Humber River Art

By Irene Fantopoulos

Here's what's going on in the Humber River these days. I've written about this area in previous blogs. The news this week is that new interactive art will be added to the Humber River Bridge.

The art is a gift to the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada by a group of local volunteer artists along with interactive arts which will be on display over the next two months on the iconic Humber River Bridge, shown above. Pictures of the art to follow in the coming days.

They are looking for contributions as all of the work: the mounting, the rental of equipment and the art itself is donated for free. Click on the links below where you can check out their video describing the project, their next steps and what contribution you can make!

Humber River Discoveries

by Irene Fantopoulos


There is so much natural beauty just beyond the shores of Lake Ontario, that I feel it is incumbent upon me to share my Humber River trails discoveries to the west of the City of Toronto in Canada.

This time, my explorations led me to dedications and monuments that pay tribute to people who have left their mark upon Canadian soil over the years. Some are known. Many are unknown.

Jumping the Weir at the Étienne Brûlé Park, Ontario, Canada

Étienne Brûlé Park, runs parallel to and along the West and East sides of the Humber River. It is named after Étienne Brûlé (c. 1592 – c. June 1633), an early French explorer in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area.

The park is accessible by car from Old Mill Road or by public transit to the Old Mill subway station or, one can walk to it from either Pasadena Gardens or Lundy Avenue.

Spring: A Time of Awakening Along the Shores of Lake Ontario

Humans and birdlife alike, share the bounty found along the Martin Goodman Trail along the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto, Ontario. 

The Trail is 20 kilometres long and runs from the Humber River, near the Palace Pier in the west, to just west of Victoria Park in the east. The focus here is the part of the Trail that starts near the Grand Harbor condominium complex in the west to the Sunnyside Pavilion Cafe in the east, about six kilometres.

Boardwalk looking west toward Palace Pier

Swan tending to the gulls

The path boasts two main watercourses: the Humber River and Mimico Creek. The Humber River is a tributary of Lake Ontario and runs to the west of the City of Toronto. Although the main artery of the Humber River runs approximately 100km (from the Niagara Escarpment in the northwest to Lake St. George in the Oak Ridges Moraine near Aurora to the northeast), many creeks and tributaries feed into it.

Yoga Retreat in Prince Edward County, Ontario

Between April 28 - 30,  2012, I spent three wonderful days at a yoga retreat in Prince Edward County, Ontario. The setting was idyllic and far from the din of city life. There's a lot to be said for a pastoral lifestyle, that's for sure.