Toronto Daily Photo

Castle Playground, originally uploaded by stevenharris.

This wooden castle structure is part of the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. It’s a very popular place to find West Toronto families on a sunny afternoon.

Jamie Bell championed the idea of having the community design and create the ultimate playground, and in 1998 - 1999 work began with children working alongside parents, teachers, and other volunteers. The design was supplied by Robert Leathers Architects, a firm specializing in community playgrounds.

Jamie Bell passed away in 2002, and the park was renamed in his honor a year later. His dream was a fantastic success, and the area makes up one of the most unique children’s destinations in Toronto - to say nothing of the fact that it is completely free, thanks to the care of the Toronto City Parks and Recreation Department.

The Old Tree, originally uploaded by stevenharris.

This spooky looking old tree is standing in the woods around St. James Garden, close to the Humber river. I am not sure how old it is, but it certainly looks to have been around longer than any other trees in the area.

Encroachment, originally uploaded by stevenharris.

I know progress can be a good thing, but when rumor has it that over half the condos in Toronto are owned by real estate speculators, one has to wonder whether or not we really need another towering condo estate to spoil this beautiful park-like setting down by the Lake.

A city like Toronto has precious few of these vistas left, and it would be nice if we could leave at least one or two of them for future generations.

High Park Toronto - Waterfall, originally uploaded by stevenharris.

One of the many waterfalls in Toronto’s High Park. Not much else to say about it really, I just like the way the photo turned out. Of course it helps that the City Parks Department does an excellent job of using a variety of plants in the park, resulting in a nice variety of colour in the shot.

Understated Entrance, originally uploaded by stevenharris.

This is the door on a downtown office of Toronto’s Purchasing Department. Somehow I always expect civic buildings to be a little more ornate.