Colonel Samuel Smith Park is an

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

in the

Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west end, Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River (Ontario), Humber River, on the ...

district of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada and a former weekend get-away destination for Victorian Torontonians. The park has a variety of attractions, including a children's

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...

located only steps from

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

. The park is named for Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith and lands were part of his property in the 1800s. The park was developed from the 1970s onwards and opened in 1996. A scenic hiking

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

Colonel Samuel Smith Park
at Virtual tour of Toronto's waterfront, City of Toronto along a peninsula on Lake Ontario provides access to the waterfront, and to several rocky beaches with views of the lake or for birdwatching. A nearby

yacht club A yacht club is a boat club specifically related to yachting. Description Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mar ...

provides opportunities for boat watching. The park offers a panoramic view of the city, with the iconic

CN Tower The CN Tower () is a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1976, it is located in downtown Toronto, built on the former Railway Lands. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway co ...

visible on a clear day, as well as prime fishing spots and other outdoor activities. Throughout the park are

observation deck An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from we ...

s, from which visitors may spot wildlife engaged in various activities, such as turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, groups of baby ducks and swans, beaver dams and even the beavers themselves. Over one hundred bird species nest in the area. There are picnic areas along the trail and on the beaches, as well as a sheltered area with tables for group gatherings on the south side of the

Humber College The Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, rebranded as Humber Polytechnic since 2024, is a public Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has three mai ...

campus adjacent to the cricket pitch. The park offers playground area with double slide and swing set a short walk from the picnic shelter. Colonel Samuel Smith Park also organizes several special events in the summer, which are famous with the locals and attract visitor from near and far. The Brass in the Grass is a Lakeshore summer tradition with jazz and blues bands playing all weekend well into the night, special attractions and activities for the kids, food stands and more. A number of traveling fairs and amusement parks stop by Samuel Smith during the summer as well, especially on the long weekends. Children and parents flock from the entire southern

for the rides, roller-coasters, carnival games, cotton candy and face painting. Parking is available on the bottom of Kipling Avenue, along Lake Shore Blvd. or on the numerous side streets in the area (some fees may apply).

References

External links

Sam Smith Park
at Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront {{Parks and squares in Toronto 1996 establishments in Ontario Etobicoke Parks in Toronto Protected areas established in 1996