If you’re looking to spend a perfect day outdoors, then head to Biidaasige Park. Toronto’s newest and largest park in over a generation can be found on the newly formed island of Ookwemin Minising. There are tons of activities you can do throughout the area, so expect a full day of adventure, relaxation and discovery.
View this post on Instagram
Gather the family and begin your day at the park’s oversized play area, featuring 5,000+ trees, swings, fitness equipment and even a mock beaver dam play area. Your kids will love the 30-foot Snowy Owl structure, which boasts a stage built into its belly, so kids can perform for fun or play with sound features, like a drum or bells. Climb the two stories to the top of the structure and look out through the owl’s eyes (they function as windows). Seating around the giant owl is also made to look like a nest!
Explore other larger-than-life Dodem animal sculptures, including a bear, beaver, eagle, turtle, otter, wolf and musky fish. These ‘Dodems’ each represent a clan or family line in the Anishinaabe, Ongwehonwe and Huron cultures, and are associated with clan characteristics and important community teachings.
If walking around isn’t your style, then sightsee by air via ziplining (the park has two ziplines, the first ziplines ever at a Toronto park!)
Nearby is the Badlands Scramble. This waterplay area and climbable terrain is inspired by the regional Cheltenham Badlands, so you and your family can explore three wavy levels with flat sections of stone pavement, as well as a water feature that invites kids to work together to pump water down its winding slopes. It’s perfect for kids (or kids at heart) to splash and climb around!
View this post on Instagram
Surrounding the play zones are picnic tables and open lawns with spots for BBQs and group gatherings, so pack a picnic basket and enjoy some quality time with the family.
After lunch, check out the walking and cycling trails that run beside the Don Greenway wetlands. They’re super pedestrian-friendly and wind through wetlands and restored native vegetation, so you’ll have the most gorgeous scenery! Along the riverbank, the step-down platforms offer the most zen spots for birdwatching, wildlife watching, and even fishing (just keep in mind that fishing at Biidaasige requires a valid Outdoors Card and a fishing license tag)
If you’re feeling adventurous, try paddleboarding. Launch a canoe, kayak or even a stand-up paddleboard at River Bending Landing (the cobblestone landing next to the BBQs and the River View Picnic Terrace).
Rent a bike (or bring your own) and enjoy a 5 km loop around the new Don River channel. Or follow the loop that takes you from Biidaasige Park down to Cherry Beach at the foot of Cherry St. The short ride passes marshland and has the most incredible waterfront views. Perhaps spend the rest of the afternoon at Cherry Beach and take a dip in the beach’s warm, shallow waters.
Just before sunset, pedal or walk back to Biidaasige Park along the Don Greenway corridor. Head to the 300-ton Atlas Crane — the heritage structure dominates the skyline and makes the perfect backdrop for Insta photos, especially as the sun sets!
Biidaasige Park is located on the island of Ookwemin Minising, at the southeast corner of Cherry Street and Commissioners Street.
