Colonel Samuel Smith Park is an

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

in the

Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...

district of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada and a former weekend get-away destination for Victorian Torontonians. The park has a variety of attractions, including a children's

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

located only steps from

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

. The park is named for Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith and lands were part of his property in the 1800s. The park was developed from the 1970s onwards and opened in 1996. A scenic hiking

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

Colonel Samuel Smith Park
at Virtual tour of Toronto's waterfront, City of Toronto along a peninsula on Lake Ontario provides access to the waterfront, and to several rocky beaches with views of the lake or for birdwatching. A nearby

yacht club A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting. Description Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...

provides opportunities for boat watching. The park offers a panoramic view of the city, with the iconic

CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...

visible on a clear day, as well as prime fishing spots and other outdoor activities. Throughout the park are

observation deck An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed ...

s, from which visitors may spot wildlife engaged in various activities, such as turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, groups of baby ducks and swans, beaver dams and even the beavers themselves. Over one hundred bird species nest in the area. There are picnic areas along the trail and on the beaches, as well as a sheltered area with tables for group gatherings on the south side of the

Humber College The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...

campus adjacent to the cricket pitch. Park offers playground area with double slide and swing set a short walk from the picnic shelter. The entire family will appreciate the large field for running, jumping, a soccer game or kite flying on a windy day. Colonel Samuel Smith Park also organizes several special events in the summer, which are famous with the locals and attract visitor from near and far. The Brass in the Grass is a Lakeshore summer tradition with jazz and blues bands playing all weekend well into the night, special attractions and activities for the kids, food stands and more! A number of traveling fairs and amusement parks stop by Samuel Smith during the summer as well, especially on the long weekends. Children and parents flock from the entire southern

for the rides, roller-coasters, carnival games, cotton candy and face painting. Parking is available on the bottom of Kipling Avenue, along Lake Shore Blvd. or on the numerous side streets in the area (some fees may apply).

References

External links

Sam Smith Park
at Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront {{Parks and squares in Toronto 1996 establishments in Ontario Etobicoke Parks in Toronto Protected areas established in 1996