Toogood Pond Park facts for kids

A view of a bridge in Toogood Pond Park.

Several rocky hills can be found in the park, as shown in this photo.

Toogood Pond Park is a large, beautiful park in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It covers about 33 hectares, which is like 60 football fields! The park is famous for its lovely pond, called Toogood Pond.

Many different animals live in and around the pond. You might see Canada geese, ducks, and various types of fish. Lots of interesting plants also grow here. The City of Markham owns and takes care of the park, making sure it stays a great place for everyone to enjoy.

A Look Back: The Park's History

Long ago, around 1840, there was a flour mill at Carlton Road and Main Street in Unionville. It was called the Union Grist Mill. A grist mill uses water power to grind grain into flour.

To make the mill work, a dam was built across Bruce Creek. This created Toogood Pond, which was first called Willow Lake. The dam helped create a "mill race," which is like a channel that directed water to power the mill's big water wheel.

In the 1930s, a big flood washed away the mill race. A few years later, in 1934, the mill itself was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

Around 1939, the Toogood family bought the land. Later, in the 1980s, the City of Markham bought the property. That's when it officially became Toogood Park, the park we know today!

Amazing Plants You Can Find

Toogood Pond Park is home to many different kinds of plants. Some are native to the area, while others might have come from different places. Here are some of the plants you might spot:

• Black-eyed Susan
• Giant hogweed (Be careful, this plant can cause skin irritation!)
• Sumac
• Manitoba maple
• Norway maple
• Weeping willow
• Bull thistle
• Wild burdock
• Oxeye daisy
• Common milkweed (Important for monarch butterflies!)
• Poison ivy (Remember: "Leaves of three, let it be!")
• Dog strangling vine
• Garlic mustard
• White ash
• Cattails

Keeping the Park Healthy

The City of Markham often works to keep Toogood Pond Park healthy and beautiful. One recent project was called the Sediment Removal and Restoration project.

This project involved removing extra mud and dirt from the bottom of the pond. They also worked on restoring the shoreline, which means making the edges of the pond stronger and healthier. As part of this, they planted many native plants. These are plants that naturally grow in the area and help the park's ecosystem.

Skating Fun (and Rules!)

For a long time, many people in Markham loved to go ice skating on Toogood Pond when it froze in winter. It was a popular activity for families and friends.

However, in late 2015, the city council decided to ban skating on the pond. This was because it was difficult for the city to keep the ice safe and check its condition regularly.

In 2016, the city thought about hiring an engineer to check the ice. But in November of that year, the city council changed its mind again. They announced that people could skate on the pond, but they would be doing so "at their own risk." This means that if you choose to skate, you are responsible for your own safety.