The Bruce Pit  is a generously sized piece of land owned by the NCC and situated between Cedarview Road and Arlington Woods. The actual "Pit" is a disused sand pit that has partially filled with water. It provides food and shelter for beavers, turtles and many water birds, mostly ducks and geese, also kingfishers and herons. The name "Bruce", so I was told by a resident of nearby Arlington Woods, comes from the farming family who used to own the property.

The north side of the property consists of the lake (pit) and the sandy slopes and paths around it (you can walk right round the lake but dogs must be leashed). There's a wide grassy slope near one end of the lake, perfect for tobogganing in winter. A hard-surfaced, fenced pathway runs from near the parking lot, north past the lake and then east to the subdivision. This path is much used by walkers, cyclists, families with young children and of course dog walkers, but the dogs must be on leash.

The south side consists of several acres of mixed woodland, criss-crossed by a maze of paths (take your compass with you, or at least keep your eye on the sun!). One of the conifers has become a "Christmas Card Tree" - dog walkers tie cards and presents to its branches in a gesture of Christmas goodwill (see photograph below).

The remaining, central piece of the property is more open, very sandy ground. This is one of the areas where groups of dogs meet to run and play, and generally socialize.   
Jill Sandwell

If you would like to see some photographs of "The Pit", please click on the buttons below and a larger version will open in another window  (use your browser's Back button to return to this page)

 The fenced path beside the lake (sand pit)

The lake from the path, taken at the end of the summer
when the water level was very low

The view from the north side of the lake

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