ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

We asked readers: “How has walking changed your life?â€� Dozens wrote in. Most shared stories rooted in this city — from friendships forged on daily loops through High Park to one person’s mission to walk every public road in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½. One response came from Newfoundland, a reminder that the rhythms and rewards of walking resonate far beyond ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½â€™s streets.

For many, walking isn’t just how they get from point A to B. It’s how they find calm, build community and rediscover the city, one step at a time.

Here are three stories they shared.

Night walks and quiet streets

When Brendan Flattery, 42, and his partner, Tara, first met as students at Western University, they bonded over long, meandering walks — often late at night, when the streets were quiet and they could talk freely. That ritual has continued into their marriage. Now living in Scarborough, the couple still walks with no particular destination.

ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ is a special place to walk, Flattery says, because of its endless diversity and charm. “There’s just so many stories. There’s so many different pathways for people to come into this city and connect and bond.â€�

In his letter to the Star, Flattery writes that as a child, walking helped him manage overwhelming emotions like anxiety and panic — something his dad encouraged. “My dad saw this and realized I didn’t know how to handle it, and so he recommended taking walks to think things through or distract myself enough to let those feelings resolve themselves,� he writes. It’s still a grounding force for him, whether it’s getting groceries in deep snow or pacing through grief.

After the death of his uncle, a courier and street photographer, Flattery began retracing his footsteps, exploring hidden corners of the city and learning to photograph them himself. “Since his passing I have felt inspired to follow in his footsteps, quite literally at times, to find interesting angles of buildings, or vistas I’ve not seen before,� he writes. What started as a personal ritual has become the focus of his Instagram account, a way to see the city anew and share that love with others.

Along the lake’s edge

Dianne Broad likes to hug the lake, and she doesn’t even have to go in the water to do it.

That’s what the 60-year-old retired editor calls her long-distance walking routes from her home in the Beaches to Harbourfront and beyond.

“I just love ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½,â€� she tells the Star. “I can’t get over how many people are out enjoying the weather, enjoying what the city has to offer.â€�

She takes walking more seriously than most; she’s walked the New York City and Chicago marathons, and has also completed half-marathons by walking in London and across the Great Wall of China.

Still, she isn’t too rigid when she walks, chatting with friends on walks and engaging in deep, meaningful conversation.

“You’re just side-by-side, pacing, and lots of secrets are shared, problems are solved,� she says.

This year, she’s set the goal of walking 2,025 kilometres for an average of five and a half kilometres every day. It’ll be tough, she acknowledges, but it’s a worthwhile goal for someone who values time spent on foot.

“It’s a doable goal,� she says confidently. “It’s a fun little challenge to just have in the back of your mind.�

Walking through lockdown

For a fast-talking, enthusiastic extrovert like Leah Paranavitana from St. John’s, being forced to stay inside during the pandemic felt suffocating.

“I’m the type of person, if I’m getting gas, I go in and I get the gas so I can talk to the person at the cash,� she told the Star.

But the pandemic gave the then-Memorial University of Newfoundland student a reason to get outside. She’d just bought a FitBit a few months earlier and was intent on staying active during a stressful, unprecedented time.

“It was relief and then gratefulness because I was suddenly in fresh air and not being forced to be inside,� Paranavitana, 27, said.

Accompanied by bright, bubbly pop music — namely the stylings of Stratford’s own Justin Bieber — she started walking nearly every day, a tradition that has continued as she’s begun her career as a teacher in St. John’s. Now, she takes her students on walks after they’ve finished their work, which allows her to get to know them on a deeper, more personal level outside the classroom.

“You don’t really get to always have those conversations if you’re not in a situation where they can happen,� she said.

Even after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 two years later, walking outdoors served as an important way of healing once her isolation ended.