Getting skunked twice in one day is no fun. But that is why you keep a handful of easy-ish backups available, so the whole day is not a waste. And that is what the remains of the Canadian Domain Ride at the Toronto Zoo was... a "plan B" of sorts. And for a backup, it proved to be more enjoyable than I had expected.
| Location | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rouge Valley | ||||||
| (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) | ||||||
| Built :: Closed | Status | Difficulty | ||||
| 1976 :: 1994 | Abandoned | ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ||||
| Hazards Risk | Security Risk | AUE Rating | ||||
| ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ||||
| Hazard Observations | Security Observations | |||||
| None Specified | Active Zoo Infrastructure | |||||
I won't get into the details of where I got skunked... that's for another entry when I finally do succeed. The adventure for the Zoo, however, began in a nearby subdivision, followed by a hike down to the bottom of the Rouge Valley and along the riverbank. Following the river, we eventually encountered a truss erected over it with fencing on other side, which we assumed defined the edge of the Zoo property.
And so we continued to hike along the river. Until, finally, a concrete structure appeared in front of us, crossing over the Rouge. The remains of the guideway; the only surviving aspect of the old Canadian Domain Ride the Zoo had operated.
The Domain Ride, known locally as the Zoo monorail, was built in 1976 and operated for nearly two decades. It featured three stations within the Zoo and access to several animal pens that could not be reached via footpaths. However, a small accident in 1991, followed by a much more severe accident in 1994, shut it down permanently.
Since 1994, one station has been converted to other purposes; one has been completely sealed off, and one is still open with the platform area chained off. The power systems have been removed from the guideway, and while most of the guideway still exists (and is visible within the Zoo proper), parts of it have been removed.
Having finally reached our destination through hiking... we went and started hiking along the guideway. We didn't get an opportunity to see the entirety of the remains due to the dwindling sunlight, as well as the fact that parts of it are very visible within the Zoo and would attract some very unwanted attention. But I saw enough anyways to enjoy the day.
I might come back again in the fall to catch the colours in the valley, but otherwise I doubt I will return anytime soon. It was interesting... bit not <span class="italic">that</span> interesting.
