THE BEST TORONTO TRAVEL GUIDE

Last Updated: August 7, 2024

When I first arrived in Canada in May 2012, I spent about a month in Toronto. I’d never been there, so unlike many other people, who started their Canadian adventure in Vancouver, I decided to check out Toronto.

Toronto is in the eastern province of Ontario and is Canada’s largest city by population. This city is known for business, technology, architecture, arts, fashion, culture, and tourism.

Toronto Pearson International Airport is the busiest and largest airport in Canada. Here’s the Best Toronto Travel Guide, in which I’ll tell you about its many attractions, such as CN Tower, Kensington Market, Sugar Beach Park, Lake Ontario and the famous NXNE Festival in June every year.

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

The Best Things To Do in Toronto

CN Tower

Address: 301 Front Street W, Toronto ON M5V 2T6, Canada

As I’m walking around downtown Toronto on my first evening in 2012, a tower higher than any other building amazes me. It’s CN Tower, a communications and observation tower built out of concrete, that is 553.30 meters (1,815.3 ft) high.

A high concrete tower with 2 circular observation levels and a large antenna at the top.

CN Tower is Toronto’s major landmark, first opened in 1976, and more than 1.5 million visitors stop here each year. Until 2009, it was the world’s highest tower!

So I got in line for one of the six glass elevators, that took me up to the Main Observation Level in only 58 seconds! This area is at 346 meters (1,136 ft), and what a great way to see Toronto and beyond from a bird’s eye perspective! There’s also a glass floor to stand on and look down.

View of Toronto with many high skyscrapers, but also some green areas (parks, trees, etc).

You can even upgrade to access the Sky Pod Level at 447 meters (1,465 ft), where you can see up to 160 km (99 miles), all the way to Niagara Falls and New York state! Tickets for both levels can be bought online or at the bottom of the tower.

Another cool thing about CN Tower is that it’s often lit in various colours at night, especially during special occasions, like a hockey or baseball game!

Last but not least, 360 Restaurant, a fine dining place featuring local, fresh, and sustainable meals from across the country is inside this tower. At 351 meters (1,151 ft), it has the world’s highest wine cellar!

CN Tower is open daily from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.

Edge Walk at CN Tower

When I visited Toronto again in July 2023, I felt really adventurous, so the Edge Walk at CN Tower was a must! This experience includes walking in a circle two stories above the Main Observation deck (at 356 m/1,168 ft) in 30 minutes!

First, I had to sign a waiver at the base camp on the ground level, then the helpful staff put me in a special red suit. Finally, our group took the elevator all the way up!

Your body is attached to “an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system”, according to CN Tower’s website. Of course, a guide is with you at all times, and if you dare, lean forward, and just enjoy the best view of Toronto! Alex, our guide, was super nice and very understanding of people being a bit scared (me, lol)! :p

Myself being secured to a rope and harness, leaning back, with Toronto's skyscrapers in the background.

Photo credit: CN Tower.

The Edge Walk experience occurs seasonally (in almost any kind of weather). It includes two photo prints, video, a certificate of achievement, and a visit to the two observation levels. You can also buy digital photo copies for an additional charge.

Kensington Market

Address: Kensington Avenue, Toronto ON M5T 2K2, Canada

Next, spend a few hours at Kensington Market, a multicultural and artsy district of Toronto. It has been a World Heritage Site of Canada since 2006. It’s in downtown as well and has many narrow streets, so it’s easier to walk than drive in this area.

Every last Sunday of the month (except during the winter months), only pedestrians can enter Kensington Market. You can enjoy live music and street theatre shows, dancing, and games, as well as the Winter Solstice Festival in December.

The biggest eye-catcher is the colourful Garden Car on Augusta Avenue & Oxford Street, which is used as a community garden from May to November every year. The original one put up in 2007 retired in 2012.

Soon after, the second Garden Car took over, and its look was updated again since then as well. It was launched by “Streets for the People”, a (now inactive) local anti-car advocacy group.

A small car with a graffiti style exterior. Colour examples are pink, yellow, white, green, and blue. Green plants are growing out of its top area.

A small vehicle sitting in front of a cobblestone building. The car is yellow and green, with lots of green plants growing out of its top area.

The Garden Car in 2012 (left) and in 2023 (right).

Kensington Market is also famous for its shopping (e.g. meats, fish, vegetable, cheese shops and bakeries), cafés and restaurants (with food from all over the world), clubs, new and vintage clothing stores, and lots of street food.

Kensington Market has been a popular spot for immigrants to live since the early 20th century, so it’s no surprise that its attractions are so diverse today! Lastly, don’t miss the many unique street artworks in this neighbourhood!

A beach artwork, with ferns and a red bicycle in the front, the ocean, a sail boat, a sunset, and more ferns in the back. There's also the CN Tower.

A colourful graffiti style artwork, with the title "Kings & Queens", and a bunch of skeleton figures. In the front, there's a blue and orange bunny. Their eyes are yellow with no pupils, and the blue bunny is holding a carrot.

Explore Toronto Islands

Address: 40 Avenue of the Islands, Toronto ON M5J, Canada

Another place worth visiting is Toronto Islands, a group of 15 small islands inside Lake Ontario. It can be reached by ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in downtown Toronto or by water taxi in just 13 minutes!

Locals and visitors come here for a picnic or BBQ at Toronto Island Park, rent a canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or bicycle. There are also tennis courts, Japanese cherry trees (Sakura), walking trails, playgrounds, water play areas, Centreville Amusement Park and petting zoo, and disc golfing.

This area is also known for its many beautiful beaches, including Hanlan’s Point Beach, where clothing is “not necessary”, one of only two of that kind in Canada! Many of these attractions, as well as the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, completed in 1908, are on Centre Island. It’s the largest and most popular of Toronto Islands.

A beautiful green park area, with two large trees, with green leaves. A tree with reddish leaves is in the background.

A lighthouse made out of grey cobblestones with a red door and red lookout area at the top. It's surrounded by green trees and bushes.

But don’t worry, all islands are connected by bridges and pathways, so it’s easy to get to the other islands. The entire island area is about 5 km (3.1 miles) long.

I especially like the view of Toronto Skyline, which always makes a nice picture, whether it’s rain or shine! Toronto Islands is also home to various wild animals, like turtles, herons, swans, Canada geese, and 35 species of fish, and it’s pretty much a car-free area (except for service vehicles).

Canada geese (they are white and brown with black heads and necks) swimming around in the water.

A white sandy beach area with lots of people sunbathing. There's a large piece of wood with a sign attached to it.

The ferry goes to Centre Island, Hanlan’s Island, and Ward Island several times a day, and roundtrip tickets can be bought online or right by the ferry dock in downtown Toronto.

Dogs on a leash are welcome on Toronto Islands and there are some cafés and restaurants as well. So Toronto Islands is an awesome spot for anyone looking to relax or explore and escape from the bustling city life for a bit!

Toronto's skyline with Lake Ontario in the front and CN Tower and several skyscrapers in the back. There are some trees as well.

NXNE Music & Gaming Festival

If you’re in Toronto in June, visiting the NXNE Music & Gaming Festival, which lasts for 10 days, is a must! It has been a part of Toronto’s entertainment scene since 1995. Its main location is Yonge-Dundas Square and a part of Yonge Street, but also many other venues in downtown.

Apart from live music, visitors can watch comedy shows, participate in eSports gaming tournaments, and browse a flea market. According to NXNE’s website, more than 200,000 people visit this festival every year.

NXNE Festival has been proud to host many local but also some famous music acts over time, like Billy Talent, Iggy and the Stooges, The Lumineers, The Tragically Hip, and Ludacris. The open air shows at Yonge-Dundas Square are always free, but you’ll have to pay for a ticket to go to concerts at other venues.

I visited the NXNE Festival in 2012, and found out by accident about the headliners playing at Yonge-Dundas Square: Bad Religion! I arrived just after the show started, so I was at the back of the crowd, but luckily, a screen was nearby, so I felt “closer” to the band, lol!

A screen showing Greg Graffin, the middle aged singer of Bad Religion with very short dark hair, who's singing into a microphone.

A screen showing Bad Religion's bassist Jay Bentley, a middle aged man but with longer blonde hair, also singing into a microphone.

Bad Religion’s lead singer Greg Graffin and bassist Jay Bentley performing at NXNE Music & Gaming Festival in 2012.

Canada’s Walk of Fame

If you’re walking on King Street West and Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto, be sure to look down sometimes, so you don’t miss Canada’s Walk of Fame! This collection of stars looking similar to maple leaves was founded in 1998 and honours famous Canadians from various fields.

Examples are Bryan Adams, Terry Fox, The Tragically Hip, Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Neil Young, Wayne Gretzky, and Alexander Graham Bell. Since the first induction in 1998, more than 190 Canadians have been added.

A red star shaped like a maple leaf, that says "Bryan Adams".

A red star shaped like a maple leaf, that says "Michael J. Fox".

A map of the stars of Canada’s Walk of Fame (Photo credit: Canada’s Walk of Fame).

Lake Ontario

Next, sit by Lake Ontario for a little bit. It’s a nice spot to relax, soak up the sun, and watch the many boats and ships go by. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes in North America by surface and is accessible through parts of Southern Ontario and a part of New York state.

The word “Ontario” comes from the Huron word Ontarí’io, which means “great lake” and the deepest spot of Lake Ontario is at 244 m (802 ft). Since 1954, nearly 50 people have completed a swim across Lake Ontario.

A beautiful lake with blue water and a lots of sail boats. There are a few larger boats as well.

Sugar Beach Park

Toronto also has beaches, such as Sugar Beach Park. This man-made urban sandy beach park next to Toronto’s East Bay waterfront was opened in 2010. It is right across from the Redpath Sugar Refinery.

While visitors aren’t allowed to wade or swim in Lake Ontario, there are lots of other things to do, like chilling in one of the lounging chairs, reading, playing in the sand, and joining social activities.

Sugar Beach Park also has sunshades, two giant granite rocks to sit on, an amphitheatre, and candy trim, so it’s a beautiful place to hang out without having to leave the city! Sugar Beach Park is also a popular spot for concerts and other events.

The Bata Shoe Museum

Address: 327 Bloor Street W, Toronto ON M5S 1W7, Canada

Finally, stop by the Bata Shoe Museum, a museum about footwear and its history. It has four galleries, and “regularly displays over a thousand shoes and related artifacts, chosen from a collection of over 13,000 objects”, as per their About page.

Over 4,500 years of history are featured in “All about Shoes”, their permanent collection and the three other gallery displays change on a regular basis.

In 1979, Sonja Bata started the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation and in 1995, the Bata Shoe Museum opened its doors. Unfortunately, I only saw this cool-sounding place from the outside, but some people I know visited it and had an awesome time!

The Bata Shoe Museum is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am-5 pm, and Sundays from 12-5 pm, and general admission is C$ 14 per person. On Sundays, admission is free!

A large colourful poster that says "Bata Shoe Museum".

Outside poster of the Bata Shoe Museum.

Where To Stay in Toronto

Clarence Park Hostel

Address: 7 Clarence Square, Toronto ON M5V 1H1, Canada

During my recent visit to Toronto in July 2023, I stayed at the Clarence Park Hostel. It’s only a short walk from cool attractions, like CN Tower, King Street West, and Kensington Market.

I slept in a female dorm and the bed was very comfortable (especially if you’re in a wider lower bunk bed), and every dorm has a private bathroom. There’s a simple free breakfast consisting of toast and cereal every morning and feel free to hang out in the common areas as well.

One of the common areas inside the Clarence Park Hostel.

My Couchsurfing Experience

Back in 2012, I did Couchsurfing for about half of the time in Toronto. It’s a worldwide online community where you can sign up to stay at local people’s homes at no charge.

I really liked meeting and getting to know my Couchsurfing hosts, seeing some parts of Toronto I hadn’t been to before, getting insider tips on what to do, and saving lots of cash!

Because let’s be honest, although it’s fun to stay in hostels and hotels, the cost for accommodation can add up very quickly! I even heard that some of these stayovers can turn into friendships or even relationships!

I usually stayed with a host for two to four days and everyone was very kind and helpful. For example, one host introduced me to Dollarama and another one let me use their bike. As a thank you, I helped with cooking, bought them some booze, and told them about my travel stories.

It’s important though to stay with hosts who are verified by the Couchsurfing community, who have received good reviews from previous guests. Also, be sure to tell your friends or acquaintances where you’re staying, especially if you’re a solo traveler.

Back in 2012, it was free to use the Couchsurfing website, but since May 2020, members in most developed countries, including Canada, have to pay a monthly fee of US$ 2.39 or US$ 14.29 for a whole year.

Where to Eat & Drink in Toronto

Toronto is a great place to visit if you’re vegan or vegetarian, as it has 100+ veggie restaurants!

So during my visit in July 2023, I ate at these places:

My favourite was Tenon Vegan Sushi (487 Bloor Street W, Toronto ON M5S 1Y2), which offers authentic Japanese sushi dishes and Thai appetizers. Their menu features an awesome selection of more than 30 sushi rolls and many fake meat, fish or seafood dishes.

I went for the Soy beef on a Skewer appetizer, Kay Satay (Soy chicken on a stick with Thai peanut sauce), King Mushroom Special Roll, and Salmon Sashimi with cucumber. Everything was super tasty, so part of me just wanted to keep eating, lol!

Four soy chicken skewers with an orange Thai peanut sauce on the side.

A plate of pink vegan salmon sashimi, soy beef skewers with vegetables, and large sushi rolls with mango pieces on top.

Another great restaurant I had to try was German Doner Kebab (246 Queen Street W, Toronto ON M5V 1Z7)! In case you don’t know, doner kebabs are a very popular street food in Germany. Although they serve meat, their Veggie Kebab with fries was delicious and very filling! :p

A triangular pita style bread filled with coleslaw, a veggie burger patty, tomato, red cabbage, and lettuce. A pack of fries is in the background.

Of course, Toronto also has lots of dessert places to choose from!

If you’re vegan or gluten-free, a great place to check out is Bunner’s Bakeshop (244 Augusta Avenue, Toronto ON M5T 2L7) in the heart of Kensington Market. Their menu includes any pastry you can think of, from cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cinnamon buns, brownies, cookies, ice cream, to so much more!

I chose their Vanilla ice cream cone, and it was so nice and creamy!

Moreover, I went to Second Cup quite a lot back in 2012 and during my recent Toronto trip, and my favourite is their Frozen Hot Chocolate! They have locations all over the city.

A frozen chocolate drink with lots of whipped cream on top!

How to Get Around in Toronto with Public Transit

It’s easy to get around in Toronto and its suburbs by public transit, which consists of subways, streetcars, and buses. The subway has two lines, the Yellow Line from Yonge Street to Union Station (north to south) and the Green Line, which runs from Etobicoke to Scarborough from east to west.

The Union Pearson Express takes you from Union Station in downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport (about 25 minutes) and vice-versa, at a one-way cost of C$ 12.35. They run every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

Toronto also has a second airport, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Islands. It offers flights from/to more than 20 locations in Canada and the United States, including Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Halifax, New York, and Ottawa. Besides, it’s only a short walk to downtown Toronto!

Buses and streetcars go pretty much everywhere in and close to Toronto. GO Transit buses and trains and VIA Rail have their hub at Union Station in downtown, which take passengers to the Greater Golden Horseshoe region and other places in Ontario and beyond.

If you’re into biking, Bike Share Toronto has 3,000 bikes available at almost 300 stations throughout the city. But it’s fun to walk all over Toronto’s downtown area and beyond as well!

Toronto’s Union Station Bus Terminal from the outside.

My Opinion on Toronto

Spending time in Toronto was an awesome start to my Canadian adventures in 2012. First of all, the locals I met were very nice and helpful.

For example, I walked around with a tourist map (my antique phone didn’t have Google Maps) one day, and was surprised when total strangers asked me if they could help! This had never happened before, although I heard they are getting paid for this, and even if that was true, I much appreciated it!

I also liked Toronto’s multicultural and open-minded society, which in particular became evident in the Couchsurfing hosts I stayed with, who were from various countries and backgrounds. So it was great to learn about their culture and customs a little bit.

Another thing I like is that Toronto has some nice parks and other green spaces as well!

But it was really tough to find a job in May and June, which probably had to do with me not having much work experience (and none from Canada). Also, some people told me that many temporary positions were already filled earlier in the year with students. Of course, this is not Toronto’s fault!

Unfortunately, a few things were different in downtown Toronto during my visit in 2023. I noticed that it’s quite dirty (in 2012, I found it pretty clean) and there are way more homeless people as well. While they didn’t bother me, it makes me sad that this has gotten worse here since the pandemic.

But of course, these things won’t stop me from visiting Toronto again in the future!

A large green tree inside a pond area with skyscrapers in the background.

If you’re spending some time in Ontario and like reptiles, check out this post as well:

WWOOFing at Scales Nature Park

August 19, 2021 2

WWOOFING AT SCALES NATURE PARK

Last updated: September 21, 2023

“Ouch!” I’m holding Rusty, a young Eastern Fox Snake, while my coworker cleans his cage, when it happens. I cringe and see him biting my left index finger, out of nowhere, and it draws a bit of blood.

Within seconds, another coworker arrives, hands Rusty to my colleague, and puts my finger under cold water, to wash it off. Although he’s not venomous, I’m shocked, and ask my coworker if I hurt him by accident. She shakes her head and says “No, he’s got brain damage, so you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Soon after, I find out that he’s in this condition because a freezing damage happened in his hibernation room in the past, and since he was closest to the vent, he was affected the most. So now I feel sorry for Rusty!

Introduction

Before this happened, it’s been a normal day at Scales Nature Park, in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada, where I’ve been WWOOFing* for a while. Scales Nature Park is a nature preserve, and first opened its doors to the public in December 2009. This is where you can see “Canada’s largest collection of native amphibians and reptiles”, as shown on their website, as well as some exotic animals.

Scales Nature Park has an indoor nature centre, where the snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, and salamanders live, a gift shop, and a classroom.

There’s also a 21-hectar outdoor nature park with 4 km of walking trails, where you can find natural wetlands and upland habitat, hardwood forests, ponds, and hemlock groves. If it’s your lucky day, you might even see local wildlife, like garter snakes, toads, chipmunks, and beavers.

Some previous travel companions, who’d WWOOFed at Scales Nature Park before, had told me lots of exciting stories, so now it was my turn to see it for myself!

Three weeks earlier, Jeff Hathaway, the founder and owner of Scales Nature Park, picked me up at the Greyhound bus station in Barrie, and a bunch of friendly staff and WWOOFers greeted me when we arrived. After leaving my luggage in the 4-bed female dorm I was staying at, and a quick tour of the property, I found myself in a car with my new colleagues.

Our destination was nearby Bass Lake Provincial Park, a popular camping spot, where Scales Nature Park hosted a reptile show. Jeff and his experienced staff members had brought some small snakes and turtles, and taught the audience about their characteristics and behaviour.

People were listening intently, but it seemed that everyone, including myself, was most excited about touching or even holding the snakes at the end! For a long time, I’d assumed that their skin is slithery, like a fish’s, but instead, it turned out to be very dry.

A small selection of the animals (photo credit: Scales Nature Park) and stunning Bass Lake beach.

My Tasks at Scales Nature Park

My first task every morning is wiping the outside windows of the animals’ terrariums in the exhibit hall, before the first customers arrive. Later, I clean some containers the animals were in during reptile shows (when they weren’t shown to the audience), and cut vegetables for the turtles to eat with other WWOOFers.

About a week after arriving at Scales Nature Park, a coworker teaches me how to sell admission tickets and gift shop items to customers at the cash desk. Then I refer them to a staff member, who shows them around the exhibit hall, and explains things about each animal.

As time goes on, my list of tasks keeps growing, like sweeping floors inside the exhibit hall, assisting Jeff at a reptile show in Toronto, and translating a WWOOFer’s manual from English to German, as many of them are from Germany.

Besides, everyone, whether staff member or WWOOFer, is expected to help with household tasks outside of work (e.g. cooking, wiping tables, cleaning non-public bathrooms, and washing dishes), on a rotating schedule.

Feeding and cleaning the inside areas of the animals’ homes is mostly reserved to Jeff and experienced staff, who have attended local universities or colleges for biology, reptile care, or something similar. Still, I learn a lot by watching them, and love helping with tasks, like holding a few animals, while a colleague cleans their cages.

A small part of the exhibit hall, fun times behind the cash desk, and a selection of cool stuff at the gift shop! The last one is photo credit of Scales Nature Park.

Free-Time Activities for WWOOFers

There’s lots of room for free-time activities while WWOOFing at Scales Nature Park. For example, one sunny day, a coworker and I borrow bikes from Scales Nature Park, and ride them on a beautiful path towards Orillia, where we hang out next to Lake Simcoe. Another day, we see some local bands playing at a concert in Orillia, then have a few drinks and sing karaoke at a bar.

One evening, the majority of staff and WWOOFers are going on a spontaneous wildlife tour (unfortunately, I don’t remember the location), where we see a few wild animals. We also watch movies at a drive-in movie theatre in Orillia and Scales Nature Park’s classroom, play card games and have lots of fun conversations, swim in the pool, and relax in the whirlpool after a long day.

Last but not least, eating meals together each day makes getting to know each other a lot easier!

From the top left: Path from Scales Nature Park to Orillia and a pond next to the road, Lake Simcoe, and a frog (or toad) we met during the wildlife tour.

Past and Current Events & Projects

Scales Nature Park offered lots of cool events before COVID happened, such as:

Community Turtle Training. This 1-Day workshop happened through the Save Turtles At Risk Today (START) project. It was made for local community members, who couldn’t participate in the Turtle Boot Camp, and wanted to know more about turtles. For example, attendees were taught about distinguishing species and male and female turtles, and how to handle them, taking good observation data, when the Reptile hotline should be phoned, and prepared an injured turtle care kit.

Halloween Flashlight Tours. A few days before Halloween, Scales Nature Park hosted this fun event! It was a great way for kids and adults to find out what the reptiles and amphibians are up to in the dark, which is their favourite time of the day to be active. The indoor nature centre was decorated in the “Halloween spirit”, and some staff and animals were happy to dress in costumes.

Here are some of their current events and projects:

Reptile Camp. Scales Nature Park is proud to host this popular event again in July and August 2023! It’s a day camp program for adventurous kids aged 7-12 years, who are eager to learn about exotic and native reptiles, and how to handle and feed them. Participants also get a chance to explore nearby pond and forest habitats. Last but not least, this program includes games and craft projects, that can be taken home at the end, and I’m sure lots of new friendships are made, too! The cost is C$ 300 per child for 5 days (Monday-Friday).

Leaders in Training Camp. This day camp program is also happening again this summer, for youth from 13-17 years, and although not mandatory, it is recommended to sign up for two weeks. In this program, participants learn how to come up with fun activities as a summer camp counsellor, leadership, and of course, animal care! Besides, first aid and safety training, equipment usage, and planning skills are a part of this program. The cost for five days (Monday-Friday) is C$ 120 per person.

Herpetology Experience and Research Program. This program’s main target group are students or recent graduates from 18-30 years, who are interested in a career in herpetology. It’s a 8 to 12-month residential program, and participants collect experience about various topics related to herpetology and conservation, such as: Identifications, life history, animal handling and husbandry of 70+ species, and outdoor skills.

Scales Nature Park also offers workshops (e.g. Advanced Reptile Workshop and Rattlesnake Workshop), Community Volunteer Training, Certification Courses, and Co-Op’s and Internships. You can also contact them here for their virtual, off-site and on site programs.

Turtle Boot Camp. Scales Nature Park has hosted this event, which, according to their Facebook page, is “the most intensive and thorough reptile focused field training available in Ontario”. This training program was mandatory for their field staff, but other people were welcome to apply as well. Attendees found out how to identify turtles, handling methods, marking techniques, digital data entry, and more!

Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital. This is a non-profit organization founded by Scales Nature Park. Its main focus will be to treat injured turtles, incubate recovered eggs, and taking care of turtle conservation “through public education, population monitoring, and research”, according to their website. The opening date is currently TBA, and it’s planned that staff and volunteers will run these projects in the Georgian Bay/Lake Huron watershed region.

Scales Nature Park has also collaborated with other partner organizations throughout the years, such as the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Ontario Nature, Sciensational Sssnakes, and several universities, e.g. the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Trent University, and Grand Valley State University in Michigan, USA.

Conservation projects. Within time, Jeff and his team launched several projects to protect reptiles, such as the Saving Turtles At Risk Today (START) project. In cooperation with the Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Laurentian University, and Trent University, Scales Nature Park intends to decrease dangers (e.g. road mortality and habitat loss) to local turtle species. Turtles are collected from wetlands, bodies of water, and along roads, then measured, weighed, shell-notched, and marked, to estimate how many turtles live in a specific area.

Also, staff and volunteers put up nest cages to protect eggs from predators, like foxes, skunks, and racoons, or eggs are excavated at the Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital. After the turtles hatch, they are released into wetlands, if possible near the nest location where they were found.

Then there’s the Georgian Bay Conservation Action, Research and Education about Snakes (C.A.R.E.S) project, launched in 2020, which centers around the conservation of endangered and threatened snakes of the Georgian Bay watershed, such as the Massasauga rattlesnake, Eastern Hog-nosed snake, and Eastern Fox snake. For example, by reducing natural threats and teaching people why snakes are crucial to people and the ecosystem, Jeff and his team hope to convince some people to change their negative opinion about snakes.

Some of these animals are taken from their home for additional data collection, including digital images, measurements and mass, and blood samples may be taken for DNA analysis. Scales Nature Park also keeps an eye on roads around the region “to monitor road mortality and inform mitigation efforts such as snake exclusion fencing”. For more information about Scales Nature Park’s many conservation efforts, please see this link.

From the top left: Giant Madagascar Day Gecko, Snapping Turtle, Northern ring-necked Snake, the classroom used for workshops and trainings, and the outdoor area behind Scales Nature Park. All except the last one are photo credit of Scales Nature Park.

Scales Nature Park’s Current Hours

This summer (June until Labour Day), Scales Nature Park is open from Friday to Sunday only, from 11 am to 4 pm (by appointment only). Walk-in visits are not possible right now, and the classroom, walking trails, and outdoor facilities are still closed until further notice. But staff are available to answer questions via email or phone from 9 am to 5 pm most days.

The lower level of the Nature Centre and Gift shop at Scales Nature Park are open for guided tours by appointment only. Please find more details, as well as Admission rates on their Visitor Information page. Tours can be booked here.

For the most up to date information, please visit their website or social media pages.

Most of Scales Nature Park’s facilities can be accessed by wheelchair, depending on weather. Guests in a wheelchair need to travel over grass for a short time, to use the wheelchair entrance, and staff is always eager to help. In winter, it might not be possible to use this entrance because of snow. But Jeff and his team are happy to assist guests booked on a private tour unable to use stairs, if informed about this prior to arrival.

Directions to Scales Nature Park

Scales Nature Park is right next to Highway 11 in the township of Oro-Medonte, about an hour north of Toronto, and a 20-minute drive from Barrie. If using a GPS, make sure that it says Oro-Medonte, not Orillia, and their entrance is on Line 15 South, not Line 15 North. Watch out for the entrance sign next to the road. Here’s their contact information:

82 Line 15 South

Oro-Medonte, ON

L3V 8H9

Phone: +1 705-327-2808

The map is photo credit of Scales Nature Park.

My Opinion on WWOOFing at Scales Nature Park

WWOOFing at Scales Nature Park was one of the best decisions I made during my first year in Canada, for lots of reasons. Thanks to the liberal and easy going atmosphere, I felt welcome immediately, and Jeff, his team, and I had several things in common, like listening to a Rock music radio station all day, lol!

Many of us were within a similar age group, and it was inspiring to see that everyone seemed to enjoy his/her job. Although we worked hard every day, to ensure visitors of all ages were having the best time, I never felt overwhelmed. I’m grateful to Jeff and everyone else for teaching me a bunch of cool stuff about snakes, turtles, lizards, and amphibians.

Soon after leaving this place, I was able to apply what I’d learnt by helping a turtle across a highway road, so exciting! I’m very impressed by Jeff’s passion to keep Scales Nature Park (and its partner organizations) growing over the years, which I’m sure helped to gain a good reputation in Ontario, still, it must haven taken a lot of time, effort, and money.

I also appreciated that the animals at Scales Nature Park are very well cared for, thanks to Jeff and his team’s many years of experience. Some animals, including snakes and other reptiles, are often falsely judged, so I like that they explain to people why these fascinating creatures are beneficial to us and the environment, and offering to touch or hold them.

Speaking of the environment, I also liked that staff and WWOOFers were asked to not flush toilet paper, to save water; instead, it was collected and burnt regularly inside Scales Nature Park’s outside area.

Lastly, I think that working at a cash desk and improving my English skills by talking to lots of people every day made it easier to get my first paid job in Canada a few months later.

I WWOOFed at Scales Nature Park in August 2012, so some things may have changed with time.

Awesome times holding an albino Burmese python. 😀

*WWOOFing is short for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and people can stay and help out on a farm (or other operation) for a limited time. Workers don’t get paid, but accommodation and meals are included, so it’s a sweet way to collect experience, meet new people, and save money. It’s similar to volunteer work.

Before starting a WWOOFing adventure in Canada, you need to sign up on their website for a one-year membership, which is CAD 55.00 for a single, and CAD 80.00 for a joint membership.

So if you’re in the area and interested in learning about reptiles and amphibians, I highly recommend checking out Scales Nature Park. Cheers!

If you’re in Ontario for a while, check out this blog post as well:

The Best Toronto Travel Guide

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