Few artworks in Guild Park are as beloved as The Bear. Created at the Guild in 1979 by resident sculptor Michael Clay and his mentor, renowned Canadian sculptor E.B. Cox, The Bear has become one of Guild Park's most recognizable and cherished works of art. Generations of visitors have paused to admire it, photograph it, and introduce it to children during walks through the park. Unlike many of Guild Park's architectural fragments, The Bear is an original work of sculptur

Marble has been used to create some of the world's most impressive sculptures and buildings throughout history. It is a relatively soft and porous stone, making it ideal for carving intricate details that bring the stone to life. It is also known for being quite durable. Guild Park is home to a number of carved marble features. One of our favourite marble pieces is the sculpture named Musidora, found outdoors in the south gardens west of the Guild Inn's patio. She was sculpt

Forty-five people joined Heritage Toronto's first Emerging Historian walking tour here this summer, exploring a remarkable collection of rescued architectural fragments while discovering new perspectives on the site's history. The strong turnout reflects a growing appreciation for the site's unique history and its nationally significant collection of architectural fragments. During the tour, Heritage Toronto Emerging Historian Jane Schiedel shared new insights from her rece

Hundreds gathered at the historic Greek Theatre in July as Nagata Shachu transformed the setting into a spectacular outdoor concert venue. Beginning with a hands-on workshop for about 100 audience members, the taiko drumming group entertained for more than 90 minutes with a powerful program blending traditional and contemporary rhythms. The event was one of the Toronto Arts in the Parks programs that bring entertainment to public spaces across the city each summer. Events lik

Finding your way around Guild Park may soon become much easier. The proposed signs are intended to help both first-time and returning visitors navigate the 88-acre park through improved maps, directional signs and trail information. A new look for Guild Park: The City of Toronto is proposing to replace the existing warning signs at the trail to the Granite Club archway with a modern information sign as part of its draft Guild Park & Gardens Wayfinding Sign Locations Plan. Com

Guild Alive with Culture is one of the most important weekends of the year for Friends of Guild Park. For me, however, the most rewarding part of the weekend is the opportunity to connect with people and share stories. It provides an opportunity for visitors to support our work by becoming members, renewing memberships and purchasing merchandise that helps fund our programs and advocacy throughout the year. Throughout the festival, visitors stopped by our booth to ask questio

Join us on Saturday, August 29, as the David Suzuki Foundation's Butterflyway Project marks its tenth anniversary at the park's award-winning pollinator garden. Family activities, information displays and a free native plant giveaway (while supplies last) will highlight this special community celebration. Details: https://www.friendsofguildpark.com/event-details/event-rescheduled-the-butterflyway-project-10-year-celebration

What happens when you combine a simple sheet of paper, a little curiosity and the inspiring surroundings of Guild Park? That's exactly what participants discovered during this week's Hands-on Paper Sculpture Workshop, part of Friends of Guild Park's New Horizons for Seniors Program. New Horizons Art Workshop participants looking for inspiration from the nature and architectural features on view at Guild Park The morning began outdoors around Guild Park's Clark Centre for the

City invites feedback on major proposal to improve visitor orientation and navigation Finding your way around Guild Park may soon become much easier. The City of Toronto has released a draft wayfinding plan proposing the first comprehensive park-wide signage system for Guild Park & Gardens. The Guild Park & Gardens Wayfinding Sign Locations (Version 1.0) introduces a coordinated system of entrance signs, park maps, directional signs and natural area markers throughout the pa

What will you discover on our next Monday morning Activity Walk through Guild Park? One Monday morning, participants quietly watched a family of deer stop for a drink along a wooded trail. It's just one of the unexpected moments that make our free New Horizons for Seniors Activity Walks so memorable. Another week, participants watched a fox make its way through the park. On almost every walk, someone points out a flower they've never noticed before, a bird they've never heard

Marking the 100th anniversary of the Guild of All Arts in 2032 has received an important boost from the City of Toronto. The concept, known as Guild 100, is to celebrate Guild Park's extraordinary artistic, cultural and community legacy through a year-long series of exhibitions, performances, educational programs and community events in 2032. It will mark 100 years since philanthropists Rosa and Spencer Clark established the Guild of All Arts on the site of today's Guild

When you admire one of Guild Park's historic architectural fragments or hand-carved sculptures, you may notice patches of red, orange, yellow, green or black on the stone surfaces. What’s causing this discolouration? Many visitors may recognize the familiar green tinge of lichen, but lichen can appear in a surprising range of colours and is sometimes mistaken for paint, dirt, residue from a flare or smoke bomb, or other types of surface staining. For the curious observer, t

More than 150 older adults aged 55+ have already registered to discover Guild Park through Friends of Guild Park's new New Horizons for Seniors Program – and there's still plenty of time to join them. The program has launched its weekly Activity Walks, hands-on Gardening & Stewardship Activities, and inspiring Experiential Art Workshops. Participants have explored Guild Park's gardens and forest trails, learned about native plants and pollinators, created imaginative works

Guild Park will soon become busy with visitors making use of its beauty for their special graduation or wedding photo sessions. Park users should be aware that the use of artificial fabric or plastic flower petals and metallic or plastic confetti to enhance a picture have a significant impact on the park environment and wildlife. Fabric or Plastic Flower Petals and Metallic or Plastic Confetti are made of materials such as polyester, nylon or plastic-coated foil that are no

Most people experience Guild Park as a beautiful place where they can walk, relax, attend events and discover its remarkable features and stories. Behind the scenes, however, another important activity has been taking place for over a decade. Friends of Guild Park supporters may never have heard of the Guild Park Resource Group (GPRG), yet this City of Toronto initiative has played an important role in Guild Park's operations and future since 2014. Because Guild Park comb

Visitors to Guild Park may have noticed an exciting new addition beside the Sculptor's Cabin this spring. A collaborative project between Friends of Guild Park, Councillor Paul Ainslie's office, and Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation has transformed the area immediately in front of the Cabin into an attractive new seating and heritage display space. The installation features four limestone capitals salvaged from Toronto's former Imperial Oil Building, repurposed as benche

One week after launching its first New Horizons for Seniors Program, the award-winning not-for-profit group, Friends of Guild Park, is already seeing an enthusiastic response from participants. Among the first active adults registering for the New Horizons for Seniors Program now on at Guild Park More than 100 registrations have been received for upcoming activities, and the first week of programming has generated overwhelmingly positive feedback from active adults looking to

More than 65 active adults register in first week for upcoming activities Guild Park is where active adults 55+ can enjoy weekly Activity Walks, Gardening and Art Workshops all specially designed for local seniors and hosted by Friends of Guild Park. Activities are free with online advance registration at https://www.friendsofguildpark.com/seniors Friends of Guild Park is delighted with the early response to our new free Seniors Programs at Guild Park & Gardens. In the first

Guild Park’s spring and early summer calendar offers a rich mix of guided walks, seasonal trails and architectural tours to bring nature and history to life through storytelling. The season begins with Jane’s Walk (Fri. May 1, 6:45 pm), where participants will explore the park’s Monument Walk, once a roadway that’s now lined with artifacts, structures, forest and hidden histories. Both a reflective walk and community-based conversation, this event highlights how landscapes ev

Guild Park’s award-winning Native Pollinator Garden is more than a beautiful space—it’s a living example of how urban landscapes can support biodiversity, restore habitat, and connect people with nature. On Wednesday, May 6, Guildwood resident and Butterflyway Project leader Allison Murray will present a free community talk at Venvi Guildwood Retirement Living, offering practical, accessible ways to garden with nature. Her presentation will highlight why pollinators—bees, but