Morningside Park is a recreational nature park located in Scarborough,

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 Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is Toronto's largest municipal park by area.

Description

The park occupies most of the deep valley of Highland Creek where it borders the communities of West Hill and Highland Creek. Spanning , the park includes picnic areas, public washrooms, parking and footpaths which connect to nearby communities and the Waterfront Trail on

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 bounded by Morningside Avenue on the east, Ellesmere Road on the north and Lawrence Avenue East to the south. Together with the University of Toronto Scarborough lands east of Morningside Avenue and Colonel Danforth Park, the park is part of a continuous forested corridor along the lower reaches of Highland Creek. The park features a high degree of urban wilderness compared to other parks in Toronto, with deer, eroded cliffs and a remnant forest.

History

The valley of Highland Creek was at one point a settlement. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a shortage in housing resulted in many new residences being built from cottages. However, an increase in settlers was becoming problematic as contaminated wells, evictions, and home demolition were contentious issues in the post-war period. Living conditions were further complicated by the steep slopes and flat floodplain of the Highland Creek further in the area as residents and their cottages were regularly threatened by flash flooding. In 1954, severe damage from Hurricane Hazel led to the removal of housing in the area. Public ownership of floodplain land was established to prevent further development. The area eventually turned into parklands and wildlife was restored. Over 5,000 White Pine trees were planted in Morningside Park by the Boy Scouts of Canada in 1994.

References

External links

*
A Walk on the Wild Side of Morningside Park
at Curran Hall Community Association {{Parks and squares in Toronto Parks in Toronto Scarborough, Ontario