John Howard’s original donation of 165 acres of land for High Park has been extended to 399 acres by the City, however, areas designated Park Land by The City of Toronto are only 33% of the current High Park and are all within his original gift….

Preservation of the forested areas of the park, 60% of the property, is protected by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and cannot be utilized for any other purpose. 

The remaining 33% is designated Park Land (Howards Gift) contains all the roadways originally designed by John Howard for carriages which provided accessibility for all citizens…This 33% contains all the much loved and in prior years very much visited facilities that High Park offered for recreation, healthy living and general enjoyment. The area contains The Nature Centre, High Park Zoo, Dream in the Park, Childrens Garden, Colborne Lodge, Grenadier Café, Labyrinth,  the  Accessible Playground with Splash Pad, Tennis Courts, Swimming Pool, Sports Fields, Ice Rink, Fountain Gardens. Hillside Gardens-Cherry Blossoms and many walking trails.

Accessibility has never been an issue, over the past 150 years visitors have enjoyed all these facilities, on days when a large event took place the park was closed to vehicles and that was an accepted fact, no one minded.

Then, after COVID,  due to pressure from select groups,  the idea was born to close High Park to private vehicles ….and in May 2023 City Council passed a motion to close High Park seven days a week to vehicle traffic, beginning in August 2023 with the closure on weekends, an unyielding one way system designed to make access difficult and  removal of 350  necessary parking spaces. No consideration was given to the fact that there is no regular public transport into High Park daily, that once inside the park only the summer hours Historic Train runs to areas of the park at a cost of $24.00 for a family of four…. Some major attractions in High Park are at least 1km from the Bloor Street Entrance and it is 2.5km to reach Colborne Lodge, then one has to walk back…..Quite a distance for young children, seniors and disabled and  High Park is very hilly…..especially if you enter from The Queensway or Ellis.

The result of these drastic and inhumane changes is a virtually empty park. Lack of attendance at the many and varied activities has made High Park a Ghost Park, all the venues suffer, and should it close SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO VEHICLES  the venues  will certainly be very much missed. 

 This closure to cars is budgeted to cost the City 15 MILLION dollars….. Millions that could be spent to install and winterize washrooms, repair fences, sidewalks and trails. reinstall speed bumps, and have money left over for Housing, the Homeless and Food Banks…..Wake up City Councilors…..

Write to your Councillor today...and ask why 15 million is being spent to close down access for all to High Park...Thank you..