Jane's Walk 2026
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3
Join us for Jane’s Walk, an annual festival of free, community-led walking conversations inspired by urban activist Jane Jacobs. No registration is required—just show up and explore your community with us!
Thornhill: Thornhill's History Through Four local Notable Persons
Date: Saturday, May 2
Led by: David Rawcliffe
Explore the rich history of Thornhill through the stories of four local figures. This year’s walk includes a gallery visit devoted to artist Thoreau MacDonald, son of J.E.H. MacDonald, a founding member of Canada’s famous "Group of Seven."
Morning Tour: 10:30 AM to 12 PM
Starts: North east corner of Yonge Street and Royal Orchard Boulevard (Food Basics Plaza)
Ends: Robert West Heritage House, 7780 Yonge Street
Afternoon Tour: 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Starts: Robert West Heritage House, 7780 Yonge Street
Ends: North east corner of Yonge Street and Royal Orchard Boulevard (Food Basics Plaza)
Rouge National Urban Park: Nature & Discovery
Date: Saturday, May 2
Tour Time: 1 PM to 3 PM
Starts: Bob Hunter Memorial Park, 7277 14th Avenue
Parks Canada Pollination Fascination! Join walk leader Marilyn to learn more about where our food comes from, along our walk on the Tallgrass Trek.
Date: Sunday, May 3
Tour Time: 10 AM to 12 PM
Starts: Black Walnut Day Use Area, 7445 Elgin Mills Road East
Want to get your family into trail walking? Join us to get started and learn more about making this part of your lifestyle and enjoy the Central trail.
Please note: Guided walks may change or cancel without notice due to inclement weather, please refer to Parks Canada website and social media channels for updates: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/on/rouge/activ/guide
Unionville: A Victorian Village in the City
Date: Sunday, May 3
Led by: George Duncan
Tour time: 10AM to 11AM
Take a trip back to the golden age of one of Ontario's best-preserved Victorian villages. Unionville is a "village in the city" - Markham's premiere heritage conservation district.
Starts: Millennium Bandstand, 146 Main Street Unionville
Ends: Carlton Road & Main Street Unionville
First Markham Place: Ethnic Economies of Markham
Date: Sunday, May 3
Led by: Dina Dong
Tour time: 2PM to 3PM
This Jane’s Walk will be taking you around a familiar location in Markham— First Markham Place, but with a different story to tell. Migration, ethnic economies, third places and spaces, and urbanization, what does this strip mall plaza, a relic of 1980s architectural design, have to do with the future of Markham, and Canada in general. The role of culture and migration in urban planning.
Starts: Outside of FreshWay Food Mart, 3275 Hwy 7
Jane's Walk is an annual festival of free, community-led walking conservations inspired by Jane Jacobs. For more information, please visit janeswalk.org