Christie Pits, originally Willowvale Park, is a Toronto public recreational area located at 750 Bloor Street West at Christie Street, just west of the Toronto Transit Commission Christie subway station.
The park has an area of 21.9 acres (8.9 ha), about half of which is grassed picnic areas, the rest being various sports fields. Sports facilities on the site include three baseball diamonds (one full-sized and fenced named "Dominico Field"), basketball courts, a soccer/rugby/football field, and The Alex Duff Outdoor Pool, splash pad and adjacent outdoor ice rink which are located on the west edge of the park at 779 Crawford Street.
The sides of the pits are highly sloped, and are used in winter for tobogganing and related activities. Garrison Creek runs under the park, converted to a storm sewer at the turn of the 20th century.
The park was named after the Christie Sand Pits which were on the location until the early 1900s. The sand pits had been named after Christie Street, which was named after William Mellis Christie, co-founder of the Christie & Brown Cookie Company, now known simply as Mr. Christie.
Read more about Christie Pits: Dominico Field, 1933 Riot, Friends of Christie Pits Park
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