walkarchives

Sunday Feb 21, 2010 at 2 pm – West Toronto Railpath. Meet at the southwest corner of Lansdowne and College. Join Landscape Architect Scott Torrance, the path’s designer, and the Lost Rivers committee to walk the acclaimed, new Railpath from Dundas to Cariboo. Among other topics, we will learn of native seed collection and propagation during construction of the path and of future plans for the rail corridor. Attended by 55 people or so.

Sunday, January 17, 2010, 2 pm – Yellow Creek, Mud Creek and the Brick Works. Meet at the Glen Road exit from the Sherbourne subway station. Follow Milkmen’s Lane to Park Drive Reservation, Moore Park ravine and the Don Valley Brick Works for warm drinks, winter tales and rambles through Brick Works Park. The walk concludes at the Brickworks. Led by Annie MacLeod, Evergreen, and John Wilson, Bring Back the Don. 56 Attended, gray overcast 3 degrees celcius.

Sunday Dec 20, 2009 at 2 pm Forgotten tributaries of Garrison Creek. Meet at SW corner of Bloor & Dufferin. Walks of the Garrison Creek system frequently focus on the Fort York-Christie section, or even the headwaters section north of the Davenport Hill. This walk aims to explore the tributaries on the western branches of the creek. Details to follow, to be led by Richard Anderson. 35 attended under cloudy skies, finishing at St Anne's Church for the carol service.

Thursday Dec 10, 2009 Lost Ponds of Parkdale (there were 10 or 12). Meet at Gladstone & Queen, opposite the Gladstone Hotel. led by Ian Wheal.

Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 at 130 pm Lavender Creek. meet at Dufferin & Key West Ave (south of Eglinton on Dufferin on the east side of the street). To be led by Ian Wheal.

Saturday Nov 21, 2009, 1 pm Tap to Toilet in Toronto for World Toilet Day. Walk, workshop and bus tour with Riversides and Lost Rivers. Start at Jonathan Ashbridge Park, SW corner of Woodward and Queen. Tour takes us from Ashbridges Bay Sewage Treatment Plant to Toronto's "Palace of Purification" - the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. The Workshop will feature various speakers who will discuss the City's water consumption and handling of sewage, impacts on the lake's health, and innovations in water and sewage treatment. Please register for the tour as there are limited seats on the bus - 416-868-1983 or email info@riversides.org. The bus tour is made available on a pay-what-you-can basis, suggested donation $10 to help cover costs. Free refreshments at the end. 52 people attended

Sunday Nov 15 2009 2 pm The Dead Contractor: Ashbridges Creek Lost Rivers/TFN walk. Starts at Greenwood subway station, will proceed to Ashbridges Estate where a representative will join us to show us around. Led by John Wilson, Richard Anderson. 35 participants under gray overcast skies, mild weather for mid November.

Sunday November 1, 1 pm Beyond the Water's Edge, Looking Upstream and Downstream from the Mouth of the Don River. Walk and Workshop with Riversides & Lost Rivers launching the Alphabet City Festival 2009: Water, and their new book "Water". Meet at Villiers St & Don Roadway in the Portlands. The natural and social history of the lower Don, transboundary and jurisdictional issues, the waterfront, water, fish and First Nations. The workshop will take place at the Dancemakers Studio at the Distillery District with guest speaker Garry Sault. [15-20 overall]

THE 5th ANNUAL HUMAN RIVER EVENT: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th, 2009, 1 PM. With everyone wearing blue we will become a human river bringing the Garrison Creek back to life! START AT the Pavillion @ Christie Pits Park, finish at Historic Fort York, Blue Barracks where there is a reception until 5:00pm. FOR MORE INFO OR TO VOLUNTEER GO TO http://humanriver.ca/ Toronto Public Space Committee with partners Lost Rivers, Riversides, LEAF. [57 people and 4 dogs attended]

Sunday Oct 18 2009 2 pm Thirsty City Walk: Suburbs, Springs and Sprawl, the evolution of the water supply system in a thirsty city. Meet at Roselawn west of Avenue Rd, led by Helen Mills and friends. A Lost Rivers/Riversides/TFN walk. [around 30 attended]

Sunday Oct 4 2009 Lost Breweries of the Lower Don and Taddle Creek Lost Rivers/TFN walk led by Wayne Reeves. Meet at 1.00 pm outside Sherbourne Subway Station. The walk covers at least five breweries, including Toronto's oldest and most intact sites, and ends at the 'Dominion on Queen' pub (Queen East / Sumach).

Saturday Sep 26 2009 1 pm Thirsty City Walk: Water and Energy, the climate change connection. Meet NE corner of University & Queen. Walk leader John Wilson.

Sunday Sep 20 2009 1 pm Waterworks Triangle: How past and present water reservoirs and pumping stations relate to Toronto's lost rivers. Meet outside the Dupont subway station at the NW corner of Dupont & Spadina. A Lost Rivers/TFN walk. Led by Wayne Reeves.

Tuesday Aug 18 2009 2 pm Backwoods Settlements: Irish, Italian, and Scots, builders of a nation. Start at Don Mills Rd & Overlea Blvd. Led by Ian Wheal

Sunday Aug 16 2009 2 pm San Lorenzo community garden and Castle Frank Brook. Meet SW corner of Dufferin & Lawrence outside Villa Colombo at 2 pm. Helen Mills to lead.

Sunday Aug 16 2009 6:45 pm Creeks, Ponds, and Farm in the City. Start at Keele & Sheppard, led by Ian Wheal.

Monday Aug 3 2009 1:30 pm to 5 pm Ames Ponds and Altona Forest Rouge River Meet at Pease House [Pronounced "Peace"]. Elihu Pease House is the HQ for the Rouge Park. Take Meadowvale Rd north of Sheppard, and follow the signs to Pease House. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday July 19, 2009 2 pm Peanut Garden, Deerfield Butterfly Garden. Helen Mills leads a walk in the vicinity of Somers Creek in the Don Mills & Sheppard area. Start at corner of Deerford Rd and Don Mills Rd East at 2 pm.

Wednesday July 15, 2009 6:45 pm Falling Brook. Start at Victoria Park and Kingston Rd. The walk Ames to follow the watershed of the creek and end at the Filtration Plant.

Tuesday July 14, 2009 6:45 pm Creeks of Riverdale and Leslieville. Meet at Chester Subway Station. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday July 12, 2009 6:45 pm Creeks of the Beach. Meet at Kingston & Main. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday July 5, 2009 1:30 pm Saul's Creek. led by Ian Wheal. Meet at Long Branch TTC loop at the end of the Lakeshore streetcar line. Looks at Jewish military heritage.

Wednesday July 1, 2009 2 pm Horsing Around in Toronto. Meet at Queen & River Streets, outside the Toronto Humane Society. Ian Wheal leads.

Tuesday June 30, 2009 1:30 pm Humber Marshes. Led by Ian Wheal. Due to renovations this area will be closed for (contraversial) renovations shortly so this may be you last chance to see the Humber marshes for a bit. Meet at Old Mill subway station outside, front.

Sunday June 21, 2009 Major Gray’s Tree Train. 2 pm Led by Ian Wheal, meet at the Bathurst St entrance to Old Fort York (off the bridge). Will end in Parkdale. For details call Ian's voice mail at 416-761-1289.

Sunday June 7, 2009 1 pm Walk and Workshop for River to Oceans Week. Meet at Villiers St & Don Roadway in the Portlands. Celebrate Rivers to Oceans week with a walk and workshop brought to you by Riversides & Lost Rivers. Coverage of transboundary water issues, jurisdictional issues in the lower Don, the waterfront, water fish and First Nations. Ends in the general area of the Distillery District for the workshop.

Saturday June 6 2009 2 pm. Histoire Franco-Ontarien: A walk among historic sites with a French heritage theme, led by Ian Wheal and his amis. Meet Spadina & Queen’s Quay NW corner 2 pm. Interpretation in French et en anglais.

Tuesday May 26, 2009 1.30 pm Turtle Viewing Sites Eglinton Flats Ponds and Wetlands: Come out of your shell and meet at Eglinton West and Jane Sts SE corner. Led by Ian Wheal.

Saturday and Sunday May 23rd-24th 10am - 1pm–Mud Creek Quarry Tour at Evergreen Brick Works for Doors Open Toronto. Explore stories of the past in the quarry at the Don Valley Brick Works. Learn about the history and transformation of the quarry, the workers who dug the clay and shale, the dynamite blasts that rocked the valley, the horses that worked the land, and Mud Creek that once emptied into the Don River. Tours will be held on the hour. (LEAF and Lost Rivers).

Sunday, May 17, 1 pm, A Don Valley walk led by John Routh. Meet at Broadview TTC station, walking north from there toward Pottery Rd. Walk along trails from Todmorden Mills to Crothers' Woods. Investigate forests and water features, human and natural. Last 2-3 hours, moderate exertion required.

Monday May 18, 2009 2 pm. Don Inverted Triangle. Ian Wheal and Ed Freeman lead the walk. Meet at SW corner of Broadview and Mortimer. Geology and ancient trails, springs, creeks but not much about the square of the hypoteneuse etc., [37 attended]

Tuesday 12 May 2009 1:30 pm Creeks of South Etobicoke. Meet at Kipling & Lakeshore Blvd W on south side. These were streams that flowed into the Humber College/Mimico Hospital grounds. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday 10 May 2009, 1 pm. Aggie's Wildflowers. A two-hour tour of wildflowers in the Magwood Sanctuary. There were trilliums in bloom on last year's walk. Start at Historic Lambton House 4066 Old Dundas Street with a talk about Agnes, and return there for tea. Led by Madeleine McDowell, chair of Humber Heritage Committee.

Sunday 10 May 2009, 6:30 pm. Chaffey's Creek. Meet at the intersection of St Philips & Dixon Roads in Etobicoke just across the Humber from Weston. This is a Humber tributary. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday 3 May 2009 2:30 pm Two Watersheds Walk: a Jane's Walk. Led by Andrew Schulz. Explore tributaries of the Don River and Highland Creek, railways and a section of Eglinton Avenue East, all in one walk! These small creeks and this street have been neglected and deserve some remediation. Those interested in public transit, urban planning, local retail, housing and green spaces would enjoy this walk. Be prepared for some mud and 2+ hours of walking in a variety of terrain. Expect a few hidden surprises that passersby on Eglinton seldom notice. Towards the end we'll stop for some refreshments with a local senior's social club. Please bring a reusable mug to minimize waste. Meeting Place: 2467 Eglinton Avenue East, North side of Don Montgomergy (formerly Mid-Scarborough) Recreation Centre. End Location: 31 Gilder Drive (Refreshments). Public Transit Directions: East side of Kennedy Station (exit via tunnel from fare collector level).

Sunday May 3, 2009 1-3 pm Pedal the Don Cycle the length of the connected trail in the Lower Don River, from Sunnybrook to the Waterfront. John Wilson, chair of the Task Force to Bring Back the Don, assisted by the U of T Mountain Biking Team and friends, will lead a bicycle tour, running parallel to the “Paddle the Don” event organized for the same day by the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority. This gentle bike hike will stop at various locations to view the high-points of Don River restoration efforts, to share stories and to look at how connected and accessible the Don trails are and could become. This event is in conjunction with Lost Rivers and Jane’s Walks. Cycling is primarily off-road on paved trails, with a short section of residential street cycling, at an easy pace.

Starting point – Yonge & Lawrence, southeast corner near library; finish at the Paddle the Don take-out event , Don Roadway & Villiers (near Lake Shore Blvd.). Refreshments are sold by TRCA at the take-out event. For information contact John at 416-432-2544 or ww.pedalthedon.ca

The 17km ride will be leisurely and informative, with 4 rest stops (approx 10 min each) where you can view the valley and learn about this important area. John Wilson, Chairperson of the Task Force to Bring Back the Don, will provide commentary at each rest stop. There are photos of the event on flickr see here

Saturday May 2, 2009 2 pm: Jane's Walk on Rainbow Creek Lost Rivers walk on Rainbow Creek (Church St tributary of Taddle Creek) on Saturday May 2, meet outside Wellesley Subway at 2 pm. Led by Helen Mills and Ian Wheal. Ear trumpet friendly [7 people].

Sunday, April 19th 1pm to 3pm, The Bain Co-operative in Riverdale. Meet at the Exit to Chester Subway Station. Join Lost Rivers and LEAF arborist Todd Irvine and Annie McLeod of Evergreen through a tour of the Bain Co-operative, a charming enclave of nearly century-old low rise apartments nestled in the heart of Riverdale. Explore the history of the fertile marshlands on which the Bain appartments were built and the streams that ran south down the hill into the marsh. [almost 40 attended]

Saturday April 18, 12:30 pm, Denton Creek, Gerrard Prairie and Rosetta McClain Gardens Meet in front of Victoria Park subway station. Discover a long-lost tributary of Taylor-Massey Creek, ramble through the “Gerrard Prairie” on the Birchcliff Quarry site, see remnant forests on the Lake Iroquois shore cliff, visit the Bluffs Gallery of the Scarborough Arts Council, and release your cares at Rosetta McClain Gardens. Leader: John Wilson. A joint walk with the Taylor-Massey Project. [well attended 50 people plus, perhaps link with LEAF next time?]

Sunday Apr 12, 6:30 pm, Asylum Creek – evening ramble. Leader: Ian Wheal. Meet at the northeast corner of Gladstone Ave. and Queen St. W. A walk of “the creek that runs through the Asylum”, now lost, and buried March 1882. Walk will end in Liberty Village by 8 pm. [15 attended].

Saturday 11 Apr 2009, 2 pm. St Hildegard Patron Saint of Stitchers and Knitters. Starts at Queen & Spadina 2pm. A heritage walk through the garment district. Ian Wheal leads with TFN on the theme of Urban Ecology. [14 people plus 20 on Sunday 12 April].

Saturday March 28, 2 pm. Robert Clarke of Ireland. Bob Clarke was a Galway man, and this is an Irish-themed walk led by Ian Wheal, in the Bathurst-Taddle Creek area. Meet at the Tollkeepers Cottage, northwest corner of Bathurst St and Davenport Rd.

Saturday March 21, 1 pm, Suburbs, Springs and Sprawl - the evolution of the water supply system in a thirsty city Walk and Workshop for World Water Day - Joint Walk with Riversides. Meet at the northwest corner of Avenue Road and Roselawn Ave. Walk Leader, Helen Mills. Workshop Leaders tbd

Sunday March 15, 2 pm, Spring Creek - High Park. The sordid tale of landfilling and pollution of the creek which once meandered through eastern High Park. Find out why Indian Road wiggles. Start at Keele & Dundas SW corner at 2 p.m. Led by Richard Anderson.

Saturday March 14, 2pm Swedish Heritage Logging Trail. Starts at Pottery Rd & Broadview NW corner. Thence down into the valley to end eventually in Leaside. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday February 15, 2 pm, Mayim Creek in Leslieville. Start at Pape subway station and trace the course of a lost creek that ran past two Jewish cemeteries - hence the name Mayim - Hebrew for "waters". End at Leslie & Queen. Moderate difficulty (streets and some alleyways - may be cold). Leader John Wilson.

Sunday 8 February 1.30 pm. Dallamore's Swamp, Don River. Start at Gerrard & Brioadview NW corner at 1:30 pm; in front of the library. Thence up through Riverdale Park and the east side of the Don to end at Todmorden Mills. Led by Ian Wheal.

Monday February 2 An event to mark World Wetlands Day. Lost Rivers in cahoots with Evergreen for this one.

Sunday Dec 28, 2008 1:30 pm, The Finch Meander. This explores parts of the Rouge system and Rouge Park. Led by Ian Wheal. Meet at Old Finch Road (a continuation of Finch) at Sewell's Road at SE corner. We think that the best public transit route to the starting point involves taking the 131 Nugget bus from Scarborough Town Centre LRT station to Old Finch and Morningview Trail, then walk east, down the hill 500 metres to meeting place. Allow at least 45 min. from Scarborough Centre station.

Sunday Dec 21, 2008 10 a.m. Toddle down the Taddle for winter Solstice. Start in Humewood Park, adjoining Pinewood Ave, north of St Clair Ave W. Led by Helen Mills and Ed Freeman. Bring lunch.

Sunday Dec 7, 2008 10:30 a.m. The Wetlands of University of Toronto. Start at Bedford & Bloor NW corner. Led by Ian Wheal. Taddle Creek used to toddle through the campus, creating the so-called University Pond where people once caught frogs and drowned dogs. There were others too. There will be a chance to glimpse Queen's Park, once the site of a lunatic asylum.

Sunday Nov 16, 2008 2 pm Celebrate world fisheries day. Start at Todmorden Mills heritage Museum & Arts Centre on Pottery Road. Visit weirs on the Don River and discuss the impact of the environment on fisheries. Leaders Christine Tu (TRCA) and Ed Freeman.

Sunday Nov 16, 2008 Irish Emigrants Trail: Smalls Corners to Sullivan Mountain. 11 am start from Coxwell and Queen. Led by Ian Wheal.

Saturday Nov 15, 2008, 1 pm Celebrate world toilet day. Helen Mills leads the walk from inlet to outlet, from tap to toilet. Walk, workshop and bus tour to celebrate world toilet day. Lost Rivers is working with Riversides on this one. Starting point the SW corner of Coxwell and Eastern Ave at 1 pm. There will be a bus to the workshop at St Aidan's Anglican Church. Workshop will feature various speakers who will discuss the City's water consumption and handling of sewage, impacts on the lake's health, and innovations in water and sewage treatment. Sponsored by the Water Guardians Network. The bus tour is made available on a pay-what-you-can basis but Riversides asks you to phone ahead (416-868-1983) and pre-register for the bus.

Sunday 19 Oct 2008 The Urban Water Cycle. Start time 1 pm For its fourth year Human River brings you Urban Water Cycle, a storytelling bike parade following the path of the buried Garrison Creek. Starting north of St. Clair at the creek’s source we will bike its full length, creating music, experiencing performances and celebrating the creek’s history. With everyone wearing blue, we will become a human river bringing the Garrison Creek back to life! Walk sponsored/organizede by Human River, LEAF and Lost Rivers. Human Rivers website: humanriver.ca

Saturday Oct 25, 2008 2 p. m. Mystery & Geology of Grenadier Pond led by Ian Wheal, but substantially assisted by Ed Freeman. Start Windermere & Queensway NW corner. 2 hours, end at the Grenadier in High Park.

Sunday Oct 26, 2008 Ontario's largest (and oldest) 'lost river'. Led by Nick Eyles.

The 2 hour walk from the foot of Brimley Road along the shoreline of Scarborough Bluffs will primarily focus on the geological record of lost rivers during the last 100,000 years. Sediments exposed in the Bluffs cliffs record a major river draining the entire Great Lakes well before the Niagara River became the major outflow for the basin. The Laurentian River drained south from Georgian Bay through a 30 km wide bedrock channel east of the Niagara Escarpment now filled with glacial sediments. Glacial-fed rivers built a very large delta where they entered ancestral Lake Ontario; delataic sediments from the lowermost half of the cliffs at Bluffers Park. It was later blocked by ice sheets creating a huge glacial lake and eventually buried by sediment.

Today, a 'lost' river (actually a combined sewer) enters the east side of the Bluffs and we will examine modern technologies used to control contaminated runoff to Lake Ontario. We will also discuss the infilling of local ravines with waste materials and the loss of small creeks during the various 'garbage crises' of the 1970's. Brimley Road was closed in 1991 by a spectacular landslide of garbage and we will review why and where this occurred.

Bring good hiking boots and be prepared for a steep hike up the bluffs.

The walk will commence at 1 pm from the western parking lot of Bluffers Park. Take Brimley Road south from Kingston and keep to the right (west) at the the bottom of the steep hill down the bluffs.

The Waterworks Triangle on Sunday Nov 2 at 2 pm. meet outside Dupont TTC station. A look at the High level Pumping Startion, St Clair Reservoir and Rosehill Reservoir, and their connections to various lost and found cfreeks, fravines and lakeshores (and a lost reservoir). 2-3 hours. led by Wayne Reeves.

Sunday Sep 21, 2008 1 p.m. Equinox & Forests Week. In the spirit of Peter Hare, and on Maple Leaf Day, a walk led by John Routh. Meet at Broadview TTC station, walking north from there toward Pottery Rd into the Don Valley to investigate forests and water features, human and natural. Last 2-3 hours, moderate exertion required.

Wednesday 3 Sep 2008, 6:30 pm Water Taps and Wells in old Toronto. Meet St. James Cathedral corner King and Church. Led by Ian Wheal. Walk on city streets.

Sunday Aug 17, 2008 1 – 3 p.m. Highland Creek Restoration Hike. Joint walk with Highland Creek Community Stewardship Program. Get a first hand look at erosion control and fish habitat restoration work taking place in the Highland Creek. Discover the beauty and diversity of plants and animals that make Morningside Park their home. This will take place in Morningside Park. The park access road is off Morningside Avenue, south of Ellesmere Rd. Start at the third parking lot and walking downstream along the creek, then looping back along a trail that brings us back to the road and parking lot. Washroom facilities between the first and second parking lots. Moderate difficulty. Leaders Bill Snodgrass and others

Sunday Aug 10, 2008 1 p.m. Source Protection Walk and Workshop a joint walk with Lost Rivers and Riversides. Led by Helen Mills and friends, details to follow.

Sunday Aug 9, 2008 2 p.m. Italian Vines & Viticulture. Start at Lansdowne & St Clair SW corner. Ian Wheal will lead.

Sunday July 20, 2008 2 p.m. Parc Downsview Park Tree Tour. Start at SE corner of Keele & Sheppard. Led by Helen Mills of Lost Rivers and Todd Irvine of LEAF.

Saturday July 12, 2008 2 p.m. Muskrats of Black Creek. Start at Jane & Alliance, proceeding west through former muskrat habitat. To be led by Helen Mills and Richard Anderson.

Saturday July 5, 2008 1:00 p.m. Brick Works Walking Tour. Start at Don Valley Brickworks. Led by Ed Freeman and Helen Mills. This walk is in cahoots with Evergreen. 40 people attended.

Sunday June 22, 2008 7:00 p.m. Garrison Creek Evening Ramble. Led by Ian Wheal. Meet at Christie TTC subway station, entrance on Christie Street. Walk will proceed south, following the course of Garrison Creek to its former mouth at Fort York. Scheduled to last about two hours.

Sunday June 15, 2008 2 p.m. Bain Tree Tour led by Dagmar Baur and Todd Irvine of LEAF. Meet at Chester Subway. Joint walk of Lost Rivers and LEAF.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 7 p.m. In Memory of Peter Hare on Canada Rivers Day. Evening Ramble through three watersheds -one of Peter's favourite routes. Led by Helen Mills and Ed Freeman. Start at the Heath Street Exit of the St Clair West Subway.

Sunday June 8, 2008 1 p.m. "The Lower Don River: from First Nations fishing camp to contested waterfront redevelopment" a walking tour led by Helen Mills of Lost Rivers. Meet at NE corner of Queen & River Streets, 1. p.m. This is the walking tour component of a workshop "At the Water's Edge: Water Rights in the Lower Don River" a walk & workshop exploring the history of access to water and the waterfront around the mouth of the Don River. The details of the workshop and tour can be found here. This is a Riversides/Lost Rivers joint project. Leaders, Helen Mills, Jennifer Bonnell, Wayne Reeves Workshop-Water Rights, Access, Source Protection. Emily Alfred.

Saturday June 7, 2008 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lost Rivers Bike Hike for Bike Month Celebrate Bike Month with a Lost Rivers Bike Tour along the full length of the Belt Line Trail. The trail starts in the Black Creek Watershed, crosses a few Black Creek tributary streams, then enters the Don Watershed, to pass over two branches and a couple of tributaries to Castle Frank Brook, follow the path of Yellow Creek to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, and finally crosses into the Mud Creek Watershed, following the creek all the way to the Don Valley Brick Works. The ride begins early at 11 a.m. and ends at the Brick Works. Meet at NW corner of Eglinton Ave. W and Croham Rd. (2 blocks west of Caledonia). Leaders: John Wilson and David Stonehouse of Evergreen.

Saturday May 31, 2008 2:00 p.m. Green Railways of Toronto (CNR & CPR). Looks at community gardens. Meet at SE corner of King St W and Strachan Ave. Leader Ian Wheal.

Saturday May 24, 2008 2 p.m. Celebrating the Year of the Potato. Led by Helen Mills a heritage and eco walk celebrating International Biodiversity Day (May 22). The potato is the poster vegetable this year. Joint walk with Seeds of Diversity Canada. Come and get your free potato! Starts at Dundas Square.

Sunday May 18, 2008 2 p.m. Christie Pits, Meet outside the entrance to the Christie subway on the NE corner of Christie & Bloor. This walk will take in the segments of the Garrison Creek ravine which cuts through Christie Pits and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Ends at Ossington subway station. Leader: Richard Anderson.

Sunday May 11, 2008 1:00 p.m. Aggie's Wildflowers Madeleine MacDowell and the Humber Heritage Committee will again hold this special annual walk starting at the Lambton House, 4066 Old Dundas street West, on the east bank of the Humber River. City streets and park trails. Could be a good time to see spring wild flowers. Oh let there be trilliums! This walk was originally listed with a different date and starting time, but this is the correct one.

Saturday May 10, 2008 2:00 p.m. Canadian Pacific Railway at the Distillery: In the footsteps of William VanHorne. Start at King & Parliament (SW corner). A heritage walk led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday May 4, 2008 2.00 pm. Janes Walk II: Commies & Christians and the Secret History of Spontaneous Invention in the East End. Walking Tour of Riverdale to celebrate the late Jane Jacobs (see www.janeswalk.net): START: 2 pm at the Big Carrot, 348 Danforth just west of the Chester Subway StopLed by Sister Gwen Smith, Dagmar Baur and others. Riverdale has traditionally been a riding where left-wing and Christian organizations played a large role and worked together to improve the environment and life of all east-enders - what Jane Jacobs called a "guardian moral syndrome." Jacobs believed that power should be exercised by individuals or people in small groups rather than big government and corporations and that most problems, if solvable at all, will not be solved by the elaborate schemes of experts, but by spontaneous invention. We will look at their accomplishments and celebrate moral guardians of long ago and now. We will also note other points of interest in the riding and talk about the flow of time, the lost creeks, the web of people and organizations that shaped our wonderful east end. Join us and contribute to the stories. Ends at the South Riverdale Community Health Center at Carlaw & Queen.

Saturday May 3, 2008 2 p.m. Jane's Walk I, Beach Neighbourhood Creeks, Ecosystems and Stories. A walking tour to celebrate the late Jane Jacobs (see www.janeswalk.net). Lost Creeks, Oak Savannahs, Historic Ecosystems, and the story of the Beach Neighbourhood, including mention of the Scarborough Expressway that was never built, and other "heroic" engineering projects that were. Find out about a rare ecosystem that once existed here and is preserved only in High Park today. Ideas and advice for gardeners who want to naturalize, and lots of interesting human heritage along the way. Start at Kew Gardens outside the Library. Walk Leaders, Helen Mills and Beach residents.

Sunday April 27, 2008 1:00 p.m. Toronto Islands, 150 Years. Starting point and time to be arranged, details here soon. Ian Wheal, George Hume, and Ed Freeman will lead the walk which coincides with the 150th anniversary of the storm which turned the Toronto peninsula into a group of islands. Meet at 1 p.m. at the ferry docks, foot of Bay St

Sunday, April 27, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - Birding and Natural Heritage Protection in Warden Woods. Mature Forests on steep slopes provide feeding and nesting sites for many bird species in Warden Woods Park, one of the best-kept secrets in Toronto, but which also has many ecological challenges, including eroding banks, poor water quality, and invasive species. The walk will be co-lead by two members of the Taylor Massey Project: experienced birder Christine Greenlaw and founding chair Andrew McCammon. Bird species seen in the past include raptors, scarlet tanagers, northern orioles, and migrating warblers. Meet at the Warden Subway Station. This 90-minute walk will end near Pharmacy Avenue, after which people can continue to the Victoria Park subway station (5 minutes) or walk back to Warden (20 minutes). Joint Walk with Taylor Massey Project. See www.thetmp.org/tours/Tour4.pdf for additional information.

Saturday, April 26, 2008, 2:00 p.m. Rouge River: Railways and Horse Thieves. Starts at Pearse House (1749 Meadowvale Road) at the second to last bus stop before the Toronto Zoo, on the 85 bus route. A heritage walk led by Ian Wheal and staff of the Rouge Park.

Friday March 21, 2008 2:00 p.m. [Good Friday] Lost Creeks in Sam Smith Park Start at the SE corner of Kipling & Lakeshore. Some sections of the creeks remain, others have been lost quite recently. The walk will explore them. Leader: Ian Wheal.

Saturday March 22, 2008 2:00 p.m. Irish Heritage in Toronto Start from outside St Paul's Basilica, Queen & Power. Walk runs from Corktown to the Don pinnacle. The environmental component of this heritage walk includes the lower Don. Led by Ian Wheal.

Sunday March 23, 2008 2:00 p.m. Italian wine trains heritage trail. Start at St Clair & Lansdowne SW corner. A heritage walk led by Ian Wheal, focussing on early Italian winemaking in Toronto. Ends at College & Grace.

Saturday March 29, 2008 11:00 a.m. Natural History of the Don valley. Start at Bayview & Moore, SE corner outside Loblaws. Proceed down Bayview and via Sun Brick Works site, into the Don Valley, ending at the Science Centre. Bring a packed lunch, and eat it at a lunch stop along the way. Toronto Field Naturalists' walk, led by Ed Freeman.

Saturday March 29, 2008 1:00 p.m. Toronto in the Age of Cholera I, walk and workshop. Start at Queen's Quay and Bathurst [note the change in starting point, previously Ireland Park], ends at CSL, 215 Spadina. A joint walk with Riversides, Human River, and friends. Leaders include Helen Mills and Ian Wheal.

Sunday April 20, 2008 2:00 p.m. Leslie Spit for Wildlife Week & Earth Day Beaches and the Lakeshore, past present and future - a walk from Cherry Beach to the Leslie St. Spit, and a chance to find out about plans for "Lake Ontario Park". Walk from 2-4 p.m. Start at the entrance to Cherry Beach, end at the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park. Walk leaders include John Wilson of Lost Rivers and Joanna Kidd (facilitator for community engagement with "Lake Ontario Park").

Sunday March 16, 2008 1:30 p.m. Humber River for World Water & International Rivers Day. Start: Eglinton and Scarlett Road NE corner at 1:30 pm, End at Weston Road and St. Phillips Road intersection. Ed Freeman will lead the walk for Lost Rivers in partnership with Emily of Riversides. The Humber is nationally designated as a Heritage River.

Tuesday March 11, 2008 1:30 p.m. Don Valley. Start at Mortimer & Broadview, SW corner. Walk will proceed down Pottery Rd to the Don River and along it to Riverdale Farm. Toronto Field Naturalists' walk, led by Ed Freeman.

Saturday March 1, 2008 2:00 p.m. Muskrat Houses of Leslieville. Meet at NW corner of Jones & Queen. Leader Ian Wheal.

Saturday February 23, 2008 2:00 p.m. Lost Ponds of Dentonia Park. Meet at Main TTC subway station. Leader Ian Wheal.

Sunday February 17, 2008 1:00 p.m. Heritage Day. Note early start time! Explore the Lower Don River and former tributaries as well as "lost" meanders along the river. Along the way we will visit the riverdale Meadow Community Garden and learn about simple ways to extend the season and harvest fresh greens year round. Meet at 1 p.m. outside the Broadview Subway Stn, end Riverdale Farm Meeting House with hot drinks. Walk Leaders: John Wilson, Kyla Dixon-Muir.

Saturday February 16, 2008 1:30 p.m. Black Creek Headwaters. Start at the TRCA (Toronto Region Conservation Authority) headquarters on Shoreham Drive. Transportation will be available from there. This walk led by Ian Wheal of Lost Rivers and the Black Creek Advisory Group.

Saturday January 26, 2008 2:00 p.m. Small's Creek and Springs. Meet outside the Coxwell Subway Station. Explore Small's Creek. Find the springs that still flow and the site where the Grand Trunk Railway used water. Then follow its course through the Williamson Ravine, and south to the former site of Small's Pond, and the spot where the creek once entered Ashbridge's Bay. Walk Leader, Ian Wheal.

Sunday January 20, 2008, 2 p.m. Market Creeks with Helen Mills

Saturday January 19, 2008 A walk from Davisville to Fairbank with Ed Freeman and the Toronto Field Naturalists

Sunday January 13, 2008 2 p.m. Hastings Creek with Ian Wheal. Starting at Donlands TTC Station

Sunday November 18. 2007, 2 p.m. A Walk to Celebrate World Fisheries Day. Starting at Pottery Road and Broadview Avenue. Visit weirs on the Don River and discuss the impact of the environment on fisheries. Leaders Christine Tu, TRCA and Ed Freeman.

Sunday December 16, 2007, 1 p.m. Toronto Island Toronto Islands 1857-2007 - 150 years of separation. Start at 1 pm; meet at the ferry dock to the Islands. Leader Ian Wheal.

Sunday October 21, 2007, 12:30 to 6 p.m. The Third Annual Human River
Walk. Starts at Christie Pits Park and ends at Fort York. The third annual Human River celebrates the Garrison Creek's path with a range of eclectic events, including: film, education, art and exploration. Join us to celebrate the water's past as a creek that carved our city, learn about its presence in Toronto's storm sewers, and imagine its potential future. Human River events culminate with a storytelling walk along the Garrison on October 21. 12:30-1PM ~ Make fish puppets for the walk 1PM ~ Walk Starts at Christie Pits Park 4:30PM ~ Walk Ends at Fort York 4:30-6PM ~ Explore Historic Fort York, visit Human River Art and enjoy delicious refreshments! With everyone wearing blue, we will become a human river bringing the Garrison Creek back to life! Leaders Kathryn McLeod & David Anselmii.

Sunday October 21, 2007, 2 p.m. Celebrate UN day at Downsview. Meet SE corner Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue. On this walk we will catch up on developments at Parc Downsview Park, which is sited on the divide between the Don and Humber Watersheds, and is the historic headwaters for a number of tributaries flowing into the Don and Black Creek. The demise of these creeks was intimately intertwined with the military history of the area, and the settlement of the surrounding neighbourhoods after the end of WW2 by waves of refugees from the war, as well as economic migrants a few years later. United Nations Day marks the formation of the UN at the end of WW2, is on October 24, so it seemed a good occasion to look at the story of the park and surrounding communities. As well as looking at war and peace we will be speaking briefly about the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) and climate change. Richard Anderson, plans to discuss some interesting historical data about atmosphere and air quality, and the impact of atmospheric pollution on the Great Lakes. Easy walking. Leaders Kathryn McLeod and Richard Anderson.

Saturday October 6, 2007, 2 p.m. Irish Toronto - The Immigrants. Walk Corktown to Don Pinnacle. Start at Queen Street East and Power Street. City streets. Leader Ian Wheal.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, 2 p.m. Woodlands along Castle Frank Brook. Start at the front door of Eglinton West Subway Station. This is a second walk to celebrate National Forests Week. See new wetland meadow in Cedarvale Ravine older forest wetlands in the Nordheimer Ravine and much more. This will be a moderately easy walk. Leaders Susan Aaron and Ian Wheal.

Attendance 20. Sunny light breeze. "We had 20 people, including a handful of children. We started with introductions and handed out brochures from natural environment, urban forestry and on the wetland in Cedarvale. I stopped along the route to the park to situate the creek in relation to us, describe my tracking of it from Dufferin and Lawrence. After the initial discussion at the park entrance with some history from Ian, and myself inputting re more experiential relations to the parks, we started through the ravines stopping along the way to discuss naturalization, plants, when trees would have been planted, subway disturbances etc. We lost a few at the rest stop at Loblaws but quickly finished in the Nordheimer. The hawk made an appearance, and we finished by the storm water sewer at Boulton with a little chant I made up about the water/tree relationship." Susan

Sunday, September 23, 2007, 2 p.m. Don Valley Woodlands. Start SW corner Pottery Road and Broadview Avenue. A walk to celebrate National Forests Week - Sept. 24 - 30, when we visit Todmorden Wildflower Reserve, Beechwood Wetland, Don Valley Paper Mill site and Crother’s Woods to discuss the past, present and future of the Toronto Forest. Moderate difficulty. Leader John Routh. Attendance 30; sunny light breeze 23C.

Sunday September 16, 2007, 2 p.m. Historic Air Pollution. Start at SW corner Berkeley and Front Streets; city streets. Historic landscapes, air pollution sources and refuges. Leader Richard Anderson.

Sunday, August 19, 2007, 2 p.m. Natural Gardens along Lost Creeks. Start outside 40 Orchard View (Northern District Library), north-west of Yonge & Eglinton. Leaders Helen Mills and friends. Attendance 36.

Thursday August 9, 2007, 2 p.m. Lost Sandbars, Shorelines, Peoples and Ways of Life. A walk to celebrate indigenous Peoples Day. Start SE corner of Parliament and Mill Streets. City streets. 200 years ago Toronto Island was connected to the mainland by a narrow spit of sand, and Ashbridge's Bay was a rich wetland at the bottom of the Don River, enclosed by a long sandbar that stretched all the way to the Beaches. The sandbar had been a favourite fishing place for time immemorial, and remained so for many years after the founding of Toronto. Storms in the mid 1800's broke the sandbar, creating a small 'islet' known as Fisherman's Island, as well as turning Toronto Island into an island. This walk traces the shoreline track that once joined Toronto to the island and to the Bay, and tells the story of the changes brought by the Harbour Commission in their efforts to create a port for the City. This track, followed for thousands of years by First Nations, reminds us of an invisible history of 60,000 Mississauga who lived in the area when the Simcoes landed. Leaders Helen Mills, Ian Wheal and friends. Attendance 9.

Monday, August 6, 2007, 2 p.m. Simcoe Day. See early Toronto and Governor Simcoe's legacy. Start and end on the south side of Front Street opposite John Street in Isabella Valency Crawford Parkette. Easy, on streets with some stairs. Leader Ed Freeman. Attendance 36; Sunny hot and humid,30 C, light brease,

Sunday, July 15, 2007, 1 – 3 p.m. Highland Creek Restoration Hike. Joint walk with Highland Creek Community Stewardship Program. Get a first hand look at erosion control and fish habitat restoration work taking place in the Highland Creek. Discover the beauty and diversity of plants and animals that make Morningside Park their home. This will take place in Morningside Park. The park access road is off Morningside Avenue, south of Ellesmere Rd. Start at the third parking lot and walking downstream along the creek, then looping back along a trail that brings us back to the road and parking lot. Washroom facilities between the first and second parking lots. Moderate difficulty. Leaders Bill Snodgrass, Helen Mills and others. Attendance 46; warm 24 C and sunny light wind. "As always Bill was great."

Along Highland Creek

Saturday July 14, 2007.1:30 p.m. Class A Wetlands in Scarborough. Meet at Pearse House, 1749 Meadowvale Road. Drive north of Sheppard on Meadowvale. Take TTC bus 85B from Don Mills subways station, or 86A from Kennedy subway station, or 85A from Rouge Hill GO station. Moderate difficulty. Leader Ian Wheal. Attendance 6.

Sunday July 1, 2007, 2 p.m. Green Pathways of the CPR. How the railways started a green program. Start Summerhill Subway Station. Medium difficulty. Leader Ian Wheal. Attendance 28.

Sunday, June 24, 2007, 2 p.m. The "Lost Toronto Islands" Bike Hike. Start the small Kiwanis Parkette at the south end of Leaside Bridge, north of O'Connor on Pape. Please note that this will be exclusively a bicycle event. It will NOT take place on Toronto Islands. Rather, we will discover vestiges of a prehistoric Lake Iroquois Baymouth Bar analogous to today's Islands. We will be bicycling almost exclusively on city streets, not trails, at moderate speeds. We will stop for observations at a number of locations of geological and cultural interest. The end point will be the Rosetta McClain Gardens at Kingston Road and Glen Everest (east of Birchmount). Duration 2-3 hours; total distance about 14 km. Leader John Wilson.

Some notes provided by John Wilson in response to some questions:
Bicycle helmets are required by provincial statute.
There will be a printed itinerary available at the outset. This will help those, who may become separated from the group, to catch up.
There will be a rest stop along the way to give people the opportunity to use public washrooms or purchase refreshments. Several layover spots will be selected to maximize opportunities for resting in shade and to discuss the area traversed.
Whenever possible: streets with cycling lanes or signed bicycle routes will be used and major roads will be crossed at locations with street lights.
While all are welcome to join, this is not a “family” outing. Including very young children would not be appropriate.
Attendance 8

Sunday May 20, 2007, 2:00 p.m. Lost Creeks of Earl Bales Park. Start at the southeast corner of Bathurst and Sheppard, end at Bathurst and Wilson. Explore the topography of Earl Bales Park, home to several creeks and former creeks tributary to the West Don. Hopefully we will be in good time for the spring ephemerals still to be found in the park, and for inbound migratory birds. We will also get an update on plans for a storm water retention pond towards the south end of the park. Moderate difficulty - lots of hills and possibly muddy paths. Leader Helen Mills. Attendance 37; hot and sunny.

Sunday May 13, 2007, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Agnes Moodie Fitzgibbon Wildflower walk. Madeleine MacDowell and the Humber Heritage Committee will again hold this special annual walk starting at the Lambton House, 4066 Old Dundas street West, on the east bank of the Humber River. City streets and park trails. Could be a good time to see spring wild flowers. Attendance 34; warm and sunny; lots of floweres but trilliums past peak.

Sunday April 29, 2007, 2 p.m. Wilket Creek. Starts and ends at the south-west corner of Lawrence Avenue East and Leslie Street. A chance to see spring in and above the valley. Moderate difficulty. Leader Peter Heinz.

Saturday, April 28, 2007, 2 p.m. Erosion on the Don. Start at SE corner Donway and Don Mills (one block south of Lawrence). Observe erosion and nature along the East Don River. Moderate difficulty. Leader Ian Wheal.

Sunday, April 22, 2007. 2 p.m. Earth Day. Start Summerhill TTC Station 2 p.m., end Summerhill Avenue in North Rosedale. A walk to observe some Earth features with a stress on fossils, earth materials and landforms. Walk difficulty: moderate. Only difficulty is walking uphill from Summerhill to St. Clair. Rest is easy. Should be a couple of hours. Leader Ed Freeman.

Sunday, April 15, 2007, 2 p.m. Eglinton Flats, Celebrating National Wildlife Week. Start in the parking lot near the pond in the SE quadrant (SE of Jane & Eglinton). Moderate difficulty. Hope to see deer and beaver, as well as turtles, birds, pond and stream. Leaders Madeleine McDowell and Dave Watkins. Attendance 24; fair, 6°C, overcast, wind N 28 km/h.