The Yorklands Green Hub
We are a non-profit organization working to secure public access on part of the former Ontario Reformatory lands at 785 York Rd. in Guelph. We aim to establish a community sustainable environments centre in the superintendent’s house with continuing outdoor enjoyment, education and research in building urban resilience.
The Walkathon is not a one day event. You can choose any day from May 1st to August 26th for your walk, at your own pace by yourself or with your team or pet. While you walk one or more of the routes there, you will be in a rich, biodiverse part of old Guelph and can enjoy the biodiversity of its trees, flowers, birds, pollinators wildlife, as well as the stone features. Prize winers will be awarded their prizes at the celebration on Saturday August 27th.
We hope to increase our membership and resources to strengthen our operational outreach and advocacy for water stewardship, local food security and renewable energies. We propose a partnership with any future owners of this landmark heritage site to facilitate its preservation for public use. Your support can also advance our programming like Polli-Patches, Foodsters and Ten Tall Trees. (more details on our website)
Our fundraising goal
We are seeking $5,000 to expand our operational capacity during this exciting and important year for the future of the Guelph Correctional Centre.
How you can help
You, your family & friends or your dog can sign up as walkers in our “We Love Yorklands Walkathon”. The Walkathon is an asynchronous event and is happening not on one day, but rather from May to August. You can walk at your own pace, explore one or more of our routes alone or with your group, and learn interesting facts along the way.
The Challenges
The BUSINESS, GROUP or STREET Challenge - if your group raises $1000 to support our environmental programs,
each
of
your
members
will
be
in
our
draw
for
your
choice
of
our
nature
book
bin,
four
species
identification place
mats
or a
group
tour
of
the site.
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As you walk we have several perks to express our gratitude to you and your sponsors.
There are several types of perks.
- All walkers and donors who contribute/raise $100 are eligible for a Yorklands Tote Bag.
- The top fundraisers will get to choose first from our prize list. The top fundraising dog will receive a bundle from Global Pet Foods.
- All walkers and donors will be entered into a draw to receive one of our many donated perks.
To view Perks please click on Perks link at the top of this page.
Options
This walkathon is designed for all movers and shakers - from those with mobility devices to our furry friends. You can register as:
- An Individual - walk by yourself and have your community rally behind you
- A Group - walk together with your family or friends and make the walkathon a social event
- A dog - your canine pals can take the lead and compete for their own set of prizes!
Routes
There are six routes in this Walkathon ranging from 1.5-11km in length. Pick the route or routes that make most sense for you. Since the Walkathon lasts all month long you can complete your route(s) at your own pace and spread your walking across multiple days.
Each route focuses on a different aspect of the Yorklands history and geography from the buildings, to the waterways, to the stones that built them.
Route A - Welcome Loop (1.5km) *This route is accessible
Walk along the historic drive and see some of Guelph’s century old limestone Heritage Buildings -including the Superintendent's House and the main Administrative Building
Route B - Blue Dot Loop (1.8km)
Our main loop for our monthly walking tours. Explore the main heritage features of the Yorklands and join us in dreaming about their future.
Route C - Spur Loop (2.2km)
Note the meadows, wetlands and remnant woodland edges on the Yorklands. These originally were used to grow food for the former Guelph Correctional Centre. Help us turn this space into a haven for native pollinators.
Route D - Pond Loop (3km)
Explore the many man-made ponds on the Yorklands and its surrounding area. These waterways were created by the inmates to manage flooding, stock fish, and learn about stonework.
Route E -Quarry Loop (5.8km)
Explore the various stonework on the Yorklands from the stone walls and bridges to the masonry of the main Administrative Building. This loop also connects to the historic quarry where these stones were collected.
Route F - River Loop (11km)
For those of you who want a challenge, this loop connects the Yorklands to downtown - following along the Eramosa River.
Next Steps
Sign up by clicking the register button above and share the link with your community. Using this platform they can donate online and follow along on your progress.
We also have a form here if you prefer to collect cheques and keep track on paper.
To complete your walk, take a photo in front of the Superintendent's House and post it online using the hashtag #IloveYorklands
Perks
Thank you for raising $100! Spread the love the Yorklands around the community with a Yorklands branded tote bag.
9″ x 12″ (13 1/2″ x 17 1/2″ framed) Medium: Watercolour & Ink Carol Hughes is a watercolour artist and plein air sketcher whose work focusses on landscape and floral themes. Through her art, she tries to capture the sense of wonder she experiences in nature and show her appreciation for the beauty she finds there. Regular outdoor sketching refines her sensitivity to light and colour while providing source material for studio paintings. Carol has exhibited her work throughout Southern Ontario and has won awards and been accepted into numerous juried competitions. She is a member of Guelph Creative Arts, Urban Sketchers Waterloo Region, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (associate) and is a founding member of the Octarine Women Artists’ Collective.
11”x14” Medium: Oil on Canvas Mao Chun Li Born in Zi Gong Si Chuan China 1985-1989 Enrolled in the Central Academy of Fine Arts affiliated high school Beijing China 1989-1993 Studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing China 1993 Central Academy of Fine Arts graduation exhibition, Won the Janpanese Songgang Family award 2010 Beijing HongKong oil painting invitation exhibition 2011 The second China Pastel Paniting Exhibition, Excellent work award 2015 China Twelfth National Art Exhibition 2015 China Pastel famous-artist invited Exhibition 2016 Toronto International Art Exhibition 2017 Canadian Oil Painting Society Exhibition 2017 Toronto Exhibition
12” x 12” Medium: Oil on canvas Painting plays a very significant part in my life. The strong desire to pursue the world of art began early in my childhood. Considerable time was spent at the family cottage painting the beautiful scenery at the lake in Muskoka. The medium I use is predominately oil paint, which began when studying art at Sheridan College and then traditional oil glazing in 2004. I was fortunate to be able to learn painterly skills under the mentorship of award winning painters. All aspects of art inspire me and at this point I pursue painting abstractive forms. My painting style has been described as “impressionistic”. I revel in expressing myself with colours that contrast one another when ever possible. I have a strong desire to explore my artistic creativeness, making this my life’s goal.
16“X20” with frame: 21”X25” Medium: Acrylic on canvas Jane is an Oakville-based artist who started painting around six years ago, with a focus on acrylic landscape works. She studied under two local teachers and has recently been painting on her own in her home studio. Inspired largely by American impressionist painters such as Sara Linda Poly and Ken Cadwallader, she enjoys capturing the wonders of nature with soft, distinctive brushstrokes, mellow hues, and bold contrasts in light. In her free time, she also loves art museums, Zumba, yoga, interior design, and movies of all kinds.
13″ x 18″ Medium: Oil on Board Mississauga based artist Ann Tin, has been honing her skills in oil painting for the past several years. She would work on a single painting over and over again to achieve the right “feel”. She loves to celebrate life through painting with the bold use colors, shadows and lights to reflect life as she sees it and as she feels it. The scope of her paintings includes landscapes, figures, floral and still life. She seeks uniqueness in the expression of arts and continue to evolve and expand her own language of arts. Her works reflect her love of life and joy of living in this world and all it contains. She’s trying to evoke emotions in the audience who will only not see her paintings as a piece of canvas with colors but also with life coming out of it. Her works have been exhibited and sold in Singapore, the US and Canada.
8″ x 10” Medium: Oil on Panel Diane’s lifelong interest in art has blossomed since retirement and the pandemic. Locally, over the years she has had inspiring guidance in the form of lessons or workshops from other Guelph area artists such as Leslie Miles, Scott Abbott, Barry McCarthy and most recently Yulia Balobanova. She currently works in Oil and Acrylics and has also spent many years working with stained glass. “I hope to convey the wonders of nature in my work”.
Signed numbered print #1942, 26" x 36" framed, worth $700
Mary-Dawn Roberts is an accomplished Canadian realist artist. Her love of painting has spanned a forty-year career. Equally comfortable with watercolour, acrylic and oil, she commits herself to each painting with a selflessness that makes her work have a passionate and uplifting feel for the viewer. Her subject matter—flowers, landscape and floral landscapes—can be found in private and public gardens of Ontario, the Trent Severn waterway near Georgian Bay, and other areas throughout our beautiful province. Her artwork can be found in private and public collections worldwide. 23” x 30” framed, Value: $700 Generously donated by Barbara Leachman
Watercolour 8 x13", framed 16" x 23"
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Thank you for raising $100! Spread the love the Yorklands around the community with a Yorklands branded tote bag.
9″ x 12″ (13 1/2″ x 17 1/2″ framed) Medium: Watercolour & Ink Carol Hughes is a watercolour artist and plein air sketcher whose work focusses on landscape and floral themes. Through her art, she tries to capture the sense of wonder she experiences in nature and show her appreciation for the beauty she finds there. Regular outdoor sketching refines her sensitivity to light and colour while providing source material for studio paintings. Carol has exhibited her work throughout Southern Ontario and has won awards and been accepted into numerous juried competitions. She is a member of Guelph Creative Arts, Urban Sketchers Waterloo Region, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (associate) and is a founding member of the Octarine Women Artists’ Collective.
11”x14” Medium: Oil on Canvas Mao Chun Li Born in Zi Gong Si Chuan China 1985-1989 Enrolled in the Central Academy of Fine Arts affiliated high school Beijing China 1989-1993 Studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing China 1993 Central Academy of Fine Arts graduation exhibition, Won the Janpanese Songgang Family award 2010 Beijing HongKong oil painting invitation exhibition 2011 The second China Pastel Paniting Exhibition, Excellent work award 2015 China Twelfth National Art Exhibition 2015 China Pastel famous-artist invited Exhibition 2016 Toronto International Art Exhibition 2017 Canadian Oil Painting Society Exhibition 2017 Toronto Exhibition
12” x 12” Medium: Oil on canvas Painting plays a very significant part in my life. The strong desire to pursue the world of art began early in my childhood. Considerable time was spent at the family cottage painting the beautiful scenery at the lake in Muskoka. The medium I use is predominately oil paint, which began when studying art at Sheridan College and then traditional oil glazing in 2004. I was fortunate to be able to learn painterly skills under the mentorship of award winning painters. All aspects of art inspire me and at this point I pursue painting abstractive forms. My painting style has been described as “impressionistic”. I revel in expressing myself with colours that contrast one another when ever possible. I have a strong desire to explore my artistic creativeness, making this my life’s goal.
16“X20” with frame: 21”X25” Medium: Acrylic on canvas Jane is an Oakville-based artist who started painting around six years ago, with a focus on acrylic landscape works. She studied under two local teachers and has recently been painting on her own in her home studio. Inspired largely by American impressionist painters such as Sara Linda Poly and Ken Cadwallader, she enjoys capturing the wonders of nature with soft, distinctive brushstrokes, mellow hues, and bold contrasts in light. In her free time, she also loves art museums, Zumba, yoga, interior design, and movies of all kinds.
13″ x 18″ Medium: Oil on Board Mississauga based artist Ann Tin, has been honing her skills in oil painting for the past several years. She would work on a single painting over and over again to achieve the right “feel”. She loves to celebrate life through painting with the bold use colors, shadows and lights to reflect life as she sees it and as she feels it. The scope of her paintings includes landscapes, figures, floral and still life. She seeks uniqueness in the expression of arts and continue to evolve and expand her own language of arts. Her works reflect her love of life and joy of living in this world and all it contains. She’s trying to evoke emotions in the audience who will only not see her paintings as a piece of canvas with colors but also with life coming out of it. Her works have been exhibited and sold in Singapore, the US and Canada.
8″ x 10” Medium: Oil on Panel Diane’s lifelong interest in art has blossomed since retirement and the pandemic. Locally, over the years she has had inspiring guidance in the form of lessons or workshops from other Guelph area artists such as Leslie Miles, Scott Abbott, Barry McCarthy and most recently Yulia Balobanova. She currently works in Oil and Acrylics and has also spent many years working with stained glass. “I hope to convey the wonders of nature in my work”.
Signed numbered print #1942, 26" x 36" framed, worth $700
Mary-Dawn Roberts is an accomplished Canadian realist artist. Her love of painting has spanned a forty-year career. Equally comfortable with watercolour, acrylic and oil, she commits herself to each painting with a selflessness that makes her work have a passionate and uplifting feel for the viewer. Her subject matter—flowers, landscape and floral landscapes—can be found in private and public gardens of Ontario, the Trent Severn waterway near Georgian Bay, and other areas throughout our beautiful province. Her artwork can be found in private and public collections worldwide. 23” x 30” framed, Value: $700 Generously donated by Barbara Leachman
Watercolour 8 x13", framed 16" x 23"
