Tommy Thompson Park

For those into birdwatching and calmer days, the Leslie Street Spit is a godsend. Technically called Tommy Thompson Park (though nobody calls it that), the spit is an artificial peninsula made literally from decades’ worth of garbage. In fact, the southern half is still a dumping ground. But the rest is a beautiful green space: the land evolved from a man-made landfill in the 1950s into a nature reserve starting in the 1980s. Today, it’s famous for its birdwatching opportunities. Snowy owls, terns, gulls and herons are among the 300 species of birdlife that you could spot there, if you have the equipment and the patience.