By James Rayner
One part of the Toronto waterfront that is often overlooked is the area between Cherry St. and Leslie St., south of Lake Shore Blvd., popularly known as The Port Lands. This is another area of the lake shore that has been created by land fill over a century and includes such landmarks as Cherry Beach, the decommissioned Hearn generating plant, several playing fields, yacht clubs and The Docks entertainment complex with its Rebel nightclub, golf driving range and drive-in theatre.
We began with Cherry Beach, which is at the end of Cherry St. There is lots of free parking and, in summer, a snack bar in the same building as the change rooms. Across the water is the ever-growing Tommy Thompson Park, a.k.a., the Leslie Street Spit. The area is surrounded by giant willow and cottonwood trees.
The trail winds east toward Leslie St. and passes through some wild growth that you would not expect to find in the middle of the city.
The city has done a wonderful job in creating a combined bicycle/pedestrian path.
Along the way, the path passes by the decommissioned Hearn electricity generating plant that used to be fed by coal. Its future is continually being debated as some in the arts community would like to turn it into an arts hub. In fact, some fancy receptions and exhibitions have already been held there.
At Leslie St. is the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park. Unfortunately, until recently, the entrance for pedestrians was only on weekends when dump trucks were not using the road to bring their loads to further extend the spit. Last time I was there, I noticed a separate entrance and what appears to be a pavilion for walkers with washroom facilities. As it was incomplete at the time, I didn’t have time to check it out but it should be up and running by now. Walking on the spit would be a wonderful addition to the outing as there are all kinds of wildlife found there as well as awesome views of the city.
To complete the walk, either return via the same path or walk north on Leslie to Queen St., passing by some interesting allotment gardens and the new storage area for the TTC’s new style streetcars.
I forgot to mention that you may get held up on Cherry St. as there are two draw bridges to cross on the way to the beach. It can be annoying if the bridge is up but it is also fascinating to see one of the lake ships gliding into port right in front of your car.
The city has great plans to redevelop this area and is currently installing flood control measures. As well, authorities want to redirect the mouth of the Don River to flow through the port lands instead of through the Keating Channel. New bridges manufactured in Europe have already arrived. Watch as this area becomes a vital part of our city.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 