Toronto is embracing its love-hate relationship with racoons and has officially opened a park in Midtown named after the curious critter.
On Wednesday, the city announced that Racoon Park is now open to the public.
The park, located near Yonge and Eglinton at 86 Soudan Ave., features a wooden raccoon play structure, along with a playground, splash pad and seating areas.
Walking paths around the park also connect to the nearby condo complex.
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Lead designer of the park, David Pantaleo, who’s an associate and landscape architect with O2 Planning + Design, told CBC News the city wanted an animal theme and he came up with the idea of a raccoon. He added that the park is a safe space for children to play and that the project “was all about community.”
Online, Torontonians are reacting to the new park, and its eye-catching name.
“Is there a hope that this park will, actually, attract said raccoons? Ya know.. from across the city / province / country?,” one X user said.
“Finally, some GOOD Toronto news! Keep pleasing our trash panda overlords, guys!,” another said.
“Never been to this new park, definitely putting this on my bucket list,” One Facebook user.
“Toronto’s unofficial mascot is the raccoon? Too perfect,” another Facebook user said.
On Toronto’s Coat of Arms, there’s no racoons but there is a beaver, bear and eagle. Racoons have gained popularity over the years for their regular appearances across the city, with the City of Toronto even having a website page dedicated to tips for interacting with them.
