Guild Park and Gardens could be considered a tucked away jewel of art, architecture and nature.
For those Torontonians who live outside of Scarbrough – where the park is located – atop the Scarbrough Bluffs, it might be a surprising find of 88 acres complete with dozens of pieces from notable historic buildings alongside other works of art.
“This was created as the Guild of All Arts in 1932 by two philanthropists called Rosa and Spencer Clark,” said John Mason, Friends of Guild Park and Gardens, President.
The couple would invite artists and craftsmen to come to their property to create, collaborate and teach. By the 1960’s, the Clarks began collecting architecture.
“Starting in the 1950’s in Toronto, there was no protection for notable buildings…all these things were getting demolished,” said Mason adding the Clarks would often get contacted about saving specific architectural features from historic buildings.
One example of this is the centrepiece landmark at Guild Park and Gardens – the “Greek Theatre.”
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“..all made out of white marble. They are pieces from the original Bank of Toronto building that was built in 1914 at the corner of Bay Street and King Street,” said Mason.
Other notable pieces include the “Pioneer” Log Cabin which Mason says dates back to the 1840’s or 1850’s. There are 12 sculpted “Provincial Panels” throughout the park – these came from the Bank of Montreal building which was also located at King and Bay. But many of the other sculptural pieces were created right on the grounds of Guild of All Arts like the “Mobius Curve,” carved out of a 15-tonne block of limestone in 1982.
“When you take a look at both the architectural pieces and the art that was comissioned and collected by the Clarks, there’s more than 50 pieces here,” said Mason.
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Guild Park and Gardens has become a favourite location for wedding photography – permits are managed by the City of Toronto.
The park is located at 201 Guildwood Pkwy in Scarborough. During summer months, free (or donation) walking tours are hosted by Friends of Guild Park on the last Sunday of each month starting at 2 p.m.
In the Global News series YYZ Why?, Melanie Zettler sets out to answer why certain Toronto landmarks exist.
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