2/20/2011 11:31:20 PM

February 15, 2011

City of Toronto invites residents to lace up, dive in and hit the slopes for Family Day fun

The City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation division invites residents to participate in a wide variety of recreation and leisure activities this Family Day - Monday, February 21. Special program offerings and schedules are available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311. All regularly scheduled programming resumes on Tuesday, February 22.

Family Day highlights include swimming, indoor and outdoor leisure skating, shinny hockey, skiing and snowboarding. Residents are also invited to visit Riverdale Farm or the High Park Zoo or take a scenic winter walk through the Toronto's network of parks.

Skating
Indoor public skating is offered at 13 locations across the city. Schedules vary by location. Weather permitting, all 51 of the City's outdoor rinks will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or later) and offer a variety of leisure skating and shinny hockey opportunities.

Don't forget to protect your head. All children under the age of six must wear a CSA-approved hockey helmet on the ice. Helmets are also mandatory for people of all ages participating in supervised shinny hockey programs. Neck and mouth guards are strongly recommended.

Public skating and shinny hockey programs are free. Locations, schedules, current conditions and program details are available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311. Visit us on Facebook at "Outdoor Skating in Toronto."

Swimming
Indoor leisure swimming is available at 10 locations across the city from 2 to 5 p.m.

Locations, schedules and program details are available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311.
Regular leisure swim fees apply: child $1, adult $2 and family $5.

Skiing and snowboarding
The Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre (4169 Bathurst St., inside Earl Bales Park) and the Centennial Park Ski and Snowboard Centre (256 Centennial Park Rd.) are open on Family Day from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Both centres offer Discover Skiing and Snowboarding group lessons as well as private lessons.

Special Family Day rates are available at both centres: you can ski or snowboard for twice as long for the regular price.

A wide selection of equipment, including helmets, is available to rent at reasonable rates. Helmets are mandatory when participating in lessons. The use of a recognized ski or snowboard helmet for all other participants is strongly recommended.

Riverdale Farm
Cows, horses, donkey, sheep (including three new baby lambs), goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits and farm cats are all waiting to visit with you at Riverdale Farm (201 Winchester St.). Drop-in activities run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with children's storytelling from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. The farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5. p.m. and admission and drop-in programs are free. For more information, call 416-392-6794 or visit Featured Parks at http://www.toronto.ca/parks.

High Park Zoo
Located on Deer Pen Road, the High Park Zoo offers both domestic and exotic animals including bison, llamas, peacocks, deer, highland cattle and sheep. The zoo is open daily year-round to visitors from 7 a.m. to dusk.

Discovery Walks
Take a winter walk-about and explore the city on foot. The Discovery Walks program is a series of 11 self-guided walks linking ravines, parks, gardens, beaches and neighbourhoods. Ranging from 1.5 to 11 kilometres, the walks are designed to showcase Toronto’s outstanding natural features as well as cultural and historical attractions. Brochures and maps are available online at http://www.toronto.ca/parks.