Toronto's Lost Rivers

Did you know Toronto used to have many more creeks and streams than it does today? Come along and let's explore their history and see some of what remains today! #Toronto #TorontoHistory
Links to other videos mentioned in the video:
Toronto's Wandering Shoreline: • Toronto's Wandering Sh...
Beltline Trail: • Beltline Trail - a Tor...
Prince Edward Viaduct: • Prince Edward Viaduct ...
00:00 Introduction
00:26 Garrison Creek
02:28 Summerhill Avenue
03:23 Taddle Creek
05:10 Mud Creek
05:48 Burke Brook
07:20 Walmsley Brook
08:29 Castle Frank Brook
09:30 Yellow Creek
Maps courtesy OpenStreetMap - openstreetmap.org/copyright

[@Argonaut121]

I've lived my entire life (70 year)s living within 3 or 4 blocks either side of Yonge Street, south of the 401. In other words, I've walked along and through these parks, ravines and creeks hundreds if not thousands of times. I knew a bit about their history, but this video was eye-opening.

[@rabbithole8592]

I've lived all over Toronto my entire life. 44 soon to be 45 in June. Most people don't realize how much forest, creeks and river beds we have all over Toronto. Our Ravine System is absolutely Massive. I originally grew up near Taylor Creek Park. I absolutely loved going down there. Toronto is the Best of Both Worlds.

[@rabbithole8592]

@@eddiezS5 You're just a depressing and Boring person. 😴

[@Warrenhfcd]

@@eddiezS5 WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE???????????????????

[@rabbithole8592]

@@eddiezS5 Only if you're a depressing boring person.

[@rabbithole8592]

@@Warrenhfcd I know right? People like him make it a depressing boring place.

[@ayejaye]

Underrated and very niche but I appreciate you!

[@dylanf2534]

I agree

[@kenrod813]

I knew there were underground rivers and streams in Toronto. I didn't know that these streams were also incorporated into the storm sewer system. Now I do! Thanks for the video Steve.

[@chrismurray5846]

I like how people unaware of the underground creek at Bickford get confused by the weeping willows dripping on them, given that such trees only grow around wetlands

[@a.j.alberti518]

Well done 👍 One of the best things Torontonians can do to understand why the city is where it is and why it's formed as it is would be to look at a topographic map. There is so much water coursing through our landform that it becomes obvious why indigenous peoples settled here and Europeans did likewise. Water provided transportation, power, irrigation and food. No single video can cover all of Toronto's hidden waters but one which is in my neighbourhood is Wendigo Creek which would (if it were visible) bubble up in Malta Park (Dundas Street and St Johns Road) and define the curves of Laws Street and Clendenan Road before emptying into High Park's Grenadier Pond. Along the way it passes beneath the Annette Street School building (Annette and Clendenan). A few years ago the children of High Park Alternative and Annette Street Schools explored the history and geography of Wendigo Creek, which they renamed "Ghost River" because they knew it was there but it can't be seen. On the schoolyard fence you can still see mosaics the children created which depict frogs, fish, and aquatic plants which the Creek would have supported.

[@a.j.alberti518]

Sorry to ramble on. Local history nerd, doncha know 😊

[@saltA-saurus]

Was wondering about that one as I watched this. I wonder what the history of the creek at the south end of Keele St that goes along Spring road is.

[@JoveCana]

@@a.j.alberti518 no no.... thank you for rambling! Love the anecdote about the mosaic.... so glad an effort was made to reframe the landscape in its historical context!!

[@LifeofWalk]

I like this presentation style, it reminds me of relaxing docs I watched as a kid

[@placidpaddler]

Awesome video! I love exploring the city’s tucked away creeks and valleys. Most are virtually untouched thanks to the lack of navigable trails, making them the most peaceful and quiet places in the city. Life continues to thrive in the creeks amongst the fallen branches and rocks, whose beds are almost all fossiliferous from the Ordovician period. It’s well worth the bushwhacking!

[@bobbeasley3649]

I live near Chatham Ontario now but my Toronto roots are deep. My dad was born on Keewatin Ave in the Village of Eglinton in 1911. They later moved around the corner onto Redpath. My grandfather had a pharmacy on Yonge St near Keewatin for years. They moved, during the depression, to the west end, to Quebec Ave near High Park. Thats where we would visit thembeqch summer. I later lived in Toronto while doing postgrad studies. I love the city and know many of the parks and neighbourhoods you visit in the video. I loved every minute of it and am looking forward to watching them all!

[@ChemicalTales]

What a hidden gem of a channel. Keep the content "flowing"!

[@grrrrrrr0]

It would have been nice if these river were maintained and protected, it would encouraged more greenspace and parks in the city

[@tommosher]

This video is terrific, coming from the perspective of one of the nerds who obsesses over going in the buried rivers.

[@toast12397]

Thanks for the video, and actually travelling to the locations mentioned in the video. It definitely helps to visualize these unique and forgotten parts of Toronto. I would suggest, in a re-upload/edit of this video or in future videos, that you highlight the path of the lost waterways on the overlaid maps, and/or provide an additional visual overlay on your video instead of simply pointing or asking the viewer to squint at the maps. Otherwise, I really enjoyed these!

[@SeaNsEAn1972]

Fabulous video. I truly appreciate your contribution to Toronto's history.

[@timothyirwin8974]

Owned a loft condo at 833 King Street West and old perfume factory converted plus a new attached building running between Niagara on the east and Stanley Park on the west. We were advised that Garrison Creek ran by the building but now underground. We were north of Fort York on the opposite side of the Gardiner. You could here the water running sometimes in the sewer/river. There is still an old set of row houses on the other side of Stanley Park. Did these have something to do with the old military establishment in the area? A few years before this I was a volunteer at what we called the Metro Marine Museum which at the time was located in Stanley Barracks. We learned the hard way that there was (is?) an abattoir a bit down Nagara street and had been there for years so they had precedent. I remember as a teen driving through the area and how dark and industrialized it was in the sixties.

[@MurCellic1903]

I recently learned during my visit to Fort York that Toronto has many hidden rivers. Excellent video! Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@AlanKelly-nm9lx]

when I was in grade 3 I got to fire a canon at Fork York. cool memories.

[@pattol666]

its insane the amount of small creeks and rivers you can find in toronto and the surrounding areas. i love the city tbh .

[@biljanas7931]

beautiful and informative video!! I still think the city would have been so much more romantic if these rivers were allowed to be :) imagine little bridges, walkways, railings, ... everybody loves canals in Amsterdam and Venice, open/above ground rivers ponds and lakes do have their charm!! at cost of real-estate investment, so worth it

[@jimkoval4725]

Very cool presentations. Your video about Hurricane Hazel popped up on my lists today. And now I have sat and watched several more and also subscribed.

[@NevsTechBits]

Thanks for this. I have no idea where any of this is but I'm happy you recorded it

[@harrysteiman]

In 1956 we moved out into the wilds of North York, in the Wilson-Bathurst area. There was a creek running through a large undeveloped area that was basically south of the main runway at Downsview air force base. South of the then four lane 401 to Baycrest Avenue and west of Rajah to what would become the Spadina Expressway and Yorkdale in 1964. The creek flowed into a culvert under Baycrest and emerged for a while west of Rajah. My friends and I spent a great deal of time playing in the "Field" and along the "Creek". Thanks to your video I now know it was actually called Mud Creek.

[@tested123]

cool stuff. my house backs on to a grassy ravine near sheppard and leslie. i found out recently that it used to be a small river. now its filled in and runs through a storm sewer. we had fun as kids going through the storm pipe which runs underneath sheppard.

[@musicalboxbitspieces]

Very interesting. Thanks for your good work.

[@EnidZenelajHomes]

Amazing video! Thanks :)

[@AK.__]

Excellent, thank you. My favourite is Yellow creek. There is access to the area from a Mount Pleasant Cemetery from a Yonge street gates. The area reminds me the scenes from the fictional town of Derry, Maine.

[@m1t2a1]

There was a creek from roughly Warden and Sheppard to Aragon and Cass where it went into the sewer for the then new Lynngate neighbourhood. It's been all townhouses since the late 70s. There's a storm retention pond near there now to make up for it, another in Lynngate Park. Turns out the sewers were never big enough.

[@krishasharma3678]

incredibly informative! thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@user-gs7iw6kl7o]

this is not the ganges, no defecation please

[@razmoe2000]

Thanks for the tour.

[@donotlendbookstome7923]

I don’t live in Toronto, but I really enjoy your videos. I wish you had a clone who lived in my city and made similar content.

[@MorganMagnus]

Great video! Could have used some maps to follow along, though.

[@areolaman]

Niagara river used to be called the french equivalent of Shits Creek by the Coureur de bois. If you don't know now you know.

[@captainjoshuagleiberman2778]

I am surprised when talking about Taddle Creek you didn't talk about Foxbar Road running south from St. Clair curving to Avenue Road. That is Taddle Creek, they built Foxbar over the creek, hence why it curves to Avenue Road.

[@Anarchaotically]

I didn't know, now I know.

[@jeffmacphee03]

Very interesting, thank you for making this video!

[@lder5625]

great job Steve. I enjoyed it

[@JuanCanuck]

this is what youtube was made for

[@monicapushkin3274]

Great vid, thx. Average Torontonian has no clue about all of this!

[@AK.__]

Average GTA settler thinks Toronto as noisy and busy block of concrete and glass without any green area plus Hight Park plus Lakeshore. which is absolutely un-true

[@MSJ_raptor]

excellent work!

[@zevc3591]

Very interesting. Many thanks!👍👍

[@marchfifth1754]

Lovely video!

[@MrCyclist]

I run a bicycle group that traverses the paved ravines in Toronto. This is of great interest to me as it helps fill in the blanks. We can spend years living here an not enjoy the natural beauty of Toronto. BTW the ravines are a great natural asset to our city.

[@Tatterdash71]

These videos are fun and most informative!

[@InADarkTavern]

You make great videos

[@kidmohair8151]

I have followed your instructions and liked and subscribed...and then left this comment to boot!

[@jelopezandthegrips]

I've enjoyed this tour of my hometown and these more obscure parts of its history! Thank you!

[@cinthia9602]

This was a very, very interesting video. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[@j.macmillan2293]

One day, I hope they daylight the Crawford Street bridge which allegedly is intact but buried.

[@earthq1077]

great info.

[@Johnnywhamo]

Love these video's buddy keep em coming.

[@nervesinapattern7261]

They were doing construction outside my apartment at Yonge and Eglington related to the new crossline and one of the builders told us they unexpectedly came across underground streams that weren’t properly mapped previously.

[@imakememories8052]

I’m in the us and this video was still super interesting and fun. Keep it up ❤

[@ricktoxic]

fantastic!

[@serget2168]

I grew up at Lawrence and Black Creek and before it became the road it is we used get chased by the cops on our dirt bikes and they never got is bcs we used to jump on North Park and pass Keele st they didn't know where we went until the one day the park guy's by the train tracks were there and told us take them home now im glad to still be able to enjoy North Park one of the cleanest parks no homeless no drugs users hanging around sometimes the gates open and we can park by the botchy courts and go by the rocks where the creek still runs imo the most peaceful place in Toronto no garbage and a great place for a fire pit that we carried huge borders to and every once in a while still run into our friends from school hanging around

[@jeremynoakes]

I enjoyed the video Really well done

[@mobot3d15]

Cool video.

[@paulbucc9748]

My family has been living on westmount, in the dufferin and st Claire area for 60 years. There's a creek that flows under my house. Our next door neighbours yard is almost 3 feet higher in the back of the house, compared to the front. A friend of mine lives on winona, in the 1st house ever built on the street. It's pushed back from the main road by about 150 ft, and the original pictures showed a little bridge going over a creek to access the house. My house is so old for toronto, that our previous garage, used to be a stables.

[@jonm3131]

After the Urban Planning wave, im all aboard the Saving the Rivers Wave now!!

[@441rider]

I used to catch frogs to eat in Sunnybrook park below the old haunted mansion that was there. Was a private home had indoor pool and ballroom balcony room. I'm sure a creek ran into that frog pond once. Leaside HS field was cool to see Maple Leafs AA ball home, used to be a McDonalds one of the first at far end at Bayview.

[@sheismymom]

informative and interesting glad i found this channel

[@rdubya9559]

Great video! More maps would help add context and help us follow along!

[@captainsunbear5472]

THis is really neat information.

[@yvonnemariane2265]

0:33 these are mudflooded. Hence weird big "hill" in that park. And there are also at least 2 centretown rivers/creeks in OTTAWA too!

[@julianprzybysawski8543]

Interesting. Always noticed the odd valleys around my school campus but never thought about their origins.

[@sean367]

South Etonicokes wee rivers were all filled and now basements flood and driveways explode.

[@luckyguy600]

Kinda cool. I don't really know a lot about Toronto, but around Orangeville, I know a lot of places & creeks depending on the season.

[@kristianhermann5971]

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed that! I'm doubtful these projects would be approved today given considerations for ecology and stricter regulations that protect waterways - Toronto may have looked quite different had they protected these

[@urhaq]

Lived in TO for 12 years. Now I know

[@MikeBaxterABC]

On Kennedy Road just south of Steel on the West side there used to be a farm with crops. There was a large sign that said "This is a natural Water course, it is illegal to change its path" (or some similar phrase) .. When the residential units were built there the sign disappeared and so did the natural watercourse" ... in summer it was about 3 feet wide, but bigger in spring.

[@ManicPandaz]

Great video. I was wondering tho, how deep are the rivers buried? If you live next to one of these buried rivers and in your house’s basement, are you standing next to the river or are you still far above the river?

[@tommosher]

Depends on the topography. They need to maintain a steady slope (usually) so their path may not match the ground above. If you know which manholes to look down you can see how far down the river is.

[@SpliFFFFFFF]

I didn't expect to enjoy these videos as much as I do, but they are incredibly captivating. Even though I already knew most of the information and grew up living right by Garrison Creek, I still found this video fascinating. It's quite surprising because the video has minimal flash or post-production value, yet it's incredibly interesting and compelling. It's strange how a video that seems to lack intrinsic value can be one of the best on KZbin. Thank you for making these videos. I'm really enjoying them, even if I'm not entirely sure why.

[@dalisllama]

I’m from Brampton. Always been fascinated by the diversion of the Etobicoke River after a major flood in ‘48. This construction of the flood channels forced many roads to also be diverted. The original paths of these streets are revealed in jogs similar to Dundas. There are still remnants of the original channel wall on Main st.

[@notsmoothsteve]

I grew up in Brampton and in school we learned about the flooding that used to happen downtown before the creek was diverted.

[@dalisllama]

Small world

[@melarch.5424]

Taddle Creek ran under what is now The Eaton Centre, that is why there is a system of underfloor weeping tiles connected to a sump pump the get rid of the water under the floor slab of North Food Court which is 3 floors below ground and the creek water comes up under the slab.

[@kurtwolfe1872]

Very interesting video as usual. Could you explain what your comment about the drum circle smell was supposed to mean?

[@notsmoothsteve]

It smells like weed!

[@wallytangofoxtrot4721]

Great documentary! It would be interesting to see how these infilled stream and river conduits fared under Hurricane Hazel which was the last mega deluge to hit the Toronto area. Knowing that would certainly help prep for future atmospheric river events that appear to be on the near horizon.

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

Be so lovely if all those rivers were still flowing as rivers, but probably not realistic to build around them. I know most of those spots!

[@osiris654]

3:19 It was all a dream, I used to read word up magazine. Salt n pepper n heavy d up in the limousine

[@NeuroticPengu]

have you seen the hole on Moore? at cross between mt pleasant cemetary and the ravine to the south. street is totally closed as lost river attempts to reclaim its land

[@Ric-E...Ricardo]

Are you a Biggie fan, "...and if you don't know, now you know..." 😊

[@andrewwilson2301]

A buried bridge is still a bridge. It makes me wonder, how do they inspect this bridge to ensure it's safe? 100 years is beyond most bridges expected lifespan.

[@carmichael3594]

Surprised you didn't cover the buried river along front Street

[@62Cristoforo]

Can you recommend a decent map showing the original creeks, rivers and streams in the GTA?

[@notsmoothsteve]

There's quite a bit of information on lostrivers.ca - hope that helps!

[@Warrenhfcd]

SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS AN UNDERGROUND STREAM UNDER LOCHLEVEN PARK IN SCARBOROUGH!

[@xandermoyle]

Steve, Do you know if a map exists of stream designation for drinking water and sewage of Toronto before electricity arrived? Early settlements could not develop without adhering to stream designation. I imagine electric water pumps distributed water far beyond its source. The electric water pump permitted our city streams and rivers to be turned into stormwater and raw sewage, leading to degradation of a shared natural resources, fresh water and habitat.

[@notsmoothsteve]

Sorry - I don't think I've ever seen such a map. I'd imagine there's some information about that sort of thing somewhere, but I have no idea where to suggest.

[@xandermoyle]

@@notsmoothsteve Thanks for responding. I think a such a map regarding stream designation could be derived by making notes of location of early settlements and topography. I imagine our current sewage system mirrors those early stream designations. I would like to collaborate with someone who would be interested in a time based maps(animated maps) that would reveals the history of streams you have so clearly made record of with your videos. Thank you for all your efforts.

[@fatcoconut]

my family is in for a treat of fun fact now when we are driving around the city.. mwaahahah

[@jimmysimmons3803]

"If you *didn't know , now you know"

[@greatguytv]

May 17 2024 good

[@voiceofreason7856]

ALL they're doing when they 'remove/divert' these creeks - by filling them in, or burying culverts /sewers for them to travel through, instead - is taking away precious habitat for all kinds of tiny creatures like salamanders, frogs, fish, etc. It's a damn shame, and we're also losing ALL those teaching opportunities for kids in those areas, too.

[@philidips]

HARBORD STREET MENTIONED

[@technodrone313]

take off eh!

[@tristinmcallister5457]

It’s crazy how industrialism destroyed beautiful country side

[@erytingcris]

If u don't know now you know nii...

[@Oldjongcrow416]

👁️👁️ 👅🙏... We're a bunch of beavers eh ...

[@bluetocop]

more maps would have helped

[@billjonesnation]

So local governments are allowed to "remove" waterways? Don't people get in trouble for altering rainwater flow on their property?

[@12pentaborane]

This happened way before that legislation was in place.

[@0_o913]

About a 100 years or more ​@@12pentaborane

[@gstrdms]

The design of most Canadian cities spits in the face of the urban planning traditions that their ancestors had. Every body of water, creek, stream and sometimes river became just another obstacle in the the way of a highway or railroad. Most streams near Toronto are just backyard gullies with zero consideration for human use, treated as an inconvenience. The marshlands and swamps were filled in with either trash or dirt and aggregate to "make land", which is now unstable and prone to flooding. etcetc Canada is ugly.

[@joshdot9244]

canadian jay foreman

[@larryb.lindsay2366]

I like the history part but why is your music so damn loud in comparison?

[@Mike.hvggvhjhfd]

The music isn’t “so damn loud”

[@carbonate5006]

This video does not spark joy

[@fartamplifer]

I'm pretty sure there's a "lost river" in my Etobicoke neighbourhood. During heavy rains, a river "appears" in a nearby park. As well, several of my neighbours have perpetually wel walls in their basements, and one of them says that one of his basement walls turns into a waterfall during particularly heavy rains. These are all new homes built within the last 10 - 15 years.