By Grace Anyu Sun
This sketch of sunflower by Sabrina Gao makes me think of the sunflower planted in the Parkview Neighboorhood Garden (PNG). This is the photo I took at the garden.
(Photo: Grace Anyu Sun, 2021)
This volunteer-run and operated garden is located just beside the historic John McKenzie House, including sites of 44 and 46 parkview Ave. PNG is ‘surrounded by vestiges of the original farm namely, the family home, the milk house, the stable’, which can lead us back to the 'Farm Times' of Willowdale. In fact, keeping this garden for small-scale farming practices is a particularly luxurious thing in the bustling Willowdale district in 21st century.
PNG was built on the previous Mckenzie Farm, which has a long and rich history. The area belonged to Jacob Cummer's (the founder of Willowdale) family, who received their first Crown land in 1797. Philip Mckenzie bought the southern 144 acres of land from Cummer family in 1884. He died in 1901 and left the farm to his third son, John. In 1913, John built John Mckenzie House on the Mckenzie Farm land at 34 Parkview Avenue.
In 2008, almost 100 years later, meetings were held by Toronto Councillor John Filion, Ontario Historical Society Executive Director Rob Leverty and a group of interested citizens. They made a decision that 'an organic market garden could be created and operated by volunteers'. From 23 May 2009 (the first planting day ) to now, volunteers from many nations serve in the garden and the garden's products serve the community.
If you come to visit Willowdale, don't miss Parkview Neighborhood Garden and historic buildings around it : John Mckenzie House (1913), Brick Milk House (1907), a Stable (1915) and a Coach House (1918). The house that Samuel Cummer (the son of Jacob Cummer) built, around 1840 , was moved to 48 Parkview Avenue in 1913, where is just beside PNG.
Parkview Neighboorhood Garden - It's well worth the trip!
Reference:
Parkview Nighbourhood Garden: https://www.parkviewneighbourhoodgarden.org/about-us/
Ontario Historical Society: https://ontariohistoricalsociety.ca/john-mckenzie-house/
Book: Willowdale by Scott Kennedy