With an expansion already in the works, the popular Village of Yorkville Park is also getting kitted out with even more tables and chairs to maximize the sunny season in the upscale nabe. After a lengthy lockdown, spending time outdoors has become increasingly popular and essential – especially for urban dwellers with limited access to natural spaces like parks and forests.
According to the 2021 Canadian City Parks Report, 94 per cent of cities reported greater use of parks in the last year, while 71 per cent of Canadians said that parks have had a positive impact on their social well-being during the pandemic.
Soon local residents and those looking to hang with the upscale types in the area will have even more reason to gather outdoors and do some epic people-watching: the award-winning Village of Yorkville Park is set to receive additional seating “due to an increased demand by local residents and use by the public,” said Briar de Lange, Executive Director of the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Additional table and chair sets will be installed that will match the existing sets already in the park.
“The furniture has proven to be quite robust and is very well used for much of the year,” said de Lange. “Funds come from fees paid by developers for redevelopment of properties in the immediate area.”
This news comes not long after the city announced plans for an extension of the City of Yorkville Park, which will increase its size by about a third and replace the building at 1240 Bay St.
Considered by some to be the heart of the neighbourhood, the Village of Yorkville Park located at 115 Cumberland St., is a diverse and eclectic urban public space divided into a series of zones representing Canada’s diverse landscape and built on a repurposed parking lot. Standout features include a rain curtain icicle fountain, a large variety of trees including pine, alder and crab apple, gardens exhibiting exotic plant life, and the world-famous 650-ton ‘Yorkville Rock’ taken from the Canadian Shield and estimated to be approximately 1 billion years old.
“Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen historical numbers of people take to our parks and other outdoor spaces to share meals and see their friends and loved ones,” said Mike Layton, city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale. “Providing more spaces for people to comfortably sit and relax, or enjoy their purchase or meal is a service we must continue to provide and expand. I am glad to support the Bloor-Yorkville BIA to help expand the number of these amenities.”
