A stroll through Guildwood is like a ‘walk through history’

“It’s really a little village,” says John P. Mason, 61.

With the hot June sun blazing overhead, this history buff and president of the Friends of Guild Park & Gardens is leading the Star on a tour of his beloved neighbourhood of the last 12 years, and sharing his concerns about the park at its heart.

Strolling through Guild Park, Mason points out the dilapidated former Guild Inn, surrounded by fencing, and a collection of sculpted panels, wrapped in wire.

“No art gallery in the world would use binder wire,” he laments.

Mason hopes the City will put forward a plan for the park that reflects its legacy, cultural history and natural resources – to better showcase its unique role in the community.

A walk through history

Originally from north Toronto, Mason first visited the stunning grounds of Guild Park over a decade ago while on a date with the woman who is now his wife. She gave him a tour of the 88 acre grounds, found at 201 Guildwood Pkwy, which houses various art installations, gardens and decades-old architecture.

“I was just amazed with what Pierre Berton calls a ‘walk through history,’” Mason recalls.

From an artists’ colony to an inn

While passing by the fence surrounding the park’s central feature, the former Guild Inn, Mason laments its deterioration in recent years.

A rundown building which now features a ‘danger’ sign out front, the former inn built in 1914 was once home to the wealthy Rosa and Spencer Clark, who turned it into an artists’ colony in 1932, and later transformed it again – in its artistic heyday – to a hotel and restaurant.

Decades later, in 1978, the couple sold their property to the Ontario government, and the business closed its doors in 2001.

Where art meets nature

Mason weaves through the park, pointing out fragments of Toronto’s architectural history lining the grounds.

There are sculptures from Toronto’s old Bank of Montreal building, opened in 1948 and demolished in 1972. Carvings from the main entrance of a King West Bank of Nova Scotia building, built in 1903 and demolished in 1969. Fragments of an Art Deco façade adorning the old Toronto Star building, built in 1929 and demolished in 1972.

“We call this the place where art meets nature,” he says.

A view from above

Atop the Scarborough Bluffs, Guild Park offers a stunning view of Lake Ontario.

Mason points across the lake to a tiny, barely-visible set of smokestacks – it’s New York, he notes.

It’s also a particularly tranquil viewpoint; nature surrounds on all sides, from the lush greenery throughout the park to the lake and shoreline around 200 feet below.

The spot for a spot of tea

Down the road from Guild Park, a recently-revitalized plaza houses the Guildwood Tea Room and Café, opened in February 2014.

On this weekday afternoon, the tea room is packed with older women, sipping tea on colourfully decorated china against the backdrop of bright yellow walls.

Mason says the bustling independent business has become a meeting place for the community. “It’s a huge, huge success story,” he says.

The birth of a community

Guildwood itself, as a neighbourhood beyond the park, was born in 1957 with the creation of the upscale ‘Avenue of Homes.’ The Clark family spearheaded the community’s creation, encompassing a chunk of their 500-acre estate.

Mason often walks through the historic streets with his wife, which are lined with ‘50s-style bungalows and towering trees.

“This is one of the few communities in Toronto where you can see the architectural integrity of an era,” he says.

Interested in being a tour guide to showcase one of Toronto’s lesser-known neighbourhoods? Learn more here or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TourMyToronto.