Labyrindex

Map + Index of Labyrinth Locations in Toronto

“Never before have I been to a city so abundant in labyrinths! … Toronto just happens to be full of them.”
— Dan Schaumann

“This is so wonderful. I love Toronto and we were wondering how to spend our summer time.

“Instead of taking a trip to the USA, we are going to visit the neat and little known wonders of Toronto like these Labyrinths!

“What an unexpensive way to learn about our city and province on Canada’s 150th Birthday.”
— Lynda Sullivan

Toronto City of Labyrinths Project – HiMY SYeD, Project Co-Ordinator

Geary Avenue Parkette – Double Green, light and dark, this one-of-a-kind original design is seven lanes. It located by the water fountain in the west end of this linear park, east of Dovercourt Road and north of the Train Tracks. Numerous people walk their dogs here. Who knows… This may turn out to be another Dog Labyrinth for Toronto!

Earlscourt Park Labyrinth – It’s not done… yet(!). Currently still a Labyrinth-in-Progress. At 16 lanes, this one-of-a-kind design, might end up being Canada’s most complicated Labyrinth. Oh, yeah, where is it? It’s located just west of the Children’s playground area in the north-east pocket of Earlscourt Park, south of St. Clair West and west of Lansdowne Avenue.

Harbord Village Labyrinth – Located in smalle park on the South West corner of Brunswick and Ulster Avenues in Harbord Village neighbourhood. This one is red. Almost in its entirety. Intentionally red to match the red brick wall of the house immediately on the south side of this park. The design is a completely unique never before seen nor walked seven circuit Labyrinth. Yay!

Wadsworth Park Labyrinth – Found in the north-east pocket of Wadsworth Park on Laughton Avenue. This four colour Labyrinth is the Most Complicated design pattern ever made in this Project’s History, at over 80 unique turns. Even more complicated (and fun!) than Roxton Road’s Labyrinth. The path takes into account the topology of numerous concrete cracks, then goes around the surface damage in this wading pool. The neighbourhood people really appreciated this brand new Labyrinth to complement the recently installed new playground equipment. Yay!

Roxton Road Labyrinth – Located in south end of Fred Hamilton Playground, largest of the “three” parks along Roxton Road, in-between Dundas and College Streets, east of Ossington Avenue. This is a completely original design with 108 turns walking in and back out. It is Toronto’s Most COMPLICATED Labyrinth design pattern!

The Green Line Labyrinth – Primrose Avenue Parkette, east of Lansdowne Avenue, south of Dupont Street. This park is a western book end of a proposed Linear Park between Lansdowne Ave and Spadina Road. “The Green Line” is currently in its embryonic period of Park Land Assembly. This 11 lane Labyrinth, in various shades of green, is my contribution.

Kempton Howard Park Labyrinth – NEW Four colour design nestled in a delightful landscaped green surrounded by trees, view of the lake in the distance, and voices of neighbourhood children playing. Located between Pape and Donlands immediately south of Earl Grey Senior Public School at 100 Strathcona in East End Toronto.

East Toronto Labyrinth inside Ed McCleverty Equal Access Playground – NEW 11 lane multi-coloured Labyrinth completed October 2015. Each of the colours correspond to colours of the special playground equipment beside this wading pool. Lots of kids and their parents were appreciative of this addition to “everybody’s outdoor living room” as one parent put it to me.

Fairmount Park – Multi-colour Labyrinth located in South West corner of Fairmount Park beside the Tennis Courts. This one was chalked and painted during Thanksgiving Weekend 2015.

Trinity-Bellwoods Labyrinth Walk – Three multi-coloured classic labyrinths painted along the pathway beside the ice hockey rink in the north-east corner of the park. The three labyrinths are 3, 7, and 11 circuits respectively.

Stanley Park Labyrinth – A seven circuit rectangle labyrinth painted in blue with alternating thick and thin lines in the middle of the park on an abandoned volleyball surface. Children are often seen running around the labyrinth where previously there was nothing to do.

Central Tech Labyrinth – A multi-coloured labyrinth painted on the stony cracked concrete surface immediately north of the track field at Central Technical School. It is easily visible to passengers on passing Bathurst Street streetcars.

Prairie Drive Park / Warden Woods Labyrinth – This 11 circuit design was painted with thin white lines on the park’s wading pool in May 2007. Under ideal conditions, it may be spotted by passengers on passing subway trains.

Grange Park Labyrinth – This labyrinth is a 7 circuit mostly rectangular design. It is located in the central crossroads of the park. The north-south lines are painted in blue while the east-west lines are in white. The blue paint matches the giant blue wall of the Art Gallery of Ontario which dominates the northern horizon of the park. The white painted lines are in deference to the elevated white OCAD Shoebox of the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Lab-Kare-nth Chinese Knotwork Labyrinth – A multi-coloured labyrinth with an original 7 circuit circular design tweaked from the inner Chartres motif. There are spaces within the labyrinth which allow for Chinese Knotwork patterns. Lab-Kare-nth is named for Karen who suggested Chinese Knotwork as an inspiration for the design. The labyrinth was painted in autumn 2008. It is located at the cul-de-sac at the top of Roblocke Avenue beside the visually stunning Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Garrison Creek Human River Labyrinth – This classic 7 circuit design was painted along the path of the lost river known as Garrison Creek. It is located at 777 Bloor Street West in the elongated circular driveway of The Bickford Centre and is often walked on by children.

Water Fountain Sundial Labyrinth – Traffic Island in front of Christie Subway Station. The water fountain has since been removed hence the sundial feature no longer exists. The labyrinth remains being repainted twice four times since 2006.

Christie Pits Park Labyrinth – A green and yellow 7 circuit labyrinth painted on a circle of bricks in the south-west area of the park, beside the basketball court and immediately south of the Christie Pits Community Garden.

Christie Pits Park Splash Pad / Wading Pool Labyrinth – This 11 circuit labyrinth tweaked from the Chartres design, has 10 open spots for future artwork. The lanes alternate between royal purple and navy blue in colour. It is located in the centre of the park in the wading pool beside the playground.

Kensington Market Labyrinth in Bellevue Square Park – It is multi-coloured, painted on the wading pool surface. It’s 11 circuits altogether with 10 open areas for future designs or artwork.

Giant Dog Labyrinth – Located in the off-leash area known as Dog Beach by the locals who frequent Kew Beach. Initially it was 137 feet in diameter with six feet wide lanes, enough for dog and owner to walk the paths together. The design was a 7 circuit inner Chartres, completed using beach landfill stones. It has fallen into disrepair and currently is a work in progress being rebuilt.

Toronto Harbour Lighthouse Labyrinth – This labyrinth is located at the end of the Leslie Street Spit known as Vicky Keith Point in  Tommy Thompson Park. It is the southern most labyrinth within city limits. It was painted freehand and the ultimate result is a one-of-a-kind labyrinth to complement this one-of-a-kind Toronto location.

Eglinton Park Labyrinth – Wading Pool north of the Children’s Playground.

Riverdale Park West / Riverdale Farm – Wading Pool Labyrinth. It’s blue.

Riverdale Park East – The City of Toronto abandoned this wading pool 15 years ago citing cost-prohibitive mechanical repair. I finally re-purposed it into a multi-coloured Labyrinth north of the tennis courts in north-east pocket of the park.

Woodbine Beach Park – Another wading pool abandoned by The City. A multi-coloured 11 circuit Labyrinth is painted here. People sometimes place plants in the centre.

Mouth of the Humber River – Labyrinth painted in a circle of asphalt on the east side of the Humber River where it meets Lake Ontario.

Sir Casimir Gzowski Park – 11 Circuit Multi-Coloured Labyrinth painted in the Wading Pool. Lots of fun for kids visiting Sunnyside Beach.

Alexandra Park – Wading Pool Labyrinth, repainted several times in several different colours.

Kensington Market – In addition to the more-or-less-permanent Labyrinth painted in the Bellevue Square Park wading pool, less-permanent Labyrinths pop onto the streets throughout the year. These are painted during Pedestrian Sundays Kensington. They are multi-coloured. You may find them on Augusta Avenue or Kensington Street.

Campbell Park – HALF a Labyrinth. That’s what’s left of a multi-coloured Labyrinth painted in the former wading pool. It’s been reduced to a splash pad. During construction, a few quadrants of cement were ripped up and new water pipework was done. I haven’t gotten around to returning to repaint the labyrinth.

Dufferin Grove Park – Every time I paint a Labyrinth in the Wading Pool, it fades away. Quickly. Blame the bizarro cake-frosting of a surface installed in recent years. I don’t know if I want to re-invest time and energy in re-painting the Labyrinth, yet again. I had also painted another smaller Labyrinth in the north end of the park, It’s also faded away.

Dovercourt Park – Faded away, barely visible now. A 4 circuit Labyrinth is/was painted just north-west of the tennis courts.

West Toronto Railpath – Painted Labyrinths at the top and bottom of the Railpath have either faded or been removed. People have asked me to re-paint them.

Toronto Beaches – Stone, Rock, and Found Object Labyrinths of all shapes and sizes and designs appear here each summer, as my time and energy allows. Volunteers often show up and help out. With their help, the burden is eased. Greatly. THANK YOU to all the Toronto City of Labyrinths Project volunteers who always help out!

Labyrinths created by Neighbourhood or Community Groups

MacGregor Park – The Wading Pool in this park on the West side of Lansdowne Avenue north of College Street and South of Bloor Street West has been outlined with different animals. If one follows the path, it will weave in and out of the giant animals shapes and drawings. Last time I walked it, it had yet to be painted in full colour. For now, the white outlines are still fun to walk. This Labyrinth was created in the Summer of 2012 I believe.

East Lynn Park – This park, located west of Woodbine Avenue and is on the south side of Danforth Avenue has a wonderfully painted wading pool. Twists and turns are absent in this perhaps unintentional Labyrinth. A gentle wide spiral brings one from the outer edge right into its centre.

Main Square – East of Main Street, south of Danforth Avenue. Stumbled upon a partially faded classic labyrinth painted in the interstitial walk-way/play-space just north-east of the Main Square Community Centre. It was originally painted by local artist “Monica on The Moon”. I repainted the faded arcs, and local kids immediately put it into re-use. Yay!

Toronto Labyrinth Community Network

Toronto Public Labyrinth – Trinity Square Park, inbetween The Eaton Centre, Trinity Church, The Marriot Hotel and The Bell-Trinity Square Building. This 11 circuit handcut brick labyrinth is a true replica of the Chartres design. Prior to the permanent brick labyrinth, it existed as a grass labyrinth with the lanes being mowed periodically while being worn thin and yellow by labyrinth walkers.

The City of Toronto

Toronto Music Garden COURANTE – A swirling path through a wildflower meadow, located at 479 Queens Quay West, on Toronto’s Waterfront steps west of Spadina Avenue. This spiral path, the Courant, originally an Italian and French dance form, is an exuberant movement that is interpreted here as a huge, upward-spiralling swirl through a lush field of grasses and brightly-coloured perennials that attract birds and butterflies. At the top, a Maypole spins in the wind. Toronto Music Garden was designed by internationally renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy.

High Park Labyrinth – Also known as the Hawk Hill Labyrinth, it is located a short stroll north of the parking lot of Grenadier Restaurant in the middle of High Park. It is a painted labyrinth, originally in white, and now in a darkish orange, on a circular cement area which previously was home to a carousel Restaurant. Picnic tables encircle the labyrinth. Its distance from more traversed areas of High Park allow for quiet meditation or playful running around by kids who stumble upon this discovery.

Withrow Park North Playground – Wading Pool Labyrinth – Neighbourhood kids present at a public consultation prior to this playgrounds were asked what they wanted to be done with the wading pool. They answered yell out loud, “A Labyrinth!”. …Their wish came true! Yay!

Stepping Stone Labyrinth – Felstead Avenue Playground Once upon a time there was a Wading Pool here. It was abandoned by The City. Eventually, the wading pool was removed, BUT, a NEW Labyrinth of 108 stepping stones were placed in and around a tree where the pool had once been. So, yeah, hey, this is cool!

Marie Curtis Park – Two colour children’s Spiral Labyrinth with a push-button activated Spiral Waterfountain. South Etobicoke

Colonel Sam Smith Park – The Gatehouse Meditation Labyrinth has been approved September 2015. Construction is due to begin. It will be located behind the Healing Garden beside The Gatehouse just east of Kipling Avenue at the top end of Colonel Sam Smith Park.

Toronto Island Hedge Maze – Okay, okay, okay… so this is not a true Unicursal Labyrinth. Nevertheless, as Toronto’s LARGEST Mutlicursal-Labyrinth, it deserves honourable mention.

Little Norway Park – It’s gone! There used to be a maze made out of child-friendly playground fencing in the south end of the park, just beside the Toronto Island Airport Ferry Terminal. Aw well. …however there IS a small splashpad/wading pool, so, um, well, who knows, a painted Labyrinth might suddenly magically appear one night….

TCHC – Toronto Community Housing Corporation Labyrinths

Paving the Way Showcase Labyrinths – TWO Labyrinths painted on July 26 2014 by neighbourhood kids living in TCHC Housing at 2821 Birchmount Road in Scarborough. The week long Paving the Way Showcase was facilitated by artist Virginia Tran for Art Starts.

Both labyrinths, a seven circuit classic plus a rectangle spiral pass-through labyrinth, are painted in the pedestrian pathway in-between Finch Avenue East and Glendower Circuit, East of Birchmount Road in Agincourt.

School Labyrinths

DAPS – Downtown Alternative Public School – In the north-west pocket of the playground of this public school located in St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood, a giant, but faded, Snake designed Labyrinth is/was painted on the ground. Spiral in nature. It’s closer to The Esplanade & Lower Jarvis Street corner of the playground, west of David Crombie Park.

Howard Park School – Painted on the school playground surface as a complement to a Watershed Mural painted on the side of the school’s north wall. Located near Roncesvalles and Howard Park Avenues.

Brant Street School – 7 circuit classical Labyrinth with a mix of square and round corners. It’s painted on the playground in several colours. Recently it has been partially covered with a small mound of dirt which is part of the playground area. It is still walkable.

Havergal College – This private all girls school now has TWO Labyrinths!

Indoor Labyrinth located in Old Girls Legacy Theatre building.

NEW Outdoor Labyrinth placed in Outdoor Learning PlaySpace. It has three lanes and opened November 2014.

Central Tech Labyrinth – A multi-coloured labyrinth painted on the stony cracked concrete surface immediately north of the track field at Central Technical School. It is easily visible to passengers on passing Bathurst Street streetcars. (This also belongs to Toronto City of Labyrinths Project)

Hospital Labyrinths

Women’s College Hospital
The Old Hospital had one. When the new building opens, a new Labyrinth is expected inside the Spiritual Care Centre on Level 1.

Bridgepoint Active Healthcare Centre – Wellness Labyrinth
This is an outdoor Labyrinth, overlooking Riverdale Park and Don Valley Expressway. Open to the public as well as Hospital guests.

Church Labyrinths

JUBILEE UNITED CHURCH
Public. Outdoor. Wheelchair accessible
Patio stone – “Dedicated to Karen Steward”
40 Underhill Drive
Don Mills, Ontario   M3A 2J5

St. James United Church
The first permanent labyrinth in Toronto was painted here on a corner of the St. James United Church parking lot in Etobicoke.
400 Burnhamthorpe Road
(two blocks east of Hwy 427)

The Labyrinth of St. John’s Convent
11 circuit Chartres labyrinth outlined in stones.
233 Cummer Avenue, North York
Toronto, ON M2M 2E8

West Hill United Church
62 Orchard Park Drive, Scarborough
11 Circuit Chartres Design
Public Labyrinth – Painted in South-West corner of Church Parking Lot.

St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Anglican Church
West side of St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Anglican Church, Toronto Island.
11 Circuit Labyrinth made out of stones placed around a tree.

Metropolitan United Church
55 Queen Street East, Downtown Toronto.
A Permanent painted/taped Labyrinth is located on the floor up at the front of the church.

Unitarian Church
St Clair Ave West at Avenue Road, Toronto
Taped on the floor in one of the activity rooms on the ground floor, a 7 circuit Labyrinth.

Church Labyrinths – Canvas

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church
230 St Clair Avenue West, Forest Hill, Toronto
Flora McCrea Auditorium, room 107
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
LARGE 11-Circuit Chartres Canvas Labyrinth laid out First Sunday of every month, November through May

St. Mark’s United Church
115 Orton Park Road, Scarborough
7 p.m. until ?
Canvas Labyrinth laid out on 4th Wednesday of each month, September to June

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