Centennial Park (Toronto)

Centennial Park
Centennial Park ski hill during the summer.
Location of the park in Toronto
Type Public Park
Location Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 43°39′10″N 79°35′20″W / 43.65278°N 79.58889°W / 43.65278; -79.58889Coordinates: 43°39′10″N 79°35′20″W / 43.65278°N 79.58889°W / 43.65278; -79.58889
Area 525.2 acres (212.5 ha)
Created 1967 (1967)
Operated by Toronto Parks

Centennial Park is a large regional park with many sports facilities,[1] maintained by the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

History

The park was opened in 1967 for Canada's 100 birthday by the then Borough of Etobicoke and was part of the Hirons' dairy farm (the remaining part of the farm was sold for residential development in 1968).[2]

In 1976, the park was one of two venue sites for the 1976 Summer Paralympics.

In 1998, when the six municipalities comprising Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated, the park was integrated into Toronto Parks and Recreation from the former City of Etobicoke Parks Department. This should not be confused with an identically named small city park in the east end of Toronto, on Centennial Road, Scarborough, which was also inherited by the amalgamation.

In 2015, the park hosted the BMX cycling at the 2015 Pan American Games. After the Games, the BMX track became a legacy site for public use.[3]

Features

Etobicoke Creek Trail at Centennial Park
Etobicoke Creek Trail bridge at Centennial Park
Rathburn Road E entrance to the Etobicoke Creek Trail at Centennial Park

The park has a variety of features including:

  • Centennial Park Conservatory
  • Etobicoke Olympium, a large athletic centre that was built in 1975.
  • Centennial Park Ski & Snowboard Centre, a small alpine skiing hill created on top of old garbage landfill. It features one t-bar and a conveyor lift, serving one intermediate slope, one beginner slope, and a snowboard slope. It is one of two ski hills located within the boundaries of Toronto, the other being the North York Ski Centre.
  • Centennial Hill was the site of a municipal dump and the south end was used as a transfer station.
  • Centennial Park Stadium, a 3,500 seat capacity stadium that is primarily used for athletics, soccer and occasionally for kabaddi.
  • Centennial Park Arena 2 pads
  • In the mid to late 1970s there was a Motocross track at Centennial park, open for riding and also held Motocross races on Sundays. Mike Austin's MRAC Motorcycle Racing Association of Canada ran the races.
  • 8 lane polytan track and field facility
  • go-cart track
  • golf course 120 acres
  • picnic areas
  • 7 soccer fields
  • one baseball diamond
  • five softball diamonds
  • Designated Toboggan Hill
  • Splash Pad
  • Playground Equipment
  • Flying Circles
  • 2 Cricket Pitches
  • Disc Golf Course
  • Exercise Course (Kiwanis)
  • 7 acres marshland/wetlands
  • 11 acre man made pond
  • Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre

See also

References

  1. ↑ Centennial Park (Etobicoke/York), City of Toronto, Parks and Recreation
  2. ↑ "Centennial Park - Etobicoke (Toronto) neighbourhoods". Moving in Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  3. ↑ Centennial Park Will Hold BMX Cycling And Archery Competitions At 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games
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