Evergreen Works

Evergreen Brick Works

What do you do with an abandoned 120-year-old factory hidden in the ravines at the heart of Toronto?

Reuse it. Respect it. Rediscover it. Learn from it. Teach in it. Play in it.

The Don Valley Brick Works made bricks that built Toronto. Now, these same buildings (and the new LEED Platinum building added) generates ideas and tools for building the sustainable city of the future.

Evergreen has transformed this site into an environmental centre where communities can discover how to live, work and play more sustainably. Evergreen Brick Works is a social enterprise; the money you spend supports the programs the society delivers. Explore the natural spaces. Get your hands dirty. Enjoy local food. Discover the past. Think about the future. Ask questions. Share your ideas and explore new ones. Take part in the programs and activities. Or just wander about.

Evergreen is a national Canadian not-for-profit that inspires to green cities. A national charity since 1991, Evergreen makes cities more livable by bringing people and nature together for the benefit of both.

This 12-acre industrial site is owned by the Toronto and Region conservation Authority (TRCA) and managed by the City of Toronto. Evergreen is operating the site under a 21-year lease. The TRCA and City of Toronto have contributed to the project.

Don Valley Brick Works Park trails will take you to a variety of habitats (wetland, meadows and forest) where native wildlife thrives. As you explore this special public park, you will discover aspects of its industrial past, how natural habitats are maintained in the present, and how the landscape may evolve in the future.

Please enjoy the park responsibly. Walking off the trail, climbing the slopes, letting dogs off leash, and disturbing wildlife or vegetation all cause serious damage to the park. Choose to help, not to hurt!

Recreational Trails, No Winter Maintenance.

Industrial Buildings Re-purposed industrial buildings, now home to the neighbour Evergreen Brick Works, an environmental community centre which explores making cities more sustainable. Photo: © Elena

Quarry pond. Rim of what was once a huge day quarry. What is now transformed into natural habitat was once a large quarry for brick manufacturing. Photo: © Elena

Children’s garden. A place where children can play, explore and discover through hands-on contact with nature. Evergreen staff members facilitate the experience, with the aim to allow each child the opportunity to cultivate their sense of curiosity, wonder and independence. Photo: © Elena

Evergreen Chimney. Evergreen Brick Works chimney. If you are lucky, you might spot the erratic flight of a Chimney Swift! This small chattering bird, often described as a “cigar with wings”, can be seen flying above Toronto between April and October. Swifts belong to a group of birds called “aerial insectivores” because they spend most of their time in flight, and flying insects are their only food source. When swifts arrive in Ontario each year in late April or early May, they look for suitable nesting chimneys. These birds form nests from small sticks and attach them to the inside wall of a chimney, using the saliva as glue. A swift decline. Across Canada, Chimney Swifts have undergone dramatic population declines in the last 40 years. Their numbers have decreased by as much as 90%. The causes are unknown, but could include: Fewer flying insects; Loss of open brick chimneys; Chimney cleaning and nest removal; Extreme weather. How can you help the swifts? Avoid chimney maintenance between May and September. Submit sighting at eBird.ca. If you have swifts in your chimney, report them to Bird Sanctuary Ontario SwiftWatch program. Photo: © Elena

Watershed Wall. Don Valley Brick Works Park is an important link in Toronto’s natural ravine system. To appreciate the extent of Toronto’s green corridors, take a look at the Watershed Wall sculpture located at the Evergreen Brick Works. Photo: © Elena

Butterfly Garden: Featuring vibrant colours and diverse native plants, the species in this garden attract butterflies throughout their entire lifecycle – from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. Photo: © Elena

First Nations Medicine Garden: Planted by Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, this garden features medicinal plants found naturally throughout Ontario habitats, and have been used for centuries by First Nations. This garden was designed with a focus on four Directions teachings, represented by the colours black, white, red and yellow. Photo: © Elena

Flagrant native plants chosen for this garden, such as evening primrose and Virginia mountain mint, invigorate our sense of smell. They have been used by humans for centuries, for a range of applications – from stuffing mattresses to making herbal teas and oils. Photo: © Elena