Urban life

 

Last week I had a great reminder of why I live in Toronto. I was working with a group of women, one of whom had never been to Toronto until last week. She lives near Winnipeg, Manitoba and had never travelled to eastern Canada. She was excited and overwhelmed by the city – that so many people lived here, that there were so many buildings and how big they are, and surprisingly, that the city has a lot of parks, trees and green spaces. Her comments made me look at my city with her eyes.

Although many of us regularly complaing about the loss of green spaces, we do have a lot of green outside our windows in downtown Toronto. From my balcony I can see the trees and gardens that surround my building. I can also see the park beside my building, a dog park that regularly has dogs chasing one another back and forth, no matter what time of day. I live a block from Allen Gardens, a park that has been slowly reclaimed to provide a green space for kids and dogs, families and individuals, and is no longer a garbage-ridden, scary place. The greenhouses anchor the centre, with walking paths all the way around.

I walk through the park regularly, when I’m heading south to Queen or King St. It reminds me of walking to school as a child, walking under the trees, past the flower beds and near a playground. I gaze longingly at the swings, still a favourite of mine. I can hear the dogs in the off-leash area, barking with excitement at new dogs and conversing with old friends. I glance at the older men, who sit on the benches, sharing their stories of daily life. As the weather grows warmer, there’s always someone asleep on the grass, lying with their arm over their eyes, grateful for the quiet and the warmth of the sun.

I was reminded that the city is my home and I’m proud of it. I’m glad when someone new discovers that the big city is big, but still has all the things of any other place – people enjoying being in their environment. And that despite the ongoing battle of everyone in Canada vs Toronto, one more person discovered the reality.

photo: flowers on my concrete balcony, May 2008 by WH

header photo: planet earth seen from the airplane, May 2008 by WH

~ by gonetoswan on May 12, 2008.