James Gardens, Public botanical garden in Etobicoke, Toronto, Canada.
James Gardens is a botanical garden on the west bank of the Humber River in Etobicoke, Toronto, covering 21 acres (8.5 ha). It holds broad lawns, flower beds, specimen plantings, rock gardens and nature trails, plus three large and four small spring-fed ponds linked by a stream, a carp pool and a lawn bowling court. A two-storey red-gabled house of Humber River stone stands at the top west corner on Edgehill Road.
The land was owned by Fred and Mary James, who purchased it in 1908 and developed it as a private garden over the following decades. Toronto's municipal government acquired the property in 1955 and opened it to the public as a community park.
The garden's name comes from Fred T. James, who bought the land in 1908 from his wife's parents, the Rumneys. Weddings and receptions are held on the grounds, and CBC Television filmed scenes here for the program "This is the Law", with Paul Soles. Local lore says the ghost of Fred James's mother haunts the park.
The grounds sit on the west bank of the Humber River in Etobicoke, and the gardens link directly to the Humber River pedestrian and cycling trail. The former James house at the top west corner, on Edgehill Road, now serves as a City of Toronto community recreation centre. Paths pass three large and four small spring-fed ponds joined by a stream, plus a carp pool and a lawn bowling court.
Archaeological discoveries within the grounds have revealed First Nations artifacts dating back roughly 4,000 years, indicating the site's deep connection to indigenous communities. These findings show that the location held significance for people living here long before European settlement in the region.
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