1. “Leslie (St.) Spit is a great wheelchair-accessible outing. The spit is close to downtown and is free. I often take Caelan, 9, and we roll along over three kilometres of lakeside walkway. At the end of the walkway there is a little lighthouse. The spit is a bird sanctuary and there is always something new to see no matter what season you venture out in. So far we have spotted a beaver lodge, a little snake, an owl and lots of swans and other birds.”

Tommy Thompson Park (also known as the Leslie St. Spit) is located on a man-made peninsula that juts into Lake Ontario. Take the Don Valley Parkway south to Lakeshore Boulevard, travel east to Leslie Street, then south half a kilometre to the park entrance. Tommy Thompson is one of 11 parks run by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

2. “Last week we stumbled upon another great accessible outing: Crawford Lake out in Halton Hills. Crawford Lake has a great elevated boardwalk that circles the lake and is wheelchair accessible. This hike takes about 35 minutes. There is also a woodland trail that takes 45 minutes. Both are accessible by wheelchair and the park has all-terrain wheelchairs available for use. Trail maps are available on their web site. The park has a great garden that is broken down into sections — a scent garden, an edible garden and a medicinal garden. All in all a good day!”

Crawford Lake is nestled in lush forests atop the Niagara Escarpment. The conservation area is at Steeles Avenue and Guelph Line, five kilometres south of Highway 401 and 15 kilometres north of the Q.E.W. Visit Conservation Halton and select Parks and Recreation, and then Halton Parks.