In the Toronto neighbourhood of Black Creek, long-time gardener and volunteer Rudy Riske has developed a dedicated fanbase who have been cheering him as he has worked for decades to transform a hidden piece of public property.
After years of quiet dedication, residents came together on Thursday to mark Riske’s 100th birthday and to celebrate his years of hard work.
“He is basically everybody’s hero … passionate and a human, beautiful human being that contributes to the community,” event organizer Peter Wolfl said.
Riske, a retired construction worker, settled in the Black Creek neighbourhood more than six decades ago after immigrating to Canada. In the years since, he has become something of a local icon.
“When I am working there and people walk by and it’s close to York University … they want to always take my picture, and my picture’s now all over the world in every country,” Riske said with a chuckle.
The garden space is located just off the Huron-Wendat trail in the hydro corridor east of Tobermory Drive and north of Finch Avenue West. He said the spot used to be an overgrown swamp area, and he gradually began thinning out the area so bluebell flowers could flourish. In the three decades since, the scope of his hobby area tripled in size.
“Once I started, I got bitten by the bug,” Riske said.
“I went there every day for 30 years, all summer long. Every day I went twice.”
It was years of painstaking work for the senior resident. He has regularly cleared weeds, brought soil from his home in a wheelbarrow, planted flowers and built multiple levels for plants. Most of the work was done with his own two hands.
When CityNews visited Riske in August 2020 before his 94th birthday, he rode his bike to perform maintenance and to water the plants by getting water out of the creek with a bucket.
“I felt so satisfied that I have finally found something else to do for like a full-time job,” Riske said.
Margaret Riske, Rudy’s wife of 78 years, said she is still stunned by his passion.
“He is always helpful to everybody … I always say, ‘I can’t believe what you did,’” she said.
“I hope we have a few years left.”
That sense of admiration is one that’s shared by others.
“It’s just such a beautiful reminder that good people are still here, good things are still happening, and it’s just been amazing,” friend and neighbour Sasha Howell said.
Meanwhile, Riske’s supporters are rallying to ensure the garden and his legacy will be preserved well into the future.
They said they’re looking for volunteers to help maintain the lush space. They’re also looking for sponsorships to help make physical improvements to the area.
To learn more about how to help with the community effort, click here.
For now, Rudy shared his hopes going forward.
“I don’t feel like winding down at all. If I keep living, I’ll go on as much as I can,” he said.
“My fellow neighbours, I want them to take care of nature, of our land, and see that it doesn’t get run down.”