Petro Canada Park, Oakville, ON

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

Al-Hamdu Lillah, when I first became acquainted with Oakville, Petro Canada Park was one of the first places that amazed me. On a somewhat busy street, what could easily be dismissed as a home driveway, is actually an entrance that leads downward to a fascinating world below...

You are first greeted with a giant open field surrounded by trees. Years ago, I saw a kettle of turkey vultures here circling low - a bit of a suspenseful yet awe-inspiring sight. I've also played frisbee 500 here with a group of madrasa students, in which a frisbee is thrown into the air and players scramble to catch it for points.

With the trees, the open view of the sky, and Bronte Creek which runs through the park, the beautiful changes here are apparent from season to season. In the Spring this place is budding with life, in the Summer it's lush and in the Autumn the colors are spectacular. I once canoed with two others, from the deeper part of this creek towards Lake Ontario. It was a lot of fun, and during that ride I caught up with the elusive blue heron. This park often contains a variety of beautiful birds.

This recent walk through Petro Canada Park was special, as it was the first time I caught a glimpse of the annual salmon run. There were salmon longer than two feet, swimming upstream - a sight to behold!

Below is a photo I took at this park in June 2017 in which you can see a beautiful Heron wading in the water.

Let's all try to enjoy our nature walks safely. Because this park is below street level, I recommend visiting it with friends and staying on the beaten paths.