Welcome to My Neighbourhood

Hello Everyone and welcome to a ‘new’ blog about our Guildwood Village Scarborough suburb of the great city of Toronto!

I’m going to tell you a bit about where we are and what’s so special about our little corner of Toronto!

Then you can decide if you’d like to come here and see it all for yourself!

So lets get started!

We are literally on top of a big cliff of sand and clay (called the Bluffs by locals) on the north shore of Lake Ontario! Just twenty miles across the water from us is the uniquely famous (or infamous as some would have it) United States……On a clear day, when you stand on the Scarborough Bluffs just a block from our house, you can see the southern shore of the Lake …..but just barely! Mostly you see lots of rolling waves, wind and whitecaps, and the occasional ship in the distance (on the shipping route through the great lakes here).

The BEST thing here is the hiking and biking trail just at the bottom of the Bluffs which is accessible from the parking lot at the south end of Galloway Road, or the path from the local historical “Guild Inn Estate and Gardens “ park and sculpture garden.

Surrounding the Guild Inn Estate, the Guild Park grounds consist of 88 acres of Carolinian Forest with hiking/biking trails, formal flower gardens and a lovely outdoor Greek theatre behind the Inn. Best of all, are the lovely historical stone carvings and monuments (surrounding the Inn on all sides) which were lovingly collected for years by the former owners of the Guild Inn of All Arts Rosa and Spencer Clarke. For a wonderful book on the subject see “The History of Guild Inn” by Carol M. Lidgold.

There are guided tours in summer lead by volunteers of the Friends of Guild Park and the City of Toronto, explaining the meaning and history of the stone sculpture collection. At least one outstanding Play is being performed usually in July and August. So the place to be if you are a theatre goer is a matinee or evening performance in our very own open air GreekTheatre in the Park. We’ll try to get some photos up for you to visualize these lovely recreational spaces better!

By the way, you can also walk your fur babies in the park on the waterfront, and go swimming if you DARE …..but be warned Lake Ontario is cold even in summer, and the Beaches Community would be a better option for that since it’s monitored daily for water quality. (Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood is just a few miles west of us and south on Queen Street East at Woodbine Avenue)

We’ve been living in the Guildwood village community going on 20 years now and its still “the best kept secret forest and waterfront locale”, having that small town character even though we are only 30 minutes away By Go Train from the Downtown Toronto Entertainment District and the famous CN Tower.

From our house you can walk to the Guildwood Go and Via Rail Train station in about 15 minutes. Its ideal if you want to be in a treed and leafy community that’s quiet at night for sleeping but just a short train ride to the centre core of all things Toronto.

You can also take the TTC bus Morningside 116 a few steps from our house to the Kennedy Subway line. From there you can exit at any station on the subway line transfer to connecting bus lines to anywhere in our fair city.

Community Events happening Now

You can also take part in the local village events like the Candy Cane Hunt and Food Drive coming up soon! It will be on December 8 at the Guild Park and Gardens, 201 Guildwood Parkway from 1 to 3 pm. Bundle up for the weather if you can and come out for some fresh air, exercise and holiday cheer with the kids or fur babies!

Annual Guild Park Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 15, 7 to 8:00 pm.

Admission is free for all so bring your singing voice and your own mug for the free hot chocolate or hot apple cider! We’re meeting at the Gazebo of the Guild Inn Estates.

Carol singing will be led again this year by members of the group Scarborough Uke Jam and donations to the canned food drive will be accepted by the volunteers of the Friends of Guild Park. You can visit the website of the Friends of Guild Park to learn more about the Park History and the current events being undertaken by their volunteers. You can also become a member/ Friend of Guild Park there.

2nd Annual New Year’s Eve Gala: Monday, December 31st 2018. Masquerade theme!

It’s going to be a full sit down dinner, live Band and open Bar at the spectacular Guild Inn Estate in the heart of Guildwood Village. Tickets are $125. per person (but may already be sold out).

For more information visit the GVCA (Guildwood Village Community Association) website at: www.guildwood.on.ca And don’t forget the Mask!

Important Upcoming Developments to Keep in Mind

Clark Centre for the Arts: Renovation/Build and Public Opening

Three unused buildings in Guild Park will be converted into an Arts Centre by 2020 and will be home to art galleries, studios, and space “for year round use by artists and the public.” The city of Toronto’s cultural team has been busy making plans for cultural investment and upgrades to the Park and grounds to support the increasing visitors.

For more details please see the newsletter “ Guildwood Village News and Views” which is the official publication of the Guildwood Village Community Association. Copies are available at our house in the front hall.

Finally, just to “toot our own Horn” a bit :

The Guild Park was mentioned in Conde Nast Traveller magazine this past summer, in its article “16 Best Things to Do in Toronto”. According the the Guildwood Village News and Views, each year we welcome over 10,000 visitors to the Park’s volunteer organized events.

So come on over and see it all for yourself! We’d love to Host you here!

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