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While living healthy and improving the environment may seem like daunting tasks, both are actually a walk in the park. Ontario Walks 2007 aims to get Torontonians on their feet, giving midtown residents a chance to enjoy some of the city's best greenery with a pair of walks to the Don Valley Brickworks later this month. The program is the brainchild of Forest Hill resident Tom Fiore, who first started what was then known as the Toronto Trails Festival six years ago when he noticed how much walking regularly benefited him. As part of the baby boomer demographic, Fiore wanted to ensure that he stayed fit and healthy. "The more I did it, the more I realized that I was feeling great," he said. "By the time I'd get home from my walk before work, the best part of my day was already done." The first Toronto Trails Festival proved that residents had a keen interest not only in finding ways to keep physically fit, but also to experience some of Toronto's green space. More than 150 people showed up to the inaugural event and walked together through Cedarvale Ravine, far exceeding Fiore's then-modest expectations. "At the end, everyone said, 'That's great, Tom. Where are we doing it next week?'" he said. "I thought, oh, what have I gotten myself into here?" While the walks are still not exactly weekly, the program has definitely expanded. After five years in Toronto where the number of walks doubled each year, the festival went provincial this year. In addition to local events, walks are scheduled for Ottawa, London, Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie. There are also specialty strolls such as yoga walks, where participants will stop sporadically and do yoga to realign their bodies. In addition to the obvious health benefits, Ontario Walks offers other perks as well, including greater awareness of the environment as participants familiarize themselves with the city's green space. "People care about the environment because they're out in it," Fiore said. "It really helps people appreciate some of the great green spaces we have in this city." There are also ongoing health benefits as an increasingly sedentary population takes more control over their personal wellness and health habits. Once people get a taste of walking, they are far more likely to make it a routine, and being active also often spills over into good eating habits. The Toronto Trails Festival has benefited greatly from support from high-profile locals. Mayor David Miller has been an ardent supporter of the program since day one, as have many other local councillors and politicos. The upcoming walks to the Brickworks will be led by Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne and public school board trustee Josh Matlow (St. Paul's). "People are buying into this because they see it's good," Fiore said. "It's the kind of thing where it's not in a gym, you don't pay money, it's just regular people putting on their shoes and saying, I'm going to do this." Fiore added that walking to the scenic Brickworks only adds to the event's appeal. "You go through Rosedale, past the Chestnut Park mansions, through the ravines and end up in Shangri-La," he said. Matlow said the event fits well with the Toronto District School Board's eco-schools program and with Walking Wednesdays, when parents are encouraged to leave their cars at home and walk their kids to school. He added that because the walks are localized, they also foster a sense of community. "People meet neighbours from their own street that they've never met before," the trustee said. "After that, they hopefully look out for each other a little more." Matlow said that by exposing people to the city's dwindling green space, the walks also push people toward wanting to preserving what little nature remains in Toronto. "If you don't know what you have, you won't work to protect it, but if you walk through the ravines more, you learn to appreciate them more," he said. The walks will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 29. The walk led by Smitherman and Matlow will depart from Starbucks at 1084 Yonge Street while Wynne's walk will depart from the northeast corner of Bayview and Moore avenues. Both walks will converge at the Brickworks before returning to their respective starting points. For more information or to register for the free walks, visit www.ontariowalks.com. © 2007 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing |
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