Wed, Jul 1 2009 - Garrison Creek Discovery Walk and Fort York Visit (View Original Event Details)
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We met outside Christie station and began our hike, or more properly our urban stroll, following course of Garrison Creek. I gave a brief introductory talk about the changing course of the landscape, and the City’s history. I noted that had we been standing on the edge of Christie Pits 12,000 years ago, we would have been under 2 kms of ice, of the Wisconsin Glacier. Had we been there a thousand years later, our situation would have been somewhat improved; by then the glacier had retreated from the area. However, we would have been under about 25m of water, of glacial lake Iroquois! We returned to the present and set off south looking for vestiges of the Creek, which had been buried in the late 1800s. At Harbored St., we saw a bridge railing left over from when the street crossed the valley before it was filled in. We continued to wander mostly southward through parks and along crooked roads notable for not being straight as are those on either side. We eventually walked to Trinity Bellwoods Park and descended into the hollow in the middle of the park. I noted that this was the original bed of the Creek. We then made our way to the Old York Pub and Grill for some lunch. Our original plan had been to continue on and visit Fort York after lunch. However, the Fort was closed because of the Municipal workers’ strike. Instead we went to visit nearby Draper St, with its almost unbroken street-scape from the 1880s. Then a few of us continued on to check out Canada Day celebrations at Harbourfront. After wandering around looking at various sites, we decided to head for home. Happily although the forecast called for the chance of rain and thunderstorms, we had no precipitation.
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