A Field Trip to Brickworks

The weather forecast showed a 96% chance of rain that morning, and I was not looking forward to going out. After a few long, luxurious weeks of winter vacation, it was time to get back to business, and the Don team was kicking off with a day-long retreat.

As much as I enjoyed the company of my team, I was not thrilled when I saw an outdoor activity on the agenda. For all my wandering in Europe, I tend to go into a hibernation-like state of mind during the winter. Therefore, it was with some reluctance that I made my way over to the Evergreen Brickworks with the group. Although I had heard much about the place, I had never yet been myself. We walked about 15 minutes from Castle Frank station, through some muddy trails, to get to the entrance of the old brick factory. Fortunately, the rain held off, and it was actually quite pleasant out.

On the site, we were split into two groups, and my group went off on a hike. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, explaining how the land had originally been purchased as farmland, but then was transformed into a brick factory when clay was discovered on the property. As this was around the time when downtown Toronto was being rebuilt after another great fire, the factory became very successful. When all the clay had been used up, however, the site was abandoned. Years later, it began to get rebuilt as a protected natural space in the city.

On our hike, our guide pointed out a muskrat nest, a tree that bore distinct beaver teeth markings, and various types of plants and their properties. In particular, she noted the ones that made great herbal teas, such as cedar and white pine. Shortly afterwards, we headed back inside to make our own tea blends, with a variety of natural ingredients, many of which came from the site itself. My personal blend consisted of lavender and linden leaves, both of which are great for relieving stress.

We finished off by visiting the kilns, where the bricks were cooked. Much of the original structure was preserved in this section, hence the graffiti everywhere.

By the kilns was also a charming skating rink and a small holiday market. In addition to some vendors selling knitted wear and baked goods, there was also a chimney cakes food truck. It was the first time I had seen chimney cakes sold in Toronto, although they were everywhere in Europe. Before I got a chance to get one, however, we had to be off to our next activity at the Riddle Room, an escape room and board game café downtown, where I made up for the lost chimney cake with a wonderful malt vanilla milkshake.

Although I was not expecting much from the place, Brickworks was a surprisingly pleasant field trip. It helped that the weather was so accommodating -- not a drop of rain and consistently mild. The outdoor walk was a much needed breath of fresh air, and the tea a wonderful way to warm up afterwards.