LESLIE STREET SPIT

Originally built in the 50's to provide a breakwater for Toronto's outer harbour, the Leslie Street Spit soon became a dumping ground for the rubble produced by a growing city.  Over the years nature has set root in among the debris, creating a unique wilderness home to over 400 plant species and visited by over 300 bird species.  The land has avoided being developed thanks in part to the Friends of the Spit, an organization founded in 1977 determined to maintain the space as parkland.  The Toronto Port Authority continues to oversea the dumping of construction waste, a practice that will continue until the 2  remaining embayments are filled (about 50 years capacity) at which time the entire peninsula will be made into parkland.  

This civic holiday, seeking a mini getaway in our own city and avoiding the crazy line up at the docks for Toronto island, my husband lead us here on a bicycle adventure.  We walked the beach compiling collections, watched the sailboats, napped under trees, and, feeling inspired by the rubble beach, created the sculpture featured above.  Afie made the wreath from red osier dogwood and some kind of willow (creeping arctic maybe).  On our way home we, of course, made a stop at T&T to check out their snack options.

You can visit the spit on weekends and statutory holidays from 9-6 in the summer and 9-4:30 in the winter.