Bronte Creek Provincial Park is a great family outing in the summer but in the wintertime, our attention shifts from the vast pool to the large, well-maintained rink nearby. I love the natural surroundings around this fenceless rink, where you can rent skates and which is well lit so remains open until 9:30 p.m.(I learned that the pool also turns into a rink in the winter.)
There's a wide path climbing to the top of a hill overlooking the park. The view is far-reaching from both sides, offering the toboggan fans an unusual panorama. The two sides offer long slopes that quite gentle. Each we went tobogganing with our boy, it was the same story. At the top of the hill, our little adrenaline addict smiled with anticipation, then let out a long happy shout as he slid down. At the end of the descent, he'd burst out with a victory laugh, only to be towed back up (thanks to the private chairlift of a stamina-filled daddy), again and again, thrilled to relive the experience. Note that you can access both activities vis parking lot D.
After the winter fun, drive to the parking lot C and walk to the farm's very cool playground in a barn (and various farm animals in the surrounding barns). Last time I visited, there was a heated room in the play barn, for the parents patiently waiting for their kids to be done. Santa in 2014: Santa visits Spruce Farm on December weekends plus Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can dress up in Victorian costumes and take photos with Santa with your own camera (or you can also book a private family photo for a fee). There are wagon rides on the weekends. Check their website for details about the New Year's Eve at the skating rink!
