Leslie Lookout Park

I have had a crush on Claude Cormier ever since I visited Berczy Park and stumbled upon his whimsical dog fountain. What a clever idea he had: to construct parks that were more than just grass and trees; to make them a go-to destination.

Cormier died in 2023 from a rare genetic condition, at the young age of 63. What a loss for the environment and for the cities that benefitted from his genius. I was eager to visit this newest Toronto creation, Leslie Lookout Park, officially opened by Mayor Olivia Chow on September 14th of this year. The media reporting was full of praise for this park, crafted from a small piece of land near the Leslie Street Spit and the Portlands. Peter and I made our way there last Friday.

As usual, we took public transit – a subway and a bus – and then walked half a kilometer. And there, almost hidden between a huge postal station and a construction lot full of sand hills, was a tiny bit of magic. The park makes itself known through its lookout tower. No, this is not the CN Tower. But visitors can walk up the staircase to the second level and view the CN tower in the distance.

The beach, similar to Sugar Beach, (another Cormier creation), hosts about 25 Muskoka chairs looking out over Toronto’s Ship Channel. The sunsets are reported to be beautiful from this angle. The rest of the park is composed of small hills suitable for kids to roll down, and an area of porous asphalt which collects and disperses rain water. There are bike stands and water fountains. The entire park is planted with more than 5000 different kinds of greenery, including a mini-forest of bonsai.

After Peter and I had explored every inch of this clever creation, we still had some time so we wondered south the the entrance of Tommy Thompson Park. This park is a lot different from the Cormier design. It’s Vast. And Wild. Here the flowers, grasses and animals run free. In fact, there is a huge sign at the entrance, warning visitors not to bring dogs, not even on a leash. Wildlife is King.

We walked along for a while until we came to a sign indicating that the park continues for 10 kilometers. No wonder we had seen so many bike riders! A friend told us that, had we continued walking a bit farther, we would have come across public restrooms with ideal bird-nesting opportunities under the eaves. The restrooms are built according to current “green” standards, and the birds show off their flying skills there – much better for the environment than the Air Show.

Then it was time to go home. We walked back to the bus stop, past Leslie Lookout Park, grateful to have seen Claude Cormier’s final Toronto creation.

Sue

This dedication can be found on the inside of the lookout tower