Pedalling the Parks: Toronto’s Waterfront Heritage
Toronto’s identity cannot be separated from its waterways and harbourfront: Lake Ontario has shaped not only the city but all of us who call it home. Explore Toronto’s ongoing relationship with its shoreline, told through the many parks that now enrich it. Hop on a bike and enjoy a ride through two centuries of natural history.
Grab a bike and discover the startling ways Torontonians have shaped the lakefront, and how the lake has shaped us.
Enjoy these stories from a cozy spot in your home or through a leisurely bike ride along the Martin Goodman Trail.
Learn about the many individuals whose stories are tied to the waterfront. Ride into the major moments in our history that played out along the shoreline. Please be careful as you proceed along the trail, and be sure to take time to enjoy the many sights, sounds, and even smells that await you.
This tour was developed by emerging historian Steven Kellier, with the generous support of Andrew and Sharon Himel and Family, and TD Bank and The Ready Commitment.
General Sources
Gene Desfor and Jennefer Laidley, eds. Reshaping Toronto’s Waterfront. University of Toronto Press, 2011.
L. Anders Sandberg, Stephen Bocking, Colin Coates, and Ken Cruikshank, eds. Urban Explorations, Environmental Histories of the Toronto Region. L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, 2013.
Ted Wickson, Reflections of Toronto Harbour, 200 Years of Port Activity and Waterfront Development. Toronto Port Authority, 2002.
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