In late 2025 the City’s Urban Forestry Division issued an updated framework for the management of designated Environmentally Significant Areas, or ESAs. The ESA designation has been a feature of the City’s planning approach for decades. With the 2017 publication of Toronto’s Ravine Strategy, additional measures were introduced to safeguard these areas, which are closely … Read more
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2:00pm to 3:00pm Meeting Point: Top of the Chorley Park switchback Join acclaimed arborist Stephen Smith for a guided walk exploring the rich variety of native plant species along the Chorley Park switchback. This free, one-hour walk offers a chance to discover the beauty and ecological benefits of local plants, uncover … Read more
On April 18th and 19th, as many as 50 members of the community headed into the Vale of Avoca to gather any trash and litter that could be found. This event coincided with the city-wide Earth Day park clean-ups that enjoy wide support from ravine and park supporters across all neighbourhoods. The Vale of Avoca … Read more
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2:00pm to 3:30pm Meeting Point: St. Clair TTC Station, Pleasant Blvd exit What to Expect Discover the hidden oasis of the Vale of Avoca Ravine in midtown Toronto. A stream runs through it! Learn about the birds, rare plants and human history of one of our city’s treasures. You’ll get a … Read more
With the rapid disappearance of the snow, we hope you have enjoyed exploring the Vale of Avoca and other local ravines as they start to come back to life. For two weekends in April, we are continuing the tradition of an end-to-end cleanup of the Vale of Avoca, aiming to remove all the litter that … Read more
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has started a project to rebuild the access route into the Vale of Avoca ravine starting at the west end of the St Clair Avenue bridge (see map). This access staircase has been closed since 2014, forcing users to access the ravine from below St. Clair at David … Read more
On February 25, City Council’s Infrastructure & Environment Committee spent part of its meeting that day discussing Toronto’s Ravine Strategy, and hearing from a number of groups that are active in ravine advocacy. Midtown Ravines Group Chair John Bossons was among the deputants to appear at the committee. The ravine discussion was agenda item IE27.7, … Read more
The Midtown Ravines Group is now in its ninth year of advocacy on behalf of ravines in the area. In our view, 2026 will be a particularly important and exciting year for the Vale of Avoca. The City is developing a master plan for the Vale of Avoca. This plan will chart a path for … Read more
The Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the City of Toronto are developing a plan to address the erosion hazards and improve ravine access and creek trails in the Vale of Avoca, including pedestrian bridges and staircases. Increased flooding in Yellow Creek has resulted in greater slope instability and the loss or deterioration of … Read more
Date: Thursday, April 9, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm EDT Where: Toronto Public Library, Deer Park Branch, 40 St Clair Ave E Nature is threatened by population growth and by the spread of invasive species such as garlic mustard and European buckthorn, often planted by enthusiastic gardeners. As land is taken up by urban … Read more
