3 d. ago Toronto's artificial peninsula set to keep growing for decades

Toronto's man-made peninsula, the Leslie Street Spit, is still growing, and will be for the next few decades to come as dredged material from the city's harbour continues to be deposited along its shoreline.Created in 1959 by the Toronto Harbour Commissioners (THC), now PortsToronto, for "port-related facilities," the Leslie Street Spit's expected use as an outer harbour port never panned out, yet the landform has expanded significantly through millions of cubic metres of concrete, earth fill, and dredged sand, and today supports Tommy Thompson Park.The artificial peninsula extends five kilometres into Lake Ontario and is over 500 hectares in size. The park is home to some of the largest existing natural habitats on the Toronto waterfront, and includes wildflower meadows, cottonwood forests, cobble beaches, and coastal marshes.Aerial view of the Leslie Street Spit in 1975. Photo: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).It's also become on...

Culture

3 d. ago Man rescued after small plane lands in Lake Ontario near Tommy Thompson Park

A man in his 40s was rescued after a small plane landed in the water near Tommy Thompson Park on Friday afternoon. Toronto Police say they received a call around 2:30 p.m. for unknown trouble in the area of the Leslie St. Spit near downtown. Cops confirmed that a small privately owned plane landed in […]

Events

4 d. ago You can hike into an impact crater from a meteorite in this Ontario provincial park

It's time to plan a trip to Ontario's first provincial park.With over a hundred kilometres of hiking trails past unique and abandoned vistas, Algonquin Provincial Park is not one to miss this spring. But if you need a new reason to visit, let it be the Brent Crater — a crater formed from a meteorite with a trail to explore. Here's what to know.Exploring the parkAlgonquin Provincial Park, one of the most notable parks in the province, is located about three and a half hours northeast of Toronto.Known for its camping, fishing, boating, canoeing and wildlife-spotting opportunities, Algonquin is a must-visit if you haven't explored it yet.Not only is it the first provincial park in Ontario, but it is also one of the largest in the province.It's an all-season park that stands out due to all the activities it offers year-round. According to Ontario Parks, the "essence of Algonquin is in its vast interior of maple hills, rocky ridges ...

Society

5 d. ago Ontario provincial park has largest visible Indigenous pictograph collection in Canada

There's no need to leave Ontario this summer if you're looking for scenic adventures.A fan favourite Ontario Park soon opens for the season on May 9, and it's truly stunning. Bon Echo Provincial Park is a perfect mix of views and hikes, and here's what you need to know before you go.Located about three and a half hours from Toronto, north of Kingston, Bon Echo's biggest draw is the gorgeous 100-metre-high Mazinaw Rock, which is covered in over 260 historic Indigenous pictographs.The rock has Canada's largest collection of this type of pictograph, and having seen them myself, I can tell you they're mesmerizing.The other awesome thing about this park is that there are hiking trails for hikers of all skill levels. Ranging from an easy 1 km to a more challenging 4.8 km, the trails here can be explored by all.One of the most popular trails is the Cliff Top Trail, which leads to the pictographs — but be warned, it's ...

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1 week ago This B.C. city has beautiful sandy beaches and some of the warmest ocean water in Canada

Vancouver Island resort a gateway to sandy shores, stunning scenery and fun things to do

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2 w. ago The history of Queen's Park's chaotic opening day in Ontario

Today, Queen's Park is the nerve centre of Ontario's provincial government and a familiar landmark in Toronto. The impressive Romanesque Revival building, which is made of pink Credit Valley sandstone, has been home to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1893.It also houses the Lieutenant Governor's suite and offices for Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), but what you might not know is that its opening day was quite a bit…quirky.In 1859, the City leased the area from King's College, and the following year, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) opened up a park in honour of his mother, Queen Victoria. The park was long considered a location for new parliament buildings, and between 1879 and 1880, their construction was officially authorized by the Ontario Legislature and city council.Queen's Park circa 1893. Photo: Toronto Public Library Archives.Ultimately, the commission was awarded to Richard Waite of Buffalo in 1886, a choice that sparked q...

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2 w. ago Ontario park known for its sandy beaches and camping is about to open for summer

Want to feel like you're on a tropical vacation without leaving Ontario? Pancake Bay Provincial Park is opening for the season soon and has more than three kilometres of beautiful sand beach with Caribbean-blue water to enjoy.Pancake Bay Provincial Park is located in the gorgeous Batchawana Bay area near Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Ontario. If you're driving from Toronto or the GTA, you can expect the journey to take you around eight hours by car (it's worth it – trust me).The park is open this year from May 2 until Oct. 14, 2025.    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by Pancake Bay Provincial Park (@pancakebaypp)Pancake Bay has one of "the finest beaches in North America." The beach features 3.2 km of fine sand and is sheltered from the open lake by two protective promontories that form the bay.If you're visiting the beach, be sure to note that there are no li...

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2 w. ago Ontario park known for its sandy beaches is about to open for the season

Want to feel like you're on a tropical vacation without leaving Ontario? Pancake Bay Provincial Park is opening for the season soon and has more than three kilometres of beautiful sand beach with Caribbean-blue water to enjoy.Pancake Bay Provincial Park is located in the gorgeous Batchawana Bay area near Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Ontario. If you're driving from Toronto or the GTA, you can expect the journey to take you around eight hours by car (it's worth it – trust me).The park is open this year from May 2 until Oct. 14, 2025.    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by Pancake Bay Provincial Park (@pancakebaypp)Pancake Bay has one of "the finest beaches in North America." The beach features 3.2 km of fine sand and is sheltered from the open lake by two protective promontories that form the bay.If you're visiting the beach, be sure to note that there are no li...

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3 w. ago Ontario unions say struggling colleges can be ‘lifeboat’ through economic turmoil

Union leaders took to Queen's Park to make their pitch to 'save' Ontario's college sector, linking the struggling institutions to Canada's trade war with the United States.

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3 w. ago The history of the horse and human water fountains in Toronto

Long before Toronto's streets were jam-packed with cars and motorcycles, they were filled with carriages and horse-drawn streetcars.In the 19th and early 20th century, horses were one of the city's primary modes of transportation, and just like today's vehicles need gas stations and charging stations, horses needed water troughs to keep them going through their long journeys.As a result, there were tons of horse and human water fountains across the city at major intersections during this time, and many of them even featured a tiny basin for dogs at their base.Horses having a drink at a Toronto water fountain in the 1910s. Photo: Archives of Ontario.One of the last surviving examples in Ontario still stands in St. James Park, along King Street East near Church Street.Manufactured by the Canada Foundry Company Ltd., the cast-iron structure dates back to the late 1800s. Facing south toward King Street is a large trough once filled by two taps, offering water to horses that fr...

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