Philosopher's Walk is a scenic footpath located in the St George campus of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

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 anch ...

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 C ...

. It runs in the north–south direction along the

ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion.landscape created by

Taddle Creek Taddle Creek is a buried stream in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that flowed a southeasterly course about six kilometres long, from St. Clair Avenue west of Bathurst Street through the present site of Wychwood Park, through the University of Toronto ...

, once a natural waterway that was buried during the Industrial Age and is now flowing underground. The path is bounded by several Toronto landmarks, including the Royal Ontario Museum, the

Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Con ...

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, the

University of Toronto Faculty of Music The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto is one of several professional faculties at the University of Toronto. The Faculty of Music is located at the Edward Johnson Building, just south of the Royal Ontario Museum and north of Queen's ...

, and the

University of Toronto Faculty of Law The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (U of T Law, UToronto Law) is the law school of the University of Toronto. The Faculty's admissions process is the most selective of law schools in Canada and is one of the most selective in North America. ...

. Philosopher's Walk links the heart of the university campus to the northern edge bounding

The Annex The Annex is a neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road. The City of Toronto recognizes ...

, an academic neighborhood where many of the university's faculty and student body reside. Philosopher

Ted Honderich Ted Honderich (born 30 January 1933) is a Canadian-born British professor of philosophy, who was Grote Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London. Biography Honderich was born Edgar Dawn Ross Honderich o ...

described the walk from his experience as a student

he University of Torontowas in the middle of the city and had good Victorian buildings, and also such necessary pieces of tradition as a Philosopher's Walk, which led out towards an old village enclosed by the growth of Toronto. The village had not yet been smartened up, and only those academics so supremely rational as to want to walk to work lived in it.

The Alexandra Gates at the northern entrance to the path were constructed at the corner of

Bloor Street Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Park ...

and

Avenue Road Avenue Road is a major north–south street in Toronto, Ontario. The road is a continuation of University Avenue, linked to it via Queen's Park and Queen's Park Crescent East and West to form a single through route.''Toronto Pocket Street Atla ...

in 1901, at the instigation of the

Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire The Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) is a women's charitable organization based in Canada. It provides scholarships, bursaries, book prizes, and awards, and pursues other philanthropic and educational projects in various communities ac ...

, and to commemorate the visit of Prince George, Duke of Cornwall (later King George V), and Mary, Duchess of Cornwall (later Queen Mary), that year. The letters on each post — ''E'' and ''A'' — stand for Edward and Alexandra, the reigning King and Queen at the time. When Avenue Road was widened in 1960, the gates were moved to the head of Philosopher's Walk.Toronto: Toronto History FAQs
/ref> In recognition of the royal visit, a plaque at the site reads "To commemorate the visit of T.R.H The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York Oct. 10th 1901". The small amphitheater on the walk was built around 2010.

References

External links

Green Tourism Association: The Annex and the University of Toronto
Parks in Toronto University of Toronto Hiking trails in Ontario {{Toronto-geo-stub