Evergreen Park - 2

Evergreen Park -2

The Don Valley Brick Works

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.

All the pictures have been taken by Elena.

Quarry-building An old building of brick works.

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.

Rim of what was once a huge day quarry. What is now transformed into natural habitat was once a large quarry for brick manufacturing.

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.

A conference room on the site.

You can also explore the edible landscape, water features, as well as the spaces to build things with natural materials.

The site’s living landscape is designed to grow and change throughout the seasons and evolve through the interactions between children and nature.

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.

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!

The Skyline of Toronto spells Don Valley Products.

This Evergeen site hosts a few gardens: Aspen Garden: The Garden Club of Toronto designed this garden highlighting one of Ontario’s best pioneer species, trembling aspen. First to come back when a forest regenerates, pioneer species thrive in poor growing environment and help create ideal conditions for other plant species to take root and increase biodiversity. Seed Producers Garden: this garden features native trees, shrubs and wildflowers that provide an abundance of seeds that feed birds and other wildlife throughout the seasons. Space family garden. Meighen family garden.

Old-brick-plant Deep into the Earth. As recently as the 1980’s, where this photo was taken would have been at the edge of a pit over 50 metres deep. Brick manufacturers operating here over 100 years dug an enormous quarry in order to extract clay.

Quarry Chimney court. Quarry Don Valley Chimney of the Bricks Worksю

Skyline Toronto -  The skyline of Torono spells Don Valley products.

Harbinger foundation water tower.

 To appreciate the extent of Toronto’s green corridors, take a look at the Watershed Wall sculpture located at the Evergreen Brick Works.

Evergreen Bricks Works graffity, detail.

Wolf Graffiti on the back wall of an old industrial building.

Beaver and Owl, graffity on the old walls

The level you are standing on is the result of thousands of tonnes or rock dirt and broken brick (spoil) used to fill in the quarry after brick making stopped in 1989.

To get an idea of the size of this huge pit, look up at the ridge of the park. Now imagine that same rim extended down at least five times deeper below.Ground level today - quarry pit now filled in - bottom level of quarry

Weston Quarry Garden. Return often to enjoy and help care for this special place!

Quarry Lake North slope of the park, where plant growth is now covering the once exposed layers of geological history.