ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ is best experienced by walking. The street life of our neighbourhoods, our hidden ravines, the small notes of history that have survived our constant urban renewal … what we love most about our city is best seen up close and at a leisurely pace. It’s no wonder, then, that ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ is home to dozens of groups, volunteers and professionals dedicated to the art of urban walking, from historians and nature lovers to architects, athletes and more. We asked a select group of these walking experts — ,Ìý, the , the City of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, and “Stroll†author Shawn Micallef, to share their favourite ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ walks. Here’s the third walk on our guide to some of the best walks in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, as selected by the experts.
Along the Front
Type: History and architecture
Location: DowntownÂ
Distance: 1 km
From: ROMWalks
A perfect place to be a tourist in your hometown: One of the original streets of the Town of York, Front Street is ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½â€™s oldest east-west thoroughfare, and runs past key attractions and landmarks in the heart of the city. Explore Front’s history on this route, which is featured in the “Along the Front†ROMWalks tour.
In 1980, Canadian artist Derek Besant created this mural as one of the first public art works commissioned by the city of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
A bit further west is the Hockey Hall of Fame, a classic structure built for the Bank of Montreal in the 1880s before closing in 1982. It was later restored to honour the best game you can name. Nearby, find Brookfield Place and the soaring Allen Lambert Galleria, a six-storey glass and steel atrium with vaulted ceilings designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
If you like to walk around ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ here are a few recommendations of where you should take your next stroll.
Kelsey Wilson
As you move from Front Street East to West, make your final stop at Union Station and its Great Hall, one of the largest such halls in Canada. Built in 1927, the station now mixes the old and the new after undergoing a major revitalization completed in July 2021. In the age of railways, this was a key gateway for arriving immigrants. Today, the city says more than 300,000 travellers use it every day — a perfect place for people-watching at the end of your stroll.
First started in the 1980s as an outreach effort by the Royal Ontario Museum, ROMWalks, run by volunteer guides, features dozens of walks exploring the city; many are free, while others require a $10 fee. To join a free ROMWalk, simply go to the walk’s starting point on a given day and time and look for the ROM umbrella.
Asma Sahebzada is a ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½-based general assignment reporter
for the Star. Reach her via email: asahebzada@thestar.ca
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