Celebrating a New Bench for Louise

Family, friends and colleagues of the late Louise Miskew are gathering at Guild Park on Saturday morning May 3 to celebrate the arrival of a special park bench. It's a bench that commemorates Louise and all her support for Guild Park and Guildwood Village.

Louise Miskew, 1951-2023. A tireless supporter of Guild Park and her Guildwood community.

The informal event begins at 11:00 am at the Livingston entrance to Guild Park. People will gather at the walk entry on the west side of the park (between the apartment buildings at 45 and 55 Livingston Road). Lots of street parking along Livingston and Sylvan Avenue.

Everyone who knew Louise is welcome to join

From the park entrance, people will take a short walk along the Livingston Trail to the new bench. It includes a small plaque reading:

“In memory of

Louise Miskew 1951-2023

A long-time resident of Guildwood Village and

dedicated supporter of Guild Park.”

The commemorative bench is located at a spot that's significant to the Miskew family (see map). Throughout the years, Louise and her family walked along the Livingston Trail during their frequent park visits. Now, everyone who uses the same pathway can sit at her bench to enjoy the sites and sounds in the 88-acre park.

The celebration for Louise starts at the Livingston entry to Guild Park at 11 am Sat. May 3.

Guild Park's Livingston Entry, where the informal celebration for Louise starts at 11:00 am Sat. May 2, 2025

It’s an opportunity to remember Louise, who worked in real estate, was volunteer chair of the Guild Renaissance Group and a sponsor of so many Guildwood Village projects.

People recall that Louise arranged for the Re/Max hot air balloon to be at the Guildwood Day festivals organized by the Guildwood Village Community Association. She also was among the first participants to enjoy the art classes at Guild Park’s Clark Centre for the Arts. That facility, which brought art and artists back to Guild Park after a 25-year hiatus, was an initiative that Louise and her Guild Renaissance Group colleagues helped make possible.

The commemorative bench was installed by the City of Toronto in late 2024, with the memorial plaque added a few weeks ago. The bench was sponsored by the Guild Renaissance Group, assisted by Friends of Guild Park.