Veterans’ Point Garden, Ajax Ontario

• Author: WantsToTravelMore
• Accommodation: Ajax Ontario Accommodations

A recent visit to Ontario required time in Ajax, which is one of Toronto’s eastern bedroom communities. I’m afraid like most North American cities, small towns that are near major centres tend to expand with subdivisions creating new suburbs. In Toronto’s case, North York and Scarborough used to be suburbs. Now they are part of Toronto and towns like Ajax, which used to be way out of town forty years ago, are now taking on the new role of suburb.

Sadly continent-wide there is a lot more sameness in architecture and style of subdivision design that tends to make you feel like you are in Anytown North America.

In order to let my wife catch some rest, I took the children down to the foot of Harwood Avenue which, according to the map, ended at a park and Lake Ontario.

I wanted to see some of Southern Ontario’s real geography. Maybe even stick a foot in Lake Ontario.

I found Veteran’s Point Garden. It celebrates World War II history in which Ajax contributed more than the name of a battleship. Ajax was home to its own munitions industry.

The park is new. The trees are new and they have plaques dedicated to mayors and councillors gone by. There are walking and biking trails. Short legs and July heat prevented us from wandering far afield.

As to Lake Ontario. We discovered bluffs. I informed my children that it was about 100 feet pretty much straight down to the water. If they went over, I would have to phone someone to repel down to retrieve them.

On a hot day, the view of the Lake is hazy and hypnotic — almost tropical in some ways.

It is definitely worth taking in the Veteran’s memorial and the information on it that gives you background on the role Ajax played during World War II.