Jane’s Nature Walk

By Sayada Nabi

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The Delta Family Resource Centre made news last month with their community clean-up effort. The youth group, known as SWAAG (students working as a group), went to Rowntree Mills Park and made the park greener by participating in the Live Green Toronto community clean up day.

This month, youth programmer Sana Hafeez and the DRFC team organized Jane’s Nature Walk, which took place Sunday, May 3rd. The walk is named after Jane Jacobs a journalist and activist who was passionate about changes brought into communities through urbanization and city building. The walk also encouraged community members to learn more about Humber Summit. The day started with Zumba, where everyone danced together to energizing music, including the crowd favourite dance tune “YMCA”.

After that Hafeez and her youth brought the crowd together to go on the walk around the community. Hafeez ensured her team of youth did research about the area and had them educate others about the historical significance of the stops along the route.

SWAAG gathered historical facts about the stops along the way and outlined it in a flyer supplied to all participants.

The route started at the Pine Ridge Cemetery, “an area once home to several mills” and continued down to Rowntree Mills Park, which is about “227 Acres, and named after Joseph Rowntree who had owned mills in this area.”

After making a few more stops the walk ended at the Humber Summit Library.

The events of the day included a book drive and concluded with presentations after the walk and a delicious barbeque.