Posts about events
Walk Toronto was honoured to be the recipient of the 2023 Safety Leadership Award from the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. Walk Toronto has worked closely with trial lawyers on many initiatives, including the proposed provincial Vulnerable Road Users Law and the Office of the Chief Coroners Review on Cycling and Pedestrian Deaths. We thank the OTLA for their kind recognition! Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid and Lee Scott accepted the award at a reception and awards ceremony on April 18, 2024.
On Sunday October 1, 2023, Walk Toronto hosted a walk to mark our 10th anniversary. Led by members of Walk Toronto’s steering committee, the walk began at Metro Hall, where Walk Toronto was founded at a lively, well-attended public meeting in February 2013. The walk began symbolically at 10:00 am, on a beautiful, sunny, warm morning. Steering committee member Dylan Reid began the proceedings, and introduced Michael Black, who talked about how he had been inspired to start a group to represent pedestrians in Toronto and brought together the initial committee that organized that first meeting. Lee Scott then shared how she had been inspired to join Walk Toronto’s steering committee more recently, and then explained how prizes, donated by the Spacing Store, would be randomly given out at the end of the walk based on sealed tickets participants picked up at the start — and swapped twice with other participants on the way, helping to get the participants talking to each other.
The walk then worked its way through downtown Toronto, with stops to talk about walking issues that Walk Toronto has been involved in and many lively comments and questions from the participants. Dylan Reid discussed wayfinding at the complex University/York/Front intersection, and then in front of Union Station Sean Marshall talked about the City’s inability to replace the ugly jersey barriers originally installed for safety but that now, 5 years later, hinder movement on foot.
The walk continued to Berczy Park, where Daniella Levy-Pinto talked about the importance of accessibility and the way the semi-shared Scott Street had been designed, and Dylan Reid talked about desire lines, benches, and beg buttons.
Working north, the walk passed by multiple construction zones, where Lee Scott shared the work Walk Toronto has been doing with its partners to improve the safety of these zones, which often block sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.
At Yonge-Dundas Square, Sean Marshall spoke about the plans to narrow Yonge Street through the Yonge TOmorrow plan, for which he has represented Walk Toronto as a stakeholder.
Finally, the walk wrapped up at City Hall, where Dylan Reid described the various ways Walk Toronto works to advocate for pedestrians, including through city councillors, city staff, the media, and the public. To wrap things up, Lee Scott orchestrated the prize reveals, sending some lucky participants home with Spacing Store merchandise, while steering committee members stayed and talked informally with many of the participants..
The walk joined the Jane’s Walk led by Walk Toronto in the spring as a highly suitable way to mark 10 years of pedestrian advocacy.
Walk Toronto is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2023! It all started with a big meeting in Metro Hall in February 2013. To mark the anniversary, we’ll be leading a walk starting at Metro Hall (east entrance at David Pecaut Square) at 10:00 am on Sunday, October 1.
Over the course of a two-hour downtown ramble, we’ll enjoy discussion breaks about what makes a great city for walking with several members of the Walk Toronto Steering Committee, finishing at Nathan Phillips Square at noon. Spacing magazine has kindly agreed to provide prizes for some lucky participants. Let us know if you’ll be joining us for this free community event to learn more about the past, present and future of pedestrian advocacy in Toronto.
As part of the annual Jane’s Walk festival, Walk Toronto led a Jane’s Walk on Sunday, May 7, 2023 through the Old Town (aka St. Lawrence) neighbourhood of Toronto, looking at pedestrian issues and infrastructure along with revealing some local history and hidden gems. The walk was in part to help mark Walk Toronto’s 10th anniverary — we began in 2013!
The walk was led by Walk Toronto steering committee members Doug Vallery, who works in the Old Town neighbourhood, and Dylan Reid, with a contribution from Lee Scott. Although the weather turned to heavy rain, we were pleased to still get a turnout of around 20 people.
We talked about the infrastructure and amenities that affect the safety and the joy of walking in the city, including accessibility, sidewalk design, intersections, flexible streets, and more – with an added sprinkling of history about this storied area.
The walk began and Berczy Park and ended in front of Meridien Hall, with visits to Courthouse Square, St. James Park, and Market Lane Park along the way.
We hope you can join us for an appreciation walk around the grounds of Ontario Place on the Toronto waterfront this Sunday, November 13, from 10 am to 11:30 am.
Why the urgency? The Ontario government is asking for public input via an online “virtual station” survey. The deadline for completing the survey is Friday, November 18. You may find it to be confusing.
That’s why we are offering this appreciation walk to get to know the site in person and to help you better understand the proposed changes.
Various organizations and media are encouraging the government to leave it entirely as public parkland. You can read media discussion on the website of advocacy group OntarioPlace4All. A couple of members of this organization will be joining us on the walk to offer insight into the government’s proposed plans. With this knowledge we can better participate in the public consultation process –– including the current survey.
We hope you can join us. Bring your family and friends.
We will meet at the William G. Davis Trail at the entrance to Trillium Park (corner of Ontario Place Blvd and Remembrance Drive). Dress warmly. It is cool at the waterfront if there is a breeze. The walk will loop back to the start point and is wheelchair accessible although parts of the trail can be rough. The Royal Winter Fair is still happening on the Exhibition grounds so plan accordingly. Our start location is a 20 minute walk from the Exhibition GO station, 14 minute walk from the 509/511 streetcar stop at Manitoba Ave and Strachan (wheelchair accessible), note the 29C Dufferin bus will not go through the Ex grounds during the Royal Winter Fair (stops at Dufferin Gate loop).
Photo by Lee Scott
Please join Walk Toronto during Open Streets 2019, on Sunday August 18 and Sunday September 15, for a walk up Yonge Street to discuss its history, its potential transformation into a pedestrian-oriented street, and various other pedestrian issues.
The walk will be led by Sean Marshal and other members of Walk Toronto’s steering committee. The walk will take approximately 2 hours.
Dates: Sunday August 18 and Sunday September 15, 2019
Time: Meet at 11:00 am
Meeting Point: South of Yonge and Shuter Streets, near the Elgin Theatre
New residential and commercial developments are bringing many more people downtown, and many of those people walk, cycle, or take transit, rather than drive. Yonge Street, despite the crowds, was designed for drivers, rather than the majority of users, but now there is an opportunity to change that situation with the City of Toronto’s Yonge TOmorrow initiative.
Walk Toronto invites you to celebrate our sixth anniversary with Right to Walk TO, a panel discussion that explores walking – the love of it, our need for it, and its meaning – through a justice and equity lens.
This event is a love letter to walking, as well as a critical look at the walking experience our city creates, from different perspectives.
We have a fantastic, dynamic group of speakers whom we’ve challenged to think about their work a little differently, and we’re excited to bring the conversation to you.
Speaker panel:
The format is brief presentations by the speakers followed by a moderated panel discussion and Q&A from the audience. We are delighted to have engaged as our moderator Zahra Ebrahim, Urbanist, Professor, and Human-centred Designer.
Tue, 26 March 2019
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Innis Town Hall
Innis College, University of Toronto
2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto
View Map
6:30 PM — Doors Open, Sign-in, Snacks
7:00 PM — Panel Discussion and Q&A
8:45 PM — Wrap-up and Networking
The event is free but registration is required.
See the Eventbrite page for more details and to register.
We thank our event sponsors: University of Toronto Urban Studies Program, University of Toronto School of Cities, public space workshop,and Spacing. This event would not be possible without their generous support.
Walk Toronto is hosting Right to Walk, an event that explores walking – the love of it, our need for it, and its meaning – through a justice and equity lens.
We have a fantastic, dynamic group of speakers whom we’ve challenged to think about their work a little differently, and we’re excited to bring the conversation to you. Speaker list will be released shortly.
Tuesday March 26, 2019
7:00-9:00PM
Innis Town Hall
Innis College, University of Toronto
2 Sussex Avenue
Toronto, ON M5S 1J5
Current event sponsors include University of Toronto Urban Studies Program, University of Toronto School of Cities, Public Space Workshop, and Spacing Magazine.
Walk Toronto was pleased to participate in Open Streets on Sept. 16, 2018. We had several activities to engage those walking and cycling on Yonge Street, where we set up our booth north of Wellesley.
With “Walk a block for a new vision”, Walk Toronto steering committee member Daniella Levy-Pinto, who is blind, explained how to walk using a white cane. Steering committee member Judith Kidd and volunteer Edith Sinclair accompanied the passers-by who took up the challenge — including two Toronto police officers — as they walked along the sidewalk with their eyes closed, using only the cane for guidance, and identified the location of the crosswalk using tactile paving.
With the safe streets quiz, visitors were challenged to match safe streets words (such as bulb-out, sneckdown, chicane, and zebra crossing) with images. Both adults and children got engaged!
Finally, as part of our accessibility theme we invited Be Alink to demonstrate the Alinker, an innovative new mobility device. Writer Lloyd Alter was taking part in open streets and he was so taken by the Alinker that he interviewed Be and wrote a column about it the next day!
We also handed out information about our #BuildTheVisionTO campaign, a coalition with other active transportation groups to create safe and active streets for all in Toronto.
Walk Toronto is grateful to volunteers Kathleen Luckhart and Edith Sinclair for all their help on the day, and to Evergreen for lending us the tent.
Walk Toronto will be at Open Streets TO Sunday Sept. 16 from 10-2. We’ll be at the hub on Yonge just north of Wellesley.
We’lll be featuring accessibility experiences, including the Alinker mobility device, and “Walk a block for a new vision”:
“Experience what it is like to navigate your city’s streets without sight.
Learn some basic techniques for using a white cane to find your way on the sidewalk, while relying on your other senses.
Come out of your comfort zone and get oriented without looking. Accompanied by a Walk Toronto volunteer, explore an invisible landscape composed out of textures and sounds; avoid obstacles and find your way to the curb.
You can take your blindfold off at any time, and also ask questions. This is an opportunity to gain awareness of how people with different abilities get around the city and to reflect about the importance of many of the priorities included in #BuildTheVisionTO.”
Come and visit to experience these activities, play the “Do you know your happy streets infrastructure?” game, and talk to Walk TO volunteers.
