First pick
Chinguacousy Lions Club Water Tower Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.1 km of path
1.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
3.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Van Kirk · parks, protected land & trails
Rouge National Urban Park is 52 km from Van Kirk
16 km from town is Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The largest named area nearby is Brampton Natural Heritage System, 1,126 ha, 0.4 km away. The Etobicoke Creek Trail is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land
3.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
11
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
52 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
16 km
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Van Kirk compares with other Canadian towns
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km3.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Van Kirk ranks 16th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (9,886 to 10,175 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Protected within 10 km
Van Kirk3.2%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Van Kirk2
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Van Kirk1
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Van Kirk does best for protected land nearby: 15 of the other 39 have more. On public protected areas it is behind: 24 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawnigan BC | 22% | 6.4% | 66 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury QC | 21% | 24% | 17 | 14 | 0 |
| 3 | Kitimat BC | 20% | 6.6% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Hatchet Lake NS | 14% | 36% | 53 | 4 | 23 |
| 5 | Lac-des-Fées QC | 14% | 33% | 32 | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | Du Parc QC | 14% | 32% | 38 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Amherst NS | 8.7% | 0.2% | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | M-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Portland Estates NS | 4.5% | 0% | 19 | 4 | 18 |
| 10 | Argyle North SK | 4.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Elizabethtown-Kitley ON | 4.2% | 1.7% | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | The Valleys of Thornhill ON | 3.8% | 12% | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Mount Pleasant North ON | 3.8% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Acadia AB | 3.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 15 | Mono ON | 3.7% | 6.4% | 56 | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | Van Kirk ON | 3.2% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Laurentian Hills ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Saint-Félicien QC | 1.6% | 0.5% | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Blind Bay BC | 1.6% | 1.5% | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills ON | 1.5% | 3.9% | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | Ladysmith BC | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 | Vincent ON | 1.3% | 3.1% | 14 | 4 | 7 |
| 23 | Lac-Saint-Charles QC | 1% | 1.6% | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 24 | Hinton AB | 0.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Caledonia-Fairbank ON | 0.9% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Beckwith ON | 0.8% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Malahide ON | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 28 | Stanley MB | 0.5% | 0.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Maple Leaf ON | 0.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Temiskaming Shores ON | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Runnymede-Bloor West Village ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 32 | Penbrooke Meadows AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Pineridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Springbank Hill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | River Valley Oleskiw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 36 | Mitchell ON | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Wheatland County AB | 0.2% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Bridgewater NS | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Palmerston ON | 0% | 0.2% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Taber AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Van Kirk
The neighbourhood’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
Walk in Van Kirk: 10 named parks and woods
The biggest is Chinguacousy Lions Club Water Tower Park, 2.5 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
10 named parks and woods, 12 ha in all
Parks & gardens 12 ha
Its largest place holds only 20%: the rest is spread out.
Van Scott Parkette
Park or garden
1.5 ha0.1 km of path
0.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Frank Harkema Parkette
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
0.8 ha0.3 km of path
1.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ironblock Park
Park or garden
0.9 ha0.2 km of path
0.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
George Ransier Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
0.9 ha0.1 km of path
1.1 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Cresthaven Park
Park or garden · 110 m outside town
1.0 ha
1.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Jacob Shook Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
1.0 ha
Centralin the middle of Van Kirk
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Chinguacousy Lions Club Water Tower ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsBurnt Elm ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsVan Scott ParkettePark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsFrank Harkema ParkettePark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsIronblock ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsGeorge Ransier ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCresthaven ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsJacob Shook ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsIceland ParkettePark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsBanas ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, commons and woods with a name, in the town or within 400 m, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Sizes are the mapped outline’s.
Close to home
In Van Kirk, a park is close to every home
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Van Kirk100%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
3.2% of the land around Van Kirk is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Van Kirk0%
Within 10 km3.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 2 of the 11; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Biggest of the named areas: Brampton Natural Heritage System, 1,126 ha. Another 9 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Brampton Natural Heritage SystemNature reserve · 1,126 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
VictoriaNature reserve · 7.1 ha · 5.8 km from the edge of town
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
National & provincial parks
Big parks near Van Kirk
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
16 km north-west2.9 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
52 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Closer to home, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park is 16 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Van Kirk has 24 km of footpaths in and around it
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths
24 km
in and around the town (11.7 km²)
Woodland
3.2%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Van KirkTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Van KirkTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland3.2%
0%50%100%
69% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Paths are denser here than in 56% of Canadian towns.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
1 walking route near Van Kirk
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Etobicoke Creek Trail37.3 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Van Kirk is best on foot in May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Toronto Pearson (Airport) (16 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 62 | 50 | 51 | 77 | 78 | 81 | 74 | 69 | 69 | 67 | 72 | 59 |
Precipitation runs from 50 mm in February to 81 mm in June. In July the typical high is 27 °C; in January, -1 °C. A typical year sees 115 cm of snow. The climate in Van Kirk →
Things to do
6 viewpoints near Van Kirk
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 58 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 58
Camden Park East Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsBrighton Parkette1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 56 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Camden Dog Park1.4 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Van Kirk
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Fletchers Meadow NorthSnelgroveFletchers Meadow SouthHeart Lake NorthMount Pleasant NorthAlloaVan Kirk
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Kirk | 3.2% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Fletchers Meadow North 1.3 km | 3% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Snelgrove 1.8 km | 3.7% | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Fletchers Meadow South 2.1 km | 2.7% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Heart Lake North 2.3 km | 3.9% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Mount Pleasant North 2.5 km | 3.8% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Alloa 2.6 km | 4.2% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Van Kirk has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
Questions about the outdoors in Van Kirk
What is the nearest provincial park to Van Kirk?
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, 16 km away.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Van Kirk?
May and July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the largest protected area near Van Kirk?
Brampton Natural Heritage System: 1,126 ha, a nature reserve.
Are there protected areas near Van Kirk?
Protected areas cover 3.2% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest national park to Van Kirk?
Rouge National Urban Park, 52 km from the edge of town.
Where can you walk near Van Kirk?
Try the Etobicoke Creek Trail.
Sources
Where Van Kirk’s outdoors figures come from
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).