Samuel Smith Park Skating Trail Now Open in South Etobicoke!

This snapshot of Samuel Smith Park’s new ice trail is the first in an occasional series on the best places to lace up in Toronto.

Eleanor and Peter Heinz drove Friday from their home near Yonge Street and Highway 401 to Etobicoke, to skate the new ice trail in Samuel Smith Park. Being thrifty, after entering the park at Kipling Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard, the couple drove past Green ‘P’, where parking costs $2 per hour, and found a spacious lot about 100 metres closer to Lake Ontario, where parking is free.

I met the couple as we laced up in the spectacular Power House Recreation Centre. This red brick building from 1888 served for a century as the coal-fired heating plant that, via underground tunnels, piped warmth to the adjacent Lunatic Asylum. The asylum now houses Humber College. Its power house, lovingly restored with its 60-metre brick smokestack intact, 10-metre cathedral ceilings, three-storey windows and pine benches, is today the city’s most spectacular skate house. 

This is the first city artificial ice rink that, rather than being a rectangular hockey rink, is a trail. It is loosely described as a figure 8, but is in fact two roughly circular paths, connected in the centre, that wind through some of the park’s landscape. Underground pipes filled with ammonia cool the slab. When I arrived, 400 high school students had just departed. The speakers hooked to the period lamp posts piped Christmas carols — perhaps a bit loudly — including Ella Fitzgerald singing Santa Claus got Stuck in my Chimney. 

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., this rink is staffed. Skating is free. You’ll notice there is no fence around the trail. With a full moon it will be gorgeous. Skaters will flock here Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Hockey is officially prohibited; still, illegal games of shinny will doubtless spring up after closing time. There is a surface near the main entrance to the trail that is big enough for a small game. We’re Canadians; please don’t expect us to keep our sticks off the ice. Read more

Source: National Post

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New Year's Eve In GTA

Toronto Zoo's 7th Annual New Year's Eve Family Countdown

Doors open at 5:30pm for this outdoor event that features family entertainment, food, and of course some animal visitors. The evening concludes with a Kids' Countdown at 9pm. This is a ticketed event that costs $15 for teens and adults, $10 for seniors 65+ and kids ages 4-12, and is free for children aged 3 and under. Space is limited, so you should visit the website to buy your tickets in advance.

Citytv New Year's Eve Bash at Nathan Phillips Square
For older families, this annual Toronto tradition is both free to attend and free of alcohol! Things kick off at 10pm with Citytv personalities hosting musical guests until the evening culminates in the countdown to midnight. 2010/11 entertainment includes Shawn Desman, Danny Fernandes, The Stereos, These Kids Wear Crowns, Divine Brown, and Blake McGrath. Nathan Phillips Square is always very crowded, so be sure to get there early (and to make your family has a plan to find each other if you get separated).

Trail of Lights at Downsview Park
Although there are no special New Year's related events, this decorated drive-through trail will be open on December 31st from 6pm to 11pm. Tickets are $25 for a car, truck or family van with seven passengers or less.

New Years Eve Family Events in Southern Ontario

If you're willing to venture a little outside the city, a number of other opportunities for family fun on New Year's Eve become available. Be sure to call ahead or visit the websites below to confirm details.

New Year's Eve Hoopla at the Mountsberg Conservation Area- Campbellville (West of Milton)
From 6pm - 9pm Mountsberg will have a whole slew of family fun on the go including wagon rides, night hikes and puppet shows. The countdown is scheduled for 8:45pm. Visit the website to learn more or call 905-854-2276 to register for tickets.

New Year's Eve Kids Dance Party at the Angus Glen Golf Club - Markham
Activities for families will include appetizers, cookie decorating and family entertainment. The event begins at 6pm and ends at 8pm with a countdown. Tickets are in the $30-$40 range.

New Year's Eve at Blue Mountain - Collingwood
Blue Mountain Ski Resort has a buffet dinner, family entertainment, and fireworks for all ages from 5:30pm-9pm. (There are other adult parties at the resort as well, and private babysitting available if booked in advance). Tickets are $75 for teens and adults and $50 for kids 6-12.

Civic Celebrations Around the Greater Toronto Area
Most cities have their own family-friendly New Year's Eve event planned at the city center. Generally these events are outdoors (thus only held weather permitting) and many won't actually go until midnight. Visit the sites below to find information on local New Year's Eve fun.

• Ajax - Family New Year's Eve Party
• Aurora - Family First Night
• Barrie - Downtown Countdown
• Brampton - New Year's Eve Party (Mardi Gras themed)
• Burlington - New Year's Eve Celebration
• Newmarket - Tim Hortons' First Night
• Orangeville - First Night Celebration
• Oshawa - Oshawa Celebrates 2011
• Pickering - New Year's Eve Family Countdown
• Whitby - Family Skate

Source: About Web Site

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Teen Fears Being Deported

A Toronto high school student facing deportation back to Mexico says he fears the homophobic outlaws who shot his sister’s partner to death in front of him are now waiting to kill him too.

Daniel Garcia, a Grade 11 student at Parkdale Collegiate Institute, fled from Mexico to Toronto three years ago along with his sister Brenda, who is gay. But their refugee claim failed, and on Thursday evening Garcia, 18, was arrested and taken to a Canada Border Services Agency detention centre, where his sister was already being held.

His supporters say he deserves more time because of the danger he faces in Mexico and legal mishaps that befell his case.

Garcia was living with his sister in Mexico City when threats started to mount against them. On his 12th birthday, he says a group of teenagers hurled homophobic insults against him before attacking and assaulting him. Read more

Source: Toronto Star

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Don Valley Brick Works

Explore, Discover, Learn – on foot at Don Valley Brick Works Park

Saturday and Sunday
1:30–2:30 pm
Free!

Join us every Saturday and Sunday afternoon to learn a different story about Evergreen Brick Works. Each weekend features tours profiling the history, ecology and sustainability features of the site, parks and ravines that connect Evergreen Brick Works to the greater city. Tours meet in the Young Welcome Centre.

Can’t make the tour? Check out our self guided Art & Green Design information brochure, designed so that you can enjoy the site at your own pace. Available at the Welcome Desk.

For more information visit here

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Shrek at Casa Loma - Until January 2, 2011

Shrek and Fiona star in an interactive musical that finds the ogre in trouble after forgetting a special occasion, and he recruits his friend Donkey to help save the day.

Casa Loma's Holiday activities also include Tim Holland, the Puppet Tamer, in the Conservatory, period photographs at The Royal Portrait Gallery, the third floor Fairy Tale Fantasy Hallway and Santa Claus and his Elves at their workshop in the Billiard Room.

For more information visit here

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Some Great Places to go Sledding in the GTA

Adams Park - Northwest of Lawson and Port Union

Bickford Park - Harbord St., south of Bloor

Cedarbrook Park - Markham south of Lawrence

Christie Pits - Bloor and Christie

Don Valley Ravines

Earl Bales Park (North York)

Fairmount Park, Gerrard Street East, Toronto
416-392-7060

Greenwood Park, Greenwood Avenue, Toronto
416-392-0750

High Park - Bloor and High Park

Moore Park, in Rosedale, near the Brickworks

Riverdale Farm - In Cabbagetown, just beside the farm

Riverdale Park East
Thomson Memorial Park - Brimley and Lawrence

Trinity-Bellwoods Park - Between Queen St. W. and Dundas St. at Crawford St.

Withrow Park - Carlaw south of Danforth

Willesden Park (North York)

AJAX

Greenwood Conservation Area

End of Lake Driveway (east end). End of Harwood & left on Lake Drive

ASHBURN/PICKERING
Hy Hope Farm

BOWMANVILLE
Darlington Provincial Park

MARKHAM
Milliken Mills Parks, Kennedy Rd and 14th Avenue

Milliken Park - McCowan and Steeles

Milne Damn Conservation Park, McPhillips Ave, just west of Milne Lane

Paramount Park, Parkway Ave and Paramount Drive

OAKVILLE
Bronte Creek Provincial Park

SCARBOROUGH

Adams Park - Scarborough (Port Union)

UXBRIDGE
Uxbridge Arena Hill (291 Brock Street West, Uxbridge)
905 852-3081

WHITBY

At the back field of Henry Street High School at 600 Henry Street - small hill for younger kids.

At the end of Annes Street South - small hill for younger kids.

Otter Creek Park

Source: Toronto4Kids

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Hanging at Humber Arbortium

If you are looking for a quick trip into a cozy nature scene look no further than
Humber Arboretum in North Etobicoke, on the Humber College North Campus.

There are plenty of paved trails, wooded hiking areas and an area for sledding.
Just a few of the programs I found on the web site are:

•  Snow Shoeing Family Day
•  Nature Camps
•  Birthday Parties
• Adult Programs

Check out their web site for more info.

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Backyard Skating Rink - Easier Than You Think!

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DREAMING OF LIVING IN A CLEAN, AIRY, UNCLUTTERED HOME THIS CHRISTMAS

It is the day before Christmas Eve and I am feeling the rush to prepare for the festivities. I still have not completed the menu for Christmas Day and shopped for all the food. I am not exactly sure what everyone is getting in their stockings!

There are still boxes of decorations that I am not using this year that need to be sorted and returned to the basement. I finally found the second set of outdoor lights but it is too late to put them up because I went out and bought new ones. So that box needs to go away too! 

And I have finally wrapped the bag of presents for my daughter - which she has already discovered in the back of my closet. Luckily she did not go too deeply into the bags. She believed the story that Santa was only storing them briefly at our house but would be picking them up, wrapping them and delivering them again on Christmas Eve. Yes, my daughter is 4 and she bought the story. But only because she will do anything to maintain the surprise for Christmas morning presents.

Last year I asked that all gifts for my daughter be focused on “building experiences” - activities that could be done jointly with the gift giver. I am a single Mom and sometimes it is hard to be the one parent that does all things - sports, art, story reading, etc. She was given a day at the Toronto Zoo with some friends, a day making pottery with her Aunt, a toboggan and skates from other family members. It was a wonderful holiday and all the gifts provided fun and shared memories with my daughter that have lasted into this year! Yes, the skates and helmet still fit and tickets to see Celebration on Ice were given this year!

This year it is an emphasis on board games and dress-up costumes, accessories and anything else that is full of drama! But I struggle every year with the amount of “things” we accumulate. I like “things”. I am very grateful that my brother bought me a new computer this year - it is a wonderful “thing”. But needing and/or wanting “things” for Christmas teaches my daughter to possess and accumulate a lot of stuff. I am already a bit of a lost cause but feel really, really guilty!

So it was timely to read Verde of MomGrind great guest blog at Zen Habits. Verde wrote "How to be a Great Mom - 12 Awesome Tips". Number 8 on her list resonated with me.

Teach them simplicity. You will do them a big – a HUGE – favor, if you teach them at a young age to avoid associating happiness with the accumulation of material possessions. The younger they are, the more likely they are to listen to you, so start early. My kids are 6 and 8, and I often feel that now is the time to instil my values in them, before they are teens (or pre-teens) and peer pressure takes over. When it’s time to de-clutter, I allow my daughters to be part of the process, and we talk about how we don’t need all that STUFF. We never go shopping as a fun outing. They know that shopping is a necessary evil, something that you do when you really NEED something. Instead of buying books, we borrow books at the library. We reuse as much as we can. Together, we take pride in living in a clean, airy, uncluttered home.

So my personal goal this holiday season will be to reduce the amount of shopping I do and to de-clutter our house! As much as my family enjoys opening new gifts we need to be mindful of adding to the existing clutter. I think this Boxing Day I will start a new tradition for my family of purging the house before the New Year! Maybe others can add to the list of ways to teach our kids simplicity!

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LAKESHORE KIDSFEST

Is your calender full in December with lots of family things to do? Have you even started to think about January? If so, then plan on attending the Lakeshore Kidsfest on Saturday, January 29th, 2011 sponsored by the New Toronto Cooperative Nursery School.

A fun-packed event that the whole family can enjoy complete with bouncy castles, fun carnival games, face painting, balloon animals, incredible interactive sports centres, crafts, children’s entertainer Robert Davis, pizza party and much more!

Father Redmond H.S. Atrium - 28 Col. Samuel Smith Park Dr.

10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Performance by Robert Davis at 11:30 am

Admission: $8 /person $25 /per family ( limit 5 per family)

Children under 2 FREE

All proceeds will go to New Toronto Cooperative Nursery School

Visit online @ LearningOnTheLake.com

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Decisions, Decisions

I have been thinking about what to do in 2011 a lot these days.

I think I want to have another baby. There I said it. That would be baby number three. The reasons why I want the baby are not very practical at all.

I really would love to have a baby girl.

 I have two adorable boys but the whole girly girly thing is weighing on my head a lot these days. I would be fine (well disappointed a bit) to have another boy. But I know boys. I love boys. Boys love their mothers. Girl`s are emotional. A girl can be a mom`s friend. I was friends with my mom. I need to try.

Speaking of my mother - I am fearful to tell her what I am thinking because I am pretty sure she would disapprove of me having a third child. She is the king of practical and I know she would definitely think at my age of 37 (going on 38) that this is not very practical at all! But this is my life. Help or no help from my mother I have to live it ``My`` way.

I figure the whole act of trying for a girl would just make me feel better. I would feel like at least I ``tried``. Three children in the house would be fun. Three children in the house would be busy but busy can help with priorities and I hope that it would help me worry less about stuff that just doesn't matter.  I am apart of many threes. I have two step brothers from my father and from my step father. I have two cousins in which we made three.  Three is a re-occurring theme in my life.

So that is the plan as I see it. Girl or no girl. It rests  in god`s hands as far as I am concerned. I feel excited over the possibilities. Of course I am scared too. Next step is calling my OB about removing birth control. These appointments take time so I can still chicken out.

But I worry. Worry about giving up secure work (my leave of absence is up in January), not having maternity leave benefits. I could go back to work to secure another maternity leave but I think it would make me miserable and I really want to rest through the third pregnancy since I had complications the last time and will likely have them again. Of course,  I worry about making the wrong decision. But worst of all to me right now is the regret of not trying. Once the time is gone it is gone. I am not getting any younger. So there you have it. Guess I am just going to keep riding the risk train.

If you have any advice or words of support I would love to hear them. 

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Do You Really Think I’ll Need to Spend More Than 2 Days in Disney Parks?

In the 47 square miles that encompasses Disney property, Walt Disney World has 4 major theme parks and each park has its own theme – Magic Kingdom (Fantasy), Animal Kingdom (Wildlife), Epcot (Discovery) and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Show business). Then, there are two amazing water parks – Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach which are definitely worth a visit because there’s no where else you can swim with sharks, take surf lessons and tobaggan race in your bathing suit? Then there’s Downtown Disney to shop and be entertained and if you’re looking for an interactive twist - Disney Quest is a place to visit!

When you are going on a weeklong trip to Walt Disney World, I suggest a 7-day base Park ticket to start. Reason being is that you will definitely want to see all 4 of the major theme parks at least once because you won’t be able to see all of it in a day – especially Epcot or Magic Kingdom and there is something to be found for all guests ages 2-99. Where else can you fly with Peter Pan, go under the sea with Ariel and find Nemo or have your pictures taken with Captain Jack Sparrow, Jasmine and Mary Poppins? After that, the price increments are so small to opt for a longer ticket that it's simply worth it to purchase because the longer you play, the less you pay! Even if to go into a park on day 5 or 6 just to see fireworks like Wishes in Magic Kingdom or return to a favourite attraction like Pixie Hollow in Magic Kingdom or the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular in Disney’s Hollywood Studios or ride Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and leave. For the average family of four (2 adults, 2 children between the ages of 3 and 9) the 7-day base ticket over a 4-day for all members will cost an additional $38.34 USD. However, if you decide once you get down there that you will like to enter a theme park on an additional day, it will cost you over $81.00 USD per person in order to do so.

On my last trip to Walt Disney World Resort, I barely got through Animal Kingdom in a full day. It’s often thought that some can whip through this park in less than a day. I’m not sure what part of Maharajah Jungle Trek where you can observe the tigers, gibbons and bats or Flights of Wonder or the Kilimanjaro Safaris they enjoyed during this commando time. When I arrive, I have this over-whelmed feel to run and see it all – NOW. My tradition is normally to run at rope drop (gate open) to Dinosaur – one of my favourite attraction rides EVER – it is the thrill ride of the park. This time though, I stopped and observed a little more and after spending some extra time enjoying the Festival of the Lion King musical, getting lost in the conservation station of Rafiki’s Planet Watch and snapping pictures for a couple hours on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail of gorillas, meerkats and hippos, I realized the day was almost over and I still hadn’t made it through the rest of Africa, Asia nor to DinoLand U.S.A.! I’m glad I had budgeted an extra day of touring there because I definitely needed it. Imagine if it was my first time? I’d probably need at least two days in that park alone and I still would not have scratched the surface of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Kathryn Dickson is a Disney Vacation Planning Specialist with Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. Fairytale Dreams and Destinations which is the only TICO registered agency in Ontario that deals specifically with Disney destinations. You can contact Kathryn at 905-857-3611 or by email at kathryn@fairytaledestinations.com

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