Edithvale Park has been growing in a hodgepodge fashion for years, but after a year's work, a new, unifying design for the North Toronto park was unveiled this month.
"The perimeter of the block on Finch Avenue West and Lorraine Drive used to be lined by residential lots," says senior project co-ordinator Doug Giles. "Over recent years, the city has slowly either acquired these lots, or developers have conveyed these lots to the city as their parkland dedication, thus increasing the area of parkland beyond the parkland in the centre of the block. As conveyed, the residential lots came to the city with only basic sod (and domestic shrubs and planting remnants), and the current project integrated these lots into the overall design of the park."
Designed by landscape architects
Schollen and Company, the park now has two new playground structures, a community bake oven, a paved plaza, an herb garden, lit pathways, a pergola and new trees and shrubs.
The total construction cost of the project, which began in June 2011, was $1.4 million.
The park is built on the site of part of the former
Wilket Creek, which was culvertized here several decades ago.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Doug Giles, Senior Project Co-ordinator, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation
Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to [email protected].