Explore Vaughan's green side by hiking local trails, visiting fall fair
The William Granger Greenway, The Kortright Centre for Conservation offer fine outings
yorkregion.com
April 24, 2017
By Adam Martin-Robbins
Vaughan is often viewed by some as a sea of brick, concrete and asphalt dominated by sprawling subdivisions and big box malls surrounded by acres of parking. But there’s a greenside to the city that often gets overlooked.
If you have an afternoon to explore this side, the William Granger Greenway is a great place to start.
You can pick up the limestone-screened trail from Boyd Conservation Area (8739 Islington Ave. or Bindertwine Park (299 Stegman’s Mill Rd.) in Kleinburg.
The Greenway lies along the historic Toronto Carrying Place Trail, an aboriginal trade route linking Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe and the northern Great Lakes. This was, after all, very green at one time. It was "discovered" by European Etienne Brulet who traversed the Humber Trail in 1615. The township was established in the 1850s and was lightly populated until recent years.
The Greenway meanders alongside, and occasionally crosses, the East Humber River with a connection to the grounds of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
Though largely flat, there are a few steep inclines along the route, which is ideal for hiking or biking.
The Boyd Park section mainly runs through open meadows.
At certain points, it affords up close views of the East Humber River, a feeder stream for the main Humber River.
If you’re lucky, you’ll spot redside dace - an endangered species of minnow with a characteristic red stripe along the front half of the body - leaping out of the water to catch insects.
Leaving Boyd Park, you’ll pass under the Rutherford Road bridge.
Take a few moments to enjoy the colourful murals - one of a moonrise and one of a sunset - on the abutments painted by local abstract artist Stefano Bove.
As you head north, the trail winds through meadows and forests, but there’s a long, open stretch so make sure you pack a hat and sunscreen.
Once you reach Kleinburg, the trail connects to the lush grounds of the McMichael gallery, an ideal detour.
Wandering around, you’ll encounter enormous, jaw-dropping sculptures created by Winnipeg artist Ivan Eyre.
If you have enough time, you can always check out some of the artwork housed inside the renowned gallery.
The William Granger Greenway stretches nearly eight kilometres from end-end-to-end.
A round trip hike takes three to four hours or you can bike it in less than an hour.
If you have a weekend free, plan to visit Woodbridge Fall Fair, Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 7, 8 and 9.
It's the fair's 170th anniversary. See giant pumpkins, enjoy midway rides, a car show, children’s entertainers and the cow milking contest, and much more.
Visit woodbridgefair.com.
For day two, plan on hiking or biking on the William Granger Greenway and visiting the McMichael art gallery (see above).
If you’d prefer to skip the framed art and spend more time soaking in the fall colours, The Kortright Centre for Conservation (9550 Pine Valley Drive) is the place to go.
The 555-acre conservation area boasts a diverse trail system ranging wide, flat limestone screened trails, for novices hikers, to more technical, single-track trails.
In total, there are about 16 kilometres of trails including the long and winding Perimeter Trail, the looping Marsh Trail, the more challenging Forestry Trail and the unique Power Trip Trail.
The Perimeter Trail offers some of the top highlights.
Among them is Spring Peeper Pond. Located north of the Kite Field, you can follow a boardwalk out to a lookout at the edge of the pond and soak up the tranquility.
Another notable spot is Coyote Alley, a long, shaded tunnel formed by the branches of towering trees lining both sides of the trail.
Environmentalists, and those travelling with kids, will get a charge out of the interactive, 1.6-kilometre Power Trip Trail, which is home to numerous demonstrations of how the sun and wind can be harnessed to generate power.
To find out more, visit kortright.org.
