Illustration: Marlena Zuber

Giant white pines once towered over the mixed hardwood forest that covered the area now known as Parkdale. Its turbulent past has shaped this community into a strong and diverse neighbourhood determined to save the remaining vestiges of green along the western waterfront.

The landscape was first altered in 1750 when the French cleared 300 acres of maples, beeches, basswoods and spruces to make way for Fort Rouille near present day Dufferin Avenue. Half of this clearing was within the Parkdale area.

By the late 1800's, Parkdale was further transformed from farmland into an elite residential suburb. During this time, local residents and city dwellers alike thronged to the Sunnyside Amusement Park and Bathing Pavilion to swim, walk and enjoy the lively atmosphere. These were the glory days of the western beaches, but it would not last. When the automobile began to dominate the thinking of the 1950's, the face of Parkdale was once again changed forever. Parkland was traded for pavement to accommodate the new Gardiner Expressway and an expanded Lakeshore Boulevard. The community became physically isolated from the lake but the connection was never fully broken. Today, local residents are once again in a fight to save precious greenspace along the waterfront. With the restoration of the Palais Royale, parking has become the latest contentious issue. The Parkdale Residents Association and the Parkdale-High Park Waterfront Group have managed to save a grove of 100-year-old willows and have secured a voice in the upcoming western Beaches Master Plan.

The Parkdale community has a vibrant character bolstered by new waves of hopeful immigrants, a thriving group of artists and many individuals committed to a new vision for the neighbourhood. One group, Greenest City, is a community-based environmental organization dedicated to social equity, reducing pollution and regenerating urban life. Their efforts will be featured on Tour Stop No. 2.

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Tour stops

1. 1The Peace Tree Blues
2. 2HOPE Garden - Good Grounding for Youth
3. 3Art representing Parkdale Life
4. 4Urban Pear-able
5. 5The Black “Alley Cat” of Trees
6. 6Buckets of bounty
7. 7The Giant of Elm Grove Avenue
8. 8Making Room
9. 9Back in Black
10. 10Know Your Roots
11. 11Don’t eat the Buckeye
12. 12Cooking classes
13. 13Escape from the Concrete Confines
14. 14Tree Pit Makeover

Contributors

Research: Lisa Jayne, Liz Forsberg, Susan Gulley

Writing: Liz Forsberg, Susan Gulley, Todd Irvine

Photography: Emily Nixon, Liz Forsberg

Community Partners

Greenest City - Youth Green Squad