The Brickworks, Toronto, Ontario

Is it possible to beautify and repurpose an old industrial space?  Evergreen, a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing nature back into Canadian towns and cities thinks that it is. 

Just take a look at their Brickworks project in Toronto's Don Valley.

Archival photo from Evergeen.ca

Four hundred million years ago, the Don Valley in Toronto was a tropical sea. A thousand years ago it was at the mouth of a glacial river. Then 12,500 years ago the glacier melted and retreated north.

In more modern times, the Don Valley was the site of three paper mills and the Don Valley Brickworks. At its peak, more than 43 million bricks were manufactured at the Brickworks.

In 1904, a major fire destroyed much of the Toronto's downtown core and new by-laws were passed requiring masonry construction for all new buildings. The Don Valley Brickworks, which produced a wide variety of bricks and other kiln-fired clay products, supplied much of the materials for the rebuilding of the downtown, as well as the materials for many major structures including Massey Hall and Casa Loma.

In 1984, the Brickwork's factory closed its doors and then in 1986, the land was expropriated by the City of Toronto and the Regional Conservation authority. The site's quarry was restored as a park and natural area. The environmental group, Evergreen focused on the site's historic buildings, revitalizing them through a process they refer to as "adaptive re-use."

The Brickworks is now a 40 acre green space and is a wonderful place to spend a fall afternoon. On the afternoon of our visit, we were lucky enough to see wild ducks among the bull rushes in the ponds and turtles sunning themselves on the shore. 

Evergreen's Brickworks is open year round. On Saturdays, there is a Farmers Market , as well as DYI Workshops. There is also a retail garden center dedicated to helping Torontonians bring nature back into their backyard or balcony.

To find out more about Evergreen and their many other green projects visit their website: www.Evergreen.ca.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Learning Garden at Lancaster School, Mississauga, Ontario

The sunflowers planted by the kindergarden students at Lancaster Public School in Mississauga.

What was your schoolyard like when you were a child? So often in the past, most urban schoolyards were little more than a windswept, treeless expanse of rock hard concrete and asphalt, with maybe a little turf grass surrounded by a chain link fence.

Traditionally, we tend to think of schoolyards as a place for play, physical activity and socialization. The all important "learning" took place in the classroom. Perhaps that is why so little thought was usually given to the design of school yards. 

Enter Evergreen, an innovative, not-for profit organization dedicated to facilitating sustainable greening projects in schoolyards, parks and communities across Canada. Evergreen believes that, "by planting trees, shrubs and wildflowers, creating meadows and butterfly gardens on school grounds, learning opportunities literally come alive." 

Working in partnership with selected elementary and secondary schools, they have devised a program which involves the building of a Learning Garden, "a place where children can play, learn and develop a genuine respect for nature."

Now at recess time, the students at Lancaster Public School in Mississauga can roam freely through the Learning Garden they themselves designed, built and planted. The overall garden consists of several themed planting areas including a bird sanctuary, a canoe forest, and a vegetable garden. 

Take a look at what these kids have created:

Top: A view of the school from the Learning Garden at Lancaster School. Bottom images: Yellow daisies in the front garden (left) and a sunflower about to open (right).

The garden attracts butterflies, bees and birds to the school yard. In fact, Ms. Lavigne, the school's office manager, told us that one morning, a little girl came into the office to report that a "bird" had bitten her at recess. Ms. Lavigne thought this odd. Native birds don't usually "bite"! 

When the next day, a young boy came into the office with the very same story, she determined that she had better head out into the garden and check things out. What she discovered, amongst the native grasses and wildflowers, was a duck who had built a nest in the garden. The duck was simply acting to protect its young family. 

Wild asters (top and right) attract bees and butterflies. Seed-heads and wild grasses draws native birds to Bird Sanctuary.

In the vegetable garden, tomatoes the students planted ripen on the vine.

The teachers also use the garden throughout the school day as part of the regular class instructional time. They teach natural science lessons, plant flowers and vegetables, tend the garden and sit with the children on the garden's circle of stones for story time. 

A pretty nasturtium from the vegetable garden.

Now that fall has come to the Learning Garden, birds and squirrels will delight to discover seeds in the nodding sunflowers planted the kindergarden classes. In the coming winter, the garden's tress, shrubs and tall grasses will provide valuable sanctuary for native wildlife from the harsh winter winds.

To learn more Evergreen and their many greening projects in communities across Canada, visit their website at www.evergreen.ca