David A. Balfour Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David A. Balfour Park |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
The Vale of Avoca Ravine in David A Balfour Park
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | 75 Rosehill Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Created | 1960s |
| Operated by | City of Toronto |
David A. Balfour Park is a cool green space in the Deer Park area of Toronto. You can find it near where Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue meet. This park is huge, covering about 20.5 hectares! It includes the grassy Rosehill Reservoir and the beautiful Vale of Avoca ravine, which has lots of trails for exploring.
The park is named after David A. Balfour. He was a former city Councillor who helped make Toronto a better place.
Contents
A Journey Through Time: Park History
The Land Before the Park
Long ago, even before Canada was formed, the land where David A. Balfour Park now sits was very important. It was a special hunting ground for the Mississaugas, who are Indigenous peoples. They called this area mishkodae, which means "prairie." They kept it as a meadow to attract animals, making it a rich place for hunting.
From Estates to a Park
Later, during the time of early settlements, this area was home to large estates. One famous estate was Rosehill, built in 1839. Another was Summer Hill, built in 1840.
The transformation into a park began in 1873. Toronto decided to use the Rosehill site for its first big water reservoir. This was the Rosehill Reservoir. The nearby Vale of Avoca ravine became Reservoir Park. In the 1900s, part of this ravine was also known as Summerhill Park.
Back then, the park and its reservoir were like a big garden. People planted many beautiful trees that weren't native to the area. The reservoir was also open, and in winter, its frozen surface was a popular spot for skating and other fun activities for local residents.
Modern Changes and Fun
During World War II, a fence was put around the open reservoir. This was to protect the water supply from any harm. After the war, the city decided to make the reservoir deeper and cover it up. This helped it hold more water and kept the water clean from pollution.
To make up for covering the beloved open reservoir, the city added several concrete-lined ponds on top of the new, covered reservoir. These ponds are still a nice feature of the park today.
David A. Balfour Park and its ravine are very important to the people living in Midtown. They use it for recreation, walks, and enjoying nature. Around 2017, the reservoir underwent some updates, and the park was rebuilt with new features.
There's also a special green space just south of the park. It was named "The Little Park" and dedicated to children.
