Get a taste of the great outdoors
Doesn’t it seem like there are more Christmas lights than ever in the city right now? As if people and businesses have gone all out this year? It’s a hard thing to quantify and compare, of course, as data from previous years only exists in our memories, but I want it to be true.
They’re a sign of life, a sign that the nth wave of this pandemic still hasn’t beaten us down completely.
Since these will be smaller holidays for most people, with less indoor time together, the external displays mean a lot more. Inflatable Santas are fine, but my favourites are the people who get creative with simple strings of lights and other basic items.
It’s like standard Lego blocks versus the elaborate, pre-designed sets: individual creativity is everything. Bonus points if it looks dangerous to put up.
Even the loneliest, droopy string of lights brings some joy. With the proliferation of efficient LEDs, leaving Christmas lights up longer, beyond the holidays into January, won’t make such an environmental footprint. Let’s leave them up into the deep dark winter, at least until Omicron passes: A continuum of light when we need it most that started at Diwali in October, ran through Hanukkah and extends beyond Orthodox Christmas.
The low winter light on sunny days can be stunning, even making it harder to see than in summer, especially when it reflects off the snow. It’s a major dose of vitamin D, also when we need it most. With the leaves off the trees, the topography of the ravines and forest trails in the GTA are at their most visible, so take a holiday walk through one. It’ll feel good.
The City of Toronto has pledged to plow more trails than ever before, but “No Winter Maintenance” signs can still be found all over. Though good for skiers, it sadly limits winter walks in many areas to those who are able bodied, so all trails should be cleared of snow and ice.
One useful trick is to purchase a pair of ice cleats — tiny metal spikes on a rubber mesh — that can be easily wrapped around any boot or shoe. They can be found at proper outfitter stores but also at hardware and other shops. They’ll turn you into a mountain goat, sure of every footfall, and have made walks on even the iciest surfaces a pleasure while other people slip and slide.
This past weekend, in bright sunshine that warmed my face, I walked into Moccasin Trail Park, just ten minutes on foot from the busy Shops at Don Mills, descending into a quieter semi-wilderness. The uncleared snow was packed down and crunchy, but any icier and those cleats would have been needed. The Moccasin trail leads to the famed DVP rainbow tunnel, recently repainted after being defaced by some unfortunate tagging last year. This landmark is a yearround joy.
Once through the tunnel, the path connects to the East Don trail, running north to Lawrence Avenue or south toward the Wynford Heights neighbourhood and the Charles Sauriol Conservation Area, a beautiful place with a dramatic wooden high-level railway bridge that feels like it belongs in Alberta rather than the middle of Toronto. Just beyond it is an artwork by Robert Sprachman called “High Water Mark” consisting of rocks engraved with different dates placed at various heights on poles to metaphorically mark the changing levels of the Don River.
Eventually, the trail here will continue south and connect to the main Don Valley trail, but continue east and follow the brand-new trail extension completed recently by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority that meanders previously difficult-to-reach ravine lands, ultimately leading to Wigmore Park near the Scarborough border. From here it’s just a few blocks to the Gatineau hydro corridor and the Meadoway for more big-sky walking and hiking.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, saying “go for a walk” does feel like a tired cliche, but if you’re hesitant or just wouldn’t think to walk in the winter, now is the time. Try posting on social media or asking friends if they’d like to go: I bet you won’t walk alone.
Helping us out is the second year of the city’s WinterTO program, with a long list of cold-weather options including over 50 outdoor ice rinks and skating trails, 26 toboggan hills, and seven loops for walking, skiing and snowshoeing at four of the municipal golf courses.
The city also says 148 wintermaintained washrooms “in key locations” will be open, but these have proven to be not as open as advertised in the past, or with extremely limited hours. If you find one that should be open but isn’t, make sure you let 311 and your councillor know that you want them open.
Throw in a few dozen fire pits, winter disc golf locations, and a number of other programs and amenities, Toronto almost seems downright Montrealish in its embrace of winter.
These are not the holidays any of us wanted, but getting outside will make them feel bigger than they are.
Throw in a few dozen fire pits, winter disc golf locations and a number of other programs and amenities, Toronto almost seems downright Montrealish in its embrace of winter. — Shawn Micallef