If you’ve been to the Kortright Centre since 2018, you may have noticed the StoryWalk panels along the trail showing you one page of a story at a time as you make your way along the path. This year, VPL is excited to announce that, in partnership with the City of Vaughan’s Public Works Department, VPL is expanding the StoryWalk offerings across the city!

With the province under the current Stay-at-Home order since April 17, hitting the trails is a great way to exercise outdoors while still staying in line with the lockdown restrictions. And what better incentive to get outside and explore the trails spread throughout Vaughan than the joy of discovering stories as you walk these paths? As you walk along the trails, you’ll discover one page at a time, until you’ve read a whole book at the end! It’s a fun, educational activity for the entire family that also brings the library to families during these times when we can’t visit the library the way we used to be able to.

While you’re out on the trails, why not check out our Nature Backpacks, which come with different themed activities, tools such as magnifying glasses or binoculars, books, and identification sheets, all in a backpack for easy carrying! And for the cyclists among us, don’t miss out on our Basic Bike Maintenance online program happening Thursday May 13 – just remember to register on Eventbrite!

The StoryWalks are being installed this week, and will officially be launched in early May to celebrate Canadian Children’s Book Week and Public Works Week all at once. Each of the five wards of the city will be getting a StoryWalk along a public trail, in addition to the one already at the Kortright Centre, so head to your local trail for some fresh air, outdoor exercise, and an engaging story that unfolds along the way! And of course, remember to use the hashtags #LoveVPL and #PlayVaughanLocal if you post any photos from your StoryWalks on social media!

Ward 1: Mackenzie Glen District Park (220 Cranston Park Ave, Maple) is getting It’s a Mitig! by Bridget George, which is currently “on order” for VPL, so if you head to that park, you’ll be able to read it before VPL customers wanting the physical book! 😉

George introduces readers to Ojibwe words for things found in nature as the story takes you through a forest, much like you’ll be finding the next page of the story as you walk along the park!

Ward 2: Nort Johnson District Park (close to the Woodbridge Pool and Memorial Arena) will be getting a StoryWalk of If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay, an uplifting story that will encourage you never to give up on your dreams.

Ward 3: Lawford Park (300 Lawford Rd, Woodbridge) is getting Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel, an introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals. Whether you have any knowledge of this tradition or are coming to it for the first time, Daniel includes a brief author’s note that explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture.

Ward 4: While you probably won’t be seeing much of the clouds above you while you’re in Sugarbush Heritage Park (91 Thornhill Woods Dr, Thornhill), Stego-Cumulus by Hilary Leung, illustrated by Niall Eccles, will provide plenty of clouds to watch out for, celebrating friendships and different perspectives, and perhaps most importantly: being in the moment. At the end of the book, there is some more information about different cloud types, so when you step outside of the park, you’ll be well equipped to identify what clouds are in the skies above you!

Ward 5: Marita Payne Park (16 Jason St, Concord) My Forest is Green by Darren Lebeuf and Ashley Barron follows a young boy exploring an urban forest as he notes down all the ways in which the forest changes throughout the seasons, all these changes inspiring him to make different types of art as the year passes. These will provide ideas for your outdoor classroom adventures or just activities to do with your kids, and encourage a curiosity and love of nature to combine with creativity!

And of course, the Kortright Centre for Conservation, where StoryWalk started first, will be getting a new story too: The Nut that Fell from the Tree by Sangeeta Bhadra, illustrated by France Cormier, where you’ll get to follow the journey of an acorn seed as it gets tossed to and fro by creature to creature on its way to becoming a tree.

Have you visited any of the parks and trails above? Which one’s first on your list?