Ravine

Milne Hollow is a six-hectare river valley park located on the East Don River at the northern edge of the Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve.

Originally a village mill in the late 1800s and then a ski area where Crazy Canuck Steve Podborski learned to ski, the site was nearly forgotten near the end of the twentieth century until legendary Don Valley conservationist Charles Sauriol made the public acquisition of the property one of his final life goals.

The City of Toronto has been working on the development and implementation of a Master Plan for the park that will improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat, enhance site accessibility, increase community involvement and education opportunities and establish Milne Hollow as the northern gateway to the Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve.

In 2011, the City of Toronto completed a $2 million project to provide better access to the east Don Valley and the Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve, a section of the valley south of Lawrence Avenue just east of the DVP. The new paved walking trail links Milne Hollow Park at Lawrence and the DVP with Moccasin Trail Park and the Wynford-Concorde neighbourhood. View the trail map here.

Currently the City is in the early stages of implementing a $60 million, ten year capital works project to develop a network of off-road paved trails for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the city. One of the proposed trails will link the Charles Sauriol Conservation Area to the network of trails running south and east from the Forks of the Don at Don Mills Road and the DVP, and to the so called Gatineau Trail which links to further trails east of the City. An environmental assessment of the proposed trail is currently under way and public input will be invited through 2013-14.

The proposed trail is intended to:

• link local and inter-regional trail systems
• provide a safe way for people to access the valley
  respect the natural environment
• cater to a variety of users: walkers, runners, cyclists, in-line skaters, people with baby strollers, and dog walkers. Accessibility for wheel chair users will
  be investigated as part of the design process.
• be a recreational destination and a commuter route