The Midtown Ravines Group continues to engage with the community on the future of the Vale of Avoca. Thank you to everyone who has shared their views with us. In our last newsletter we provided a survey looking at why people visit the ravine and asking for comments on a draft community vision statement for the Vale.
Why visit the ravine?
Reason #1: Enjoying nature
Reason #2: Getting some exercise
Reason #3: Going somewhere
The two leading reasons for going into the ravine were enjoying nature and getting some exercise. Most respondents linked the two, which makes sense: what could be better than enjoying nature while getting exercise (or vice versa)? The next leading reason for using the ravine routes was to go somewhere. This is despite the poor condition of many of the Avoca trails and the complete absence of signage. With improvements, perhaps even more people would use the ravine to get somewhere, since they could also enjoy nature while getting some exercise – a real trifecta!
Other responses you provided
Other survey responses related to joining activities or spending time with others. These were slightly less frequent responses, which perhaps suggests an opportunity for future park design to enable use of the ravine for social and other activities. Given the environmentally protected status of the ravine, its range of uses will likely be narrower than for regular City parks but may still warrant further discussion.
An obvious avenue to explore would be expanded use of the ravine for educational activities, focusing on the ravine ecosystem and habitats, possibly using citizen-science tools like iNaturalist and eBird, and determining whether some locations in the ravine might serve well as meeting areas.
Two primary goals for future plans
Community feedback highlighted two primary goals of equal importance for future ravine plans: (1) protection of biodiversity and ecosystems and (2) public access for mental/physical health. Ravine connections, climate resilience, and protecting the ravine’s character are perhaps viewed as ancillary to the two goals that were given the most emphasis in survey responses.
The conversation has just begun
There are many open issues for further discussions among stakeholders with an interest in the future of the Vale. Some that have been suggested include:
- What is distinctive about the Vale of Avoca and how should this distinctiveness be reflected in plans for the area?
- How can park amenities be upgraded while preserving the natural environment setting?
- What basic, low-impact measures will provide the most value in creating an accessible natural area?
Stay tuned for notices of upcoming opportunities to help shape the vision and guiding principles for the Vale of Avoca master plan.
What’s your favorite season?
In one of our surveys, we asked for your favourite season for visiting the Vale. The results are in! People enjoy the Vale more and more as the year goes on. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the effects of ice and snow on the steep access routes in and out of the ravine, the least favourite season for visiting the Vale is winter. Visitors indicated increasing enjoyment of the ravine as the seasons progressed through spring and summer into the fall, which was the clear favourite as the leaves change colour. Sitting in mid-July, no doubt we’re all looking forward to the crisp fall air and changing leaf colours that make the Vale so magical in the autumn. In fairness, “all of the above” was a very popular season preference as well, so some of us even appreciate the Vale in the deep mid-winter.
It’s not too late to have your say!
It is a particularly useful time to gather additional views from community members and other stakeholders. The comments and ideas that we collect will be shared directly with the working group guiding the master planning process. Please take a few minutes to complete this Vale of Avoca Community Survey / July 2026. It may take only a few minutes, and you can provide your response anonymously or include your name. Either way, we value your opinions! In addition to surveys like this, we are currently working on plans for additional public consultations in collaboration with other with working group members over the next few months.