Fall Colours at the Bluffs and Guild Park Scarborough

It's the perfect one-two punch destination along the water's edge in Toronto's east end, first Bluffer's Park and the Scarborough Bluffs then second, the art in Guild Park and Gardens further to the east. Add in the beautiful fall colours along the vertical parkland and boom, what a visit.

One of the floating walkways has flipped in the water control area using a multi-cell system 

Now the bluffs aren't made of low-eroding Canadian Shield rocks, they are made from the deposits of sand and clay deposited from the advancing and retreating glaciers between the colden days (combo of old and cold!) of 70,000 to 12,000 years ago. This stuff erodes on a daily basis and you can compare pictures over the years and see the changing face of the bluffs and note the piles of materials that fall to the ground. There are relatively few piles of the gray soils at the base of the cliffs because they keep getting washed away by the currents of Lake Ontario, taken toward the Toronto Islands which were formed by the deposit of soils far from the bluffs.

A lone abandoned sailboat, the Genetic Drifter, sits along the rocky western beach of Bluffer's Park, pounded by the waves. 

Toronto has eleven parks along a 15km stretch of Scarborough Bluffs starting from the Eastern Beaches and proceeding east to East Point Park. The pull of gravity combined with wind and water have created the exposed cliffs which are fascinating and make a great backdrop for exploring the areas. Bluffer's Park has parking (free during weekdays prior to 5pm), bathrooms, beaches and pathways along with a marina (with real live-in house boats). Summer weekends can get a little crowded and often results in traffic restrictions and Brimley Road is a little more vertical than pedestrians or bicyclists would like, especially with narrow roads lacking in pathways. The park itself was built in the 1970s and 80s with about 2.6 million cubic metres of fill poured into the lake.

Then just a quick 20 minutes away to the east you can find Guild Park and Gardens which is a sculpture and architectural component sanctuary in a large park running along the bluffs along with an inn and lots of history. Lately the park has been upgraded and banquet facilities have been bookended to the inn and it really has become home and support for the artist community.

Built in 1914 the Guild Inn was a mansion for a war hero before being purchased and turned into a residence and centre for arts and artists. Then it was taken over for a number of years during World War II by the Canadian Government before returned to the owners in 1947. The art continued to expand after the war but was split from the property and made into a City Park in 1978, while the hotel continued in operation until finally closing in 2002.

Now the park is open for exploring and special events as well as the annual art festival "Guild Alive with Culture Arts Festival" as well as the Guild Festival Theatre operating in the Greek Theatre (the one with all the columns) during the summer.

The outdoor stage Greek Theatre

Barrier to Scarborough Bluffs

The majestic cliffs of grey, unconsolidated sediment rising high above the shores of Lake Ontario tends to collapse and drift on the currents. In August 2020 a large chunk of the bluffs broke free and fell in a billowing cloud of dust and debris. A close call because it did not fall on anyone.

In response the City of Toronto put up a fence barrier near the high vertical slopes along the beach advising people that there is "No Public Access" and "Caution Falling Debris". Of course people being people, they ignore the signs as they think about climbing to the top of the bluffs, perched precariously where they could be rescued by emergency services.

Enjoying the danger, two people walk along the small section of beach immediately below the towering bluffs

Even in winter the public loves to visit Bluffers Park and wander the parkland, hoping for sun and watching part of the eroding, 15km long Scarborough Bluffs which were created over 12,000 years in the past. As the City says, "The Bluffs’ edge is unstable. Stay behind the fences and use your common sense. Do not approach the edge of the bluffs". The material hasn't combined into a solid rock, it remains a relatively loose collection of sand, stone, silt and clay - ready to fall with a little effort when exposed to the elements. One day it will just be a gentle hill so you better see it before it is too late.

You can see how thin the top section of the bluffs as erosion wears away the backing of a section of the cliff

A pile of debris sits at the site of the latest collapse

The path to the bluffs passes a small storm sewer outlet so bring your rubber boots if  you want to visit

Sculpture Sanctuary in Guild Park

The garden park at the edge of the Scarborough Bluffs is an interesting place to explore in winter time. You can walk through the scenic park full of the history of long ago Toronto buildings, rescued before the wrecking ball tore down old buildings to make way for the new.

The park at 201 Guildwood Parkway started as an Inn in 1914, then a home for artists, turned into a training base for the Women's Royal Naval Service personnel, then the Clarks began to collect the architectural pieces and finally in 1978 began life as a public park. It's definitely more intimate in the off season - just dress for the weather and score some great parking spots.

The open air theatre molded after the ancient greeks

One of the biggest annual events is the Guild Park Arts Festival where you have to find parking at several strategic areas and take free shuttles into the festival because it is so popular. The Guild Alive with Culture 2020 dates are Saturday, July 25 to Sunday, July 26.

There are also theatrical and musical performances put on at the open air theatre presented by the Artistic Directors Helen Jovonen and Tyler J Seguin beginning with Alice in Wonderland and followed by Salt-Water Moon. Music series will be on three Sunday evenings in August.

2020 Season at a Glance
Alice in Wonderland July 22 - August 8
Salt-Water Moon August 12 - August 22

Music Series
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party August 2
The Roaring Twenties August 9
East Coast Kitchen Party August 16

Winter at the Scarborough Bluffs

Fall is the best time for the bluffs, followed by summer, spring and in last place - winter. But it is in winter that I did come, away from the massive crowds that stream down the sharp slope of Brimley Road South as it runs past Kingston Road and into Bluffers Park.

The eastern part of Toronto, Scarborough, begins at the edge of Lake Ontario and the high hills are pounded by the waves of the Great Lake and ground into dust by the winds that buffet the edge of lands end. Gravity and rain finish what the lake has started and the 90m high grey gash at Bluffers Park has become a tourist attraction well worth visiting no matter what the season.

You can wander the trails leading down to the waters edge and wet, grey clay sticks to your shoes where the snow cover has melted away. But when the light is right, the bluffs are magnificent in their details and not just a bland and boring shade of concrete. Some of the old glacial deposits at the very edge of the bluffs look ready to come down at any time, cracks are visible in some of the towers and a the base of the bluffs are piles of fallen materials so be careful where you walk.

Guild Park Arts Festival

Located along the edge of the Scarborough Bluffs, the park is home to many orphan architectural pieces from Toronto's past and this weekend the park comes 'Alive with Culture'. The 10th annual festival takes place July 29-30 in the Guild Park and Gardens at 201 Guildwood Parkway in Scarborough.

The fest had an Artists' Market, live entertainment, Guild Heritage Exhibits, Taste of the Guild and a Beer Garden by the Olde Stone Cottage Pub and Children's Activities. While there is no parking on site they have shuttle buses running every 20 minutes between several parking lots that have free parking. Festival hours are 10am to 6pm on Saturday and till 5pm on Sunday.

Formerly known as Guildwood Park, the scenic setting has seen some amazing improvements since the last time I was there - the Inn has been redeveloped and looks amazing and the grounds are still getting fixed up with sod and seed. There are sculptures mixed in with the building remnants and there are several trails that you can take to explore the area - Livingston Trail, Guild Park Trail and the Guild East Trail. It is a beautiful place to hold a wedding, but I wouldn't do it during a major festival.

The Inn was originally built as a mansion for Colonel Harold Bickford in 1914, taken over by the Canadian Government as a training base during World War II and returned to use as a hotel in 1947 by owners Rosa and Spencer Clark. From the City's website: "For the next 35 years, the Clarks built a reputation as patrons of the arts and preservationists, amassing a huge art collection and preserving architectural fragments from dozens of demolished buildings. The property and the architectural fragments were sold to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 1978 to be maintained as a public park. Spencer Clark continued to run the hotel until 1983, when a Board of Management was formed to oversee operations. At the time of the City's amalgamation, the Board was disbanded and the City’s Economic Development and Culture Division took over responsibility for the sculpture and architectural fragments, while the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division began to manage the surrounding parkland. The hotel continued to operate under contract management until it closed in 2002 when it was considered no longer viable without a major capital infusion."

Walking at the foot of the Bluffs

Lake Ontario has left a path at the Scarborough Bluffs which allow you to walk along the waters edge under the massive wall that is perched so precariously that your every step seems a miracle against gravity and relatively slow affect of erosion.

Fall colours still remain along the exposed grey cliffs and the drive down the roadway to Bluffer's Park is magnificent. Forest floors are covered in a thickening blanket of fallen leaves as cooler temperatures continue to hound us on the journey to winter.

Down at the floor of the park along the footpath telling people not to climb the bluffs. Other signs are posted warning of heavy fines if caught. It doesn't stop people, the steep walls usually keep people off the slopes more than signs ever will. Along the top of the bluffs brave and foolish people wander close to the precipice which is weakened by erosion and waits for just a little more something, like wind or water, before another piece of grey silt and clay deposited and crushed under glaciers, lets loose and crashes to the ground below.

Bluffs will soon be in Fall colours

Extreme heat has given way to cool evenings and the approach of the Autumnal Equinox which will say goodbye to summer and hello sweater season on September 23rd, 2015. The stark grey colour of the bluffs will be offset with bright red, yellows and oranges as the chlorophyll in the leaves of deciduous trees start to break down and the green fades away.

An enjoyable trip to the Scarborough Bluffs will be made even better with natures colours complementing the forest and parks along the shores of Lake Ontario. You can also visit the Don Valley, High Park, Toronto Islands and Humber Valley for great views of Fall. Estimated time of peak Fall colours is expected between the end of September to mid-October, right now the whole province is shown as green, with 0% colour change.

Bluffs - the real 50 shades of grey

The dull cliffs of the Scarborough Bluffs slash up against the crashing waves of Lake Ontario, revealing many shades of the uninteresting colour grey. Held in place only temporarily, the steady beating of the waters plough into the exposed earth, caressing the side of the vertical face with an even mixture of love and contempt while washing the guilt away, along with the fine sand and sending it on an journey of growth towards the Toronto Islands. When a storm rises up it drives the lake waters into powerful crests which whip the hills into submission as they stand shackled to the rest of the city, unable to escape, until they remain spent and crumble into the lake.

Chapter Two.  If you are lucky the sky, water and trees can complement the view of the otherwise stark nature of the bluffs. Like the day a few years ago when I dropped by on a lovely fall day. The end.

Late Fall at Scarborough Bluffs

#Toronto's future Centre Island debris hangs in place, ready to collapse by the waters of Lake Ontario. Bluffers Park is just off Kingston Road in the city's east end.

Frolicking with the dogs

Seagulls fly from the beach

The church at the top of the hill has a shiny new copper dome