Co-Presented with Evergreen

June 3rd–25th, 2017
at Evergreen Brick Works
550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto

Part installation, part outdoor classroom, part food sharing ceremony; Wild City is a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary project that will animate the Evergreen Brick Works as both an historic and contemporary hub of ethno- and bio-diversity.

Over the course of three weeks in June, visitors will experience interactive artworks and workshops that educate them about the wildlife and cultures native to the Don River Valley while extending Evergreen’s mission of placemaking by illuminating the 5,000 year history of the basin and connecting its stories to the diverse, urban landscape that surrounds it today.

All events are family friendly, and we encourage participants of all ages to attend.

This project is supported through Toronto Arts Council Strategic Funding.

Part of Subtle Technologies v.20: Food, Farms & Future Ecologies, May 10th–June 25th, 2017.


Click titles to see individual event pages and registration:


VISITORS: Singing Plants (Redux)
An interactive installation of plants that viewers can “play”, creating layered soundscapes of songs and chants.

COOKING-AS-INQUIRY
A series of culinary workshops where participants interact with telepresent guest chefs, artists and activists from indigenous communities around Ontario to cook dishes involving wild rice and maple syrup while learning their historical and cultural significance.

INDIGENOUS PLANTS/INDIGENOUS HISTORIES
Guided tours along the trails of the Don River Valley that will educate participants about how to identify native plants for cooking and medicine while they gain insight into the indigenous histories of the river basin through the First Story Toronto mobile app.

 



Getting to Evergreen Brick Works

Evergreen Brick Works is located at 550 Bayview Avenue in Toronto on the West bank of the Lower Don River, and can be accessed in multiple ways. In the spirit of our ecologically-focused programming, we encourage you to bike, walk or take public transit in order to reduce the environmental impact of your visit.

Public Transit

TTC service is available via the 28 Bayview South bus from Davisville subway station.

It runs from 6am–1am from Monday to Saturday and 8am–6pm on Sundays.
For more information, please see the TTC website.

Pets are permitted if they’re leashed or in a carrier. This route is wheelchair accessible.

Evergreen Shuttle Bus

The free Evergreen Brick Works shuttle bus departs every 30–45 minutes from the parkette on Erindale Ave, east of Broadview Ave (just north of Broadview subway station). The shuttle bus is wheelchair accessible.

View the daily schedule and other travel details on Evergreen’s website.

Biking

There are several ways to get to Evergreen Brick Works by bike. Download the City of Toronto trail map #6 or try our suggestions below.

Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue is accessible from Pottery Road to the north or River Street to the south. Beechwood Drive (running north from O’Connor, east of Broadview) also offers access via the Lower Don Trail and Pottery Road.

Rosedale
There is bike access via Rosedale Valley Road, which extends off Aylmer Avenue, running east from Yonge Street just south of Rosedale subway station.

Beltline Trail
The Beltline Trail is accessible from several spots, the closest being Milkman’s Run, north of Castle Frank Subway Station.

Walking

Please note: A section of the Lower Don Trail from Pottery Rd to Riverdale Park Bridge is closed for construction. Please see the Lower Don Trail website for more information.

Milkman’s Run
From the Bloor–Danforth Subway and South Rosedale.
25 to 30 minutes, with a relatively gradual descent into the valley.

Directions

  • From Castle Frank Subway Station, follow Castle Frank Road north, past Hawthorne Gardens.
  • Head west on Elm Avenue to South Drive. Head north, past the entrance to Cragleigh gardens. The entrance to the Milkman’s Run trail is on the right.
  • Follow the trail downhill to the Beltline Trail. Continue east, following the signs for Moore Park Ravine, all the way to Evergreen Brick Works.

Chorley Park
From the Yonge Subway Line and North Rosedale

Directions

  • From Rosedale Station, take the 82 Rosedale bus to Chorley Park, which is on Douglas Drive.
  • Walk east across the park to where the black fence ends and the trail begins. Follow the paved trail to the right and take the stairs down the slope.
  • At the bottom of the stairs, continue following the paved trail, taking the lower branch where it forks. There will be a path to your right near the end of the pavement, which joins up with the main trail.
  • Take the Beltline Trail south to the entrance to Evergreen Brick Works.

Trail Maps

From the Downtown Core including St. Jamestown and Regent Park
From the North and East including Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park

Driving

For your convenience, we have three parking lots on-site, managed by TargetPark Inc.
Paid parking is in effect 7 days a week.

Parking is not permitted on Bayview Avenue. Parking on Bayview is very unsafe, and is signed “No Parking.” City staff are obligated to issue parking tickets in this area.

If you must come by car, please consider reducing the environmental impact by sharing your ride.

From Downtown
It is easiest to access Bayview Avenue from River Street, which runs north from King Street and joins Bayview just north of Gerrard Street.

From the Don Valley Parkway
Take the exit for Bloor Street/Bayview Avenue and head north on Bayview for 300 metres until you come to Evergreen Brick Works.

From East York
The easiest way to approach Bayview Avenue from the east is via Pottery Road, which runs between Broadview Avenue (north of Bloor) and Bayview Avenue. Travel 700 metres south on Bayview until you come to Evergreen Brick Works on your right.