william meany maze toronto

The William Meany Maze is a green hideout on the Toronto Islands

The William Meany Maze is all grown up. 

The cluster of baby black cedars that were planted back in 2014 have grown tall, forming a compact but mighty labyrinth on Centre Island. 

william meany maze toronto

The William Meany Maze was replanted in 2014. 

Now, it's a proper hedge maze: the biggest of trees tower well over seven feet, concealing even the tallest visitors meandering through its paths. 

You'll find the William Meany Maze located just a few minutes' walk from the Centre Island pier. 

william meany maze toronto

The original maze was destroyed in 2011. 

It's an interesting sight to see a coming-of-age maze on this part of the Islands, which, historically, has been home to some sort of labyrinth for nearly half a century. 

The first iteration was built in 1967, courtesy of the Netherlands Centennial Association to celebrate Canada's Centennial.

The original Eastern Cedars, which had grown nearly 4 metres-tall, were removed in 2011 after years of neglect, to the shock of a wealthy businessman from Mississauga who'd played there as a child. 

william meany maze toronto

The maze is comprised of more than 1,200 black cedar trees.

The man was—surprise—William Meany (he used to own Repo Man) and he donated $200,000 to have it rebuilt, about 10 metres north of where the original site used to be. 

Today, it's a 15,000-square-foot playground where both adults and kids can get lost during an Island retreat. 

The entirety is made up of more than 1,200 black cedars, and thanks to a series of dead ends and deceptive turns, it'll leave even the most coordinated quite confused. 

william meany maze toronto

Photos by

Tanya Mok


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