One of our very favorite annual community events is back this weekend. Jane’s Walks are volunteer-led free walking tours named after and inspired by Toronto local and community activist Jane Jacobs. With Jane’s Walks, there are few rules. Participate by showing up at the scheduled start time and place, and walk, listen, contribute and learn. Each walk is different, and they tend to get better with community involvement.
Jane’s Walks will take place on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd. There are walks all across Toronto, Canada and the world. We will focus on the walks in the Ossington and Dundas area.
- Hidden in Plain Sight on Dundas West: Led by Alec Keefer, who is an architect, social historian, and veteran walk leader, this should be a very informative walk mixing history, architecture and current use. Sunday, May 3 at 2pm.
- The Urban Legends of West Queen West: This 2 hour walk, led by Daniel Rotsztain, tours the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood and beyond. The tour should be interesting just based on Rotsztain’s website and his enthusiasm for the stories within and about Toronto neighbourhoods. Sunday, May 3 at 2:30pm.
- Anatomy of a Street Festival, Year 3: This 90 minute walk, led by Dundas West BIA coordinator and Dundas West Fest organizer Helder Ramos, is one we can endorse because we took it last year. Ramos takes you on a leisurely stroll along Dundas, telling stories about the locals, businesses and community groups, while getting you excited about the upcoming Dundas West Fest, one of Toronto’s newest, and most fun, street festivals. Sunday, May 3 at 11:30am.
- Neighbourhood Transformation Through Adaptive Reuse: Led byMichelle Xuereb, a Senior Associate and Sustainability Strategist at Quadrangle Architects. With the abundance of adapted factories and warehouses being converted in the King and Queen West and Liberty Village neighbourhood, this walk will spark conversation about the changes being made and how they are impacting communities. Saturday, May 2 at 1PM.
- City By Heart: Lifestyle, History & Culture in West Queen West, Lower Ossington and Trinity Bellwoods Park: Blogger Michelle Pinchev plans to lead a tour of cultural landmarks and community hubs, focusing on food and lifestyle in a great part of town! Sunday, May 3 at 10am.
The Jane’s Walks website is constantly being updated so there may be more local ones after we post. Another way to stay updated is via the official Twitter feeds: @janeswalk and the Toronto one: @JanesWalkTO. Our other advice: wear comfortable shoes, dress for the weather, and participate. Happy walking!
