Centennial Park
Centennial Park ski hill during the summer.
Centennial Park (Toronto) is located in Toronto
Centennial Park (Toronto)
Location of the park in Toronto
TypePublic Park
LocationEtobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°39′10″N 79°35′20″W / 43.65278°N 79.58889°W / 43.65278; -79.58889
Area525.2 acres (212.5 ha)
Created1967 (1967)
Operated byToronto Parks

Centennial Park is a large municipal 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 100th 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 constituting 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]

In November 2022, the City of Toronto announced the closure of skiing and snowboarding activities at the park, citing declining use due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mechanical issues with the lifts.[4] Reducing snow cover during winter months may also have factored into the decision,[5] but were not directly mentioned by the city. Earl Bales Park remains the only ski and snowboard centre in the city of Toronto.

Features

Crowds at Toronto Ribfest for Canada Day weekend in 2010

The park has a variety of features including:

  • Centennial Park Conservatory
  • Etobicoke Olympium, a large athletic centre that was built in 1975.
  • 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
  4. ↑ "City of Toronto advances Centennial Park Master Plan, delivering new toboggan space, programs and events this winter". City of Toronto. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  5. ↑ "Toronto has been learning to ski at Centennial Park for more than 50 years. Climate change may be about to end that". thestar.com. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
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