Monarch Park — Attraction in Toronto

Great park that really makes this neibourhood. One of the better pools in the city with a pretty decent water slide and diving board plus a wading pool for smaller children, and all for free. Open air ice rink in winter and the best off leash dog park I've been to so far in the city. The dog are is this little gully area and usually has at least two or three dogs and their owners around, great for socializing dogs. Paths are now well lit and there is a great little play ground and swings for kids. There They've just installed a concrete pingpong table. It's nice but a bit superfluous. There is a sad little volley ball court or badminton court, no net but that needs to be redone as one corner is sinking into the ground and as such chronically wet. Good all-round park for walking, playing catch or having picinics. Just don't have it too close to the dog area or you will have extra four legged guest...

I went to Monarch park with my dog hoping to use the dog park. Unfortunately I didn't realize until I got there that the off-leash dog park within Monarch park is UNFENCED. This was to be my dogs first visit to an offleash dog park and there were lots of people around and young children. I didn't want my dog loose and running after a families ball or Frisbee or greeting a child too enthusiastically. We did walk with him all around the park. There's a fantastic full sized pool that was open. It also has a two story slide and diving area! A wading pool. There's a skating rink in winter. There's also a children's playground, bike trails, outdoor table tennis and a picnic site. When my dog is a little older and I trust him a little more I might try the unfenced off-leash...

Apparently the park used to be a gathering point for wave after wave of migrating Monarch butterflies, and the horizon line used to be thick with dragonflies around the pool. Nuttin like that now. Their classic (circa 1964) outdoor pool is a neighborhood jewel (that had its hours slashed by the Rob Ford administration, and now opens weeks after the hot weather commences). Outside of pool hours, the park has no facilities, making it awkwardly far from amenities. This cuts down on park use but makes it pleasantly apart from the city. The park's Southwest exit under the railroad tracks for bikes and pedestrians is a handy shortcut that lets you avoid the stinky and hurried traffic on the north-south routes of Coxwell...