Toronto can be a city of contrasts. Usually, people think of it as a modern city with gleaming skyscrapers, like in the photo below…
But there are some surprisingly old parts of the city, I think none older than Fort York National Historic Site, which directly adjoins the buildings in the above photo.
I was hiking from downtown Toronto to Billy Bishop Airport a few years back when my journey unexpectedly took me past Old Fort York.
Fort York was an important site during the War of 1812. It was here that British soldiers, Canadian militia and Aboriginal natives engaged United States troops and repelled their attempt to capture Toronto. Today the site is preserved as a 43-acre archeologic park, with many of the original buildings still standing. The park is open year-round, but there are more activities available in the summer months.
I was not the only one walking on the old fort that day, as this groundhog (a.k.a. woodchuck, a.k.a. marmot) scurried some distance across the fort’s earthen ramparts
I was in a bit of a hurry as I was meeting someone at the airport, so I didn’t have time to visit Fort York. But I hope to do so when I return to Toronto again — hopefully soon.
