Old times and New times

When l was a student attending the university in the late seventies l often passed the reformatory lands and marvelled at the immaculate nature in which the grounds were kept and how hard the inmates worked to trim all the grass, correct a slipped rock that had fallen out of place or pick up any debris. They created a very beautiful green space that was happily used by many Guelph residents for their wedding photos! That was how l was introduced to the culture, that was Guelph, at that time.

Since then l have graduated, moved away from Guelph and then moved back to have my family. I stayed away from the Yorklands because they looked dirty, completely unkept and it appeared illegal to venture onto the property! Parking along York road seemed risky...to this day l do not know if it is illegal or not to park there and venture in to enjoy the grounds. Covid changed my point-of-view, whereby Guelph residents swarmed to any green space they could find transforming small trails into large road-like walkways given the high use these trails experienced. We couldn’t get enough green space to relieve our covid stress and presently in June 2022, that has not changed. We discovered we needed green spaces so we can be human. How lucky Guelph is at this point in time being able to protect this space as “Guelph’s Central Park,” effectively given Guelph’s growth, for our health and those coming after us. The natural world, as encapsulated by this wonderful green property, is a source of great excitement for all ages, a great source of beauty and intellectual interest. Paraphrasing David Attenborough, such a natural space truly is a great source of so much that makes life worth living. To think we have all this right in Guelph’s city limits; all so accessible, for all ages and cultures to enjoy.