On the weekend of May 3-4, Torontonians took part in internationally celebrated Jane’s Walks, named after urban activist Jane Jacobs.  One early morning walk led by GG Felicia Cohen ventured out into the wilderness of the Leslie Street Spit.    Here’s Felicia’s account:

For the second year, I participated in the Jane’s Walk festival, by co-leading a walk through Leslie Spit (aka Tommy Thompson Park).   I chose this location because I regularly visit the spit on my bike, and treasure it as one of my favourite places. I talked about the history of the Spit, and of Leslieville, and my co-leader naturalist Bruce Thompson talked about all the flora and fauna which populates this strip of land. It is a great example of how nature will colonize even the most barren of man-made landscapes.  Besides it being a great place for bird watching, especially this time of year, you can find “spontaneous” works of art created out of building rubble.  You can cycle, walk or rollerblade with no cars around – a getaway within the city.

Jane’s Walks tend to encourage selecting places/routes which have a great potential for people to learn about neighbourhoods in Toronto, especially if there is an urban development theme, which is more akin to the writings of Jane Jacobs herself.  I would really encourage anyone to think about leading or co-leading a walk for next year’s festival. For Gallery Guides in particular, you may find it an interesting compliment to your usual tours, but for anyone who loves Toronto, and wants to show people their favourite spots, or engage people in conversation about local issues, it is a terrific opportunity.

For further info see http://janeswalk.org/canada/toronto/