One of Toronto, Canada’s strongest drawing power as an excellent place to live in, is the abundance of urban parks. Totalling 1,600 in all, the city’s entire parkland is equivalent to about 8,000 hectares of municipal-owned green spaces.
Ranked as the 7th most livable city on a global scale, Toronto is a true haven for nature lovers and those who enjoy spending time outdoors. Parks are everywhere throughout the metropolis; including the extensive green space formed by a network of ravines known as the Toronto Ravine System.
A Glimpse of the Toronto Ravine System and Waterways
The Toronto Ravine System is the very reason why many describe the metropolis as “The City Within a Park.” It is home to many rivers and creeks making up the natural waterways of the area.
Although the ravines attract many bikers and hikers, their popularity though is not without consequence. Environmental problems such as pollution and erosion have affected many of the creeks and rivers running throughout the ravinces.
Pollution is being caused by persistent use of the ravines as dumping sites for wastes, even if forbidden by the local government. That is why it is inadvisable to take dips or even wade in many of rivers and creeks as they are quite polluted.
Nonetheless, several of the ravines now have paved paths and well-maintained bridges. Yet the city intends to leave many of its green spaces in their natural state in order to preserve wildlife, as well as curtail the frequent occurrences of erosion.
Just a word of caution though when exploring the untouched areas, since there are no guardrails that explorers can use when climbing steep cliffs or traversing slippery paths; there is always the risk of accidentally falling into the cold and very fast moving waterways.
The Rouge National Urban Park, the Largest Urban Green Space in Canada
Set apart from the numerous urban parklands intended for aesthetic and recreational purposes, is Toronto’s Rouge National Urban Park. Covering an area of 5,000 3 hectares, this park extends into the neighboring communities of Markham and Pickering; making it Canada’s largest urban park.
Managed by Parks Canada (Parcs Canada) a government agency of the Canadian federal government, there is an ongoing initiative to nationalize and expand the Rouge National Urban Park.
Parcs Canada has greatly improved the drawing power of this large urban park by adding more trails, putting up more signage and displays, as well as introduced programmes such as Learn-to-Bike, Learn-to-Hike, Learn-to-Camp and similar complimentary programs for its education and orientation centres.
If you are looking to retire or relocate at Toronto, Canada because of a job offer, you might think twice about it since the city is reputed for its high cost of living.
Still, judging by the way the city government manages its green spaces and natural environment, you and your family will be provided with the best natural and outdoor spaces for a healthy lifestyle. Awesome even is that like in other Canadian provinces, a large part of education in Toronto is publicly funded by all government levels.
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