Sunday 9th of June 2019, 2 pm
Come to Evergreen Brick Works and explore the 130-year-old factory, transformed
by environmental charity Evergreen into a sustainable office complex and environmental
community centre. Our heritage-themed tour will explain the origins and architecture of
the brick factory, the process of brick-making, and tell some of the workers’ stories.
Tour fee: $14. Payable at the site. (Cash only please. Exact change appreciated.)
Please reserve by May 28 so tour arrangements can be made. E-mail: info@wmsc.ca.
Our gathering spot for tours is the Young Welcome Centre.
Getting there:
A TTC bus departs from Davisville Station, 28 Southbound approximately every 20 minutes.
A free Evergreen Brick Works shuttle bus departs from the parkette on Erindale Avenue, just north of the Broadview subway station (Not in the station). It leaves on the hour and half hour on Sundays.
There is also paid parking at the Brick Works site.
Come down early and you can visit artisans’ booths on-site as well as having lunch beforehand at the Sunday market local food court, open 10am-3pm. You can pick from a broad array of options, including Persian food, Tibetan momos, Mexican street food, tapioca crepes, Turkish stuffed flatbread and churros with chocolate sauce.
Background info
The Don Valley Brick Works (known now as the Evergreen Brick Works) is a former quarry and industrial site located in the Don River Valley. The Don Valley Brick Works operated for nearly 100 years and provided bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature. Since the closure of the original factory, the quarry has been converted into a city park which includes a series of naturalized ponds, while the buildings have been restored and opened as an environmentally focused community and cultural centre by Evergreen, a national charity dedicated to restoring nature in urban environments.
In 2009, National Geographic Traveler named Evergreen Brick Works one of the 10 finalists in its Geotourism Challenge 2009, "a global competition of tourism-related projects that promote natural and cultural heritage while improving the well-being of the local people". The 10 finalists were chosen from 610 entries from 81 countries. In early 2017, Evergreen launched the redevelopment of the historic Kiln Building, creating a new hub for people across all sectors to collaborate in building sustainable cities. The project is one of the first in Canada to set and strive for a carbon-neutral target.