Hello blog friends! How are things going? I hope all’s well with you. Come on in to my blog space for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee.
Summer week 12, from September 6 to 12 inclusive, was half cloudy and half sunny. Daytime high temperatures ranged from 19C to 24C (66F to 76F). It certainly feels like the end of summer is near and autumn is on her way.
I took advantage of the fair weather to be outside cycling and walking as much as possible. One of my fun destinations was Marilyn Bell Park. Let me share with you a brief history and what I like about this park.
Park location and history
Marilyn Bell Park is located at 1095 Lake Shore Blvd. West at British Columbia Road. It’s west of Ontario Place, along the lake shore, and includes part of the Waterfront Trail.
The park is named after Marilyn Bell, a local Toronto girl who was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario on September 9, 1954. She was only sixteen at the time and she made the 51.5 km (32 miles) swim in 20 hours and 59 minutes. The park was dedicated to her on the 30th anniversary of her swim in 1984.
Park features
At a glance, Marilyn Bell Park may look like a simple park until visitors take time to explore and pay attention to what it offers. Below are my favourites at this park.
I welcome the Bench fit exercises displayed at the three benches in the park. Some of the exercises are part of my strengthening workouts at home. These benches form a triangle and are numbered from 1 to 3. All three face the lake so I do my workout, move from one bench to the next, while enjoying a great view.
Each bench has four exercises. Total 12 exercises. The information panel at each bench displays pictures and instructions for the exercises:
- Bench 1: Step up, Incline frontal plank, Incline push up, and Lunge with front foot on bench.
- Bench 2: Incline frontal plank, Touch squat, Bench toe tap, and V-Up abs.
- Bench 3: Calf raise, Isometric squat, Mountain climber, and Bench dip.
If I had my yoga mat with me, I could practice yoga on the grassy field, or bring a book and sit in one of the big comfy chairs to read. I’m grateful for this open green space and clean air. My thoughts are with my relatives, friends, and everyone else, who have been affected by the devastating fires and the poor air quality on the West Coast in the USA.
I love that for a simple park, one can enjoy a number of activities here. On this excursion, I cycled to Marilyn Bell Park, locked my bike, walked the lengths of the park, did the twelve Bench Fit exercises, and had a picnic by the lake before cycling home. It was a beautiful morning and I came home smiling and feeling energized for my afternoon activities.
How did your week go? Which local park is your favourite and why? I’d love to hear your comments.
Linking here.
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Natalie the Explorer 
I love those exercise banners to go with the benches; that’s great! Another beautiful park.
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Joanne, I like the Bench Fit info panels, too. They add value to a simple bench in a park.
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What a beautiful park, Natalie. Thanks for taking us along! I think I could spend all day at the Lookout along the boardwalk. What a gorgeous view!
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Jill, We can both spend all day sitting in the comfy Muskoka (Adirondack) chairs at the Lookout. The views are gorgeous and the birds will keep us entertained.
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What a pretty park! Thank you for taking us there this weekend, and thank you for the coffee!
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Maria, Glad you liked my virtual tour of the park. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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I like walking around and the scenery is so BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for sharing such a pretty park. I would love to sit and be entertained by the birds! I hope you have a great week ahead! ❤️🤠
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Diana, Glad you liked my virtual walk in this park. It’s one of my favourite hangout spots. Have a great upcoming week!
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Hi Natalie – thanks for sharing these pictures. I’m glad you included the instructions on the bench exercises – could come in handy!
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Hi Barbara, I took pictures of the 12 exercises and included just 3 in my post. I liked that these exercises are on display right by the benches.
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You really make the most of where you live!!
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That’s my plan for this summer 🙂
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I love these types of parks Natalie, especially as people can use the equipment, benches or just enjoy the views. A great place for yoga!! #lifethisweek
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Me too, Debbie. A multi-functional park is a good use of land.
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So pretty!
Over here in Australia we are just starting spring. I think it’s going to be a very hot summer because the spring sun is very hot already!
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I hope you have a nice spring and summer. Too hot would be uncomfortable.
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I can’t even imagine a 32 mile swim. She must have been an amazing woman. Someone sure put together a lovely park in her honor.
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Marilyn Bell also swam and successfully crossed the English Channel in 1955 and the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Pacific Coast in 1956. Her achievements are just awesome.
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You are having gorgeous weather at the moment Natalie! Enjoy your week and your adventures. x
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Sue, The weather here is looking good this afternoon and next week. I look forward to enjoying more time outdoors.
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This looks like a beautiful park Natalie. I always smile when I see an outdoor gym. The weather here is improving now that spring has arrived. #lufethisweek
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Jennifer, Outdoor gym at a park is such a good idea. I smile when I see it, too.
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Hi, Natalie – Marilyn Bell definitely proved what determination, effort, practice and a great coach could achieve.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful park dedicated to her.
Happy Autumn!
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Hi Donna, Marilyn Bell’s swimming achievements are amazing. Happy Autumn to you, too. I hope the air quality is good in Parksville despite the fires and smoke from the US West coast.
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Wow, you certainly can’t find a view like that at any gym!! Beautiful. I remember there being exercise signs and equipment – planks, railroad ties – to use at a park I used to walk but they have taken the signs and equipment down. That park had a lovely mountain view to exercise by. It makes me happy to see so many folks coming out again and walking, playing, biking in our neighborhood. Hope your weather and ours continues to be fallish and perfect for encouraging outdoor time.
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Leslie, You’re right about the beautiful view at this park. Too bad the signs and gym equipment are taken down at your park. The weather is looking good for next week here so I plan to be outdoors as much as possible. Have a wonderful week!
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I loved the story of Marilyn Bell – what an amazing young woman to have achieved that – and I bet the water was really cold too! Looks like a lovely spot Natalie and the exercise benches are a great idea too.
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Leanne, Yes, Marilyn Bell’s marathon swimming achievements are amazing. She also swam and successfully crossed the English Channel in 1955 and the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Pacific Coast in 1956. The Great Lakes are cold most of the time because they’re so big and deep.
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The perfect wellness excursion and what a feat by Marilyn Bell? 21 hours! How amazing was that?
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Jo, Marilyn Bell is a remarkable person. She has amazing swimming and other achievements. Aside from the technical skills and physical strength, it takes courage and mental strength to swim so many hours and through the night.
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Awesome park. There is so much to do and enjoy. Thanks for the trip and coffee.
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It’s one of my favourite local hangout spots. Thank you, Antoinette, for stopping by. Have a great week!
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What a beautiful place, Natalie. Thank you for sharing the story of how the park got its name. I can’t imagine how cold the water must have been. And to have swan for nearly a day. Wow!
I’ve not heard of disc golf before. Is it the same as golf? Near me, we have a footgolf course where people kick footballs around an 18-hole golf course. It opens between April and October and is always busy. We also have gym equipment along the coastal walk along the seafront.
It looked tranquil the day you were there. And those late summer temperatures sound perfect to me.
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Hugh, The Great Lakes water is cold most of the time, and there are other elements such as wind conditions, jelly fish, etc. to make the crossings treacherous. Marilyn Bell also swam and successfully crossed the English Channel in 1955 and the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Pacific Coast in 1956. Her achievements are just awesome.
Disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. It is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes. The discs look like frisbee discs and come in different weights and materials. They’re much easier to carry in a case than the golf clubs.
Toronto has been much quieter this summer since all the big events (concerts, sports, conferences, festivals, etc.) have been cancelled due to the pandemic. The weather has been good overall so I take advantage of the lighter traffic and nice temperatures to be outside as much as possible.
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Thank you for answering my question about disc golf, Natalie. It sounds like good fun.
And when looking at your photos in this post, I’d forgotten all about the pandemic, so no wonder I thought it looked quiet in the park. The seafront near me has been bustling, especially at weekends. Sadly, our numbers are going up again.
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Hugh, Our numbers are going up again, too. I go outside on weekday and Sunday mornings and avoid Saturdays when it’s busy.
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Sounds like a great little excursion. Celebrating a 16-year-old swimmer, I can believe they would concentrate on fitness. Is there a beach for swimming?
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There are a few small beaches within walking distance. Right in front of the park is an area for rowing and paddling.
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I really enjoyed reading and viewing this post. Love reading the story of the park. There should be more signs around in parks and gardens dedicated to others so that we too can know their stories. Some places in Australia will allow a park bench to be installed with the donor’s name and reason attached via a plaque. A friend whose husband was killed in a freak car accident, shared the bench and dedication in a place where he loved to visit and his two kids could be seen running around the area too.
Thank you for joining the link up for #lifethisweek. Next week, the optional prompt is 38/51 Grateful For This. 21.9.2020 I hope that you link up again too. Take care, Denyse.
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Denyse, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Toronto also allows a park bench installed or a tree grown with the donor’s name and who it’s dedicated to displayed on a plaque. I look forward to the next link up. Have a wonderful week!
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The bench workout guide is a great idea, Natalie! I will remember these for my next Saturday at our local park.
SSG xxx
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Yes, Trekfit has an app for bench exercises. Enjoy your park visit!
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What a beautiful park. I didnt know about Marylin what an amazing feat to swim for 21 hours. Thank you for sharing. Its certainly a place to sit and enjoy in the park. Love the exercises 🙂 #SeniSal
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Glad you enjoyed my post. I like the history and the various features at this park. Have a great week!
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You too Natalie xx I look forward to your next post xx
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Natalie, we had very thick smoke here in on Vancouver and southern B.C. for 8 days – with a very high Air Quality Index Reading and public health recommending staying inside and suspending outdoor exercise. Fortunately the smoke started to clear yesterday and we have sunny skies today.
Jude
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Jude, Yes, I’ve been reading the news about the wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality in the USA, BC, and a few other places. I hope the smoke continues to clear and the air quality is back to a safe level to be outside.
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Love that bench workout thing!
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Yes, I thought it was a great idea.
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Hi Natalie, It always makes a park more interesting when we learn the history behind it. You remind me of “paying attention.” A simple park is not really so simple.🙂
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Hi Erica/ Erika, So true that when we pay attention, we discover more. I’ve learned that when a good thing looks simple, it’s usually because there have been a lot of smart ideas and efforts put in to achieve the beautiful simplicity.
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I learn a great deal from you, Natalie 🙂
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