North Toronto resident's events started after attack in Toronto park
JUSTIN SKINNER
May. 3, 2007

What began as an attempt to bring women together for safe and scenic walks through Toronto's parks has actually become one of the city's most active matchmaking services.

North Toronto resident Christa Kroboth organized the Stroll in the Park events three years after a terrifying experience she had while cycling in High Park.

"I was cycling through the park when I stopped quickly to run into the washroom," she said, recalling the incident that happening 20 years ago. "A guy followed me right in and grabbed me. I grabbed his Adam's apple and choked him until he let go."

Kroboth ran from the washroom and shouted at her attacker before fleeing the park on her bike. Once she got home, the shock of the incident sank in.

"I just started shaking uncontrollably," she said.
While the experience was harrowing, Kroboth continued to cycle through the parks until she had a bike accident that left her with a broken collarbone and wrist and other injuries, not to mention a severely damaged bike.

"I knew I couldn't ride my bike anymore, all I could do was walk, but I wanted to do it in the parks because I love nature," she said.
Still haunted by the attack in High Park, she wanted to create an environment where she - and women who shared her love of Toronto's green spaces - could walk safely and comfortably.

"I saw on the news that the best way to make parks safe was to increase the traffic on the trails," Kroboth said. "I wanted to get single women involved, but the question was how to get them to come out. The answer was to invite single men."

The walks are roughly 10 kilometres long, though less hearty walkers can always bow out at the five-km mark. Each event begins with each participant introducing him or herself and end with optional dinners.

"People will sometimes get to know each other along the walk, or sometimes they won't even introduce themselves until the dinner," she said. "Then the next time out, I see them holding hands on the walk."

While A Stroll in the Park primarily attracts singles, anyone - from couples to tourists looking to get a better view of some of Toronto's most beautiful areas - is welcome. With plenty of hours spent each year walking through the city's various parks and trails, Kroboth has learned the ins and outs of each.

"I know every single park and which time of year is best to see the displays put on by Mother Nature," she said. "For instance, the Toronto Islands in February are beautiful because you get ice sculptures when the waves are crashing up on the shore."

Walkers explore parks across the city, with each starting point easily accessible by TTC. The group also tackles trails outside the city, with weekend getaways to such destinations as Haliburton and Algonquin Park.

While the importance of leading an active lifestyle is well-known these days, Kroboth started A Stroll in the Park 17 years ago, when keeping fit was often an afterthought. Because she began her company long before the nationwide health push, Kroboth was unable to secure funding for her events. She has nonetheless managed to keep A Stroll in the Park afloat through memberships.

"When I first started, I called every single person on my list personally to invite them," she said. "Over the years, at least 1,000 have become members."

Kroboth added that this June she will lead walks in two different age groups, one for ages 20 to 39 and another for those 40 and up. She also holds special event nights with club/pub evenings, movie nights and other fun activities for singles.

The next walk will include tours of Sherwood and Sunnybrook parks and will kick off at the northwest corner of Lawrence Avenue and Yonge Street at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 6.

For more information visit:

www.astrollinthepark.com
or call 416-484-9255.

Front page of the Metropolis section in the Sunday Toronto Star on March 23, 2003

A Stroll in the Park - Walking & Adventure Club

Toronto Islands

Seventeen-year-old Christa Kroboth was out for a short walk in High Park at 1 in the afternoon, when she was grabbed by a man who had followed her into the women's bathroom. He tried to kiss her but she grabbed his Adam's apple (as her grandfather had taught her to do) until he stopped and she could run away.

Three years later, Kroboth began Stroll in the Park as a means for singles to enjoy walking Toronto's green spaces with the safety of numbers. It is also an opportunity for singles to find that "special someone to share long nature walks with," as advertised so often by newspaper personals. Her group offers regular tours of local parks, such as the Rosedale Ravine and the Scarborough Bluffs.

On this day, Kroboth leads a group of singles on a Toronto Islands tour. The guide, with overflowing enthusiasm, platinum blonde hair, black eyeliner and tights, reminds one of an aerobics instructor as she leads her tour to the ferry terminal.

A male participant is greeted by Kroboth with squeals and hugs. There are significantly more women than men: 11 to four. But for two younger women in the group, this appears to be of no concern. "The singles thing is not really my main goal. I'm interested in the exploration and the exercise," says Michelle Michalak, a public relations worker in her 20s.

Kroboth describes her walks as a way to get to know people naturally, without the drunken pressures of the bar scene. "At least not until later," an eavesdropping woman interrupts, anticipating the dinner and drinks option afterward.

Kirk MacGregor, president of the Toronto Caving Group (a local cave-exploration association), says frankly: "I admit openly that I'm here for the singles. Let's face it, I'm aging, plain and poor; I don't have a snowflake's of a chance."

Whether or not people have the same objectives, they are united by a love of the outdoors, which is clear as they introduce themselves in the greeting circle that begins all of Kroboth's tours. The group then sets off for Hanlan's Point, the boat ride feeling like a tour of the Arctic as it crunches through the ice. "It's one of Toronto's best-kept winter secrets," says the first mate of the ride. Ospreys, falcons and snowy owls can be spotted in winter as they stop over Lake Ontario on their migrations, he says.

From there, it is off to the lighthouse, ice formations at the pier and finally the Rectory Café before the tour, or at least the walking part, is over.

The $20 cost of the 3 -hour walks covers administration; transportation and the dinners after are extra. Sometimes, Kroboth offers a brief history of the selected park, or has someone from the group read a blurb from a Green Tourism map.

But, according to Kroboth, she is not offering a tour - she's offering an chance for people to take a leisurely stroll through a park without having their brains stuffed full of information.

A Stroll in The Park Celebrates Anniversary

A Stroll in The Park Walking & Adventure Club will celebrate its 12th anniversary this year. The club was initially created with the single woman in mind, but is now immensely popular with nature lovers of both sexes, from every walk of life.

In spring, summer and fall walks take place every Saturday or Sunday, unless there's a special event planned. Walking and exploring takes place in more tan 15 different locations across the city, including: Humber River Valley and High Park in the West; Edward's Gardens, Sherwood Forest and the Rosedale Ravine to the north; the Islands and the Beaches in the south; and the Scarborough Bluffs and Rouge River Valley to the East. Members receive walk information in the mail a couple of weeks prior to the event. Each outing starts at 1 p.m. and lasts three to five hours with optional halfway departure points. A newcomer may join on the day of the walk, but be sure to arrive at 12:30 to complete some paper work.

These walks are an excellent way to keep fit while socializing in a healthy environment. There is also a strong feeling of safety while walking with a group through parks and gardens.

There are four types of membership of fees ranging from $20 to $115. Membership card can be used for discounts at five outdoor stores and there are discounts for all the Special Events listed in the Club's schedule. Among the special events are: Royal Botanical Gardens & Dandruff Castle Dinner on May 18; a weekend at Tobermory June 7-9; a Niagara Winery Hike on August 10 and the Niagara Festival of Lights on Nov. 23. Vitality's Pat Young says she can't believe that it is 12 years since she first took A Stroll in The Park! "It was a brisk, but beautiful, fall day, and I still recall what a good time I had."

For further details phone the Info-Hotline at 416 484-9255, visit http://www.astrollinthepark.com, or email info@astrollinthepark.com

How do you get women out to an event? "Invite men," says Christa Kroboth founder of A Stroll in The Park Walking & Adventure Club.
The club started 11 years ago to make nature trail walking safer for women. Ms. Kroboth herself was attacked in High Park. As well as providing safety in numbers, budding romances were the fortunate by-product, with some members taking their final walk as a single down the aisle. It makes sense because walkers already have a love of nature in common, says Ms. Kroboth. The club is 99% singles, the majority between the ages of 30 and 50. But anyone over 18 is welcome. Between 20 to 60 people meet once or twice every two weeks at a subway station near their trail destination. Upcoming walks include Edward Gardens and a fall excursion to Algonquin Park. Call (416) 484-WALK. National Post

Here are some fun ways of picking up the pace without entering a gym.

A Stroll in the Park

Single Nature Lovers Wanted. "I formed A Stroll in the Park six years ago," explains Christa Kroboth, "because I wanted to be able to walk around on nature trails and be safe. Initially I thought I would do it just for women, but men were calling wanting to participate, too." Now all year round, up to 50 people at a time hit the trails at a different Toronto park every other week, and usually head out for dinner after. In peak summertime, the under-40 and over-40 crowds are divided: one group walks on Saturdays and the other on Sundays. In winter when the number of participants is lower, the two groups walk together. The exercise is appreciated by all, but coed membership adds a romantic dimension--the club has had a marriage in its ranks every single year.

Where to start: You can become a member which give you six walks for $60 or 12 for $115. Or, you can go on individual outings for $20 each. The walks are three to four hours long, and all parks are accessible by the TTC. The club has also branched into day or weekend trips to Niagara wineries, the Elora Gorge, Algonquin Park and Gatineau Park, and this August will offer a week-long trip to Banff. Call 484-WALK for information.

What you need: Good walking shoes and a good appetite.

The Toronto Sun - Lifestyle - pg.78 Thurs. May16/96

Hey, take a hike!

Christa Kroboth likes to walk on by and by and by... She can't get enough of walking and she's even formed a walking program for people like her called A Stroll in The Park. It turned five years old this spring.

The group began after Kroboth suffered a serious bicycle accident. The only form of exercise she could handle afterwards was walking, so the nature lover decided to take to it outdoors. She saw there was a lack of safety for single women walking in parks, and set out to find like-minded individuals who enjoy walking in a social atmosphere.

One advantage of the group is "safety in numbers," say Kroboth. Another is stress relief. "People have very stressful lives these days, so this is a nice way to walk and relieve stress."

Men also began showing interest in the group. A Stroll in The Park now has more than 250 single nature-loving members.

They visit more than 15 scenic nature trails in the city, including the Humber River Valley, High Park, Sunnybrook Park, the Beaches, and the Scarborough Bluffs. The group also holds special events outside Toronto, most recently in Hamilton at the Royal Botanical Gardens and at Algonquin Park.

Kroboth leads two groups, split up by age, on weekend walks approximately every two weeks, all year round. And there's more than walking success - there has been one marriage per year of couples who met during walks.

FITNESS: "I walk with the two groups every two weeks, one group on Saturday and one group on Sunday - walking 12 miles is great exercise."

"I try to do my aerobics three times a week, when I have time, and also enjoy cycling a lot," which she does around her neighborhood.

DIET: "I try to snack on healthy foods, like popcorn. I have at least three fruits a day and two vegetables a day." Kroboth combines this with three starches a day, and eight to 12 oz. of meat a week - lean cuts only, of course.

"I generally have a lot of fish, chicken and legumes because they provide a lot of fiber and are low in saturated fats."

She keeps her fat intake down to three teaspoons a day - "if I do have a sweet I'll make sure to have that only twice a week."

Meanwhile, membership to A Stroll in The Park is $35 a year. Membership includes discounts at five outdoor sports stores and three free walks. Walkers receive location cards with the time and meeting spot. Nonmembers pay $20 a walk.

For more information, call 484-WALK.

Midtown Neighborhoods - A New Perspective On Loving Nature

A woman who created the concept of single adults taking walks in the park together, did so in part because there is safety in numbers, and because the parks are a lot safer when more people use them.

Christa Kroboth, a resident of Esplanade Avenue and a freelance graphic designer says "I get all my creative ideas from nature. But being a single woman I was finding it increasingly difficult to enjoy my long walks on the weekend in High Park without feeling threatened in some way."

So back in September 1990, her brainchild, A Stroll in the Park took off, becoming an instant hit, particularly with single woman. Many called up Kroboth to say "What a good idea!"

She organizes one walk a month, often in High Park, and always in accessible locations such as Edward's Gardens, where her most recent outing on October 20 took place.

Although she tries to keep the numbers of men and women even, and the age spread to about 15 to 20 years, the idea is not to start a dating service, but to promote "safer walks for singles, who are also nature lovers,' says Kroboth. And "unattached" is really the operative word - not necessarily single, she says.

"I don't want people coming out just to meet someone," she points out. "The idea is to relax and enjoy yourself. It's a way to get people out who haven't been to a park in 10 years and need a new perspective on the earth," she says. "It is also a healthy alternative to the bar scene."

Why a group for singles in that case? Because, says Kroboth, people who are single, might not enjoy themselves "with a lot of kids around." But she is thinking of starting a group for just single parents.

Keeping the balance between the sexes for a given outing is only difficult for the age group over 50, says Kroboth, where available men who want to take a walk with a group, are apparently in short supply.

Kroboth enjoys taking her groups along isolated trails that most women never feel safe enough to meander along when alone.

It was in High Park that Kroboth was attacked a few years ago. *While bicycling through the park, she stopped at the Grenadier Restaurant to use the washroom. Going outside, she says a man "came whipping around a little partition. He grabbed me -- I couldn't even see him, except for his Adam's apple. I just squeezed it until he gave up."

(*CLARIFICATION: The assailant hid "inside" the Ladies Washroom building which is directly across the street from Grenadier Restaurant.)

Afterwards a police officer told her "You shouldn't be here alone." Those words were echoed by her doctor just last year, when Kroboth, riding her bike through High Park , again, "bashed into a barrier -- it had no reflective color - and went flying over it onto concrete. That doctor scolded me for being there." She said "What were you doing in the park alone?"

The result was - A Stroll in the Park.

Kroboth says word of mouth spreads the idea of the walks, where "People of similar interests can develop no-pressure friendships."

Ten successful walks have already taken place since start up what Kroboth calls her "hobby".

The walks usually take place on weekends between 1 and 4:30 PM, with a break at the halfway point at a concession stand. Sundays in the Park events will carry on during the winter in such locations as the Toronto Islands and Sunnybrook Park. Preregistration is required. To join the group, call 969-3162, or write to: A Stroll in the Park, c/o Christa Kroboth, Suite 116, 34 Eglinton Avenue West, Tor. M4R 2H6.

SINGLES MINGLE IN NATURE: a healthy alternative to the bar scene, A Stroll in the Park, attracts singles of all ages for outings that involve hiking and enjoying nature with their own age group. Centre, Christa Kroboth, creator of the concept, is surrounded by some friendly companions who agree with her idea at a recent hike. Photo courtesy Christa Kroboth

* 99% of our participants are Single, but Couples are welcome to join in the Fun!
*GTA Visitors are also welcome!!!