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Those proud few who read this blog will have heard me speak of my love for High Park. Indeed, I have found it to be a welcoming oasis when life in the city pulls the haze over my mind. It has also provided many days and nights worth of activities from skating on the rink during the winter to wandering the many gardens during the spring and summer months.
Still ever the starving recent graduate, I signed up for the Canstage Cheapthrills youth access pass for this past season. This terrific promotion allows people 24 years of age and under to purchase a membership at Canstage for $15, which gains you access to every theatre production for only $5 each. (Canstage made a member for life out of me because of this promotion, as great marketing should always be rewarded!)
It was upon my efforts to renew my subscription that I was informed about Dream in High Park. We finally managed to get ourselves out to the grounds for the 8 pm performance last week and were completely blown away by the experience.
Dream in High Park is an annual production by Canstage. The production is staged close to the Grenadier restaurant in a beautifully conceived outdoor amphitheatre. Guests sit picnic style on built up columns of ground exposed to the elements.
This year’s production of a slightly re-imagined Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a perfect choice for this wondrous setting. The play uses nature and mysticism to influence themes of questionable justice and control which seem to be lifted somewhat by the outdoor setting. The sounds of the park add to the experience of the play, which, conveniently, is set outdoors almost in its entirety. Even as it started to rain slightly during the performance we attended it seemed only to fit the dramatic emotions of the play, as did the slow changeover from day to night. It was like experiencing what the play would have been like when it was first performed in the open air theatres of Elizabethan England.
Admission to this show is Pay What You Can (suggested donation, $20), and should be called nothing less than a gift. It plays Tuesday through Sunday all summer through to September 6.
One word: GO!
Prospero (Prospera) – “We are such stuff — As dreams are made on; and our little life — Is rounded with a sleep”
P.S. Picture taking was not allowed in the theatre, so sorry again for the lack of evidence.
Having grown up in Tottenham and gone to high school in Alliston, I’m sad to say that Earl Rowe park had always been a bit of a running joke to locals. Commonly heard comments about the park included “don’t go near the water,” “go to Earl Rowe if you want to camp in a potato field,” (country humour, I suppose) or “watch out for the crazy park wardens”. Having grown up with such negative propaganda, imagine my reaction when a friend invited me to his birthday camping trip last weekend at none other than Earl Rowe Provincial Park in Alliston Ontario.
Never one to turn down a good camping expedition (obviously), I nervously accepted. To be fair I had visited the park on several occasions to hike the trails, and knew that most of the negative things the locals said were largely exaggerations. Even so, I have to admit being pleasantly surprised by the park itself.
With off and on rain and temperatures lower than what could have been desired for a Canadian mid-July, conditions were not exactly ideal. But it seemed as though the park had made the most of such conditions. The sites and surroundings were all wonderfully green and alive while the bugs were, surprisingly, few and far between.
Sites are decently large and most are quite well constructed. Our sites were actually some of the few the locals referred to when commenting about “camping in potato fields.” They both backed onto a farmer’s field and possessed little on the way of tree cover or privacy. As bad as this sounds, the sites were actually nothing to malign. They were spaced quite far from other sites and the view over the field at sunset was nothing short of inspiring (left the camera at home this time, sorry for the lack of photographic evidence).
The “lake” at Earl Rowe is more of a glorified manmade pond into which the Boyne River dumps. But despite its size it boasts two very large beach areas complete with volleyball nets and canoe and paddleboat rentals. The sand, however, was filled with rocks which led to several cuts and scrapes during games of touch football and volleyball.
The camp store is more than adequate offering everything that could be required. The town of Alliston is literally a stones throw away so any shopping needs can be met, more cost-effectively, in town.
The park offers four trails. The longest of which, the Lookout trail, slowly climbs up an embankment leading to a lookout point. Scenery on this trail is relatively dull as much of it cuts through sparsely wooded fields. From what I’ve been told the Resource trail has much more to be desired.
Sadly, while much of the local perception of Earl Rowe is made in jest, customer service is a serious downfall. $7 for a bag of firewood half the size of that you receive at other provincial parks; lack of any clear direction as to site location from park gate staff (although they were very kind, otherwise); and, most seriously, notoriously overzealous park wardens making ridiculously unnecessary noise and site condition complaints and threatening (and dispersing) fines when challenged; all harmed our camping experience at Earl Rowe severely.
Having heard from current and former park employees the reputation for overkill these wardens have, our run in with them should have come as little surprised. But after having threatening wardens on our sites two nights in a row, and speaking with several neighbouring campsites that were similarly threatened, we realized just how serious the problem was. Park wardens play important roles in any park, ensuring a positive experience for all campers. Loud, obnoxious and dirty campers can have a negative impact on the experience of other visitors and should be dealt with. But claims that several guys talking around a campfire being too loud and that having a couple packages or hot dog buns and a few beer cans in front of the fire constitutes a dirty enough site to be fine worthy, borders on absurd.
I for one am a respectful and responsible camper who would never leave a site in poor condition; and to be unnecessarily threatened as we were at Earl Rowe was truly insulting. Knowing as I do that this was not an isolated incident, Earl Rowe needs to seriously consider how they treat their paying customers or risk losing them, as they have myself and my friends.
On a trip last weekend with a group of friends to Earl Rowe Provincial Park in Alliston, Ontario, I was impressed to see about 20 students protesting in front of gate offices. These students were employees of the park and members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. They were protesting the Ontario government taking away holiday pay that was originally promised to them.
We were informed by a protester (who held us up for no more than 20 seconds), that students signed contracts in which the government promised ‘pay in lieu” of holidays, as most park workers must work on the provincial statutory days. The government then notified the students that a mistake had been made, and forced students to sign an amended contract which took away the pay. She explained that this took away $400-600 from a student’s wage, at a time when tuition rates were steadily increasing.
Upon looking into the issue further I found out that there were similar protests this weekend at Wasaga Beach and other provincial parks.
Having worked in numerous seasonal jobs in my student life I understand the way many of these students feel. Seasonal workers are not paid overtime, they work weekends, evening and holidays without receiving premiums, they receive very minimal salary and actually do very important jobs. Just think, almost every beach, park, golf course and camp ground would not be able to operate if not for students.
Though at the same time, I also know that there is a balance. The recreational sites listed above require large staffs and can only operate so many months of the year. They are also employing a section of the population with little in the way of tangible skills and providing them with valuable experience.
I suppose what impressed me most about these student protesters was that they were there. We live in a highly apathetic age, and I can tell you, having graduated relatively recently, that this applies to students more than most. Students have faced countless tuition increases, escalating book costs, under regulated student housing and, most concerning, a decrease in the quality of their education caused by an increased reliance on part-time faculty; all with minimal upheaval. So to see a group of students actually going out of their way (and coming in on their days off) to fight for something legitimate was truly refreshing.
These students help all of us enjoy our experiences at provincial parks. And although I am sure there are many who will cite the economy and say, “everyone is feeling the burn right now,” it’s good to know these hard working students are not taking unfairness lying down.
Since moving to Toronto (Etobicoke, actually) from a small town north of the city last October, we have witnessed a great number of this cities many faces. We have come to realize that like nature, the city is a living, breathing (coughing, laughing, cursing, singing) creature. To walk the streets is to be one of a countless number of blood cells circulating through busy arteries, each with a purpose and each sustaining the greater living being. Although it can often seem, having come from a small town, that the hectic pace of the city might more closely resemble arteries on the verge of aneurysm; it is when you venture further, into the cities green spaces, that you find balance.
Torontonians flock to these green spaces more than I would have initially thought before moving to the city. Like other small town folk I had an image of downtown urbanites, those who adapted to living in concrete structures with never ending noise and continuous light. Those who had found a way to live without the serenity, quiet and beauty of nature. For some this is true, I’m sure, but it seems many still search out nature and fight to preserve it.
Here are two of the green spaces in the city I have visited so far. As always, I would love to hear your favourites.
High park trails in winter
We have spent many hours wandering the expanse of Toronto’s largest park. Both in summer and in winter, high park is a haven. The trails are long a varied and traverse through natural woodlands and nicely manicured gardens. The longest trail follows the shore of Grenadier pond and walks a circle from Bloor down to the Queensway and back again. In the winter, a city operated skating rink is open to the public. The neighbourhoods of Bloor West Village, Royal York Village, Swansea, and Roncesvales that surround the park are also some of the most enjoyable in the city.
Ducks near Grenadier Pond in High Park
Located in the posh neighbourhood of Humber Valley Village, James Gardens is a nice little oasis. Although the Gardens portion of the park is quite small, the Humber trail system that crisscrosses it stretches far beyond its limits. The gardens have a unique mix of flowers and shrubs built into the forest setting. A river with many trickling water falls empties into a small pond near the entrance. Beautiful old oak trees dominate the park.
Toronto is a vast and fascinating creature. Its cultural opportunities are endless and it truly welcomes outsiders with open arms. It is a wonderful place and I doubt I will ever tire of it completely. But it can be, at times, overwhelming. That being said, it’s good to know that when we grow weary of the pace, of the noise, there are always places nearby that can help us in regaining our balance.
