October 3, 2026 Awe Walk in Rennie Park

About this event

Please join us to explore awe and connection through a guided walk in nature. Please join us for an interactive walk-based exploration of opportunities to experience awe through your relationship with the natural world, of which you are part. By tuning into your senses, exploring different ways of perceiving yourself in relationship with nature, and noticing your responses to new experiences, you can learn to feel awe in many ways. You will be guided in this 2-hour experience by Paul Overy and Anne Fleming on a walk in Toronto’s Rennie Park on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Among the participants will be members of the Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA Canada) Community, and any other interested people are welcome to take part, to a group maximum of 15 participants. This Awe Walk is offered in connection with ICA Canada, a nonprofit charity focused on positive social change.The walk reflects ideas explored in Chapter 11 of ICA Canada’s reflective leadership book, 'The Courage to Lead'. In Meaning in Everyday Life, the book considers how we can find profound meaning everywhere by being fully present. By slowing down, awakening our senses and noticing the natural world in new ways, we become more open to awe, renewed perspective and deeper connection—qualities that can influence how we lead and relate to others. Participation in this walk is by donation, in recognition of Paul and Anne’s creation and contribution. 🌟Please note that all participants must complete this waiver upon registration. Directions: The walk will begin and end near the northern edge of Rennie Park, at the corner of Morningside and Beresford Avenues, near the centre of Swansea. Look for the Rennie Park sign you see in the photo above; we’ll meet you there! Travel options: By TTC: From the Runnymede subway station, you can walk about 10 minutes south on Runnymede Ave. to Morningside, then walk one block west to Beresford Ave.. You can also take the 77 Swansea bus, which leaves that station on the half-hour. Get off at Morningside Ave., then walk one block west to Beresford. By car: Drive south from Bloor St. down either Runnymede or Windermere, to Morningside Ave. and then Runnymede Terrace, which is essentially a continuation of Beresford Ave., and drive south into the parking lot. If coming from the south, take Windermere Ave. north to Morningside. From the parking lot, the meeting place will be to the north, on Morningside Ave.. About the park space: Washroom facilities will be available at the beginning and end of the walk. The walk will take place rain or shine, though will be cancelled in the event of extreme weather; you will be notified via Eventbrite in that situation. Please dress for the weather conditions and to walk on soil paths. A long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed-toe shoes with good traction are recommended, as are water and a sun hat or umbrella, depending on the weather. Please bring a stone you like or that has meaning for you. Anne and Paul look forward to sharing the experience of awe with you! Meet ICA For 50 years, ICA Canada has been helping people build stronger communities through participatory leadership, meaningful dialogue, and practical methods that inspire positive change. Our flagship Courage to Lead program is a unique leadership journey that develops reflective, authentic leaders. Rather than focusing on management techniques, it equips people with practical leadership stances that help participants: • Develop greater self-awareness and authenticity • Build stronger relationships and trust • Navigate complexity with wisdom and perspective • Foster healthy, purpose-driven organizational cultures • Lead change with courage, creativity, and resilience • Inspire positive social change in their communities Today, Courage to Lead programming is offered in Canada, Nepal, and China, with Kenya launching soon—connecting a growing international community of leaders committed to leading with purpose, integrity, and courage. If this program could interest you, please indicate your interest in the registration form. Meet Paul Paul Overy has an academic background in geography, psychology and planning, among other fields, and is a walk leader with the Toronto Field Naturalists, Lost Rivers, la Société d’histoire de Toronto, as well as other groups. Paul is passionate about exploring, learning and sharing stories of place: how the land, waters and living beings (including humans!) have come to evolve together. Paul is also interested in how public policies shape, enhance or harm the world in which these beings live. Paul also practices hands-on bodywork and movement re-education (the Trager Approach), which has led him to explore touch, perception, anatomy, physiology and movement analysis. These explorations have developed his curiosity about how we come to experience and know ourselves and the world we live in…a curiosity he loves to spark in others. Meet Anne With over 15 years as an art gallery guide, plus two years as local host of Street Wisdom's annual World Wide Wander, Anne Fleming enjoys co-creating experiences of beauty and awe. A skilled communicator, Anne writes, edits, and manages social media for a variety of organizations. She is active on a number non-profit boards and currently volunteers for the YMCA, Storytelling Toronto, the AGO, and the Bike Brigade. Recovering lawyer, certified fitness instructor, and amateur photographer, Anne enjoys cycling, baking, travel, and enjoying nature with her dog Percy.