Friends of the Pan Am Path kicks off series of events, festivals in Toronto

Prior to last year’s Pan Am Games in Toronto, the Pan Am Path – an 80-km “art and recreational trail,” as Friends of the Pan Am Path describe it – was unveiled, the brainchild of a partnership between that organization and the City of Toronto. During the months following the Path’s official creation, it would become the site of 14 community-led festivals, featuring 97 performances and 57 art pieces, amounting to 244 installations in all.

Although there’s still work to be done on the Path going into 2017, it has quickly become an experiment in active living, one hailed by Toronto mayor John Tory as a “cornerstone of the Pan Am Games legacy.” This year, beginning on Sept. 10, a new phase in that legacy will get underway, called “P4K Pathfinding: Walks, Talks and Rides.”

The new initiative stems from a collaboration among 20 local organizations, including Cycle Toronto, Jane’s Walk and others.

“Our new P4K Pathfinding program,” said James Meers, executive director of the Friends of the Pan Am Path, “builds on the strength of our partnerships with local communities across the trail network.” Kicking off that program on Sept. 10 will be a ride along the trail network in partnership with the free, public Toronto Bicycle Music Festival, beginning as a live concert at Evergreen Brickworks and continuing as a mobile concert series. The ride will roll to its conclusion at Prairie Drive Park in Scarborough, east of the city.

Other events will follow, including Pathfinding Walks with Jane’s Walk and East Scarborough Storefront on Sept. 17, and another with Jane’s Walk, Vibe Arts and Rexdale Community Health Centre on Oct. 14.

“This program,” Meers explained, “aims to continue locally-led and inspired programming on the Pan Am Path to ensure it continues to serve Toronto residents as a recreational corridor, connecting communities with nature and each other.”

More information about the Sept. 10 ride is available at Cycle Toronto’s website.