Walking with Cleo, or, Bridging the Past and the Future... by https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6 Walking through my childhood neighborhood with my dog, digging up old memories and discovering new views. en-us 2018-12-03 01:58:14 UTC 2025-10-23 04:26:58 UTC hello@padlet.com 0 I'm taking a walk down Memory Lane. The path I'm walking is an old CN railway spur that was converted to a public greenway some time ago. When I was a child, my brother and I would walk the (still active!) railway portion as a shortcut to the park where we played, but as an adult, I've discovered that this shortcut, is only a small part of a much larger, more interesting environment... memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313167020 My traveling partner is Cleo, an 8 year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound. I received her this summer from a hound rescue network who acquired her in Ohio, where she was found as a stray. Bringing her into our home has been a big adjustment - I wake up at 5:30 am to walk and feed her before school! But she is a sweet, funny, generous girl who LOVES people, other dogs and our 3 cats. All she asks is some time in the woods to put her nose to the ground. We walk about 3 times a day, so this project was the perfect excuse to take a walk, and take some pictures.]]> 2018-12-10 20:41:53 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313167020 This is a map of the Michael Starr Trail. When we walked the railway tracks it wasn’t a trail, and it didn’t have a name but in recent years it was converted, and named, and normalized… sort of. There is still lots of woodland and wildlife to enjoy, and the trail makes it more accessible. (Oshawa Trails brochure) memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313191306 The Michael Starr Trail is named for Michael Starr (imagine that!), judge, former Mayor and Alderman of Oshawa, and PC MPP and Cabinet Minister under John Diefenbaker, from 1957-1963. In 1979 he was named Honorary Colonel of the Ontario Regiment (RCAC), a reserve armored unit based in Oshawa; he held this post until 1983. The trail was named for him, to acknowledge his many contributions to the community, the province and the country.(Wikipedia)


]]> 2018-12-10 22:00:23 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313191306 We enter the trail around the halfway point, so we can turn either north or south. This photo looks south along the trail. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313192782 Along the way we pass interesting backyards, and places where domesticated plants have escaped from people's gardens, and naturalized into the landscape. My favorite yard is the one full of large wooden carvings, like a totem pole, and a black bear wearing overalls (?!) The yard is large and full of interesting objects, like souvenirs from the owner’s past: store signs, antlers and other carved objects. I wonder if s/he carved them? And why are they here? What does the INSIDE of their house look like? 
We also pass a lot of “deadfalls” along the path, where brush and scrub have been piled and left to decompose. I love that nature is allowed to return to itself in places like this, while providing shelter for birds, insects and small mammals. Reportedly there are skunk and fox families along the path but I have yet to see them.

]]> 2018-12-10 22:06:53 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313192782 This might look like “just another tree” but it’s where I first saw Cleo’s hound nature on display: a racoon had wandered into the tree about 15 minutes before we got near it, and she didn’t react until she got to the base of the tree, where she started to howl. Then she proceeded to climb into the lower branches of the tree, trying to reach the raccoon! She gave up soon after but I think she enjoyed the workout, and I enjoyed seeing a hound in action! It made me wonder about her mysterious past - was she run as a hunting dog? How did she end up as a stray? She has a number of scars, and a torn ear, that might indicate rough living, or time in the woods hunting down squirrels and raccoons. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313194420 Walking south on the trail, from Rossland, we pass Hillsdale Seniors Centre. This is a huge complex now, which I guess reflects the needs of a growing senior population in our city. It used to be a small seniors' residence and now it comprises many buildings and takes up much of the space bounded by Rossland Road, Ritson Road and Hillcroft Street. We used to go tobogganing on the hills in "Hillsdale" and we would stay for hours after school and walk home in the dark, tired, happy and covered with snow!]]> 2018-12-10 22:13:50 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313194420 This map is located where the trail intersects Hillcroft Street. It’s interesting to note that this is the “official” start of the trail and everything south of here is named and marked, even though it passes through the downtown and so to me, it loses much of its appeal. At least a third of the trail is north of here, full of interesting things to see, but unnamed and unmarked... memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313195645 The trail runs down the east side of Connaught Park, approaching Adelaide Street. Originally I thought this was the “end” of the trail but it’s just the end of the portion that I know best. Up ahead you can still see traces of Oshawa business: Peacock Lumberyard has occupied their large lot at Ritson and Adelaide for decades. The buildings look old and run-down, but it’s still a very active business.

]]> 2018-12-10 22:19:10 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313195645 We walked past the Peacock Lumber yard, to where the trail intersects Adelaide Street at the Costco plaza. This is as far as we pursued the trail south - for now. Even though some of this territory is familiar, I am also pushing the boundaries of what I know - beyond this, the trail and the neighborhood will be new to me but I’d like to see more. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313196243 The BEST part of this project was when we turned to go home, after reaching Adelaide Street. I spotted this coyote curled up against the lumberyard fence! Can you see it? It’s perfectly camouflaged in this setting. I think it was enjoying the mild weather and the warm late fall sunshine. I was a little nervous, but so excited to see it! For months, I had heard about a pair in the area from other dog walkers but I had only seen one in the distance, at the north end of the trail in the park.

]]> 2018-12-10 22:21:51 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313196243 Previously, I mentioned that when we enter the trail from our street, we can walk north, or south. Now we're walking north, from Darcy Street towards Taunton Road. On this part of the trail, you can really see the old embankment from the railway, still visible in spite of the flattened trail bed. Another thing I love about this path is how the houses back directly on to the path - some of them must be an acre or more, they are so deep, and from the path you can peer into people’s lives: pools, vegetable gardens, tire swings, a lone deck chair under a willow tree. Peace and quiet. Sometimes my mom comes with us - here she is enjoying a mild day and some afternoon sunshine... memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313197406  I love how the trail opens up wide, beckoning you forwards with trees framing the sky and the sun lighting up the distant path. The trail is open four seasons, and there is always something new to see no matter what time of year you walk it. Fall is particularly lovely with the colors arching overhead. There is a lot of overgrown brush along the path but there are also some lovely trees - my favorite are the locusts which turn golden yellow in the fall. The park is up ahead on the right; this is the section we walked most often as kids.]]> 2018-12-10 22:27:03 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313197406 This is sort of a sad spot, at the north end of the park's green space (there are several acres of woodland north of this) - the playground equipment used to be at the top of this hill and we’d spend hours playing here. When the equipment disappeared years ago I worried that the park was going to disappear as well, but they just moved it across the park, next to a busier street. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313198791 You can still use the soccer field I played on, and the long green length of the park is still there to enjoy. It was never a very busy park for recreational league play, so we often had it to ourselves.
As you walk north towards Taunton Road, you still see lots of brush and trees along the path, left to grow and fall when they're done. North of Mary Street, where the railway line cut across the street and moved northwest towards Beatrice, it always seemed like kind of a rough spot when we were kids so we didn’t often come up this far. The railway crossing was a natural boundary line for us. Now it seems better with fencing and path maintenance.]]> 2018-12-10 22:32:47 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313198791 This is the local Roman Catholic Church. Many years ago they built this church on the site and have since added a large parking lot, rectory and church meeting space. I think it’s brought some order to the area - now the parking lot is always busy and there’s little opportunity for people to hang out along the tracks like they used to do up here. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313200034 2018-12-10 22:38:41 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313200034 One very interesting development in this neighborhood is the construction of a very large 3-story building directly behind the RC church. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313201571 We’re not sure if it’s owned by the church, or if it will be sold as luxury housing/ condos. It’s almost finished, so I guess we’ll know soon what purpose this building will serve. I’m very curious, because it’s an odd spot for this type of development, being in the middle of a group of housing co-operatives and commercial strips. I don’t think the city needs more luxury housing. It looks like three separate units of three floors each and there’s an open-air space on the top floor, as well as cathedral ceilings.]]> 2018-12-10 22:46:35 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313201571 This is close to the north end of the trail, near Taunton. We didn’t walk any further because the trail is almost finished here: it goes up behind Queen Elizabeth school at this point, and ends behind Rona Hardware. Many years ago it was Millwork, and the train used to deliver goods to store (or so I was told). So we stopped for the day. My mom was getting tired. AND my camera ran out its battery. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313201814 But here in the woods was this small, human gesture, a birdhouse hanging randomly in the trees. It was near 2 other feeders, so my guess is that someone from the nearby apartment complex comes out to fill the feeders and take care of the many birds that use this trail. I loved the color and the fact that it was unexpectedly hanging here in the woods.]]> 2018-12-10 22:48:05 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313201814 This is only a small part of the actual trail - there is so much more to explore. memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313203336 Walking this path, I've seen familiar things - houses where I used to deliver papers, and where childhood friends grew up - and new places: new buildings, new businesses, new views. The city is changing fast and sometimes I think they place development decisions over human access and enjoyment. But the creation of this trail, and the Oshawa Trail Network, is definitely a positive change, and one I look forward to exploring in the years to come. 

I'm so glad I have my friend to enjoy it with me...

]]> 2018-12-10 22:56:20 UTC https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313203336 REFERENCES memome https://padlet.com/memome/fxarqkulj9r6/wish/313204583 Michael Starr. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org

Oshawa Trails brochure. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oshawa.ca/things-to-do/resources/city-of-oshawa-trails-brochure.pdf


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