You can walk on an elevated park in Ontario that's like the High Line in New York
St. Thomas Elevated Park in Ontario is a true testament to our railway history.
If you haven't been to New York and walked The High Line before in the fall, worry no more.
St.Thomas Elevated Park is Canada's first and only elevated park, joining similar structures such as The High Line in New York and the Promenade Plantée in Paris.
Restructuring the Michigan Central Railroad Kettle Creek Bridge, this park sits at 95-feet over the Kettle Creek valley in Elgin County, Ontario, and the views are certainly something to see.
The bridge was built in 1929 and carried over 50 trains a day. Sitting as a 260-meter-long railway, it carried the Michigan Central Railroad 34 meters above the Kettle Creek Valley on the west side of this Canadian railway town.
The last train sat idle on the bridge for 17 years before dismantling and the start of the St. Thomas Elevated Park Project. The bridge structure offers a massive space, 30-feet wide and 850-feet long, which was redeveloped as a park.
It features flower beds, public art and a trail for walking, running and biking.
The MCR Kettle Creek Bridge is an important reminder of Ontario's status as a key railway hub. As a public place, it is a major tourist attraction, boosts the economic revival of St. Thomas as Canada's Railway City and is a high-profile addition to the Trans Canada Trail.
The Elevated Park is completely free and is open seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
You can find it located at 1 Centre Street in St. Thomas, Ontario, about two-hours west of Toronto.
