Colonel Samuel Smith Park is the green jewel of south Etobicoke, offering visitors a chance to experience nature along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
The stretch of wooded land is just south of Lake Shore Boulevard West at Kipling Avenue. Its lakeside recreational trail is part of the Waterfront Trail system that runs through Toronto as far south at Detroit. The large main parking lot is free during July and August, making the park a perfect place for a day of bicycling. A long, covered, picnic area, which may be booked ahead of time, shields visitors from any unexpected rain. For sports enthusiasts, there’s an Australian regulation football field (as big as a cricket pitch and round in shape); for dog lovers, an off-leash, fenced park.
But it’s the wildlife that really attracts visitors.
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The park is listed as one of the best spots in Toronto for birdwatching, according to the City’s Biodiversity Series booklet. Citizens Concerned About the Future of Etobicoke Waterfront (CCFEW) regularly organize free guided walks that allow nature enthusiasts to view a large number of birds that nest around the park, including the celebrated red-necked grebes.
If bird watching is not your thing, there’s bound to be some activity at the Ken Cox Community Centre or Powerhouse Recreation Centre to peak your interest. If nothing else, a walk among the buildings of the old Mimico Lunatic Asylum (now mostly Humber College) proves interesting.
In the winter, be sure to lace up your skates and enjoy the city’s only skating trail. For more information, visit toronto.ca. To join a bird walk, visit ccfew.org
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