Resources related to lost rivers and streams in Toronto

I’ve recently been in touch with a walker from the ROM who’s keen to expand the walkers’ knowledge about the lost rivers and streams of Toronto.

Where can a person or group find information about resources in this area?

A contact at the Etobicoke Historical Society has noted that good resources include Lost Rivers http://www.lostrivers.ca/ and Toronto Field Naturalists http://www.torontofieldnaturalists.org/

It has also occurred to me that Toronto Green Community http://www.torontogreen.ca/ and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority http://www.trca.on.ca would be good resources to consult with.

Jane’s Walk

Denise Pinto of Jane’s Walk has highlighted several great resources. She wrote:

• Yes! Absolutely. I would recommend speaking to Georgia from Homegrown National Park, Michael Cook (www.vanishingpoint.ca), Jeremy Kai, who worked for Jane’s Walk this year and just published a book (www.riversforgotten.com) documenting subsurface “buried” rivers, Helen Mills from Toronto Green Community Lost River Walks (this was her Jane’s Walk with Mary Magaret McMahon), and Jon Harstone (this was his Landscape Archaeology walk this year).

For further details please contact:

Denise Pinto
Operations Director, Jane’s Walk
Walkable neighbourhoods, urban literacy, cities planned for and by people.
http://janeswalk.net/

Farmers’ fields north of Montreal is where the City of Laval was built

I have an interest in this topic as I grew up playing on what is now a lost creek in Montreal.

Updates

Also of relevance is an article by Michael Harrison entitled “The Vanishing Creeks of South Etobicoke” in a book entitled HTO: Toronto’s Water from Lake Iroquois to Lost Rivers to Low-Flow Toilets, 1st ed. (2008). Michael Harrison also has a website entitled Lost Creeks of South Etobicoke.

As well, excellent Toronto historic map resources are available. Some would likely include information about lost rivers.

Please contact me if you know of additional resources.