No twenty two hectare lake would be complete
without a park! Apparently the people at the Metropolitan
Railway thought the same and bought the surrounding land around
the lake from William Bell back in 1899. Shortly after building
railway sidings and loading platforms, landscaping the park
grounds took place and Bond Lake Park was opened for business.
Bond Lake Park (Ontario's first electric park) proved to be an
instant success. Some sixty thousand visitors streamed through
the park gates during the 1901 season, and to celebrate the
success of that year, additional money was spent on baseball
grounds and a concert pavilion in 1902.
The lake (fed by springs) were always cool and
clear. It is also surrounded by trees which meant the water surface
was always glass like and easily navigable by boat. A boat that was
always visible on the waters travelling to some of the Wharfs
around the lake was the "Gypsy" which carried patrons to various
spots around the park. Row boats were available to rent for a
pleasureable paddle out on the water or to drift about lazily and
fish for Black Bass, Perch or Sunfish.
Many enjoyable summers were spent here at Bond
Lake Park. However, the fun ended after the 1929 summer season, the
park closed it gates to the public and the land was sold to people
that choose to live on the former park grounds and make use of its
existing facilities for personal use. Today, a builder owns this
land and while his theme of the community is in ode to Bond Lake in
it's hay day, there's no telling what may become of what's left of
this park and the area around it. I've heard that the land is
protected by the government and no futher building can take place
on it.
For now, time has taken a toll on the remaining
structures that once stood in this park. All thats left are piles
of debris and concrete / brick foundations that mark a location
where something once stood. The only remaining building that is
actually standing are the washrooms, and when you see building and
its interior, there's no doubting how long it's been around. On the
other hand, Without even digging around in the debris piles you can
identify something that tells the age of the park.
In Bond Lake Park there are quite a few noteable
remnants which are detailed in each stage. Due to the amount of
structural debris throughout this cache site it is not recommended
for children or wandering pets. I would highly recommend not
rummaging through the debris piles and also to wear appropriate
footwear. Realistically, this site is not all that dangerous if you
use common sense. Each stage is a micro except for the final which
is regular sized.
Access to the trail is to the right of the
parking area (the empty space between the houses). This empty lot
is part of the storm drainage system for the community. Go past
this area to the open field behind the houses.
Additional notes about the Cache:
- This is a five part multi-cache.
- Re-hide all parts of the multi exactly as you found them.
- There are NO "no trespassing" signs present; therefore,
you're not trespassing!
Thanks & enjoy!
