Avenue.

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Whenever I come to a fork in the road, I take the left-hand fork to delay my rise to St Clair Avenue.

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Go Left Young Man!

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There is so much shade that I remove my hat.

How pleasant.

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To each side the young trees struggle to win the harvest of photons.

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On the south side is another creek, pretty well dry today.

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Go Left Young Man!

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A couple and I studied this. Is it an entrance to the subway system?

Nope. The doors are locked.

Makes you wonder about the advantage of emerging during an emergency into a ravine park with no wheelchair or motorized vehicular access.

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The familiar Red and Orange sign for Loblaw’s supermarket is evident.

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Then I come to the dreaded steps.

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I will haul myself to the top, one step at a time.

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I surface on St Clair Avenue at Wells Hill, directly across from the Loblaw’s supermarket.

Up ahead are the traffic lights for Bathurst Street.

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I will scoot across the road and wait for an eastbound streetcar to take me into the subway station, then head home.

A pleasant 60-minute stroll


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Bonavista, Wednesday, June 03, 2020 10:33 AM

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