Nestled in the heart of downtown Toronto’s ravine system lies an icon of Toronto’s history, the Don Valley Brick Works factory. This factory literally created the foundations of the city: after the Great Fire of 1904 which destroyed most of the downtown core, city by-laws were changed to require masonry construction for most buildings. A derelict industrial site for many years, local non-profit organization Evergreen has taken on the task of turning the place into a community of all things green.

Visible from Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway- the major artery to the downtown core- the roof of the Brick Works now reads “Rethink Space”. Evergreen has created a plan to clean up the site, and to reinvent it as a downtown nature oasis, a conservation education centre, a local farmer’s market, a native plant nursery, and an interactive public green space.

Acting as the environmental steward to the Brick Works since 1997, Evergreen has made huge strides to improve and preserve the site’s ecological integrity. The old factory is now the backdrop for bike trails and walking paths through ravines and over waterways. A meadow hill just behind the factory offers one of the best views of the cityscape.

The Brick Works project is an incredible venture, demonstrating the value of reconsidering how we can use old industrial spaces in our cities. This prime real estate could have been the site for another industrial factory, or even a new condo building, but instead has been redefined as an important green heritage site for all to enjoy.

For more information on the Brick Works, including its calendar of events, visit: http://www.evergreen.ca/rethinkspace/

For more information on Evergreen’s programs to green urban spaces, visit: http://www.evergreen.ca/en/