As part of Blissdom Canada this year, attendees had the opportunity to attend excursions across Toronto and the Toronto area.
I was lucky enough to check out for the first time Evergreen Brick Works, an eco/nature site in the heart of urban Toronto.
For100 years, the site was used by a brick making company – they took clay from the ground (there was a huge quarry where that picture with the water (above) is currently) and from what I heard, most of Toronto has bricks from this place in somewhere in it’s buildings.
Brick Works is steeped in history and that’s made clear by the tracks left in the ground for transporting bricks decades ago and the old kilns tucked into the walls.
In 1984, the company was at a point where they had to modernize their equipment and dig even deeper into the quarry – all of which was costly. Instead, they abandoned the area and Evergreen, after approaching the city, bought the land. This included the quarry and the industrial plant (read the full, interesting history of the site on the website).
Now, it’s a natural, eco-advanced escape set in urban Toronto. Evergreen works to bring urban students to the site and immerse them in nature, creating a backyard for all city-dwelling children. Aside from educating the public (the place is like a museum, but they don’t quite have museum status yet), there is also a Farmers’ Market, Antique Market and constant parade of special events and gatherings happening at the site.
But what will I remember about my visit to Brick Works? The stunning, glorious views. It doesn’t hurt that we were there on a beautifully warm and sunny day which allowed for the trees in varying colours to become the perfect back drop for our tour. I kept saying over and over how my family would just love it there. Walking the trails, snacking at the Cafe, ducking in and out of the buildings – there was no shortage of activities.
If you are in the Toronto area, count yourself blessed to have this in your backyard. For the rest of us, we will be left planning specific visits to make sure we can experience even more. At least I know I will be.
