James Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Gardens |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Type | Botanical garden |
| Location | 99 Edenbridge Drive Toronto, Ontario M9A 3G4 |
| Area | 21 acres (8.5 ha) |
| Created | 1955 |
| Operated by | Toronto Parks |
James Gardens is a beautiful public botanical garden located in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It sits right along the Humber River. Once a private estate, it was bought by the City of Toronto. Today, it is a popular park managed by the Toronto Parks Department.
Contents
Exploring James Gardens
James Gardens is a lovely place with wide-open lawns and many colorful flower beds. You can find special plants, pretty rock gardens, and nature trails here. There are also three large and four small ponds. These ponds are fed by a natural spring and are connected by a gentle stream. The park also has a special pool for carp fish. For those who like sports, there is even a lawn bowling court. The gardens connect to the Humber River trail, which is great for walking or cycling.
Each year, thousands of flowers are planted in the garden beds. This includes over 75,000 tulips! The designs of the flower beds change every year. The rock gardens and areas under the trees are always well-kept. Tens of thousands of people visit James Gardens every year. It is also a popular spot for weddings and special events.
History of James Gardens
James Gardens was once the private home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred T. James. In 1908, Fred James bought the land from his wife's parents. He also bought more land nearby. This made his property a total of 21 acres (8.5 ha). It included hills, valleys, forests, and meadows. This land was on the west side of the Humber River, in what was then part of Etobicoke.
The James Family Home
The James family lived in a house located at the top west corner of their property. This house is still standing today. It is a two-story house with a red roof, built from stone found in the Humber River area. This historic building is now a community recreation center. It is run by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation department. The horse stables used to be below the house. You can still see part of the original stable wall. Sometimes, old horseshoes, nails, and coins are found in the flower beds.
Ancient Discoveries
In the 1920s, the James family added special drainage systems and water features to their property. During this work, they found some very old items. These included spear points from First Nations people. Experts later looked at these items in the early 2000s. They found that the artifacts were about 4,000 years old! This shows that people lived in this area a very long time ago.
Becoming a Public Park
The park was bought by Metro Toronto in 1955 for $150,000. After that, the Metro Toronto Parks Department took care of it. This made the beautiful gardens open for everyone to enjoy.
James Gardens in Pop Culture
CBC Television used James Gardens as a filming location. They shot scenes for a TV show called "This is the Law" here. The show featured a well-known actor named Paul Soles.
A Former Mayor's Connection
In 2013, Rob Ford, who was the mayor of Toronto at the time, lived near the entrance of James Gardens. He tried to buy a small piece of land next to the park. This land belonged to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
