Archived Article: Colonel Samuel Smith Park

COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK

In 1793, Colonel Samuel Bois Smith of Queen's Rangers was granted 1680 hectares of Crown land by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. The land extended from Lake Ontario to Bloor Street and from Kipling Avenue to Etobicoke Creek. Colonel Smith was one of Etobicoke's first settlers and played a role in the public administration of Upper Canada.

Except for a mill built about 1820 and a trail which crossed through the property roughly following today's Lake Shore Boulevard West, Col. Samuel's large estate remained undeveloped, impeding local settlement and east-west transportation during the colony's early years. The south eastern most portion of his land is now part of this waterfront park.

The park includes lands associated with the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital which was established and operated by the province from 1888 to 1979. The former hospital farms and gardens are now a significant public greenspace and heritage resource.

An additional 21.5 ha landfill area created by the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (M.T.R.C.A.) brings the park to its present size of 78,756 hectares. Naturalization and habitat restoration projects have been undertaken including the creation of a wetland and Carolinian tree and shrub plantings.

The area was known to support small population of smallmouth and largemouth bass and was an important migratory stopover for waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. Significant opportunities were identified to enhance habitats for fish, resident and migrating bird species, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals.

In 1993 the Waterfront Trail through Col. Samuel Smith Park was completed and a 3.6 ha wetland creation project was initiated. The wetland was expanded to include a second complex adjacent to the boat basin. The two areas were connected in 1995 by a wet meadow. Another wetland complex was created in 1996 along the south shore of the bat basin. Habitat improvements have included mud flats, seasonal flooded areas, underwater and shoreline fish habitat, turtle nesting and basking locations, snake hibernating areas and amphibian ponds.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park is located at the foot of Kipling Avenue at Lake Shore Boulevard West. Public transit includes the Kipling South 44 bus and the Queen Street 501 streetcar. Vehicles should enter the park at the Lake Shore Boulevard/Kipling Avenue entrance. Pedestrians and cyclists can also enter the park along the Waterfront Trail at Lake Promenade to the west or the Lake Shore Drive to the east.