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126-464: High Park is a municipal park in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. High Park is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One-third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology. High Park was opened to the public in 1876 and is based on a bequest of land from John George Howard to

252-451: A 10-minute walk , provides multiple benefits. A park is an area of open space provided for recreational use, usually owned and maintained by a local government. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics and sporting activities. Trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade , with an increasing emphasis on reducing an urban heat island effect. Some early parks include

378-639: A 120-acre (49 ha) portion of the Howard's property formed the original park, along with 176 acres (71 ha) bought from Percival Ridout east of the Howard farm. The remaining southern 40 acres (16 ha) of Howard's property, including Colborne Lodge, passed to the city after John Howard's death in 1890. The Howards are buried in High Park, under a stone monument that is fronted by a portion of ornate fencing from St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England, across

504-768: A French spelling of the Mohawk Katarokwi . The lake was a border between the Huron people and the Iroquois Confederacy in the pre-Columbian era . In the 17th century, the Iroquois drove out the Huron from southern Ontario and settled the northern shores of Lake Ontario . When the Iroquois withdrew and the Anishnabeg / Ojibwa / Mississaugas moved in from the north to southern Ontario, they retained

630-622: A characteristic of this habitat. Many of the trees are over 150 years old. The savannah is under the special care of the City and volunteer conservationists. Forested areas of High Park are maintained to mimic natural conditions, with downed trees left to decay. Regular controlled burns are done to mimic forest fires and their beneficial effects for oaks. Non-native plants outside the ornamental gardens are weeded out by volunteers. There is, however, no shortage of non-native trees including Colorado spruce , Scots pine and Northern catalpa . Grenadier Pond

756-654: A huge stump. Other, smaller skeletons were found nearby. The human remains were dated to between 2,500 BC to 800 AD, indicating some sort of indigenous peoples' presence at High Park. The remains were coated in hematite red powdery substance in the custom of the Red Paint People who lived in New England and Atlantic Canada . The site is also similar to the Red Ocher people indigenous people who made burials in sandy ridges. 18 acres (7.3 ha) of High Park

882-991: A maximum depth of 133 fathoms 4 feet (802 ft; 244 m). The lake's primary source is the Niagara River, draining Lake Erie, with the Saint Lawrence River serving as the outlet. The drainage basin covers 24,720 square miles (64,030 km ). As with all the Great Lakes, water levels change both within the year (owing to seasonal changes in water input) and among years (owing to longer-term trends in precipitation). These water level fluctuations are an integral part of lake ecology and produce and maintain extensive wetlands. The lake also has an important freshwater fishery, although it has been negatively affected by factors including overfishing , water pollution and invasive species . Baymouth bars built by prevailing winds and currents have created

1008-460: A peacock escaped and was at large in the surrounding neighbourhood for several weeks before returning on its own to the zoo. A pair of capybaras kept at the zoo escaped in May 2016. After initial efforts to capture them were unsuccessful, sightings of capybaras were reported all over the city. On June 6, the capybaras were still at large, and a Twitter account was created in their honour. On June 12, one

1134-469: A permanent source of funding. The sponsor matched public donations for the next three years. The City restored operational funding in 2014. The Friends fund-raises for improvements to the zoo. The park includes several points of interest, including Colborne Lodge historical museum, the hillside gardens, the zoo, the Grenadier Cafe and the amphitheatre. The park also has sports fields, a hockey rink,

1260-474: A pool, tennis courts, playgrounds, nature trails and picnic areas. From spring to fall, a "trackless train"—a tractor that tows several wagons decorated to look like a red and white train—is operated, making a tour of the park every 30 minutes. The train stops near Bloor Street, the north-western playground, west of the Grenadier Cafe, at Grenadier Pond, south of Colborne Lodge and at the Bell playground. Tickets for

1386-468: A popular pastime. Largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, brown bullhead and carp sport fish are present in the pond. Fish caught in the pond are safe to eat, and fishing derbies and casting contests have been held there. Initiatives have been made to improve the pond's health and environment. Grenadier Pond receives some of its water from Wendigo Creek (a small creek that began near Dundas Street West and Law Street and ran down to

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1512-482: A sandbar to Lake Ontario ) to Wendigo Pond and underground streams feeding it from the north. The northern end of the Pond was naturalized , building a wetland to filter the waters the Pond receives from the stream. The southern and south-western shore of the pond was also naturalized, removing the manicured lawn and concrete bank to improve the Pond's health and discourage Canada geese . Signs now ask people not to feed

1638-465: A significant number of lagoons and sheltered harbors, mostly near (but not limited to) Prince Edward County, Ontario , and the easternmost shores. Perhaps the best-known example is Toronto Bay , chosen as the site of the Upper Canada capital for its strategic harbor. Other prominent examples include Hamilton Harbour , Irondequoit Bay , Presqu'ile Bay , and Sodus Bay . The bars themselves are

1764-507: A view into the way the plants are grown and distributed across the city. The greenhouses are not normally open to the public, but are occasionally opened to tours. Further north, around the High Park Forest School, are several examples of outdoor sculpture in the former sculpture garden. The sculptures were commissioned and placed around the area for a 1967 international symposium. Several of the sculptures are placed within

1890-406: Is a landscaped ornamental garden area known as "Hillside Gardens". There is a rock garden extending from the top of the hill near Grenadier Cafe, extending south-west nearly to the pond shore. Along Colborne Lodge Road is a hanging garden and ornamental garden with fountains, the 'sunken gardens.' At the bottom of the hill, nearly at the shoreline is a large maple leaf-shaped flower bed, visible from

2016-571: Is a large body of water 14.2 hectares (35 acres) in size, located on the western edge of the park. It is named after the local Town of York garrison of the 1800s and their use of the pond for fishing. There are two local myths circulating about the pond. One is that British Grenadiers fell through its thin ice when crossing to defend the city in the War of 1812 . However the Grenadier Guards were not stationed at Fort York at this time, but rather

2142-456: Is a large plain encompassing most of the northern boundary, slowly narrowing to a point overlooking the lake, which is the location of Colborne Lodge . While most of the plain is developed for picnicking, gardens and sports fields, it has a stretch of open habitat called oak savannah , of which there are few other examples in Ontario. The towering black oak trees found throughout High Park are

2268-410: Is a playground in the northwest quadrant with a wading pool, picnic areas and snack bar. In a hollow in the south-east corner of the park, an 'adventure playground' for children was assembled by volunteers in 1999. It consists of wooden play structures with a "castle" theme, plus some swings. The playground is named after Jamie Bell, a volunteer who initially pioneered the idea. In March 2012, a portion of

2394-463: Is accompanied by the invasion of cattails , which displace many of the native plant species and reduce plant diversity. Eutrophication may accelerate this process by providing nitrogen and phosphorus for the more rapid growth of competitively dominant plants. Similar effects are occurring on the north shore, in wetlands such as Presqu'ile, which have interdunal wetlands called pannes , with high plant diversity and many unusual plant species. Most of

2520-542: Is for T-Ball play and the larger field behind the little league diamond is for older players. Next to the little league diamond is the High Park swimming pool. In the winter, an ice hockey ice rink is operated to the north of High Park Pool. The rink was refurbished in 2009 after donations by the Toronto Maple Leafs and retailer The Home Depot . There are several tennis courts in two separate locations. There are concrete courts along Colborne Lodge Road, to

2646-489: Is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario , and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York . The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. The Canadian cities of Hamilton , Kingston , Mississauga , and Toronto are located on the lake's northern shorelines, while the Canadian city of St. Catharines and

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2772-509: Is open during the summertime, with a water slide, a splash pad and a shallow wading area. As of 2008, there is no admittance fee for its use. The pool is supervised by lifeguards. Skating on Grenadier Pond was banned by the Toronto Parks Department starting in 2001, but it remained a favourite skating location for Torontonians in the west end of the city for skating and shinny. In the past, the "old" City of Toronto flooded

2898-471: Is open year-round from 7:00 a.m. to dusk. On weekends from March to October, the llama pen is open for visitors to feed and pet the llamas. Chickens and rabbits are also kept for children to interact with at the same time as the llama visits. The zoo animals are cared for by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division staff and Friends of High Park Zoo volunteers. The zoo's budget is partly paid for by volunteer donations to donation boxes located along

3024-465: Is situated on the highest point of the Humber Bay shoreline. In 1854, the railway first came to the south of the Howard estate. Howard sold a strip of land approximately 2 acres (0.81 ha) along the southern edge of the property to Hamilton and Toronto Railway Company (Great Western Railway) for £300 (equivalent to £35,567 in 2023). The sand bar separating Grenadier Pond from Lake Ontario

3150-526: Is the Z-shaped Bay of Quinte which separates Prince Edward County from the Ontario mainland, save for a 2-mile (3.2 km) isthmus near Trenton; this feature also supports many wetlands and aquatic plants, as well as associated fisheries. Major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Niagara River, Don River , Humber River , Rouge River , Trent River , Cataraqui River , Genesee River , Oswego River , Black River , Little Salmon River , and

3276-606: Is the last "dry" area of the City of Toronto, and the Cafe restaurant and banquet hall is not licensed to serve alcohol. The restaurant is owned by the City of Toronto, and privately operated under contract by the Grenadier Group. An outdoor organic produce market operates during the summer weekends. Twice a year, plant sales are held at the Cafe of plants native to the park to raise money for conservation activities. The plants are native to High Park and Ontario and cultivation of

3402-484: The 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot which are not linked to the Grenadier name. It is worth noting that most British infantry regiments grouped the largest and strongest men together during this period to form units of 'Grenadiers', who would form on the right flank of their parent regiment. Other myths include that the pond is 'bottomless', that is, its depth cannot be measured due to the amount of mud. Fishing remains

3528-652: The American Revolution with the influx of Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and US Navy had fought in several engagements for control of Lake Ontario . The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, were largely demilitarized after the Rush–Bagot Treaty was ratified in 1818. The lake became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of

3654-475: The Canadian Museum of History ), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne , identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac" named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau. He was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. In the 17th century, reports of an alleged creature named Gaasyendietha , similar to

3780-511: The City of Toronto . It spans 161 hectares (400 acres) and is one of the largest parks in Toronto. High Park is located to the west of downtown Toronto , north of Humber Bay , and is maintained by the City of Toronto Parks Department. It stretches south from Bloor Street West to The Queensway , just north of Lake Ontario . It is bounded on the west by Ellis Park Road and Grenadier Pond and on

3906-512: The La Alameda de Hércules , in Seville , a promenaded public mall, urban garden and park built in 1574, within the historic center of Seville. The Városliget ( City Park ) in the City of Pest , what is today Budapest, Hungary , was a city property when afforestation started in the middle of the 18th century, from the 1790s with the clear aim to create a public park. Between 1799 and 1805 it

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4032-488: The Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of the lake. Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 sq mi, 19,000 km ), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cu mi, 1,640 km ). It is the 13th largest lake in the world . When its islands are included, the lake's shoreline is 712 miles (1,146 km) long. As

4158-717: The Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Government of New York jointly administer the sanctuary. Lake Ontario is the site of several major commercial ports including the Port of Toronto and the Port of Hamilton . Hamilton Harbour is the location of major steel production facilities. The government of Ontario , which holds

4284-716: The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit-growing and wine-making area. The wine-growing region extends over the international border into Niagara and Orleans counties in New York. Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg . The Great Lakes watershed is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Ontario is important for its diversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Many of these special species are associated with shorelines, particularly sand dunes, lagoons, and wetlands. The importance of wetlands to

4410-520: The Salmon River . The lake basin was carved out of soft, weak Silurian -age rocks by the Wisconsin ice sheet during the last ice age . The action of the ice occurred along the pre-glacial Ontarian River valley which had approximately the same orientation as today's basin. Material that was pushed southward by the ice sheet left landforms such as drumlins , kames , and moraines , both on

4536-569: The Village of Yorkville Park in Toronto , which won an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Parks are sometimes made out of oddly shaped areas of land, much like the vacant lots that often become city neighborhood parks. Linked parks may form a greenbelt . There is a form of an urban park in the UK (officially called a "recreation ground", but commonly called a "rec" by

4662-445: The wendigo , mythical cannibalistic creatures of Algonquian mythology. Algonquins did not have a settlement in the park, but are believed to have used it for hunting and fishing and cultivating corn on the sandy uplands of the park. The ravine extending north along the creek at one time extended north of the park, past Bloor Street. The ravine was filled in to provide for an extension of Bloor Street, and for housing development north of

4788-495: The 1960s, the building was used by various organizations and was vacated in 2013. In 2015, High Park Nature Centre moved into the building. In 1921, graves were found northwest of Grenadier Pond on the sandy ridge, during the course of road construction near Harcroft and Olympus Avenue, then the Harcroft Bird Sanctuary of architect J. A. Harvey. Eight skeletons were found in the sitting position in red sand below

4914-668: The 1960s. Its reputation as a meeting place persisted for decades afterward. In 1985, a group of five young teenage boys from Toronto suburbs went to High Park and beat to death a 40-year-old male librarian. In 1993, the High Park Citizens' Advisory Committee was founded as a volunteer group to aid the City of Toronto in the stewardship of the park. The group was renamed the High Park Community Advisory Council in 2003. The group and its offshoots have developed various programs and initiatives for

5040-553: The 32-mile (52-km) crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Marilyn Bell Park in just under 27 hours. A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe occupies the lake's westernmost shores, anchored by the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Ports on the Canadian side include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston, near the St. Lawrence River outlet. Close to 9 million people, or over a quarter of Canada's population, live within

5166-750: The American city of Rochester are located on the south shore. In the Huron language, the name Ontarí'io means "great lake". Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie . The last in the Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River , comprising the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The Long Sault control dam , primarily along with

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5292-517: The Atlantic. The shoreline created during this stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (16 to 40 km) from the present shoreline. When the ice finally receded from the St. Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level , and for a short time, the lake became a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, in association with the Champlain Sea . Gradually

5418-554: The Chapman family, which used Grenadier Pond for ice-making under the brand name of the Grenadier Ice Company from the 1880s. After the development of artificial ice-making and modern refrigerators, ice-making from Grenadier Pond ceased around 1920 (operations moved to a Lake Simcoe location under Alfred H. Chapman , Toronto architect who inherited the family business after his father's death) The Grenadier Ice Company

5544-431: The City of Toronto's website. Grenadier Pond is the only open body of water on which skating is permitted by the City of Toronto. Tobogganing used to be a popular pastime in the park. It is only done now at the hill at Howard Park Avenue and Parkside Drive. Several toboggan runs existed in the past in the hillside gardens area, and the "bowl" at the bottom of an old toboggan run still exists just east of Grenadier Pond, to

5670-581: The City of Toronto. There were several conditions to the conveyance, including that the Howards continue to live at their residence, no alcohol ever be served in the park, and that the city hold the park "for the free use, benefit and enjoyment of the Citizens of Toronto for ever and to be called and designated at all times thereafter High Park". The City also had to pay a CA$ 300 down payment and an annual CA$ 1,200 (equivalent to $ 37,528 in 2023) pension to

5796-543: The High Park Zoo and seek alternative funding. The zoo cost over CA$ 100,000 annually to operate and was operated by the city's Park and Recreations Department. An organization, "Friends of the High Park Zoo", was formed to fund-raise and seek other sponsors for the zoo. In April 2012, the organization was successful in finding a sponsor (the Honey Family Foundation) while the organization developed

5922-514: The Howards as long as either of them lived. The city council voted 13 to 2 to accept the Howard's conditions. The two dissenters felt the park was too far away from the city to be of any use to its citizens. At the time, direct access to the Howard property was only by boat, the railway line to the south or a toll road. Soon afterward the "Road to High Park" was built from the Lake Road to the park lands, today's Spring Road and Centre Road. In 1876,

6048-463: The Iroquois name. Artifacts believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area of Sodus Bay , indicating the possibility of trading by the indigenous peoples with Norse explorers on the east coast of North America. It is believed the first European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. As was their practice, the French explorers introduced other names for the lake. In 1632 and 1656,

6174-608: The Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa , Ontario. Several lighthouses exists throughout the lake to help with navigation. Notable historic examples include: A land-based trail that roughly follows the lake's shoreline also exists, the Great Lakes Circle Tour and Seaway Trail . The designated scenic road systems connects all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. As the Seaway Trail is posted on

6300-518: The Sakura project. These were planted around the Maple Leaf garden on the eastern shore of the pond. In 2006, a further 16 were planted in the park. In March 2019, Sakura in High Park indicated that following a brutal winter season, some trees showed signs of damage, however, many showed healthy, growing buds. The amount of visitors has necessitated the closure of the park to automobile traffic during

6426-444: The U.S. side only, Lake Ontario is the only of the five Great Lakes to have no posted bi-national circle tour. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles (1,300 sq nmi; 4,460 km ) in U.S. waters in southeastern Lake Ontario. Designated on September 6, 2024, the national marine sanctuary protects historic shipwrecks and an area of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to

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6552-602: The UK, with around 2.6 billion visits to parks each year. Many parks are of cultural and historical interest, with 300 registered by Historic England as of national importance. Most public parks have been provided and run by local authorities over the past hundred and seventy years, but these authorities have no statutory duty to fund or maintain these public parks. In 2016 the Heritage Lottery Fund 's State of UK Public Parks reported that "92 per cent of park managers report their maintenance budgets have reduced in

6678-522: The United States and the world, though cow grazing did not end until the 1830s. Around the country, the predecessors to urban parks in the United States were generally rural cemeteries . The cemeteries were intended as civic institutions designed for public use. Before the widespread development of public parks, the rural cemetery provided a place for the general public to enjoy outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for

6804-786: The United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Mission Bay Park in San Diego. In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U.S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings, with the intention of Americanizing the immigrant residents. In the 1950s, when money became available after World War II , new parks continued to focus on both outdoor and indoor recreation with services, such as sports leagues using their ball fields and gymnasia. These smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space

6930-591: The United States, population centres here are among the oldest in the Great Lakes basin, with Kingston, Ontario , formerly the capital of Canada , dating to the establishment of Fort Frontenac in 1673. After the French and Indian War , all forts around the lake were under British control. The United States took possession of the forts along the American side of the lake at the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during

7056-628: The area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Also impacted by lake-effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau , an area of elevated land about 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Ontario. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States . As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snow-mobilers and cross-country skiers. Lake-effect snow often extends inland as far as Syracuse , with that city often recording

7182-439: The area for use in construction, particularly in the growing city of Toronto. As of 2012 , nearly 50 people have successfully swum across the lake. The first person who accomplished the feat was a Canadian long distance swimmer Marilyn Bell , who did it in 1954 at age 16. Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park is named in her honour. The park opened in 1984 and is east of the spot where Bell completed her swim. In 1974, Diana Nyad became

7308-534: The bike facility to be built south of the railway, on land that was infilled in the 1920s as part of the Sunnyside park development. A mound north of Grenadier Restaurant, known as "Bear Mound", is believed by the Society to also be an ancient burial mound, although an assessment done for the City concluded otherwise. In 2012, Toronto City Council, in a round of cuts to city services, voted to discontinue supporting

7434-405: The blooming period. A 300-seat restaurant and outdoor patio area is located in the centre of the park at the intersection of West Road and Colborne Lodge Road. The restaurant opened in May 1958 as a dining room and coffee shop, known as The Grenadier . The outdoor patio area was added later. Due to the condition in the Howards' conveyance forbidding the consumption of alcohol in the park, High Park

7560-413: The border and heavy travel by lake steamers. Steamer activity peaked in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a type of scow known as a stone hooker was in operation on the northwest shore, particularly around Port Credit and Bronte . Stonehooking was the practice of raking flat fragments of Dundas shale from the shallow lake floor of

7686-496: The confines of a serpentine carriageway, put in place the essential elements of his much-imitated design for Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead . The latter commenced in 1843 with the help of public finance and deployed the ideas which Paxton had pioneered at Princes Park on a more expansive scale. Frederick Law Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park in 1850 and praised its qualities. Indeed, Paxton is widely credited as having been one of

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7812-453: The designed landscape as a setting for the suburban domicile (an idea pioneered by John Nash at Regent's Park in London) and re-fashioned it for the provincial town in a most original way. Nash's remodelling of St James's Park from 1827 and the sequence of processional routes he created to link The Mall with Regent's Park completely transformed the appearance of London's West End . With

7938-402: The east by Parkside Drive. The landscape in the park is hilly, with two deep ravines extending the full north–south distance of the park. Significant natural parts of the park are classified as a provincial Area of Natural and Scientific Interest . The eastern ravine is a north–south ravine occupying the eastern half of the park along a small creek and several ponds. A forested area begins at

8064-549: The eastern and northeastern shores, between the Prince Edward County headland and the lake's outlet at Kingston, underlain by the basement rock found throughout the region. However, there exist several islands in the northwestern portion of the lake. Notable islands include: The Great Lakes Waterway connects the lake sidestream to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and upstream to

8190-499: The establishment of Princes Park in 1842, Joseph Paxton did something similar for the benefit of a provincial town, albeit one of international stature by virtue of its flourishing mercantile sector. Liverpool had a burgeoning presence in global maritime trade before 1800, and during the Victorian era its wealth rivalled that of London itself. The form and layout of Paxton's ornamental grounds, structured about an informal lake within

8316-429: The fall. It includes craft activities, pumpkin-decorating, gardening displays, traditional games, and rides on horse-drawn wagons. North-east of the Grenadier Cafe are High Park's 109 allotment gardens. To the east, south of Centre Road, are the High Park greenhouses. Since 1956, the High Park greenhouses have produced millions of annuals and perennials for Toronto's park system. The nine interconnected greenhouses provide

8442-413: The first person who swam across the lake against the current (from north to south). On August 28, 2007, 14-year-old Natalie Lambert from Kingston, Ontario, made the swim, leaving Sackets Harbor, New York, and reaching Kingston's Confederation basin less than 24 hours after she entered the lake. On August 19, 2012, 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across the lake. She completed

8568-498: The forested area. Since the symposium, several sculptures were relocated to other Toronto locations. One was relocated to Corktown Common and another to Iceboat Terrace, west of Spadina Avenue. There are several plantings of Japanese cherry trees in the park, attracting thousands of visitors every year from late April to early May. The main planting is a grove of trees along a roadway originating near Grenadier Cafe, leading down to Grenadier Pond. The other plantings are along West Road,

8694-727: The forests around the lake are deciduous forests dominated by trees including maple, oak, beech, ash and basswood. These are classified as part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone by Environment Canada, or as the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands by the United States Environmental Protection Agency , or as the Great Lakes Ecoregion by The Nature Conservancy. Deforestation in the vicinity of

8820-779: The form of walking, running, horse riding, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing; or sedentary activity such as observing nature, bird watching, painting, photography, or picnicking. Limiting park or open space use to passive recreation over all or a portion of the park's area eliminates or reduces the burden of managing active recreation facilities and developed infrastructure. Many ski resorts combine active recreation facilities (ski lifts, gondolas, terrain parks, downhill runs, and lodges) with passive recreation facilities (cross-country ski trails). Many smaller neighborhood parks are receiving increased attention and valuation as significant community assets and places of refuge in heavily populated urban areas. Neighborhood groups around

8946-570: The frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also slow the early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Such microclimatic effects have enabled tender fruit production in a continental climate, with the southwest shore supporting a major fruit-growing area. Apples , cherries , pears , plums , and peaches are grown in many commercial orchards around Rochester. Between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on

9072-401: The ice. The lake has completely frozen over on five recorded occasions: in 1830, 1874, 1893, 1912, and 1934. When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake-effect snow . Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt . In some winters,

9198-419: The importance of maintaining and restoring forest cover, particularly along streams and wetlands. By the 1960s and 1970s, the increased pollution caused frequent algal blooms to occur in the summer. These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Lake Ontario is the most downstream lake of the Great Lakes, so the pollution from all

9324-426: The lake area typically develops, depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. During the winters of 1877 and 1878, the ice sheet coverage was up to 95–100% of the lake. During the War of 1812 , the ice cover was stable enough the American naval commander stationed at Sackets Harbor feared a British attack from Kingston, over

9450-602: The lake has been appreciated, and many of the larger wetlands have protected status. These wetlands are changing, partly because the natural water level fluctuations have been reduced. Many wetland plants are dependent upon low water levels to reproduce. When water levels are stabilized, the area and diversity of the marsh is reduced. This is particularly true of meadow marsh (also known as wet meadow wetlands); for example, in Eel Bay near Alexandria Bay, regulation of lake levels has resulted in large losses of wet meadow. Often this

9576-399: The lake has had many negative impacts, including loss of forest birds, extinction of native salmon, and increased amounts of sediment flowing into the lake. In some areas, more than 90 percent of the forest cover has been removed and replaced by agriculture. Certain tree species, such as hemlock, have also been particularly depleted by past logging activity. Guidelines for restoration stress

9702-472: The lake was referred to as Lac de St. Louis or Lake St. Louis by Samuel de Champlain and cartographer Nicolas Sanson respectively. In 1660, Jesuit historian Francis Creuxius coined the name Lacus Ontarius . In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662–1663), the lake bears the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" with the name "Ondiara" in smaller type. A French map produced in 1712 (currently in

9828-786: The lakebed rights of the Canadian portion of the lake under the Beds of Navigable Waters Act, does not permit wind power to be generated offshore. In Trillium Power Wind Corporation v. Ontario (Natural Resources) , the Superior Court of Justice held Trillium Power—since 2004 an "Applicant of Record" who had invested $ 35,000 in fees and, when in 2011 the Crown made a policy decision against offshore windfarms, claimed an injury of $ 2.25 billion—disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The Great Lakes once supported an industrial-scale fishery, with record hauls in 1899; overfishing later blighted

9954-481: The land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice receded from the area last, the most rapid rebound still occurs there. This means the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays . Both north and south shores experience shoreline erosion, but

10080-525: The large amount of open space and natural habitat in the former pleasure grounds, they now serve as important wildlife refuges, and often provide the only opportunity for urban residents to hike or picnic in a semi-wild area. However, city managers or politicians can target these parks as sources of free land for other uses. Partly for this reason, some of these large parks have "friends of X park" advisory boards that help protect and maintain their semi-wild nature. There are around estimated 27,000 public parks in

10206-440: The last lake in the Great Lakes' hydrologic chain, Lake Ontario has the lowest mean surface elevation of the lakes at 243 feet (74 m) above sea level; 326 feet (99 m) lower than its neighbor upstream. Its maximum length is 193 statute miles (311 kilometres ; 168 nautical miles ), and its maximum width is 53 statute miles (85 km; 46 nmi). The lake's average depth is 47 fathoms 1 foot (283 ft; 86 m), with

10332-510: The members of the Toronto rock group Rush . During the summer months, the Canadian Stage Company puts on selected Shakespearean plays in the park's amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is on the hill side directly to the east of the Grenadier Cafe and seats a few hundred people. The annual event is called "Shakespeare in High Park" and is popular with Torontonians. There are two main children's playgrounds in High Park. There

10458-525: The modern land surface and the lake bottom, reorganizing the region's entire drainage system. As the ice sheet retreated toward the north, it still dammed the St. Lawrence Valley outlet, so the lake surface was at a higher level. This stage is known as Lake Iroquois . During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York , into the Mohawk River , thence to the Hudson River and

10584-507: The most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States. Other cities in the world receive more snow annually, such as Quebec City , which averages 135 inches (340 cm), and Sapporo , Japan, which receives 250 inches (640 cm) each year and is often regarded as the snowiest city in the world. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters. Lake breezes in spring tend to slow fruit bloom until

10710-642: The much larger Forest School space and also to expand programming. Recently, an Outdoor Urban Restoration Space (OURSpace) was developed with the assistance of a Weston Parks Challenge Grant. The Centre was established in 1999. High Park Zoo is a small collection of animals along Deer Pen Road, which rises from the eastern ravine up to the plateau near the Grenadier Restaurant. The zoo keeps American bison , Barbary sheep , capybaras , emus , Highland cattle , llamas , mouflon , peacocks , reindeer , wallabies and yaks in eleven paddocks. The zoo

10836-567: The need to provide substantial space to congregate, typically involves intensive management, maintenance, and high costs. Passive recreation, also called "low-intensity recreation" is that which emphasizes the open-space aspect of a park and allows for the preservation of natural habitat. It usually involves a low level of development, such as rustic picnic areas, benches, and trails. Passive recreation typically requires little management and can be provided at very low costs. Some open space managers provide nothing other than trails for physical activity in

10962-830: The north of the Pool, operated by the High Park Tennis Club. Along Parkside Drive, between Howard Park Avenue and Bloor Street, is a set of tennis courts and a club house, operated by the Howard Park Tennis Club. Municipal park Depending on size, budget, and land features, which varies considerably among individual parks, common features include playgrounds , gardens , hiking, running, fitness trails or paths, bridle paths , sports fields and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps, performance venues, or BBQ and picnic facilities. Park advocates claim that having parks near urban residents, including within

11088-472: The north-east corner of the park, at Bloor Street and Parkside Drive. The creek begins at spring-fed ponds, Howard Pond, and Ridout Pond and flows south through the ravine along Spring Creek Road. Halfway to the southern boundary of the park, the ravine is less forested with picnic areas, the adventure playground, and the zoo. Upper Duck Pond, just to the west of the adventure playground, often has several species of ducks, including wood ducks to be seen. The pond

11214-448: The north-west of Grenadier Cafe, for a run that started at West Road and ended at the bowl next to the pond. The run is no longer used and trees block the run. In the central area of the park, there are two soccer fields and three baseball diamonds available for organized play. One of the baseball diamonds is home to the High Park baseball organization, providing "Little League" organized baseball programs for children. The smallest diamond

11340-487: The other lakes flows into it. Lake Ontario was ranked as the most environmentally stressed amongst the five Great Lakes in a 2015 ecological study. Some of the stresses on the lake include excess application of fertilizers in agriculture running into the lake, spillover from obsolete municipal sewage systems , toxic chemicals from industries along the rivers that drain into the lake, and metropolitan drainage from big cities like Toronto, Rochester, and Hamilton. Randle Reef ,

11466-697: The other rivers in the chain via the Welland Canal and to Lake Erie. The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) via Lake Simcoe . The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System , with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain . The Rideau Canal , also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to

11592-404: The park was built was purchased by Richard Vaughan Yates, an iron merchant and philanthropist, in 1841 for £50,000. The creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and introduced a number of highly influential ideas. First and foremost was the provision of open space for the benefit of townspeople and local residents within an area that was being rapidly built up. Secondly it took the concept of

11718-495: The park, dogs must remain on-leash. There are unpaved dirt trails throughout High Park that are for hikers and walkers only. Cycling is prohibited (by law) on unpaved trails and roads in the park to prevent erosion and disturbance. Several of the former roadways within the park have been closed to automotive traffic, but are still accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. In the winter, the hiking paths are maintained for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. A municipal swimming complex

11844-565: The park, including the Volunteer Stewardship Program, which is involved in preserving and protecting the environment of the park. The group is active in promoting the natural plant species in the park, and volunteers regularly remove invasive non-native species. According to the Taiaiako'n Historical Preservation Society, there are 57 ancient indigenous peoples' burial mounds in the park. In May 2011, one such location

11970-487: The park. In 1836, John George Howard purchased a 160-acre (65 ha) property in the County of York, to the west of Toronto, for a sheep farm, at the cost of $ 1,000. It was here that Howard designed and built Colborne Lodge, a Regency-style cottage in 1837 to complement its natural surroundings as the residence for himself and his wife Jemima Frances Meikle. The name 'High Park' is attributed to Jemima, as Colborne Lodge

12096-420: The past three years and 95 per cent expect their funding will continue to reduce". Parks can be divided into active and passive recreation areas. Active recreation is that which has an urban character and requires intensive development. It often involves cooperative or team activity, including playgrounds , ball fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and skateparks . Active recreation such as team sports, due to

12222-776: The plants is encouraged to preserve the species. The Cafe is also used for community meetings. A labyrinth , based on the Chartres pattern , is located north of the cafe, marked onto a concrete circle formerly used for a picnic shelter. It was installed in 2004. The High Park Nature Centre, located in the Forest School building, offers year-round outdoor and indoor programming to learn about nature. It has programs for parents and babies, school-aged children as well as family walks and adult workshops and lectures. A number of programmes with volunteers undertake stewardship activities in High Park to preserve native plant species, including

12348-492: The pond at the north-east corner of the Park. The wells began spewing a plume of water, sand, shale and gravel 15 metres into the air. With this discovery, geologists finally pinpointed the southern terminus of this ancient river system whose southerly flow begins near Georgian Bay. The watercourse, flowing 50 metres (160 ft) below the surface in pure bedrock, has remained undisturbed for thousands of years. The central section

12474-457: The principal influences on Olmsted and Calvert's design for New York's Central Park of 1857. Another early public park, the Peel Park, Salford , England, opened on 22 August 1846. Boston Common was purchased for public use grazing cows and as a military parade ground and dump in 1634. It first started to get recreational elements in 1728, arguably making it the first municipal park in

12600-415: The public.) and some EU states that have mostly recreation grounds for kids to play within a park, but may also have a duck pond, large grassy zones not meant exclusively for sports, many trees, and several bushy places. When it occurs as a separate facility on its own, without any parkland, at a street corner or by a shop, the play facility is called a playground . Lake Ontario Lake Ontario

12726-538: The shore of the pond and west of the Jamie Bell playground. In 1959, the first Japanese Somei-Yoshino Cherry Tree was planted in High Park, a gift from the citizens of Tokyo. A plaque marks the spot in 1959 where the trees were presented by the Japanese ambassador to Toronto mayor Nathan Phillips . In all, over 2000 cherry trees were donated to Toronto. Another 34 cherry trees were donated to High Park in 2001 from

12852-404: The sites of long beaches, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park and Sandy Island Beach State Park . These sand bars are often associated with large wetlands , which support large numbers of plant and animal species, as well as providing important rest areas for migratory birds. Presqu'ile, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is particularly significant in this regard. One unique feature of the lake

12978-477: The so-called Loch Ness Monster , being sighted in the lake. The creature is described as large with a long neck, green in colour, and generally causes a break in the surface waves. A series of trading posts were established by both the British and French, such as Fort Frontenac in 1673, Fort Oswego in 1722, and Fort Rouillé in 1750. As the easternmost and nearest lake to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada and

13104-453: The street from Colborne Lodge. Today, Colborne Lodge is a museum containing many of the original Howard furnishings and a collection of Howard's watercolours of early Toronto. The museum is open year-round. The western section of High Park, including Grenadier Pond was privately owned by the Ellis family (headed by John Ellis), after which Ellis Avenue is named. The Ellis family sold the land to

13230-425: The surface from holes drilled in the ice and cleared areas for rinks. In 2015, Toronto City Council voted to fund a $ 25,000 ice monitoring program and legalize skating again. A record cold winter in 2015 had seen many people skating on the ice despite bylaw officers attempting to write $ 125 tickets. Ice conditions are now monitored annually by the City of Toronto Parks and Recreation staff and the ice condition posted on

13356-446: The tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners. The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. The seiche effect normally is only about 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.9 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes. Because of its great depth, the lake as a whole does not completely freeze in winter, but an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of

13482-457: The top of a hill overlooking Lake Ontario. Across the street from the lodge is Howard's tomb, a cairn monument of Howard and his wife. The fence gate for the cairn is originally from St Paul's Cathedral in London , England. It dates from 1714, designed by Christopher Wren . Howard had it shipped from London in 1875. On the hill to the east of Grenadier Pond, extending up to Colborne Lodge Road,

13608-601: The top of the hill. The area was a tobogganing area in the early 1900s. Toboggan-runs were constructed from the top of the hill extending down to the pond's ice surface. Wedding photography is no longer permitted in the hillside gardens area. North of Colborne Lodge is the High Park Children's Garden. It offers programs for schools in the fall and spring, and day camps during the summer for children to learn about growing plants and Toronto parks. The Children's Garden and Colborne Lodge hold an annual 'Harvest Festival' in

13734-407: The train are purchased from the train's conductor. Colborne Lodge is a historical museum located in an 1836 home built by John George Howard, an architect, engineer, and prominent Toronto citizen who was the first land-owner of High Park. Howard built this house, to house himself and his wife Jemima Frances Meikle. The lodge became the property of the city following his death in 1890. It is perched on

13860-475: The waterfowl. Grenadier Pond is home to multiple species of bird and marsh wildlife. The pond exits out to Lake Ontario via pipes near Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, replacing the natural sandbar that existed for Wendigo Creek. Alongside its eastern shore are to be found High Park's hillside gardens and a grove of cherry trees. At its northern end is a remnant of Wendigo Creek, Wendigo Pond and a children's playground. The creek, pond and Wendigo Way are likely named after

13986-599: The watershed of Lake Ontario. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sackets Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (64 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed. Several islands exist in the lake, the largest of which being Wolfe Island . Nearly all of Lake Ontario's islands are on

14112-490: The wealthy. In The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America, (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982), Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U.S. In the late 19th century, city governments purchased large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities to form "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially

14238-408: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario, has been identified as one of the most contaminated areas on Lake Ontario alongside other areas of concern on Great Lakes . However, a $ 150-million cleanup project had begun in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The name Ontario is derived from the Huron word Ontarí'io , which means "great lake". In Colonial times, the lake was also called Cataraqui ,

14364-399: The wooden play structures was burned down in an act of arson . A new castle, created by Mike Holmes and landscape architect Janet Rosenberg , was rebuilt on the weekend of July 7–8, 2012 by volunteers. Another small play area is in the ravine just north of Grenadier Pond. Dogs are welcome in the park. There is a large "off-leash" area to the north-east of the Grenadier Cafe. In the rest of

14490-488: The workers, to relax in nature. As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks , because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land , the three most visited municipal parks in

14616-531: The world are joining together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect. A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park called a rail trail or greenway (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back). Some examples of linear parks in North America include New York's High Line and

14742-497: The yearly removal of invasive species such as buckthorn. The Centre also organizes nature walks in the park. In 2016, over 12,000 visitors people took part in High Park Nature Centre programming. The Centre is operated by High Park Initiatives, a registered non-profit organization. The High Park Nature Centre was awarded an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant in 2014, allowing for the purchase of furnishings to equip

14868-421: The zoo and online donations that are matched by charitable foundations. Friends of High Park Zoo was formed after Toronto City Council voted to cancel funding for the zoo in 2012. The organization has announced a master plan of improvements it hopes to make to the zoo. The practice of keeping animals in the park originated in 1893, with the keeping of deer. The zoo received international media coverage in 2015 when

14994-494: Was filled in to support the rails. An outlet weir was installed to control water levels. In 1891, a further strip was sold to the Grand Trunk Railway for CA$ 1,000 (equivalent to $ 34,346 in 2023). After a successful career as architect, engineer and land surveyor to the City of Toronto, Howard retired here in 1855. In 1873, Howard and his wife agreed to convey their country property of 120 acres (49 ha) to

15120-487: Was later given to Metro Transportation when The Queensway was built in the early 1950s. This was in contravention of stipulations by original High Park owner John Howard that the lands be used for parkland only. Metro officials searched for descendants of Howard to obtain their consent. The park was known as a location for clandestine meetings of homosexuals in the days before the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada in

15246-500: Was located south of Grenadier Pond, east of Ellis Avenue. In 1930, the Chapmans sold 71.8 acres (29.1 ha), including the pond, to the City for CA$ 150,000 (equivalent to $ 2,589,560 in 2023). The High Park Forest School was opened in 1915 on two acres at Colborne Lodge Road at Spring Road. The public school was for children of "low vitality" and emphasized physical activity over academics and often held classes outdoors. After

15372-452: Was occupied by the Society. The site, a small hill known as "Snake Mound" on the west bank of Lower Duck Pond, had been eroded by illegal BMX bike use. The society, in cooperation with the City of Toronto, cordoned off the location and worked to restore the site, fixing the erosion, and removing the bike ramps present. At first, a replacement BMX bike park was suggested for the parking lot at the south end of Spring Road, but public opposition led

15498-530: Was of secondary importance. As urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks . One example of a pocket park is Chess Park in Glendale, California. The American Society of Landscape Architects gave this park a General Design Award of Honor in 2006. These small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children. All four types of park continue to exist in urban areas. Because of

15624-403: Was one of the first locations where bird banding was done, marked by a plaque. Great blue herons can sometimes be seen there and at Lower Duck Pond, just north of The Queensway, where the water drains in pipes south to Lake Ontario. The eastern ravine lies over a buried river. In 2003, city workers found strong evidence of the pre-ice-age Laurentian River when capping two artesian wells at

15750-405: Was re-captured. On June 28, the second capybara was re-captured. Due to their exploits, the two were nicknamed Bonnie and Clyde. The month-long search cost the city $ 15,000 in services and overtime work paid to approximately 30 park staff under Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation department. In 2017, the pair became parents to three baby pups. The three pups were named Geddy, Alex and Neil, after

15876-547: Was rented out to the Batthyány family to carry out such a project but the city had eventually taken back control and in 1813 announced a design competition to finally finish the park; works started in 1816. An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth . This was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from 1842 and opened in 1843. The land on which

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