One of the stray days last week, the admin went to sleep later than usual. That is because I went out into the lower Jackson Creek neighbourhood and attempted to educate fellow compatriots re Jackson Creek and the need to daylight it through kawaii family-friendly Halloween themed postings.
Douglas Park sports a sad dry ravine. Here is the posting there.
Horner Ave ends on a happy little ravine with a cosy playground down a paved path. Too bad waters from Jackson Creek, among others rushed down there create intense erosion that keeps taking out the trail. It also wrecks the valley floor, clearing the way for the hardiest of invasive species. The whole creek that once was pooling and flowing is now a massive rock and log dump with rusting shopping carts holding it all together. The creek itself end in a sad little beach that yearly fails to earn a a blue flag certification. In fact it's the worst in Toronto and effectively on Lake Ontario.
Anyways, I encourage everyone and anyone to claim the movement and be inspired by this little soiree of mine. Then share pictures and a little info at https://friendsofjacksoncreek.slack.com/ .
Slack Group is Created Slack is an awesome tool to come together and collaborate. Please join and contribute at https://friendsofjacksoncreek.slack.com An awkward Exchange with a Municipal Bureaucrat
Me:I always wondered why our both Sunnyside and Long Branch beaches in Etobicoke are not Blue Flag, unlike all the others in Toronto. Might you have an answer?
Office of Office of Councillor Mark Grimes, Ward 6, Etobicoke-Lakeshore: Thank you for contacting Councillor Grimes' office to express your concern about why Sunnyside Beach and Long Branch beaches are not blue flagged. The Blue flag program measures the water quality of specific beaches to communicate to people if they are safe to swim in.
Please see the link below for information on the Blue Flag Program
I have consulted the website above if is advised that the public should not swim during and after storms, floods or heavy rainfalls because cloudy water could be an indicator of high levels of bacteria in the water.
The water is tested for E. coli on the specific beaches over a 24 hour period.
At the moment, Sunnyside Beach which had a sample taken on July 27th and posted on July 28th, there were high levels of E. coli present and it said people can swim at their own risk.
I did not see Long Branch beach on the list of beaches that are tested. Are you referring to an area that is along Long Branch Park? Perhaps it is not an official beach that is registered with the city.
You can always call (416) 392-7161 to listen to a recorded message for up to date water quality results for the listed beaches.
You can also access the information with a mobile app. Please see the link below for more information.
If you have any other concerns about the quality of the water you could contact Toronto Public Health at (416) 338-7600 Monday to Friday between 8:30am-4:30pm or email them at publichealth@toronto.ca
I hope this information was helpful to you.
[[ No it wasn't, nice grade-3 level research project though; A-]]
Me: Actually the official name for the (locally known as) Long Branch beach is Marie Curtis Park East. It is an official beach and of what I gather the city applies for a Blue Flag status annually but consistently fails to get it. Here is a news story about such an outcome back in 2014: <http://www.cp24.com/news/eight-toronto-beaches-retain-blue-flag-status-1.1841879> . I am just wondering what is the shortfall, why is that the case and what we as a community can do to help. MCPE beach is life-guarded, maintained and water quality seems decent (typically green, sometimes yellow flags). It would be a source of pride for Etobicoke to have an internationally recognised beach.
Office: Thank you for providing additional information regarding this issue. I would contact the Environment Defence directly who administer the Blue Flag program to inquire by Marie Curtis Park East and Sunnyside Beaches were not recognized to be included in the program.
I hope Environment Defense can provide you the information you need regarding your concern.
[[Shafted me off to the 3rd party, who did not respond. Nice lack of local knowledge and general sense of disinterest, Office]]
Mississauga Getting it Right
Neighbour city is revitalising its waterfront. I visited the inaugural event for the free burgers and people waiting in line were talking excitingly about the developments. I overheard one group, who vehemently complained about the floods and erosion-destruction of the lower Etobicoke Creek area. That's what we get from redirecting Jackson Creek into it at Dundas St.
Mississauga, on the other hand preserved its smaller creeks. It could have dumped Applewood and Serson Creeks into Etobicoke, adding to the devastation.
Instead those creeks remain flowing through the neighbourhoods and will now go through the new conservation area, contributing to its experience. Serson Creek even boast a beautiful park bearing its name and adds to the neighbourhoods it flows though every day. The waters get slowly treated by plants and UV rays, not rushed through the pipes towards destruction of ravines and waterfronts.
A creek of comparable size to Jackson in Mississauga is Cooksville Creek. It is a strong part of local culture and heritage. There's even a public school named after it. Meanwhile in Toronto There are hearings, etc. regarding flooding. The main theme is badass engineering of nature. More pipes, twin pipes, larger pipes, stupendous underground storage ponds. How about daylight at least one of the creeks that was bulldozed over. That's where the water has flowed for millions of years. It is exactly where it resumes the flow during heavy rain events. And in normal times, the water flows the natural way, purifies itself and leads to a proper waterfront on the lake. Currently Etobicoke's waterfront is in the sorriest state along Lake Ontario. It is ever getting more embarrassing, considering the projects that other municipalities undertake. Water is the lifeblood of the ecosystem. We will drink this water from pipes and underground stagnation ponds, as it makes down to Lake Ontario and to the catchment pipe. During the opening of the Mississauga's conservation area, there was an Aboriginal person performing a water ritual, Christians baptise themselves in water and probably all other cultures venerate this force of nature. It is time to show some basic respect towards all streams and rivers in Etobicoke!
I have been noticing a ditch and a metal structure just west of Atomic Ave on The Queensway for some time. Local historian superstar MICHAEL HARRISON back in 2010 write with his blog that:
I was surprised to discover that Jackson Creek still flows above ground for a considerable distance to the north. ... The headwaters currently lie just north-west of the Russell Food Equipment building on Coronet Road. The creek flows along the west side of the rail spur that continues north to the main rail line. The creek once flowed further to the north but the culvert that once contained it is now dry, the food distribution warehouse on the other side of the tracks long ago cut off its source. The creek flows south into a culvert, under North Queen Street, around the former Sam's Club site and then flows freely across the Canadian Linen property, under The Queensway, and south between two car dealerships until it enters a culvert and flows under the Gardiner Expressway.
While exploring the area, a lot seemed to have changed since then. There is no flow whatsoever during the initial exploration. The bed was in best case a ditch, in moderate case a place for semis/ trucks to park and flatten, and in worst paved.
The idea for this post was to go an take a closer look at the drain and the structure. I was expecting a ditch with signs of flow during rain/melt, etc.
Upon arrival, it was curious to note cracks across The Queensway under the culvert/ drain. I hope that they never develop into a sinkhole or something.
The ditch is quite unremarkable. Even though it did not rain for a few weeks, it was still moist at the lowest points and wetland flora colonised it.
It terminates in a drain (green PVC pipe in the pic above) below a paved-over commercial facility.
Among all this un-remarkableness, was that despite the ditch being simply moist, there was standing water inside the culvert. I also heard it rushing somewhere inside. The water did not have any odour either.
Glancing back at the cracks, and hearing the sound of water I got tempted to follow. My temptation lead to quite serendipitous results.
Right across there was a grate with water flowing under. I almost dropped my phone into it.
Following the terrain of the dealership, I stumbled on something remarkable. Out of a metal pipe, a cool steam the size of nearby Mimico Creek is flowing over pebbles and silt. The only fishy part of it was that the water wash clear and odourless. In my folk scientific opinion, the only clear water is dead water, but the above mentioned historian authoritatively opines that :
"Originally covered by thick forests, these watersheds [,of Southern Etobicoke,] evolved over thousands of years to become a finely tuned and balanced system that produced a steady flow of cool, clear and pristine water abounding in sensitive coldwater fish species such as salmon. " - highlighting added by me.
Anyways, dear readers, feast, a YouTube video is worth a thousand blog posts.
The creek dies again into a drain, not far away from the Queen Elizabeth Way.
Further below, there is really nothing remarkable, save for wetland vegetation at the highway, where the flow once was.
Humans of Jackson Creek
On the way back from the Queen Elizabeth Way, I was approached by dealer Mike. He had obvious concerns about the creek, being the occasional flooding and also the trash that gets blown in from the extensive paved lots and the road around. He was excited about Friends of Jackson Creek and was ready to even donate money for cleanup volunteers and joint husbandry efforts regarding this natural asset.
After, I went out to find some long-term employees to get some lived history, as one of the mandates of this project is to seek out and preserve experiences with this watercourse that was prigged from the community not so long ago. We always encourage to bring such forward.
The man to speak with is Riz, the Operations Manager at the 427/QEW KIA. He was around here for about 10 years and noted that the steam never dipped beyond its base-flow, even in the times of worst drought. According to Riz, the landlord mows the grass and does some light garbage cleaning once or twice a year. Also once a year the city comes to pump the drain in order to prevent backup.
We also talked for some time about the cleanness of the water right in the industrial heart of the city. Riz, with a meditative smile and glee in his eyes described how it is "just so peaceful and relaxing when he goes there." "You know, I am from Africa," he went on, " where I'm from the water is just as clear. Sometimes, just as in Africa, I want to scoop some of it and taste it. I have to stop myself every time."
It is such human interactions/ experiences that motivate me to continue in pushing for restoration of this piece of natural heritage for all humans and animals to enjoy. The creek ought to be an impactful, positive part of local culture and recreation, instead of some underground part of rare local knowledge or even at worse, an un-maintained nuisance.
Research
Of what I dug up on the Web, this flow is part of the piped away Jackson Creek that then is taken away towards Humber River somewhere:
Here is an aerial photo from 1971 showing the creek flowing through the area:
Another one from 1965 actually shows the creek crossing under the Queen Elizabeth Way:
Monologue
This is the very last bit of Jackson Creek still flowing. Should be it buried, it is gone into history. That would be the ultimate shame.
Now, according to this tool, the elevation difference between the above drain and the dry ravine in the Douglas Park (image on the left) across the Queen Elizabeth Way is 3.16m or 10.46ft, meaning that the gravity can take the creek to the next part of the daylighting project.
Further down are open lands of a permanently closed school on Lanor Ave and Canpa rail connection that can host the restored Jackson Creek. Canpa spur is still, be it rarely, used as a backup connection during GO emergencies, otherwise it is wound down and adjacent lands are for lease.
Also, I plan to take advantage of the offer/ excitement of the tenants that I encountered and to organize some sort of community clean-up event/ lunch. At such, interested people can discuss husbandry of the creek, including maybe a fence or rocks to block the litter blowing into the creek, maybe a bridge, a bench, etc. The tentative date is August 6th.
Update: Douglas Park stream bed starts with a culvert and a pronounced depression with brush down below. Just Add Water
Earlier, I've mapped the headwaters of the creek above the Burnhamthorpe Rd. I've been meaning to put a blurb on this spot for a while and this is the high time, given me stumbling on some exciting new information making for a more complete post.
Courtesy of Archives Toronto
This nano-ravine is possibly one of the best preserved parts of the protagonist of this blog. Even the northern branch of the creek is discernible to the eye. Images below.
Imprint in the grass of the N branch
6 o'clock view of the 1st image
View from within, the N branch is entering the main one in the centre of the pic
Let us now embark on a virtual tour around the wood-lot and the ravine. Walking up from the west side, I followed the imprint in the grass from the water that likely still flows during rain and melt. Since the slope here is more pronounced towards the lake, the surface water flow is more vivant, as underlined by a high amount of storm drains (two of them are even in the groove that we are following) and a ditch leading towards Renforth Creek along the road immediately to the West of the park.
As soon as the city-maintained grass parch hits the wood-lot, the creek's bed becomes more pronounced.
The west side of the wood-lot features very diverse trees and shrubs. This is very impressive, since the place itself is the size of two local backyards. The flora seems pretty healthy, minus of-course the ever-present invasive garlic mustard. Also on this side is a historic house, moved here from somewhere else at some point. Inside is a museum with era antiques on display. You may host your wedding, etc there if you are into such a venue. The society in charge of the structure hosts plant sales and participates in doors open annually.
At the Eastern terminus of the park, the water, when it flows, goes into a water drain. My guess is that it joins the rest of Jackson Creek in the unfortunate 427 Storm Sewer and drains into Etobicoke Creek at Dundas Street, where our creek goes to die and its zombie waters destroy the trails and wreck the ravines below through erosion, etc. The dead waters, devoid of UV ray treatment/ evaporation, ecosystem slow-down and purification also contribute to one of the most unhealthy ravine in Canada and ultimately a very poor quality beach and waterfront at Long Branch.
Unhealthy features include garbage and wood pile-ups by flash floods, due to the speed up of water via pipes. Such floods create holes and pools of water that are later remain cut off from the flow and produce countless mosquitoes that may carry the newest pathogen as a vector. Also destroyed ravine is perfect for invasive species, such as knot-weed, hog-weed and garlic mustard that create acres of monoculture wrecking the native ecosystems.
The south side of the park hosts a prairie-like tall grass habitat with loads of butterflies and a cosy sumac grove.
The inside of the grove is equally bucolic and unpleasantly destroyed by fellow humans. There is a network of charming little paths, birds singing, etc. BTW: beware of fire ants, they are ubiquitous here.
The downside was a number two with napkins that some representative of civilization downloaded, smack in the middle of the path, bottles and wrappers, and ultimately this:
Also, on literally the second step into the wood-lot, I got treated to a base of a beer bottle with shards going through my skin. Still itches. I flipped it, so the shards now go into the ground.
The creek-bed was moist and swampy with a bunch of animal paw prints around.
The human mis-activity here is evidence that all of us need to connect with the outdoors and Jackson Creek, as a significant piece of natural heritage must be restored for our use and benefit. Such use and benefit ought to be planned by the community through consultation, be based in proper science and planning, etc. While I respect the creator and caretakers of this wood lot and their admirable personal initiative, still this is simply the best that a very industrious Austrian dude could do (more on it later). We deserve a community effort to restore Jackson Creek and solve the predicament that previous generation left us with, Instead or together with the large scale piping projects that follower the Toronto Flood of 2013, water should be returned into this stream-bed and in my opinion, a pond ought to be created here for recreational and water quality purposes, similar to this one nearby.
Below, I would like to archive an event page with some very useful information about this landmark. Since said even has passed, I am afraid that the page may get deleted.
Mobile Mabelle Walks the City: Johann’s WoodLot
Applewood Shaver House Lot
Led By Johann Fisch
May 8, 2016, 1:00 PM, 2 Hours
Mobile Mabelle Walks the City: Johann’s WoodLot
Led By Johann Fisch
May 8, 2016, 1:00 PM
Meeting at Applewood Shaver House Lot
About This Walk
Join MABELLEarts for a narrative art walk through the Broadacres Park woodlot, in partnership with Jane’s Walk and as part of “Mobile Mabelle Walks the City”. Led by the woodlot’s enchanting creator, machinist and West Mall resident Johann Fisch, experience Johann telling the story of the woodlot he planted on Earth Day in 1981 and has nurtured every Earth Day for 35 years. Starting at the historic homestead, Applewood Shaver House, proceeding through the remnants of an orchard and arriving in the woodlot, participants will get take part in a poetic exploration of Johann’s story.
Meet up at the Applewood Shaver House parking lot at 1pm. 450 The West Mall
Enter Johann's Woodlot
Through visual aids and with the assistance of ASL interpreters - we begin to tell the story of Johann's Woodlot
Unraveling Johann's Woodlot
Starting in 1981, Johann planted a woodlot, starting with just 5 trees, so that he might have a better view from his condo balcony.
The Centre of the Woodlot
Who is here? What will happen next?
How to Find Us
We will be carrying an umbrella - rain or shine!
Accessibility
Route May Contain
Curbs and steps
Uneven terrain
Lowlight conditions
Thanks for reading. New posts are always cooking, Please comment for suggestions. Also soon I plan to expand my team and am looking for executive assistants/ contributors. Furthermore, if any-one has stories of personal experiences with Jackson Creek and especially pictures, please contact.
Feel free to disseminate this content in any way or form, including expanding the Wikipedia page.
