High Park's famous maple leaf-shaped flower bed is resting under a layer of snow.
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We are introducing a brand new series of Photo Essays! Have a look at amazing Photo Sets all shot by talented photographers. Explore the vibe of the city, its hidden treasures, meet the Torontonians! This time, let's have a look at Toronto through the lens of John Steven Fernandez!
Toronto Is a Real Winter Wonderland!
Toronto is one of the big cities that has the most green areas for its residents to enjoy. They might not be that green during this time of year, but Toronto parks don't lose their charm under the thick cover of snow. Whether they're inviting people for a nice walk breathing in the crisp air, snowball fights, or competitions to see who can build the most creative snowman, they are always full of people.
1. Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park is a beautiful public park located in the West End, bordered by the busy Queen Street West to the south and Dundas Street to the north. It is a public park that is run by the volunteer group from the local community, Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park, and they're doing a pretty good job! You will always find a lot of activities during the summer as well as during the winter. They even got together this year and created a natural ice rink that was manually flooded. Great work! Now you can enjoy a good game of hockey any time of the day, as the lights come on after dusk. The park is always full of kids playing in the snow, dog walkers, and occasionally keen joggers who are keeping up with their routine even in these temperatures.
The Natural Ice Hockey Rink
Children playgrounds stay empty these days,
everyone is busy playing in the snow!
2. Cedarvale Park
Cedarvale Park is a large green area in the Cedarvale neighbourhood, bordered by steep hills that are covered with some of Toronto's finest new architecture (as seen in the movie Chloe, for example) with great views of the ravine. Did you know that Ernest Hemingway himself used to walk these very paths during the time he lived in Toronto? The original nature of the ravine was somewhat changed after the construction of the Spadina Subway in the 1970s below it (between St. Clair West and Eglinton West stations). Also, the Castle Frank Brook used to flow through Cedarvale Park but now lies buried. The area is a green haven in the middle of the city, offering beautiful forest paths. Luckily, it was saved before being destroyed by the proposed Spadina Expressway, which did not run through this great park after all.
Cedarvale Ravine has a permanent off-leash area for dogs.
The entrance to Cedarvale Park
These houses have a beautiful view of the ravine.
Cedarvale Ravine has a permanent off-leash area for dogs.
Ducks in one of the ponds
Glen Cedar Bridge was saved from a demolition plan
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Meet the Photographer
John Steven Fernandez (born 1990)
This Toronto based photography student, currently studying at Seneca College of Applied Arts, was born and raised in Toronto from Chilean-born parents. Growing up, John would often visit Chile, and would document every moment of his trips, which had a major impact on the style of photography he enjoys most today. John's main disciplines of interest are street photography, photojournalism, news, and event photography. John's greatest passion in life is to travel, experiencing other cultures and meeting new people. John's dream is to one day travel the world documenting his experiences and communicating his emotions to the world through his lens.