Spring highlights at TMU and in Toronto

Spring on campus holds a special place in my heart, transforming TMU into a beautiful picturesque haven. From colourful, vibrant trees adorning Gould Street to the joyful scenes of fellow students and their cute dogs basking in the newfound warmth at the Quad, our campus starts to blossom with new energy. This season not only revives the campus but also rejuvenates the city’s spirit, drawing people out of their winter retreats and back into the bustling streets of Toronto.

Sometime around late April, you’ll start hearing the buzz around Cherry Blossoms. When I first moved to Toronto, I didn’t understand the hype around it. It seemed as if everyone was fixated on them. Last year, I finally gave in and went to High Park which is the most popular place to visit for viewing Cherry Blossoms. The park is a half-hour commute from campus via the subway. The park’s massive size silences the city’s noise around it. I spent the entire day walking under gorgeous pink trees, along flower trails, and ponds. Cherry blossom trees are lined across the park’s main walkway so you can snap some pictures and continue on your way to a picnic spot – that’s what I did and I highly recommend it! 

A typical spring tradition in Toronto is picnics! My favourite place to have a picnic is Riverdale Park– about a 30-minute walk from campus. The park offers some great views of the downtown core as it sits on a hill. It’s also located next to some delicious cafes and restaurants where you can grab snacks and soak in the Spring weather! But if you still miss the water, you can always cycle down to the Waterfront and take in the warming lake air. I’d particularly recommend Toronto Music Garden, a park located on the waterfront which you can bike to. The entire concept of the park is for musicians and artists to come to perform for the public for free! You’ll almost always hear some sort of tune coming out of that park and I can’t recommend it enough.

The city also starts bustling with festivals and events. Doors Open Toronto which happens towards the end of the season is my personal favorite. This event takes place over a weekend and allows you to explore some of Toronto’s major buildings and rare sights that are usually not open to the public! It’s completely free of charge and you can plan your day to visit so many different places in the city – from fire stations (where you can meet firefighters) to government buildings and culturally significant places like museums and theatres. 

Finally, you have plenty of holidays and events coming up, the most significant being Victoria Day. Last year, my friends and I took a streetcar to Woodbine Beach where crowds gathered to watch a spectacular fireworks display. With our legs in the water and feet soaked with sand, we watched a huge ten minute fireworks show!

Overall, spring in Toronto is my favorite time of the year. You can feel the streets coming back to life with pedestrians and cyclists everywhere celebrating the sun. You’ll start to see events pop up in almost every block and there’s so much to see, you won’t run out of places to go or things to do!