Was a melting city hockey rink, too wet for any skates
A net sat there waiting, for the next puck to come through
Oh, won't you stay
Walk around or play
There are benches to examine
(apologies to Joni Mitchell)
Swansea was one of the smallest of the municipalities folded into Metropolitan Toronto back in 1954 and was annexed with Forest Hill into the old city of Toronto in 1967. Bounded by Bloor, the Humber River, Lake Ontario and High Park, Swansea is primarily residential with most retail lying along its northern edge (the Bloor West Village strip). Cue a late March stroll through the former village.
On the way out of Rennie Park rink, we noticed a high treehouse. We meandered around the neighbourhood, walking up dead-end courts with views of the homes and Humber River below.
Over in nearly-abandoned Swansea Plaza we discovered the loneliest novelty vending machine on this side of town in a former Shoppers Drug Mart, (
which I wrote about on Torontoist. Located on a side street north of The Queensway, Swansea Plaza is one of the city's hidden shopping centres and is on its way to becoming a condo site. Shoppers, Valu-Mart and CIBC have pulled out of the plaza, leaving a restaurant and convenience store.
Though this candidate didn't win a seat on city council on 2006, his sign was not a wasted investment as it still stands above the homey campaign office.
From the plaza we headed up Riverside Drive, which rises high above the Humber. Around its peak was a parkette with a plaque dedicated to one-time resident
Lucy Maud Montgomery. No pig-tailed redheads were observed that night.
All photos taken March 27, 2008.
Full set on Flickr.
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