Right now a thrilling skating rink is open (see image) with barrel fires for roasting marshmallows - skate rental.
Hiking up to the top of ridge around the old clay pit is easy even for a 3 year old.
Of interest to the eccentric maker designer type is the large amount of the brick making machines and kilns that are preserved.
The long kilns heated by burners along their length are still standing along with the feed gas piping with much of the combustion air feed ducts also.
Some of the spring meters to control the amount of the gas feed are still
In place above one of the kilns.
If you are interested in craft making trivia, the burners or the firing of the clay into bricks are about half the size of glass melter burners. In addition fire brick is used for the crown of the kilns while normal brick for the side walls. Surprising eh!
Oops caught up...
In the kilns- almost forgot to mention the exciting kids nature area (last images), kids can climb into the "tree building, the straw mud hut, the tent and see and experience so much more.
eh!
The successful transformation of a derelict industrial site deserves international attention because of the way it embraces the site's history and showcases it in the repurposed public spaces, with great programming. Creating parkland in the clay quarry area also preserves vestiges of the process of extracting clay right on site for the bricks. It's an inspiring reuse of a very historic industrial site, where the bricks for many great Toronto landmarks where made. I wonder if we could one day do something creative with the old Symes Transfer Station in The Junction.
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