The City Beneath Toronto

​12,000 years ago, all of Toronto was covered in a mile-high glacier. When the ice age ended and the earth began to warm, that melting glacier water carved out enormous valleys in the ground. That melting glacier left Toronto with the largest ravine system of any city in the world.

The ravines are a reprieve, a hidden underworld, an untrammelled space beneath the city's walls. But it can sometimes feel like these natural spaces are being intentionally hidden: their entrances are often obscured, known only to the (often wealthy) locals whose houses abut their borders.

​On this tour, we will walk three of Toronto's most iconic ravines. We'll discuss their 10,000-year history, and see how Toronto walks the delicate line between preserving nature and shaping it to meet our needs.

​Duration: 2.5hrs

Location: The tour begins at Craigleigh Gardens, a short walk from Castle Frank subway station. The tour will end at Evergreen Brickworks, which has bus access back to the city, and is itself a 15-20 minute walk from Castle Frank.

Price: This tour operates on a pay-what-you-can basis. There is no up-front cost or booking fee. At the end of the tour, you can pay whatever you feel the tour was worth (cash or card both accepted). Most guests choose to pay between $25 - $40 per person.