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Home My WebLink About1948 The Humber Valley Report (Province of Ontario Department of Planning and Development) . ,. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Hon. Dana Port." Minist.r ~ H. Richard'on. Chi,f Conltrvation EnfJin.., I THE HUMBER VALLEY REPORT 'h~ .........--=-- ONTARIO Toronto 1941 -"'lIIlllIIIll ,. LIST GF MAPS AND TABLES Title Page Locations and Boundaries 6 Bedrock Geology 9 Physiographic Regions 11 Contours 14 King's Mill Reserve, 1796 31 King's Mill Heserve, 1811 34 Municipalities 39 Township of York h5 Population of Albion, Toronto Gore, Vaughan 48 and Ki ng Population 49 Roads, Mills and Churches about 1827 54 Tremaine's Map of York County, 1860 59 Tremaine's Map of York County, 1860 61 Transportation and Public Utilities 63 Plan of the King's Mill-Reserve 73 Directory, York and Etobicoke Townships 110 Directory, Vaughan Township 116 Population of Weston, Woodbridge and Bolton 134 Public Notice, lath November, 1803 137 New York Markets, February 13th, 1854 142 Price of Wheat in Toronto 1861-1891 144 ItBuckeve" Reaper and Mower, 1$69 146 The "Marsh Harvester" Ploughing in the 'Forties 148 Common Plough - 1869 Improved Kniffin Mower Average number of Milch Cows per 100 acres 152 of improved land Cold Creek Sample Area 185 Estimating Erosion 188 Comparative Acreage of each slope class 192 according to soil types Dominant erosion groups on Cold Creek 198 sample area Cold Creek sample area, proportion of - 204 degrees of erosion ,. LIST OF MAPS AND TABLES Title Page Per cent woodland, townships of York County 246 Per cent woodland, townships of Peel County Firewood produced in York and Peel Counties 254 Maple sugar produced in York and Peel Counties Per cent woodland 271 Acres of woodland Woodland conditions by townships 274 Source areas 290 Recommended forest cover 292 Internal water, Figures I and II 312 Humber River and Main Tributaries 324 Dams and Storage Basins 363 Water Level Profile 364 Flood Hydrographs 371 Typical small dams 374 Earth dams and concrete spillway 376 Concrete dam 377 Reservoir storage and data 381 No. 2 Basin, Clareville 383 No. 5A Basin, Nashville 384 No. 7 Basin "Cedar Mills" 385 No. 16 "Kleinburg" Reservoir (proposed) 3$6 No. 19 Basin "Lindsay Creek" 387 No. 21 Basin "Stanley Mills" 388 Plan of preliminary contour survey of 390 No. 2 Basin "C1airville" Profile of tentative damsite, No. 2 391 Basin "C1airvil1e" Plan of preliminary contour survey of 392 No. 7 Basin "Cedar Mills" Developed profile of tentative damsite 393 No.7 Basin "Cedar Mills" Topography of damsite area, No. 2 394 Basin C1airville ! Topography of damsite area, No.7 395 Basin "Cedar Mills" Generalized abundance chart for some 399 mammals and birds of the Humber Watershed Game range 409 Control of hunting 412 I f ~---~ .. LIST OF ~~PS AND TABLES Title Page Meadow mouse trap line catch 420 Shortage of cover and food for wildlife 430 Before and after improvements Potential wildlife refuge areas 434 Biological conditions of watercourses 441 and fish distribution Temperature relations of Main Branch 444 Pollution, physical and chemical conditions 448 of the water Temperature variation with depth in 461 Nancy Lake and Kelly Lake Areas most suitable for Rural Recreation 471 Lake Ontario, Toronto Region 473 Estimated Population of Toronto 1937-1971 475 Accessibility Map 506 Recreation, Existing, Proposed 511 Recreation 512 Proposed River Bend Park 517 Proposed Elder Mills Park 520 Proposed Kleinburg Park 523 Proposed Caledon Park 525 Proposed Bolton Park 527 Proposed Conventry Park 529 Proposed Portage Park 534 ~1,i " ~,,, f" f'~ .. DEPARTHJ::.:NT OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT CONSERVATION BRANCH A. H. HICHARSON, I'-1.A., S.1'1. Silv., F.E., P. Lng. Chief Conservation Engineer. C. E. BUSH, B.A. Sc., O.L.S., D.L.S., P. Eng. Hydraulic Engineering A. S. L. BARNES, B.Sc. F. Forestry. W. J. P. C Rt;S ViI C K, B. A . Soils. . K. M. MAYALL, M.A., B.Sc. F. Wildlife and Recreation. H. F. CROJJN, B. S . A. Extension. VERSCHOYLE BLAKE Historical Research. PROFESSOR G. ROSS LORD, S.M., Ph. D. University of Toronto, Consultant in Hydraulic Lngineering. PROFESSOR F. P. IDE, M.A., Ph. D. University of Toronto, Consultant in Fish Research. - -. ,. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Honourable Dana Porter, Minister, Department of Planning and Development, Parliament Buildings, Toronto, Ontario. Dear Sir: I take pleasure in transmitting herewith a Conservation Report on the Humber Valley ~latershed, covering the subjects of Land Use, Forestry, Hydraul- ics, Wildlife and Recreation. Yours very truly, A. H. Richardson Toronto, May 10, 1948. Chief Conservation Engineer ~- ,. .., Humber Valley Report, 1948. TABLE LF CUNTENTS Letter of Transmittal Page 1 Acknowledgements rage 2 Recommendations P ART I ---- GE.liERiiL Chapter 1. Location and Boundaries Page 5 Chapter 2. Geology and Physiography Page 8 Chapter 3. Climate Page Ie Chapter 4. Land Settlement Page 20 1. Exploration and Settlement 2. Roads and Transportation 3. The Kinf,'s Shipyard 4. Mills on the Humber 5. Villages Chanter 5. Af,riculture Page 136 PAliT II ---- LA~D Cha pter 6. General Consideration Page 157 1. The Land Use Survey 2. Soils 3. ~~pping Symbols for Soils 4. Mapping Land Use 5. Erosion 6. Land Use Capability Clas3ification 7. ~lapping Symbols - Slope, Erosion, 8. Water, Land Use Remedial Measures Chapter 7. The Soils of the Humber IJvatershed Page 173 1. The Soils of the Interlobate Area 2. Soils of the Till Plain 3. Soils of the Bevelled Till Plain 4. Soils of the Terminal Moraines 5. Soils on Water Deposited Sands and Gravel Chapter E. Land Use and Soils on a Sample Area, Cold Creek Page 179 1. Land Use Studies on a Sample Area 2. Problems of the Unper Reaches of the Humber 'V'Jatershed 3. Soils of the Sample Area 4. Agricultural Land Use of the Cold Creek \jatershed 5. Lther Uses of the Land 6. Land Holdings Cha pter 9. The Relations of Soil Type, Slope, Erosion and Page 187 Land Use on the Cold Creek Watershed 1. General Considerations 2. Degree and Extent of Erosion 3. Incidence of Slope Classes 4. Present Land Use 5.. Degree of Erosion on the Main Soil Types 6. Relation of Erosion to Slope 7. Extent of Erosion on Present Land Use Classes ---- --- -- ,. Humber Valley Report, 1948 TABLE CJF CONTENTS Chapter 10. The Results of the Survey Page 205 1. The Purpose of the Land Use Survey 2. Class I Land 3. Class II Land 4. Class III Land 5. Class IV Land 6. Class V Land 7. Class VI Land 8. Class VII Land 9. Summary Chapter II. Planned Land Use Page 219 1. Corrective Measures 2. Reforestation 3. Pasture 4. The Pasture Zone 5. Establishing the Pasture Zone 6.. Water Supplies for Grazing Lands 7. Conservation Farming 8. Adding Humus 9. Restricted Rotations 10. Farming "en the Level" II.. Handling the Surplus Water 12. Farm Planning 13. Watershed Planning PART III ---- FLHESTS Chapter 12. The Forest Page 238 1. At the Time of Settlement 2. Since Settlement 3. Forest Products Chapter 13.. Present Woodland Conditions Page 259 1. Surve~r IVlethods 2. Forest Cover-Types 3. Fresent Conditions Chapter lll-o Forest Conservation M~asuros in Progress Page 27e 1. Private Planting 2. County Forests 30 Municipal Forests 4. Demonstration Plantations 5. Demonstration Woedlots 60 Scheol Forests Chapter 15. Forest Conservation Measures Required Page 288 1. Natural Water Storage Areas 2. FLeforestation 3. Planting in ~i'oodlots 4. Haw and Wild Apple 5. Woodlot Improvement 60 Controlled ~ioodlet Il'1anagement Chapter 16. Land Acquisition Page 304 1. Methods of Acquiring Land 2. Cost of Land in the Proposed Forest - ,. Humber Valley Report, 1948 T83LS uF CuNTENTS Part IV ---- \;~'ATEh Chapter 17. Ground Water Page 310 1. General 2. York 3 . Peel 4. C. ..Jlmcoe 5. Dufferin Chapter 18. The River Page 323 Chapter 19. Floods on the Humber Page 329 1. 1793 - 1822 2. 1823 - 1859 3. 1860 - 1879 4. 1880 - 1909 h 1910 - 1939 ./ . 6. 1940 - 1947 7. The Extent of the Flood Damage in the past 8. The Effect Cn Floods of Deforestation and Drainap:e 0 The Causes of Floods on the Humber " . Cha pter 20. The Problem and its Solution Page 356 Chapter 21. Small Dams Page 360 Chapter 22. Hydraulics Page 365 1. The River and its Branches 2. Floods and Low Flows 3. Stream Flow Records 4. !~ximum Floods to be Expected 5. The Hydraulic Field Survey 6. Dams 7. Storage Required 8. J'JIaximum Discharge from Reservoirs 0 Reservoir Storage / . 10. Summer Flow and Recreational Lake Storage 11. Proposals and Co s t s PART V ---- WILDLI}E eha pter 23. Wild life Page 397 1. Former Conditions 2. Inventorv of Present Species 3. Status of Present Species 4. Improving the Farm for Wildlife 5. Potential ~ildlife Refuge ^reas eha nter 24. Biologv and Fish of the River Page 440 Chapter 25. Lakes and Pond s of the -'a tershed Page 459 FART VI ---- RECREATION Chapter 26. General Considerations Page 467 l. Recreation and Modern Living 2. Types of Recreational Facilities 3. Possibilities for Recreation on the Humber 4. The Population Factor ,. Humber Valley Report, 1948 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 27. Recreational Facilities on the Humber Page 477 1. Picnic Grounds 2. Golf Courses 3 . Dude Ranches 4. ~Jelfare Camps 5. Tourist Camp 6. Recreation Statistics Chapter 28. Proposed Recreational Facilities Page 503 1. Recreation Preferences 2. Area Needed 3. Accessibility 4. Choice of Sites 5. Dams in Recreation Planning 6. Proposed Sites ,. LIST L} ILLU~TRATILNS Title Page Log Barn at Dalziel's 1'.1ill 37 Mennonite ~iIeeting House The "Old Tilill ~T on the Humber. 1913 71 "Milton Mills" Lambton Mills, 1913 75 As it was in 1908 Site of Dalziel's Sawmill, 1947 84 Laskay, looking east from the bridge Old Dam at Albion (Centrevil1e) 92 Race of the Carding Mill at Albion in 1947 Wheelpit and Millsite, Ballycroy, 1946 94 Tailrace of above Mill dam at Bolton - 1947 98 Mill dam at Palgrave - 1947 Dam site of Cranston's Sawmill - 1947 100 Lake formed by above Lambton Mills, Howland's Store in 1896 104 "Milton" William Gamble's Store in 1896 Old House at Laskay 121 Laskay Post-Office - 1947 Schoolhouse at Kleinburg 123 Kleinburg - 1947 "Springhill" (King) - 1947 128 Kinghorn from the West - 1947 New York ,:larket Quotations 142 February 14, 1854 "Buckeye" Self Raking Combine Reaper and 146 Mower Early advertisement for a "Marsh Harvester" Early advertisements for farm machinery 148 Improved Kniffin Hower Early Stock Barn at Dalziel's Mills 150 Early advertisement for livestock Class I Land 209 Class II Land Class III Land 212 Class IV Land Class V Land 214 Class VI Land A Kettle Pond put to Good Use 229 A Kettle Pond Lost to Good Use A wise land use policy 233 Strip-cropping Farming on the Level 234 Reforestation . ,. LIST 0F ILLUSTRATIONS Title Page Cultivation on the contour 236 Simple strip-cropping Fences constructed of former white 240 pine trees The last remaining stand of red pine in the Humber Watershed Aerial photograph from the village 244 of King Sod removal from Light Land Type 4 - Aspen 261 Type 9 - White Pine Type 49 - White, Black, Red (.'ak 265 Type 57 - Beech - Sugar Maple 266 Type II - Hemlocks Type 10 - White Pine - Hemlock 268 Type 60A - White Elm swamp Deterioration of pasture land 297 Improperly drained land used for pasture Bridge on No. 27 Highway 337 Flooded market gardens The Humber in flood - April 1947 341 The West Branch above Thistletown - 1947 Grubbe's Flats - Spring flood of 1942 344 Junctio~ of West Branch and ~~in River An artificial feeding station 417 Muskrat "feeding station" , , Old weedy fencerow 427 Modern It clean" farming Erosion control can provide game cover 428 Aerial view of the marshes of the Humber 437 The West Branch, March 17th, 1942 445 The same spot five months later Stream improvement for fish 456 The Main Humber above Pa1grave 457 The Main Humber at Scarlett Road I Kelly Lake, a typical boreal "kettle" 462 ! Elm Park Picnic Ground 481 Disposal of Litter Typical Scenes at an overcrowded Picnic Ground 483 The Two Dude Ranches on the Humber 489 Lack of Flooding on main branch cf the Humber 492 above Kleinburg Bank erosion on the Humber River at nTarmola" .. LIST C} ILLUSTHATI0NS I Title Page Hiking on the Humber 494 Open air fireplaces at Bolton Camp Bell's Lake Tourist Camp 498 Mud flats at Bellwoods Lake Pollution of the Humber River above 508 Scarlett Road Improvement of river by sm&ll dam Small dam to provide swimming at St. Thomas's 510 Camp i View of basin to be flooded by dam mentioned I above Picnic Tables 514 I Locally found materials used for improvements I Drinking Fountain 515 A simple incinerator I A view in the proposed River Bend Park 518 ~ Flood plain of the Humber in proposed Kleinburg Park Humber River within proposed Inner Green B91t 521 Humber River in proposed Elder Mills Park Ski Country 531 The "Grubbe" bridge at Thistletown 537 A well designed bridge ,. 1 ACKNUwTLEDGEMENTS While the present report has been prepared by the staff of the Conservation Branch of the Department of Planning and Development, members of other Government departments, University staffs and other organizations have contributed liberally to the supplying of data. Special thanks are due to Professor D. F. Putnam, Depart- ment of Geography, University of Toronto, and to L. J. Chapman, Ontario Research Foundation, for assistance in the preparation of the physiography and geology and the classification of soils; to members of the staff of the Soils Department, Ontario Agricultural College, for advice on the capability classification of soils and other matters pertaining to agriculture; also to W. M. Cockburn, Agricultural Hepresentative for York County, for assistance on the chapter on Agriculture. i Thanks are also due to J. L. Baillie ~ ! ! and Stuart L. Downing of the staff of the Royal Ontario I I }fuseum of Zoology for assistance in the preparation of ! I the bird and mammal lists; also to Sir Elsworth Flavelle I I for photographs of the Humber area. l I Thanks are also extended to Miss H. i1cClung I I' i and Miss O.A.A. Elliott of the Department of Public Records ! and Archives, Ontario, who were most helpful in finding Ii i historical material dealing with the watershed. ! I I r; I , ! t v , I ~; i I , I ! I I , \. .. 2 REC0Iv..JJlENDA T IuNS STATED en IMPLIED IN THIS REPLJRT , Forestry I. That the Humber Forest of about 20,000 acres lying mainly in Albion Township be established to protect the sources of small streams feeding the Humber Ri v er . Page 288 2. That all lands designated for natural water storage areas be reforested where necessary; that natural regeneration be encouraged by scientific means wherever possible; that cattle be entirely excluded; and that cutting in both reforested and natural woods be regulated by good forestry practices under supervision of the Authority. Page 28$ 3. That studies be made to determine the best methods of establishing n1antations, particularly of hardwoods, on good land and wet areas, to overcome loss from com- petition by weeds and damage by rodents. Page 295 4. That counties, townships and other municipalities be persuaded to establish much larger forests within their boundaries or in the case of towns and cities in the vicinity. Page 284 c: That reforestation of privately owned land be encour- ,) . aged in every way and that an inspection service be established which will record the development of plant- ations set out on private land. Page 282 6. 'lhat where small areas on private land form natural water storage areas, either in the form of surface water in swamps or ponds, or underground water which later appears at the surface in the form of springs, these be reforested where there is no forest cover at present, and that all cutting thereon be regulated. Page 291 7. That areas covered by zone foresters be reduced so that each can be covered more intensively by technical- ly trained men. Page 279 8. That a programme be drawn up and action be taken as soon as possible to combat the invasion of land by hawthorn and wild apple. Page 298 0 That schools within the watershed be encouraged to ;; . enter the Provincial School Forestry Competition. Page 286 Land Use IO. That contour cultivation, restricted rotations and run-off control measures be practised on all agri- cultural land on slopes up to fifteen per cent to protect against soil erosion; that permanent veget- ation be established on all slopes over fifteen per cent. Page 230 11. That farm operators avail themselves of professional help in farm planning for soil conservation and improved efficiency of production. Page 237 12. That a zone of pasture be established on the southern edge of the interlobate moraine where conditions generally are not favourable to cultivation; that this be established by individual proprietors as well as by a public body acquirinf, land and leasing to owners of herds. Page 224 , .. 3 13. That farm woodlots be protected against grazing and in all other ways managed in accordance with the best forestry practices; that new farm woodlots be created by planting. Paf';e 221 14. That permanent ponds and streams of potential use for watering cattle be protected by fencing aginst filling in and pollution by exclusion of cattle and that their banks be protected by permanent vegetation. Page 228 150 That further investigation be made of the location and extent oJ land suitable for permanent sod cover, of I ground water resources, and of the value and means of protecting natural water supplies. Page 226 VIater 16. That several little dams of simple construction be built for farm ponds and small lakes at selected sites on the upper part of the watershed. Page 17. That six low dams be built to prevent flooding and to increase summer flow. Page 18. That a dual purpose dam be built near Nashville to nrevent flooding and to create a permanent recreation lake, at a cost of $402,956. Pae;e 19. That encroachments on the natural flood channel of the river be prevented by proper planning. Page Wildlife 20. That far~ers be encouraged to improve their land for wildlife by eliminating the grazing of woodlots, by the planting of game food and cover plots in waste places, gullies and fence corners, and by scooping out hollows for farm ponds in suitable location~. Page 426 - 453 2l. That owners of ponds be encouraged to improve them for ducks, fish, and other wildlife by the introduction of shore cover and aquatic food and cover plants. Page 431 22. ~hat farmers be encourased to control stream erosion ahd to improve streams for fish by planting alders along stream banks and by placing small dams and deflectors in suitable places. Page 455 23. That reforestation programmes be ad~usted so that in every area of reforested land, game food and cover plots are establishedo Page 431 24. That if a flood control dam with a permanent lake is established in the watershed, the introduction of warm water pond fish of the bass family be undertaken. Page 455 25. That a permanent flow of water must be maintained during the construction of any dam, in order to ensure the survival of the fish and food organisms in the streams below the dam. Pa.r:e 455 26. That stens be taken to reduce the pollution of the Humber River from sewase and industrial wastes. Page 458 27. That additional Crown Game Preserves be added to the sole existing one in the watershed, such refuges to be selected from twelve areas listed as particularly-suitable. Page 433 .. \. 4 28. That no chanse in the status of the marshes near the mouth of the Humber River be considered without advice from the Fish and Wildlife Division of the Provincial Department of Lands and Forests. Page 2C, That the introductio~ of fish be restricted to those / . areas which have been shown by the stream survey of 1947 to be satisfactory waters for the particular species to be introducedo Page Recreation 30. That four thousand acres of land in various specified areas be acquired immediately for the development of six multiple use parks in which the following facilities could be provided by the Authority: Sports fields; aquatic sports facilities; wading beaches for children; picnic sites; group and individual camping sites; nature trails; ski trails; demonstrations of reforestation; well managed woodlots and erosion control; stream and lake improvements for fish; and an arboretum. These parks would have a total maximum daily capicity of 14,000 peopleo Page 513 3l. That forty acres be acquired for the two large roadside parks, one on the new Toronto-Barrie Highway, theother near I'Jjono Mills, which would have a combined capacity of 500 people. Page 533 32. That from one to five acres be acquired atffich of sixteen picnic sites, which would be equipped with tables and fireplaces. These would have a total capacity of 400 peorle. Page 535 33. Tha t the Conservation Authority establish a set of minimum standards of cleanliness and sanitation to he observed in the oDeration and maintenance of all picnic grounds or other organized recreation areas in the watershed. I Page 516 34. That the present legislation concerning the control of pollution from sewage, industrial HasteE and garbage in rivers be either enforced or amended so that it can be enforced, in the Humber watershed, in the interests of public health. Page 509 35. That all authorities concerned give their support to the present plan for an Inner and Outer Gre~n Belt I surrounding Toronto. Yage 472 I PART I GENERAL . ~ t ~~ , .. ,. c:; ./ CHJ-l.FT iR LLCATION AND BOUNDARIES The Humber River, at one time known as the "Pi ver of Toronto", l' 1 o \'.I" s into Lake Ontario a short distance west of the western limit of the City of Toronto. Although the boundary of the City does not reach the Humber, the built up area of the suburbs has already crossed the river in some places and extends some distance to the Westo The river drains and irregular area of 336.77 square miles bounded on the North by the watersheds of Holland and Nottawasage Rivers, on the West by those of the Credit and Etobi coke Hi vers and rf-imi co Creek and on the East by the water- sheds of the Rouge and Don Rivers and some small streams which flow through the City of Toronto, mostly below ground. The distance from the mouth of the Humber to the watershed of the Holland north of Nobleton is about 24 miles. From Wi lco cks Lake, the extreme eastern source of the East Branch, to the :unction of the watersheds of the Humber, Etobi- coke and Credit, west of Campbell's Cross, is about 28 miles. From Wilcock's Lake to the extreme northwestern point of the area above Mono Mills is a distance of about 28 miles and from this northwestern point to the mouth of the river is approxi- mately 36 miles. About five and a half miles from the mouth, above the Village of Lambton, the river is ,-; oined by Bla ck Creek, whose drainage area widens the watershed noticeably on the East. Four miles further up near Thistletown is the ~unction with the West Branch which drains a large area on the l":e st. The East Branch with its source in Wilcocks Lake flows cnly half a mile from the main stream at Kleinburg and finally ioi ns ita t .'lood bridge. The main river draws much of its water from Sources between Caledon East and Mono I~ills. The actual length of the main river from its,rource to the mouth ~ is more than 50 miles. il f t ~ I . f I I I I I I f -- ro , ~ II C 0 ( G It ( y ... ~ .. . I . 0 . \l . ~ < < ~ i · I T , . o - . . . \. T .. 0 i . ,. 7 It is these widely separated source areas which give to the watershed its irregular outline and sprawl- ing shape on the map. The watershed includes almost all the Township of Albion, most of the Townships of King, Vaughan and Toronto Gore, considerable portions of Etobicoke, York, North York and Chinguacousy Townships. It lies mostly in Peel and York Counties, but includes small parts of Dufferin and Simcoe Counties on the Northwest. Besides the suburban municipalities such as Sv;ansea and Lambton r1ills, there are a number of towns and villages in the watershed. Of these 1JIeston, WoodbridS\e, Kleinburg, Bolton and Palgrave on the main river and King near the rArest Branch are the most important. " 8 CH~Li}:rr ~r~ 'l'HE GJ::,CLlGY 1-i.~;lJ PHYSIliGL.APHY 01' 'l'HL HUh15r:.lc V.ATEhSHElJ The Humber River rises in the limestone hills of Caledon TovmshiD and t"he sand:\( hills of Albion and rCing Townshi ns at elevations of IhOO and 1500 feet above sea level. Thol)['"h the m,::tin source strea:1S arise in country which, for South Cu~tra 1 lntario, is moderately rugf~ed, the main branches cf ~he river flow in quite deer v811cv~) through level or un- dulatinp' country, typical 0::' the 13.ndscape tc the north of t' cit,/ c::- '1')ronto. The main stream, after cut tinp- throuf,:h v~e the hill at Lambton ~ills, flows across bedrock at an elev- ation .: about 300 feet s 1 u ?~~~ i s rl1 :l to en:'er La~~e entario. ':'he topoPTanhv of the watershed and the drain- 37e t:attern of the river S~lstem is largely the result of the continental glaciations which, in recent ~eolo,"'ical time, have rlaved 51l ch a dominant part in the moulding of the l " J..anascape, of Southern lntario. The bedrock on which this landscape has been buil t is here described briefly. Underlyinr: the south- ern n:3rt of lntario are beds of ancient sedimentary rocks, chieflv lime-stones and sha les, wh i ch .'iere deposi ted in early 2:eoloo-i Cd 1 tj~;:;e orl the hard, resistant and seeiuinly immov- able rocks of the Canadian Shield. <TlJ.-'n Shield itself, with .It;; carel" an~{ cover save the thin depe)i ts of glacial drift, is seer' in the Countrv north of Crillia. The sedimentary rOCKS are arrar:,ged in such a way tha t the southern part of the ['rc"\lince is rl' .;' rl bv a prominent feature, the Niagara ,A 1 v ~C1 e,,., Sca~n. This ridp"e, which is so apparent in the Niagara Denin_ sula a!1d at Hamilton, 5\'/i nr: s nor thward fron Hamilton towards :ollingwood. It can be said, therefore, that entario, west of Kingston, can be divided i f1 to three main regions, the Shield, uth Central Gn~":'ario and :':estern Cntarioo The Humber River actually has its source on the edcre of the scarp in '~stern lntario though most of the watershed lies Vii thin I I j I . ;: , , , , I I I . BEDROCK GEOLOGY PALAEOZOIC mITI LOGKPOf'T FOftMATION Grey .", ~_ieII ..... SILU"IAN ItOCHESTE".CL""TOtf .". S...... .110....... .... ~. . ":1 ... . ME 0"" A FO"MATION! .....,_. ~ OU((IISTON FOItMAT1Otf !tell. ..,tl, ..""..... OItDOVICIUI t-:-j ME Af'O!tD FO"ltAfION G'oy,blulIll allCl b,_1II ." -1 DUNDAS FO'UUTION (ir 0, onll lllut ...... .. . ._~ seAL f MILES /, 0 2 3 - - . " .. / . ,1 T:~, ) T:' .~"" : :"'~ ~ . .\ , :\ I . . . ~ -.--- / - , ".",. .." ~ .. '. .\ /' , \ / .. /' t ">, / . , I J' :- .....r' I - . : -,- " ... \ T c, . . ~ ..J'\.. ~ -=\..' ....-... ......-.,. >- '--.,. "' ',r - :. .--~. I I 1 1 I ] t ,. . . \ : : \ I : ! I J I ( '1 .-' I I I . \ . . , , . I -' : j , ~ \ J : l I I , .,._L , J ~ T , ~. .0..-.-_....-_ . I ,. I . : '- ~ ~ . : . , : ; r .:. L . , I I . : . , , . T . . --1.....,,. T--' : .. : .:- : : -: . . i --~"""---I: . T .. , .,/'--" GY ~OWftI.h cIo"',t. dol_,Ie. Ol'd . 'Iy .o~d" .1101. 0"" bro....." thO Ie . .....1. 10 the regi on of South Central lntario. The region of South Centra 1 Cnta ria itself can be described in terms of its own natural sub-regions. ':::'he Humber l:Jatershed lies astride regions whose characteristics are shared by neighbouring watersheds, f , the Etobicoke, the Credit, the Don and the Rouge. In the following jescrintion of the physical geogranhy of the Humber :','3 tershed these features which are characteristic of South Cer.tral Ontario and \vrli en shane the land over which the Humber and its tributarie2 flow are discussed. The rocks which underlie South Central GntEJrio are Jf an age known to geolo~ists as the Crdovician, and are genera lly agreed to be sumetr:i ng like 350 million years old. Becau~:e they lie cn the more or less rigid shield thev have I never been sub~ected tu any great extent tu the earth move- I merits which in other of the world have produced mount- r; parts ~ ain regions. Though the rocks are bedned horizontally, t and arrear that wav in outcroDs, they can not be considered ! r to ur;d er lie the re?ion in one flat sheet. They have been SUC)- fd Ii i.J ,~ e c t t c some eaml rnovement, however, and to the Opposing I forces of erosion, so that their surface, if it vias laid r)are, Wall 1::1 nrobably a~pear as a great rollinp 1:;lain with a reUef of Derha ns 480 feet. Eecords of wells and other drillirp, present tr,e evidence for this. The present earth. suface is, however, shar ed bv the c:la cial deposits that overlie the f bedroc~s . The glacial deposits themselves are made up of ma t e ria 1 ground UP from the s~dimentary recks or from the Shield. The limestone and shale material give prominent characteristics to the soils of the region, but, because they have been transDorted by the ice, these materials do not nec- e. essarilv .lie directly above the rocks from which thev origin- 'J The accompanying man shov,s the zones of rocks which traverse the watershed. The two which occupy the greatest SDace are the Dundas Shale and the Queenston Shale. ''fIhe Dleistoncene of the Toronte Ree:ion' . Coleman. ,. I . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ..... . ,. ......,... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............. "x' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , .. ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., . . . . .. .... .,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If. . . . . .' .. . . . . .~ . . . . . . . . . . , , , ,I X.~ ~ , , , ....... PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS r ....~ ,',,' ,,'.J INTERLOBAH 1Il0RAINE ~..~ TILL PLA,N ~~<:~ BEvELLED TILL PLAIN [==; TERlIl'HAL MO".'HE F i '''0000'5 LAKE ~.I"" SCALE MilES I I/Z 0 Z] l__~'" f .,~_t~, - - 1 ! '" } I 1 i . . .. . .. " .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. .. . .. . .. . . . ................... . . . . . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . ., ........... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .II.... .. . .. . . .. . , . ., ......,.. . . . .. . . .. " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .' .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . . . . . . .. .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . , i; I. < 1 L ir i' "' !i , !' <., ~\, , I - If ',r ~ jf I' !, I; f ;- I> ~ I~ .\ I, ~. r. I: ~. t ~ l L '. ~ . i' f I~ I: i1 f ! i f I; ~ i 1 I rNS ~ ~ t t i I t f r LAKE t i ON TARle I I I I ,. 12 The former is gray in colour and can be easily seen in the valley of the Humber between the lake shore and Lambton Mills. The C:;ui:;enston shale has a reddish tinge and tends to be a little sandier. It can be seen outcropping where number 5 Highway crosses the Credit River and streams to the west. Soils developed on materials transported from these zones tend to be a little acid. To the east of the Humber Jater- shed the rock is a limestone and at the western tip of the watershed the rock that caps the scarp is a dolomitic lime- I stone that can be seen .....here the Dundas Highway mounts the 'I I scarp or at Credit Forks. ~Jhere these materials are in the ~ soils they impart alkaline qualities to it and tend to I I overcome the acidity which is characteristic of soils formed ~ ~ , in this climate. ;,j I .' t:i l\i 1 At least three successive glaciations have ; I 'J i! covered this part of Ontario and left their marks in the form , i of deposits and shaping of the surface. Effective in t) the shaping process have been the interglacial periods and I the melting of the last glacier. Meltwater streams from the I I! glaciers and glacial lakes and ponds have worn valleys and f I shore lines and left waterlaid deposits covering the surface. The last glacier to cover South Central Ontario had a lobate form, two lobes flowed towards the southwest, one lobe fil- 'I :1 ling the basin of Lake Simcoe and the Trent Valley, the other '!f d lobe filling the basin of Lake Ontario, and deflected towards t! i! the northern lobe. The region between these two is now one of i varied deposits, fluvio-glacial and till left between the i i. j: faces of the two lobes. This is called the Oak Ridges, or t~e. , 1 ~lN Interlobate Moraine. ',M The physiographic divisions of South Central /_ 'I C~ Ontario on the basis of its glacial geology have been r described by Putnam and Chapmanl and are here summarized. Interlobate 1'1oraine Lying against the scarp in the region of Mono j7~ Mills and extending in a belt east towards Aurora, two to six "^..~ f .t'J l. D. F. Putnam and L. J. Chapman: 'The Physiography of t QrY!l+h rr-."""....._.-..' r\~.&... ~ ___. . " . -, " 13 miles wid e, is the Interlobate Moraine. This is found in elevations about 900 feet, has an irregular topography and consists of sandy and gravelly materials for the most part. Small depressions called 'kettles' are common, many of them permanent ponds from a fraction of an acre to one or two hun- dred acres in extent. Irregular hills unrelated to the drainage pattern of the area are also found. On the slopes leading up to the moraine, stream erosion has dissected steep valleys. The turbulence of the meltwaters has left these sands and gravels in disordered forms. Where voluminous flacier fed streams debouched into ~lacial ponds sandy deltas are found '" This variety of deposits has given rise to a complex soil pattern hut thE~Y share features of hilliness, lirht textures and good or excessive internal drainage. Till Plain --- Forming an east west belt to the south of the Interlobate area is a broad stretch of till plain or ground moraine. This is at altitudes varying from 400 to 900 feet, and has an undulating to rolling surface. It consists of deep beds of unassorted deposits left by the glacier moving across the country and dropping its burden of rock materials as it wasted away. The material is called boulder clay and con s is t 5 0 f c la Y, clay loam and loam ~ith varying proport- ions of shale and limestone materials with pieces of rock varying from pebbles to large boulders imbedded in it. Bevelled Till Plain Included within the Till Plain is a belt of much more level land with material consisting predominantly of clay with fewer stones and boulders. The f1a tness of this area and the nature of the deposit is evidence of its having been laid by water. This was in the way of a ponding or lake, but the edge of this is not distinct nor is the deposit uniformly of the nature of waterlaid deposits. It is called, therefore, a 'bevelled' till plain. The soils , that have developed on these deposits are very fertile but I I because of their heavy texture and the flat terrain they have I a tendency to be inadequately drained. . I -----.--- ------. -..--- ,. . , , , "'~ ~ --~ .c:: <j , ,~ '=df 'J 00. CONTOURS 100 FOOT INTERVALS SCALE : MILES 11/10 ,..... t I c'-=~:::=::::::--:~:::-:J r ~ I ~" t, ,; "( ( '~ !~~ ~ r' , ~ ; ._,i I J 'V-, /' !'I. V t,- f\ .ccJ/ I .\. ..... , ... ,- v D , ~ c>.? \ J ~ 1. .00 , ~ .,-~J '. ...... .., . ~ 15 Terminal Moraine On the southern edge of the Till Plain there is a low ridge running east and west across North Toronto towards Scarborough. This may be a Terminal Moraine marking a halt in the retreat of the face of the ice lobe. It marks off the limits of the lake which formed the Bevelled Till Plain. Its southern edge is marked by a distinct feature, known in Toronto as 'the hill'. The material of which this ridge is made is described as lighter than that of the Till Plain, of which it forms the southern margin. Iroquois Lake Plain Between 'the hill' and the lake in Toronto is J the Iroquois Lake Plain, a complex of clays, silts and sands \ deposited on the bottom of Lake Iroquois or the streams which ~ fed it. In places, Till deposits of previous glaciations , " ( cover the bedrock and have been smoothed off by the waters ~ of Lake Iroquois. Stream Pattern Much of the area of the Interlobate Moraine f and of the Till Plain which lies against the Interlobate has i not yet acquired a well defined drainage system. The Head- water streams of the Humber River system have not yet eaten back far enough to drain depressional areas in the irregular topography of the region. Such depressions are often marked by stands of trees, such as elm and cedar, that are well adapted i to wet lands. Where the streams have cut into the higher land t of the region they have cut steep gorges and give the region a very hilly aspect. The road from Nobleton to King crosses a number of such valleys. r ~ In the level stretches of the Bevelled Till ~ Plain the river system does not everywhere provide adequate I surface for drainage. \lide flat stretches may be seen between many of the small streams on which the water stands without being drained off by the streams. Farmers in the district ~ i have to induce drainage by ditches which will deliver the water .( I ~ i l to the streams or else the use of the land is restricted. ,fl ~ ~ " 16 Stream Deposits A feature of the main stream valley is noted because of its influence on the soil pattern and land use. Glacial me1twaters have deposited sands and gravels in strips . on what are now the shoulders of the river valleys. These patches are often marked by stands of pine trees which grace the scenery of the valley and which might well be extended to cover more of these sandy strips. ~vhere the land is level the soils on these sandy deposits are well adapted to truck ., , i farming. I i I Where the waters flowing in the Humber Valley I entered ponds and lakes made by the melting glacier, sandy ~ n i deltas were formed over the waterlaid clay or over boulder ~ clay. These sands have given rise to soils that are valuable ~j ,I, for market gardening and which have been found desirable :,', i . t 0::;. as building sites. Examples are to be found near Nashville 't and Woodbridge and in the Kingsway district. I' , The Humber River Va11e~ I I The lower Humber Valley is the product of a I stream with a complex history. The basin which is now occupied '! by La ke Ontari 0 was, during the dissipation of the last filled by a lake that was the fore rUnner of Lake This lake is known as Lake Iroquoiso As the ice ,. i' disappeared from the St. Lawrence Valley the basin became for I Ii r a time, an arm of an inland sea. Subsequent rising of the land , to the north cut off the salt water and the Ontario Basin became i f if.' WI again a fresh water lake. The farthest extent of these waters ~, l is marked by a series of shore features which can be seen along the slope of the Toronto hill. The oscillating level of waters filling the Ontario Basin affected the nature of river which flowed into them through the Humber Valley. level rose the mouth of the river was dro~~ned and its partly filled in. As the level was lowered the river cut deeper in its course and left terraces which mark the bottom. With the lowering of'the water to the level present lake the gradient of the river was steepened and the upper river and its tributaries are now cutting down into " 17 the deposits across which they run. The Significance of the Geology and Physiography The mature of the glacial deposits over which the river flows has, along with the climate, much to do with the water resources of the region. These, in some aspects, require control if they are to meet the requirements of the human Occupants. The nature of the river valleys, the glac- ial deposits and the bedrock will largely determine the mechanical steps that may be taken to control the flow of the river. The land use of the district depends to a great extent on the soil pattern. This pattern reflects the nature of the materials in which the soils have developed. Up to the I . present the natural features of the land have, to some extent, , determined the land use, communications and industries on the ~ land drained by the Humber River system. In future development :.; I Ij '" '" this influence can be expected to be even greater if the ~ If optimum planned use of resources is to be expected. H J ti ~I e. 1; ~; ,. 18 CHAPTER CLI.MATE The Humber Watershed falls naturally into three parts having distinctive surface form and also distinctive climate. Near Lake Ontario is a low sand plain cut by gullies. The mid-sect ion is a clay plain sloping gradually from 400' to 800' or 900' above sea level. The upper part of the water- shed in Albion and King townships has a general elevation of IOOO' to 1200' A.T. although the river drains a small area above the escarpment near Mono Mills that lies near 1500' A.T. This part has rugged landscape comprising irregular hills of sand or boulder clay. Its higher altitude and inland position combine to make it colder than the southern part of the basin. In describing the climate of the Humber area the weather station at Toronto, the oldest in the province will serve for the section near Lake Ontario. The figures recorded at Georgetmvn and Agincourt apply to the mid-section with the Malton airport station providing extra observations for the last eight years. Aurora and Alton lie at the eastern and western borders of King and Albion townships, the Aurora I station being more representative. I In the spring gro\rth starts around the middle of , , i April, the southern part of the watershed being only a few I i days ahead of the northern part. A figure of 420F. is often I used as the temperature which initiates growth of crops. I I Therefore the average temperature in April of 420 at Toronto, Agincourt and Georget" ~, and 400 at Aurora points to the I middle of April as a general date for the start of growth. j In summer this watershed lies within a broad, uniform temperature belt extending from the southern end of Lake Huron to Ottawa or Arnprior. In autumn also it belongs to the same belt and variation within the watershed is small. Winters are milder in the south; the Humber Bay and Lambton Mills vicinities average 22 to 230 through Jan- , uary while the Aurora figure of 190 is not too low for the ~ ; I ! , ! ! f I ! I " I 19 II il I, The former area compares equally with Simcoe, II Albion Hills. ~ St. Thomas and Sarnia, while other places near the January iso- ,I Ii therm of 190 are Port Hope, Fergus, Wingham and Stayner. II !I ii Ii Snowfall is rather light with more of it remaining on the ground I; " il in the northern section. In half of the seasons no severe frosts occur after May 5th near Lake Ontario while May 24th is a comparable date for Albion and King townships. An average of 155 days without frost gives the southern section a great advantage over the upper townships with 125 days, particularly in the culture of tender fruits and vegetables. When dealing with a river basin rain and snow hold a special interest. A total yearly precipitation of 32 inches i and snowfall of 60 inches applies to the Humber area. Thus it is among the drier sections of the province, especially in the two lower sections where summer rainfall is less than on the ridges. Drouths are common, in nearly half of the years there have been summer months (l~y to Sept.) with less than one inch of rain. ! According to the amount of water carried off by the Upper Credit River the run-off is low in this part of the province. Likely around 10 inches of water over the watershed goes down the Humber while the rest of the 32 inches I evaporates from the surface of the ground or the leaves of plants 0 e~ 1Jf~ ~ 20 CHAPTER LAND SETTLE~lliNT 1. ~xploration and Settlement The River Humber owed its first importance to the fact that its valley formed part of an Indian route from Lake Ontario to the Georgian Bay by way of Lake Simcoe. This trail was probably used by Indians from the earliest days and was well known by the time the first French explorers penetrated the Ontario region. It was an overland trail or long portage rather than a waterway. The Indians seem usually to have carried through to the lowest rapid near the "Old Mill" or even to the bay itself. Evidently it was not worth while to use the river except when there was sufficient water to run the rapids. The trail followed the west bank of the river fairly closely ! until it reached the neighborhood of Kleinburg. Above that : point there seem to have been alternative routes. One of I these followed close to the main stream until it crossed the East Branch near Nobletono It then diverged to the northeast to cross the watershed near Hackett's Lake. From Hackett's Lake the trail ran north to the Holland River ending at a point on the West Branch above the forks. This trail became the packhorse "trace" of later years, which Simcoe followed in 1793. It has been traced in detail by Percy J. Robinson in an appendix to "Toronto under the I French Regime". There is some archaelogical evidence that a more easterly route, crossing the divide near Eversley, was in use in the seventeenth century. There are also said to have been trails from the Humber to the Mississauga. The Humber Trail was the most convenient way to Lake Simcoe and thence to Lake Huron, in spite of some obvious drawbacks. That it involved a long overland carry was not of much moment to the Indians, who preferred to make one long portage rather than to take their canoes out of the water every I ! few miles to make short portages around impassable I ~ I ~ I I , " ! I ~ I I I ~ ) ~ 21 1 The Niagara route was much longer and involved a great rapids. deal of coasting along the shores of the Great Lakes. 'l'he Trent System offered a convenient, but somewhat round-about route to travellers from the eastern end of Lake Ontario. It had also the advantage of being sheltered both from storms and from raiding enemies. The fear of Iroquois attack had brought this Trent route into prominence when Champlain came to the Ontario region. In 1615, when the first European passed through the valley of the Humber, the shadow of the Iroquois had already fallen across the north shore of Lake Ontario. The country through which the Humber and its tributaries flow was a border I region between the Petun territory to the West, the Hurons I , to the North and the Iroquois. t. There seem to have been few permanent Indian set- = tlements in the region at that time. Champlain does not ~ I indicate any villages on that part of his map. As a short cut -1 to the Huron country, the Humber Valley was especially exposed to raiding by one side or the other. The Iroquois generally preferred to use the long Trent Valley route, but the portage f must have been often used for more peaceful purposes. This "no man's land" extended along the north shore practically to the I, St. Lawrence rapids. The Iroquois made it unsafe for any other tribe to occupy it permanently and were not yet able to take it entirely for themselves. 2 (1 ) Champlain and LaSalle, l6l5-1685 In September 1615 Champlain sent his interpreter, I A I on an embassy to the Etienne Brule with a party of Hurons, Andastes of the Susquehanna. Travelling light and in haste, they crossed from Lake Simcoe by the Holland and Humber Valleys, coasted round the west end of the lake and crossed to Lake Erie at Niagara. /. I Brule left no firsthand account of 1. This applies to large parties with heavy loads. Single canoes probably used the river to a greater extent. 2. There may have been more occupation before the rise of the Iroquois., I ,I .i it , rl 22 his journey and does not seem to have given Champlain much information on the first part of his route. On Champlain's map of 1632 this part of the north shore of Lake Ontario is almost blank and BrUle's trail to the Andastes is only marked from Lake Erie South. It is unlikely that Brul~ saw very much of the country through Ylhich he was passing. The trail would lead mostly through thick bush, giving only occasional opportuni- ties for wider view. As the last mile or so would be traversed by water, Br~l~ probably got his first view of Lake Ontario over the marshes as the valley opened to the bay. Brl11~ re- tur 1.ed another way, and it is not probable that any Frenchmen visited the Humber for some years. This passage to the Huron country was certainly well known to the French by l632, and ~' was used by traders, explorers and missionaries, when ever it ! I II was safe and convenient to do so. There is evidence of the presence of some European on the Humber Trail in 1641. It ~l seems very likely that Br/boeuf and Chaumonot crossed the r} portage in the spring of that year on their way back from their abortive attempt to found a mission in the land of the Neutrals. By 1651 the Iroquois had ravaged the lands of l the Hurons, Neutrals and Petuns, massacred most of the inhabitants " ; and driven out the few who escaped. The whole of the , f ! tl Ontario country was closed to the French and no Frenchman Was t:\ able to ascend the St. Lawrence till 1657. The maps pUblished f between 1650 and 1670 show an increasingly accurate knowledge of the northern and western shores of Lake Ontario and of the streams flowing into the lake from the North, but it was not until after 1665, when de Tracy had chaste ned the Iroquois in the heart of their country by burning their "castles" and de- stroying their crops, that Frenchnen could venture to travel at : f; c#. .. Ie;, ease in the Ontario region. r:;. , , , i I C/t About this time we begin to hear of Iroquois ,I WI"' ! : I 4'~ villages on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Beaver skins ' I . , f u;~' had become the currency of the fur trade and the Iroquois had ~r : "..~ /i/ I , '~~r9" I~Fo if ~ " 23 . , ,: exterminated the beaver in their original hunting grounds, ,I , south of the lake. The lands beyond Lake Ontario had become I I their chief source of revenue and to a great extent of their food. ~ Powerful tribes from the North and ,vest were already beginn- I of the Iroouois on these vital J ing to challenge the hol" " terri tories. It was essential for the latter to secure the -, I trails and before 166~ they had a number of fortified villages located at strategic points. Two of these, Ganatsekweyagon at the River Rouge and 7eiaiagon at the Humber, "villages of the Senecas IT , commanded the IO\cler ervJs of the trails forming i the ft ~assage of Lake Taronto If (Lake Simcoe.) ~ I! ~ Teiaiagon begins to appear on the maps from I i about the time of the founding of Fort Frontenac in 1673. At ~ " ~ first, however, the French were more interested in Ganatsekwey- I,. ',: . 'if By using the portage from the nonge they considerably ~, a~on. i Jl shortened the distance to be travelled in canoes along the I exncsed shore of La ke Cnta rio . It was at Gan3tsekweya?on that Sulpicians ef Montreal founded a branch of their mission to t t I I the Iroquois in 1669, but with the comin~ of La Salle and the I establishment of shipning on Lake Ontario, Teiaiason becomes more important. La Salle was granted the seigniory of Fron- tena c (Kinr;ston) in 1674 and soon began to explore the lake and eXDloit the fur trade using small sailing ships and sai ling boa ts 0 The first of these to appear at the mouth of the Humber was a brip;antine 1 of ten tons, bound for Niagara with a party of La Salle's men. She was sterm stayed in the Humber from j~ovember 26th to December l5th, 1678<1 This is the first instance of the use of Humber Bay as a refuge from adverse winds, which Vias to becor.1e qui te common in the future. A Recollet Friar named Louis Hennepin was on board and mentions the sta? at Teiaiagon in his account of his travels, written in ') 16 v' <- Hennepin says tha t the French "bartered some Indian ,6. . ....... ---... " - l. A brigantine in 1670 was a It lOH Ion?, and swift Sea-vessel..... , havinp 12 or 13 oars on a side" , usuallv Dartlv decked and used fer scoutine-. The use of the name- for a particular rig came later. ') In English, as Hennepin was by then in the service of ... the King of England. 'i"V, I I ~ 24 Corn with the Iroquoese, who could not sufficiently admire us", 1 havin~ never seen a boat before. He gives no information about the villace of Taiaia~on or the country around it, being more concerned with the danfr,er of being frozen-in at the rj ver' s mouth or nmnin?; aground on the shoals outside. During the next ten years the Senecas of Teiaia- gon were to become familiar with sailinp ships, Frenchmen and French brandy. Traders were using the portage and selling We are told that after one Carnival ,I brandy to the Indians. i I celehr2tion the whole village of Teiaiagon was drunk for three 'I days. La Salle had four vessels of from twenty-five to M forty tens on the lake by 1678, besides smaller boats, and i t H ii ii 'i was nrobably the convenience of the anchorage which made him ,~ ,... d choose the Teiaia~on portage in l680 on his way to Michilim- 'i ~ ~. f I ackinac Q lie teok from August 15th to 22nd getting his canoes k. t ~j , , ~ '. and dunnage across to Lake Simcoe, althou~h he had sent most Ii l fJ I of the heavy and bulky stores by Niagara with a separate party. II' He must have found the portage difficult for he gives an exag- p! gerated account of it in his renort. In the summer of 1681 he went from Michilimackinac to Fort Frontenac by Teiaiagon, travell in?; light, and returned in August with thirty men. This time he took fifteen days to get his goods across and while at TeiRiagon completed his report of the year's events. 1 The site of the Seneca village is not known for certain, but it seems likely that it was on Baby Point. This is the type of location favoured by the Indians for the ; , stockaded villages on high ground which the English settlers called "castles". The early maps appear to show the village as A short distance up the river, and in some cases give the €f length of the portage to the Holland. These distances agree well enough with the actual distance from Baby Point and finds of Indian relics which have been made from time to time on this site indicate a long period of continuous occupation. 2 The Dutch and English at Albany were becoming alarmed at the activity of the French. A party of Dutch and crossed by the Humber to Lake Huron in 1687. They made f;l~ I jjA~ ,.-( ------ Ii ,;lit 'I La Salle was carryinf, a very laq)~e quanti tv of stores for II I' the use of the western posts.. . I Torcnt.n !Inrl..,... +-t-,_ n -, 25 an attempt to seize l'Jlichilimackinac, but were defeated and captured by the French. Later in the same year Denonville, the Governcr of Canada, led a punitive expedition ar,ainst the Seneca s. He returned by the north shore of the lake, arranged I for the building of a fort at Niagara and anchored for half a day at the Hc.mber. His stay there was chiefly due to contrary winds, but he may very possibly have occupied the time in burning the Senecas "castle" at Teiaiagon. If he had any idea of found- ing a post at Toronto, he was soon forced to give it up. The I I Seneca s were enraged but not destroyed, and they and their ! 'I I allies began a series of raids which culminated in the massacre I 1 of Lachine in 1688. Niagara and Frontenac were abandoned and ~ I ! Lake lntario was closed to the French for a time. ~ '" Either Denonville'f' raid or Frontenac's Success- i ~,' ful efforts to re-open the Lake Ontario country to the French ~ ~ seemed to have caused the Senecas to a~andon their castles on , the north shore of the lake. The Ottawas were moving down from the North, and in 1700 some Mississaugas seem to have settled I in the Toronto region at the invitation and as the allies, of the Onandagas. They hai Tlsixteen castles!!, some of \/hich were certainly near Teiaiagon. (2 ) Forts "Toronto" ani "Houille" - 1720 - 1759 The idea of posts at th~ west end of the lake was soon revived by the French governor. It was carried out in 1720 when government stores (I"agasins Iloya1s) 'dere set up (Levliston) , at IUagara Toronto and ,uinte. The Toronto post !vas probably at the Humber though the exact 10cCition is un- certain 2nd it may even have been as far west as the mouth of ~ the Credit. The Toronto post ~as closed in 1729 and for the t~ next twenty-one years there was no government post on the . Humber. I ; As time went on, hovvever, it became evident that the building of a larger post at Niagara had increased the t l "t ' 1 I importance of the Humber portage and l s ancnorages. A - .. l. The open Broad" in Humber Bay and the sheltered harbour behind the "Presqu' 11e de Toronto" nOH Toronto Bay. , ., 26 considerable amount of trade came to IJiagara by this route and this trade could easily be diverted to the British fort at Oswet;o. The Albany traders could also use the Toronto trails to reach Lake Huron and the farther .Jest without passing Niagara. It was very likely that the British n.ight bu ild a fort here if the Frencr~ did not. In 1749 the Governor of New France, the Marquis de La LTon luiJre had become convinced "that the re-establishment of Fort Toronto would cat ch all theiUss issaugas and the trj bes of the North .vho passed that way on their road to Chouaguin (Oswego) tI . On ITay 20th, 1750, the Chevalier de Portneuf, a d clerk-trader and five soldi ers arrived at the !111mber and pro- ! i ceeded to build "a small stockaded fort and a small houseTT~ This ~ ~ was on the east bank of the river near the Mouth, a little way , " " above the beach. nortneuf stayed there until LT1~ly 17tL, and e, , "then left to rejoin his garrison and the clerk-trader went dOl,m to T'Tontreal with the bales of furs.n 2 The season's trade I ! i was so much beyond expectation that the original store "vas " I considered to be too small and too insecure. It Vias decided I to build a laq:;er and stronger fort on the eastern point of i Humber Bay, where it would command the sheltered anchorage within Toronto Bay while still controlling, to some extent, the ~ open roadstead at the Humber. This fort was begun early in J ;1 , September, 1750, by a contract or from ;J10nt, real , In spite of various dela' s the ',.york was carried on all vvinter and. completed early in the summer of 1751. This fort WAS officially ~ ri ven the name of Fort Houille', but seems r:1ore often to have been called Fort Toronto, the name given by Portneuf to the small post at the mouth of the Humber. IL~~ I," , :;,; l. Toronto under the French Re'gime. The size of this first I ;.' ~ i It post is not stated. The representations of a stockaded ' I I fort which have lately become a popular form of decoratj_on I l I in the city are more like this first post than the more 'f-I elaborate Fort Houillef v'fith its heavy log bastions. i.J 2. 1"';' . ~u Chouquet, the trader, soon returned uith his wife and made a good deal of trouble for the Sieur Dufaux, the ~r contracting carpenter in charge of building the new fort. rl, See Dufaux' JeiJositions quoted in Toronto under the French Regime. ..-'J f~ I '^ ~ -:j ~ 27 , The settlement of the Humber Region may be said I from the buildin~ of these posts, for though Fort lay ,iust outside the watershed, it was so intim8tely wi t h the Humber that it cannot reasonably be separ- it. The building of the forts brought to the region the first horses and the first white woman of vJhich we 1 very likely the first gardens as well. have any record , The new fort was successful in maintaining l the command of the Toronto portages. Its location had been chosen, hO\'iever, chiefly Hith a view to strategic considerations , , J and the old landing at the river's mouth continued to be the . I ~ . , I' termination of the Humber porta,ge 2 The old post was retained (, I . and a road made joining this to the fort. The Mississaugas made \[ -., a branch trail which .-ioined this road midway between the two r- "~ , , I posts. Here the Indians were in the habit of camping when they ~I came to trade. The road along the lake shore merged at either '( end into the trail which skirted Lake Cntario. This trail I was used by the French to keep up land communication with Niagara f ! and Frontena c. Runners were used to carry letters and dis- I I I patches and these sometimes failed to fet through. It is probable that horses were already being used to pack goods over the portage; but unlikely that they were used for long ~ trips. Three hundred acres had been cleared around the fort ~ and there was probably also a clearing at the landing. The French had four vessels of some size plying on the l~ke and used these ~ The to convey the furs from Fort houille to Fort Niagara. possibility of a sawmill on the river was discussed but nothing was done about this before the outbreak of war with the British. Although the war at first went favourably for te/ '.J/e the French, the strain on the resources of the colony made I'Fe, the upkeep of the remoter posts increasingly difficult. Fort ,'Ie c~ Rcuille'was not built to withstand attack by European forces CJ Jr. and when the J..Jnglish approached NiaGara the cornmandant of Rou- JCJ ille was ordered to destroy the l~ fort on receiving word that .rh 'U',€ I'.iIme du Chouquet wa s presumably I,'rench. Horses are Jllp, mentioned in the depOSitions. I I .A',-, Du Chouquet objected to the new site as inconvenient and ,,'I. had a kinrJ of canal du;~ west of the fort in an unsuccess- ful attemnt to imnrove the boat landin~. : A "--.-) ,. 28 Kiaga ra had fallen. As soon as news of the intended surrender was received, Fort Rouille'was set on fire anrj it/hen the L:;nglish arri veri on October 27tb, 1759, they found nothing but ruins. (3) 1762 - 1792 For a time the Humber ~"as left to the Indians, but by 1762 the traders were back at "Toronto", probably occupy- ing the old post at the landing, which is not recorded to have been bu rned in 1759. The t<ritish Government \1TaS trying to limit t~ding in this region in order to suppress the selling of liqr:,ol' to the Indians. The traders, hovveve r , evaded these re~~ulu t ion~ in various ~,rays. They seem to have had d semi- . ~ Pontiac's perrrlanent '~epot dt the Humber. conspiracy interr- r , upted this traffic for a time. The ITis s issaugas Viere indu ced \ to a~ree to prevent trading at Toronto, but the "Toronto Carrying .. -, Place" was consj,dered such a desir., 'ole si tuation that it ViaS ::. impossi 'ole to keep the traders a',my. In 177() a license was , issued to "St. ,Tean '\.o:Jsseau, of the City of Montreal, I,Ierchan1;- , " to trade at Toronto an i this Housseau and his son appear to have continued to trade regularly at "Toronto!' until the founding I (called by the Lnglish I of ~ork in 1792. John Baptiste ~ousseau nst. T ' 'f) son of "St. ,T eanll ttousseau, appears to have become ,Jonn' a more or less permanent resident at the Humber by 17~7. He haci ITlarried, in that year, an adopted dauchter of Joseph Brant and although he continues to describe himself as "of Cataraqui" he seems to have been actually domiciled at the Humber. His house '1'1i th its cherry orchards was at the top of the bank above the Boat Landing west of Riverside Drive and south of the line 1 of Queer.. Street. The American Revolution and the flight of the t ,. Loyalists had brought a flow of settlers to the shores of ' I ;' Lake Ontario, at either end of the lake. The Government was , , anxious to organize these districts and connect them to each . I other by settlements along the north shore of the lake, and to ;J ) develop trade with the interior. All the various portages to Lake Simcoe were investigated in order to determine which might ,r r, " oJ. , l. The channel of the Humber at its mouth seems to have been I closer to the high ground than at present. See old maps. , .A After St. John occupied the site and possibly the buildings . of old "Fort Toronto" other traders built a house or houses nearby. See below. 29 be improved. 'The 'l.'oronto Ca rrviw-; ('lace VVClS net only the direct but harl the advantar;e of ~ood anchorages nearby. waE' decided t c; fcund ... settlement there a~ soon as r;ossj.ble, 0 as a preliminHry, an area including a bout a third ef the of Yerk was Durchased from the j'lissi.ssaugas fer oil, 700 I in cash and gClcds. The treaty ViClS signed at the Quinte Carry- flace on the twenty-third of Septemi ,er, 1787. Even before treatv v;as signed, anplicaticns tad been made fer grants of la nd to at Torcnt 0" . The anrli cants, in most ca~;es, were of scxne promincnce, whe a skt~d Lor larGe prants en of orinfinz in sett12rs. In 1728 Philippe de Rocheblave submitted a detailed scheme foy' c8rrvin[ goods and ( bateaux OVCr the r:ortap:e at three times the rC.t~~5 charged at \. the Niagara lortar;e. He askej for "an exclusive rri vi le,[,e '-j , i , , . r of carryinf f':ood~: across from Toronto to Lake 1a Claie" ~ , t (Simcoe), and for a o:rant of 1,000 acres near "Toronto". '~ The p;r;Hlt of carrying rrivile~es was reserved I consideration, \r,hile the grant of land was ay::proved. f I! other applications fer land \vere made after, I soon I many bv French Ganad ians, friends or dependents of [Locheblave. ; " A few, hOHever, \\;ere from settlers of English origin, among them hi chard Beasley and Peter Smith, fur traderE'. , who prayed ~ TorGnto and at Pemitiscutiank (port Hope), having 1 J ;, alreadv built !i ::) house at each of those rlaces." The Land Comnd ttee found themselves unable to recOinmend the grant to the two traders "as it is proposed by Your Lordship to layout a town at Toronto...a grant of lands round the hou~e. . .might interfere with the intended plan.l Lord Dorchester had already decided to make ttis t OviD the cani ta 1 of the proposed prGvince , ,,;e/ , ,.JE~ UnDer Ca nada . The passin~ of the Canada Act in 1791 set H~ a separate Land Board for Upper Canada. The confirmation i.'fe ~ _. Lntario Archives report, [,ov. 17, lS29. As the scheme (:J. r. incluced a belt of "town Dark lotslf of twenty-four acres c) all round the town, it extended almost to the Humber, ; lv. so that Peter Smith's house may have been near St. John's. i The n:ra nt at Port Hone was ap~roved. iCh. r1r'E' .Hpt "I /: .A'...s ..~E.. 30 r of these ,p'rants v;as put off until the new bOard should be functi onin?,. Nothing further was done and the scheme for ~ French settlement at Toronto came to nothing. ~. In Au~ust 17BS Alexander Aitkin had attempted r t to survey the T1Toronto Purchase", but had been prevented from f ! completin?, the survey owinp to misunderstandinps on the part ~l fl of the Indians, who claimed they had only sold the land to the I Humber. They were nrevailed Upon to accept the Etobicoke as " , r t f the boundary; but the dispute ~as not finally settled until f , some years later. Aitkin ran the baseline of York Township on ; i this survey, which settled the layout of the south part of the r ! township. \ ! r (d) 1792 - l812 i r r The preparations for the settlement at T1TorontoT1 f ~ were continued after the Government of Upper Canada was organ- l ized by Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe in 1792. In May 1793 Lieu- tenant Bouchette was sent ;;ith tWL> vessels to survey the harbour behind the neninsula, and early in July the Queen's Ran~ers crossed from Niaf'ara to set up a camp east of the site of Fort Rouille/. At this time what settlement there was at "Toronto" 1 It consisted of St. John's house, was at or near the Humber. Smith and BeaSley's houses and probably the storehouse bUilt by Aitkin in 1788. With the com5ng of the Queen's Rangers the settlement moved eastH8rd off the Humber Watershed. The Governor himself crossed Over frem Nia[ara on July 20 and anchored off St. John's house" until morninp, ~"lhen Eousseau piloted the Mississaga into the harbour on July 30th, 17~' 3 . From Simcoe's arrival, work went on rapidly but the centre of interest ~argely shifted from the Humber to the Don. Simcoe set un a shipyard at the Humber and a sawmill at the first rat'id. By AUGust 6th 1793, the mill V.as in operation and the miller and his wife installed in their hcuse.2 Land had been reserved on both sides of the river for the shipyard and mill, to ensure a sunnly of timber. These l. Bouchette says that there were only some wigwams on the 0> site of the city when he be~an his survey of the bay. 2. Simcoe visited the mill on August 6th and brought back OJ a present of "cakes" from I~s. Willson to Mrs. Simcoe. II :11 ~~. " ..~'~~ ~J' ; >I. . . ... "," ", ',. -~, - l :~'. . - , , l., " It - -~ #3;~ . ,. . ':'f.... 't!" ~ . . - , , . I ... . . -, -' J, ,I . ....-r J~,I' _~/ i . - '-. , '. 1.1 / ~ I' . ,.: " , , N.,/~Jr . . . .fJJ(I"'rl .-- .~~ rP'. I'" . . .'1 ., ..,1.fll ~ __ -- ~. JJ " _------ . .,.",'. I" __---- -I,"r~ ". / ",1.' __ ,,; ...--, J.' . , -- 1~ '--;".'J' .,JC' /. ~. ,: J'( I' ... JJ.",d .,."" :I' .,,1 t'. o 1 .1, . " !I' -,,'" t""'. ;t"loo 1 . ".' ,- . y. '~1 . " ~d . .-' . , I I'. . '. . ... i.;i \ (). ---, I -' \ . i . , ! 1(.:1 . , / ,I , _ 'oj j ..... , . .. . . ( I #; I /, I . .' / \ I' ' \ ,.1 j, o. f" "', ..' i,\ Ii" I I I / I I >, . ), II / ". ~ .. .' .... . ... ,t .. r... .. . I + . ...... '.-., , / " j ~ ,I " ).,,. I (I. .1 .>' + " I , , .J ...._ ~ ~ .. ~ .- v . , ..~ / '" .... '4.~ .... .c. 0" '.... 1 ,<, """ " ~ -, - ...' , ..-..; ,- ... l/f:i" ...- . ",... " >' 4. I "\ ';' Y.. ~ ~ :)to. I h. . . ... . ~ / I ,f" ~;., :...~::. t' ;. , I .1 ft ." ".r _.. "'. .. I ,.-AI.; ,~- I". KING'S MILL RESERVE, 1796 ,/ (Approxima te Iy half size) . 32 reservations prevented much settlement near the river until many years later. The portage trail was still in use. In lctober 1793, Simcoe crossed the portage on horseback on his way to Lake Huron. Lee of the purposes of this trip was, no doubt, to inspect the Humber trail :3 nd decide on its fitness to become the main road to Lake Simcoe. The Governor was evid- ently not impressed with the trail, possibly owing to the fact that he had to wade some distance un to his waist in I the mud and water of the Holland l'Jarshes before he could f"et I into his canoe. ,He returned on foot direct to York from Holland Landina" althouGh hi sInd ioln f::~id es wen: so unfami liar I , with that route that they lost their way and the party rJn \ . cut of provisions before they found a surveyor's line and came '. in sight of Lake Gntario. Simcoe decided to l3Y out a road :, from York northwards in an almost straight line. and with the ~ ! cutting of Yonge Street in 1796 the importance of the Humber " I Trail was gone. ~ ~ 1 I The three southern concessions of York 'l'ovmshi p I I had been laid out parallel to the bay by Cctober 1793. Part / I ! of Etobicoke was surveyed in 1795 and the remainder of the land II I in the watershed in Etobi coke, Vaughan and King TOKnship3 had I I been laid out in lots by 1800. In these later sur 'Jeys the ~" I lots were laid out east and west and I the concessions north I , and south, so that most of the lots ran back from the river. By this arrangement the number of reserved lots was increased for a time, as all lots with nossible "millseats!! vfere res- erved for t[w C ro wn . 2 ~ith the ordinary Crown and Clergy Reserves and the special Timber Reserves, a large number of (,e lots on the Humber v,Tere not onen to freehold erants. This ,. J, I'; increased the "spottyness" of the settlement at first as illOst \. . , c. settlers preferred net to lea~e reserves if they cculd get an r 1- ordinary lot which suited them. Grants of unreserved lands on ,/, j, the watershed were made from 1794 on, but many of these were t. .r~ ',r l. l..!ueen Street, Bloor Street and Sto CLtir ";'VC-)Due. ",Vl 2. Under the other arrangement two or three of these millseats 'I sometimes would have fallen in one lot. .1\", .I~ 33 parts of larr,e ~rants made to satisfy the claims of prominent Loyalists, officials, officer2 of the ~ueen's Rangers and other military claimants with memb~rs of their families.l (nly a few of this class of grantee made 2ny attempt to develop their hold- ings at the time, thou~h some rlaced tenants on their land to nerforrn the settlerr;ent dutie[) and the descendants of these early grantees settled on the Humber in the next generation. ;> Non- commissioned officers and men of the ~ueen's Rangers were given Erants on dischar~e. Some of them sold their rights to sDeculatcrs without ever attempting to settle, but a few had I established themselves on the land by about 1800. Up to 1806, , however, the settlers were very scattered. Charles Aitkin, travelling from ~indsor to York in the summer of 1806, says thClt lion all this read (Dundas Street from the Sixteen-Mile Creek to the Humber) you pass but two houses - Adjutant McGill's,3 about fcur miles from York, and a house before you Get to the Humberotl There were rather mere settlers to the north of Dundas Street and around Black Creek, though in this last region a very large grant had been patented by Governor Simcoe. From l806 to 1812 the number of settlers increased slo1trly but steadily, above Dund3s Street. Settlers were beginning to reach the Humber ~atershed in the southern Dart of VauGhan, where settlement had begun along Yange Street scan after it was !'opened" in 17960 This group of settlers in Vaughan v..as, in ;-art, an offshoot of the German settlement in Markham 0 This western settl~:ment of "Pennsylvania Dutch" wa s enly nartl ~l v. i thin the waterShE';c1, but there was a colony of Kennonites from fennsylvania in the fourth and n.fth { - l. These claims were quite legal under the existing rules I and a sin cere at tempt VI,',3 s made to prevent abuses, but this . did no t r,revcmt a COIJ.S iderable amount of favouri ti sm in the selection of lots and the ratifying of claims. 2. The Gamble family for example, John Gamble, Surgeon in the -> Queen's E.an?ers, received large ['"rants on the Humher but never lived in the watershed. fas descendants \18re prominent ~ on the river after 18300 3. This was a farm of Ensign John McGills, hThich l'~ilrs:1 Simc,Je ment ions .r visitin~ in 1794-5, not the ~park lot", north of "iueen >, Street and east of Yonge, on which Capt. McGill was already .,'.1 livin~ in 1856: The farm (Lot 33, Cons. II) was n83r where 'L Dundas Street crossed the second concession (Bloor Street)" -1\ ~ ~ 1; ; . J' :.: . .. ...~~~ " '. l' J ' ",,\a.. '. 4.;. . ~ ( ''If.\ '. "- ~ ~ ~, . ~ S' ~, ". -.J' , '. , , . ~ ., ,. ':'" ' . . , ~ '-, .... " ~ '. . l .. . , , ,. , , (y 'r' . - " "(\" . \", , I , ,.: . ~ ~ i ~... { . \~' r ~ '\ ' .' . '~. , : , I.... " f:t:. , I _. ~ . ~ l, . I 'lo.' ~ " '* , " . ~~, I' ~. ~ ~: . .; C. \l.'., i ~_~; r S ~ ' .... ~ ' . 1'..... \ ,. ,,~. "'. '~ 'Po' "- . ~ " I ." . ',,) , f. ' .. ~ . ~ . ". ~ '~l' ~." : _ t [ '""'. "" .IIL , U' '<:, "t' " '. C f. . .t .', a:. __ .' ' . I f),' J ' < < '\" . , .~ . 1 " " .J ~ . , , . "" '. ~ " ti-__ ;. '-."~ . \ . 'J.. ;' :.,'" ~ T ~... .;t .'~. . j Ii · .t ". ," .' , '-.I, i . ./ 1\ "', :t- . .. . .' , .~.. '" //" .It, I ~ :1:,- .1, "~. I " ~ . ~! .. # " .." . ~ . or,. " . ........... 1 ...:... . '. '.' \ ,". '. "- '\ / . .... ,'f- . / ,~ \ '" t...,' . I 't-. " .' ' ')(C;..~. ". ' '.. ~~ . ~:~. '- .... /d,' / /' , .' f. <; - ( ~' . \ : - \ \. -. -~ ---.- . . . \ /110 ,I , ' " . .I ~ '~ /r i I ,. J,.f . .~. !.,:-, "f ... ~ ..;{' (./, ", ~ ", ',11', .', ! '" r, ' / I .. / r, , , , I, . ~ f' /. I" Ji ~ " .I"t I l::,,-c, /1''' / (,I' /)) , / \ : . '. ' - i,"': ,,~' -,', -(" )/ ,.., ....~ , J ' ." . ..:..*) 'M j '\ .~ ~. ~ . . . ~ ! r . _ l: ~.,. t - ,. ,- 'L " : , , . ' , . ~. I ""I." , . ft;) ',{ : " ' ..., /'1'11 ,J , ..... '_" ' , , .- t -. C k . ,\. . ~.~. " r.'~ (. L. . / ""P' ~ _ .~-."".. . ) "'1~" _ .,;..1" ,.j " J,>, "',' _ -~- . " , I'.., ~'-".... "., · L___ , - ''-" ",., .E ~ , ,,, " \: '::. '",. ._: '. - / ~ -~ ".... ..,' ~ )f. J ~. . '. j.' ,,.r J . ., ' ~I \ ' .' l (l " , ~......... { (, , " ...~. . .- "- "'. ~l -, ",~~~ , . -:-. ~ ,-\t'" '._, ", , " ." . }t\. . . - '- '01( \ : '- . . .... . , - ~ '. : " ~f.'-~".." ' ~ ,,:.. ,..... .. ... .. ~~. _. . - - -.. ,. l ~, -. . .', ~ "', - . " !,. .~'... .' \, "..:.'~:''7 . ">," , ~. 4.~ ~'~". '. . " t.. : . . . .... .' , ,,!-,~ .~. 1 ~ " . , . RESERVE 1811 (Full size) I KING'S MILL , - _'__T"'___~ ._,,_'....,.,... "',.~~-- ._--._-~...,.---- " 35 cessions of Vaughan and North York, on both sides of the hi TJ C ound arv . It was to join this group that David ~Iolly Somerset County in April 1807, Ilwith his wife and nine v/i th a p;reat number of Cattles and Six Jvaf,gons Property in other hesnects.,nl He settled ~in Etobicoke Townshin and about two years later petitioned for ~ millseat on the HUffib e r. Evidently there were now enough in the nei~hbourhood to require a second grist mill. I. The first settler in the northern source area the ;1U:(jO er pre ceded the laying cut of Yonge Street. When reHched the neighbourhoOd of Bond Lake in 1796, house was already a landmark. 2 Lots within the Kin?" \-;e1'e a Is::) trJ kf:rl up a t an early date. 3 The fa~ilv was nrominent among these early settlers there was a group cf settlers on the town- hing a nc VauEhan in the fourth, fifth and sixth Anthony Ilol1in?shcad was the best known of these by 1825 this still isolated ~roup was known as ) IlollinE~shead' s settlement. ItL~ The rest of the southern of Eing Township remained almost unsettled, for many years were well estahlished. ( 5) 1812 - 1837 Thc~ ',.rar of 1812 slov;ed up this movement but not stop it altogether. Cro\m and Clergy Reserve lots in North York and the south-eastern part of Vaughan leased from l800 to 1815 - usually a sign that the becoming better settled. Land grants were iscon tinued for a time durin~ the war and some settlers Petition and certificates in favour of David Holly, 1809; Can. Archives, Lttawa, Unper Canada Sundries. Holly's peti ti on '~;8 s drawn and signed by IL'1de Imuller, the school- master at "'larkham. Lne of the certificates is signed by Radelmuller, Jacob ?isher and a number of other members of the German Colony. The quotation is from this certificate. The other certificate, sivned by ',10 Allan, J.p. of York, says more conservatively "a considerable quantity of Cattle and I believe four or fi va ;ctvgons. II Augustus ,Jones: Diarv of the Survey of Yonge Street, 1796. By 1805, Marlr and ',ia I tel' l<oody had improved 5 acres on lot 64 west of Yonge Street. John Coesman: "heport on lloads ate. II 1825 - Cntario ArchivesQ --.. . ~ '- """'-'""",,. ----,,-,-, .. _. c.._"'" '-' '"-_...." "' .. ' li 35 concessions of Vaughan and North York, on both sides of the township boundary. It was to join this group that David Holly left Somerset County in April 1807, "with his wife and nine children also with a ~reat number of Cattles and Six Wafgons and a Considerable Property in other hespects"nl He settled in Etobicoke Townshin and about two years later petitioned for a millseat on the Humber. Evidently there were now enough settlers :iLn the nei~hbourhood to require a second grist mill. The first settler in the northern source area of the l1u"10 er preceded the laying out of Yonge Street. When the surveyors reHchod the neighbourhood of Bond Lake in 1796, fI l\:r . Bond's" house was already a landmark.2 Lots within the watershed in Kin.&'" \'rere also taker! up a t an early date. 3 The Hcllinpshead fa~ilv was prominent among these early settlers i~ King and by lell there was a group of settlers on the town- line betvv'een King and Vaughan in the fourth, fifth and sixth cGncessions. Anthony Hollin~shcad was the best known of these settlers and by 1825 this still isolated group was known as !."7' IT" IIollinp:shec;d's settlement"u4 The rest of the southern 'l"J.r. cart of King Township remained almost unsettled, for many years after these settlements were well established. ( 5 ) l8l2 - 1837 The war of 1812 slowed up this movement but did net stop it altogether. Cro\m and Clergy Reserve lots in Etobicoke, North York and the south-eastern part of Vaughan were being leased from 1800 to 1815 - usually a sign that the neighbourhood was becoming better settled. Land grants were discontinued for a time during the war and sOr.J.e settlers 1. Petition and certificates in favour of David Holly! 1809; Can. Archives, Lttawa, Upper Canada Sundries. Hol y's peti tioD ",,-as drawn and signed by Radelmuller, the school- master at Markham. Cne of the certificates is signed by Ladelmuller, Jacob Fisher and a number of other members of the German Colony. The quotation is from this certificate. The other certificate, signed by ~d 0 Allan, J.P. of York, says mere conservatively "a considerable quantity of Cattle and I believe four or five \Iaggons.1l 2. Augustus Jones: Diary of the Survey of Yonge Street, 1796 & 3. Jy 1805, Marlr and ';,'al ter iYIoody had improved 5 acres on lot 64 west of Yonge Street. , John C;oesman: "Report on lwads etc." 1$25 - lntario Archives. 4. - -.". .-- .- -_.....".-~- - - -," --. - -- -~~ --- -" - ",,,'.-,.,,--;,, " 36 returned to the States. The Alaeri car,s land ed near the mouth of the river in 1813 and 3 sharp engagement, in which a number oft he British were killed, took place on the edg8 of the water- shed but the invaders do not seem to have gone up the Humber for any distance. The King's Mill escaped destruction and most of the nlundering which is recorded took place in or near York. As soon as Peace was signed in l815, settlers I began to come to Canada in stl!adily ir:creasins numbers. There were also man~' discharr:ed sold ierE., both rerul&rs and militia, who had served in Sanada during the war and ~ere entitled to grants of land. ~hny of both these classes of settlers came to the Humber ~atershed. ~ost of the land available for settle- ment in 1815 hgi already b(~er; granted althoup,h only a :s ma II part was actually occunied. The amount of grantable land on the watershed was soon greatly increased. The Durchase of the "Iviississauga Tract" from the Indians by the Treaty of lctober 28th, l818 opened a large area for settlement. This was ciivided into a number of tewnshirs, including Chinguacousy, Toronto Gore, Albion and Caledon and arrangements were made for the survev of these and other townshins in 1819. The lots in this new p'Jrch3 se ~~ere "locd ted II very qui ckly 0 Large areas were reserved for various parties of sett18rs, who however, occupied their land soon after the surveys were made. Agents were sent ahead to choose locations for these settler~, many of whom were coming by way of the States. The British Consuls at New York and Bosten were active in forwarding arrivals to Canada and the anti-British feeling caused by the war made some recent settlers decide to leave the States and come to Canada. As early as lIovernber 11th, 1818 ulVlessr5. Geale and ~'itzGibbon" state in a ~emorial to the Governor "that they have been employed to loca te land for nearly 500 persons, t hC} t some of these were located in the Townships of Nassagawaya, Trafalga r, Albion and Caledonoo.oThere are no~ on their lists more than 144 . ,,",,",,~,'- ,-- ~ '3 r., . . J ..,~.... .,'~ . -' >- ~-._'.._'" . .~. .,~. " ,', ,,_ 'v... ~ ,.-. ... .. ........~-.-". ~'''.'-~-'.'''''''''-''~ ...---...~- i r------------'- - - ---,-, ---,. - -- ---,- - -- ___,_._,_,__,_____,_,______n --- ------- -'--' _._----~------_._----~ . ..- r I I ~ j ; I I I I I ! ; I i i I ! i , , j 1 I i I i I ) I 1 I I \. i \ I .. I . " -----,---------- .----------.--..---------- --......---. _.~.__. ..,. -.. --' P."..' .._.,_.'.... _____ _~,~_'".,__... .. ~,.,...",... " ( 1.og Uarn at Dalziel'. ~ill ~ I.at 1 f (.;onceatotion V, Vauj;han l'ownbhip. The deep overhunh 15 cnaractorlat1,c of barns in Penntlyl vania. " _ fl _ ......_,.., .._.........._... '''_~__.~_.. .._....~_ ..___.__,...-........~..,...._...............__...~_...____-__,.~__...______~..__._.__.A_..~._...~...~~._. - _...._--.. ------.-...-- r-- - .-...---.-'. - --, ----.-.-----..----------- .-.-..-.---.--.-.-,.. - --------- - ------ ---- ~ , " ,\ l , , ! , ! ! j ! , ~ i I ! , ~ ! ~ I , , , , I , i -,_."-' -.........--"'. .-'.- -_."~""'_.'''''''''''' _..... -'''- . '<;'cnnonlt.6 ~".e~t,1n.:.~ Housu at Ed&cley, If aUe,h4n L"uwnah1p. The lnt~rior is almo~t Unaltered and 14 .nOGLect with wiuc pine boards. The 10,;5 WUl'"U covtH'ed wit.h elapboarU8 at. i an early dat.e. The wind.ow aa.his cO~.:4parfjLi'"i'91y ;l.;.OOQrn. , line of tho olaost places of wOl'ah1p survivinb on the hu."alH~r . : : .. 1.8 .-' rersons fer whcm lecations could not be found in those townships for la ck of lc;r;d H . This does not mean th3t the tOVlnshi 1:;3 \!I'ere alread y ~;et tlpd for the surveys were not yet complete, but that all the estinated ncreaRe, oxcert the reserved lots, had , 1 i or. ueec snOKen All.liCin, Toronto Gure and Chinguacousy were sun-eyed in 1819 and settlers began to move in on the h€2.1s of the surveyors. By 1820 settlement in the first concession of Albien had moved as far as lot 3[!' and a large number of lots int.I's easterr. concessior13 (if Chinguacousy between the Sir th Lj nc, an,: the I~en tre h.oad had been taken up. ,', consider- n ahle nWTJber cf ~eser'le Lets in Albion were le~sed ir: 1819, 1820 3n'i H321 - another s i fY r' tt13t th e rl ern a nd for locations in this township was keen from the first. Settlers also came into M.lbic)n from the eas~, followinE the road from hichmond Hill to Hollin~shead's rettlement on tLe t;outh Town.line of lUng and thence along the rrt.. ..,. to A,lhien, i'/here they sDread out around .. CWrlJ.ln2 tLe snot on \-[hieh 3c;,lte:n built his grist mill in 1820. Very , fpw of the grants in t[;f~Se townshi~s were made to absentees,~ so that most of the [Trantees 5ettled on their holdings ~ithin a year. Bv 18?/) the ~vater3hed helow Pine C;rove was . ~ fa i.r ly ',-"ell seV-,] ed as was most of the north-west part of the 'da tershed And tb:: eorth-e;] f;t c,:)r'L.eI"I. The settlement and C3f't'! ci a 1] y the clsared a rea s, h'ere still scattered and Datchy. !! Imrrovernen t n en tIie line of Concession A in Etobicoke ended II t"i() c I ear i n i'-" S I~ C e:;Jcnd the .~./est ~~, , "Settlement" en the L:rC1nCtl. read frcJf:l E,tcflrnond Hill to " 11(;11 i .shead's" (near Laskay) ended at Lo t 2 5 , ,., . I"\'/ ()f \TnlJ,~:::holl, '" "r~l the ~cad ran "through vonCt~;::;S10n [........1,.( the wuod II for the next three miles. lrom Hollinv'shead' s to t ~ I i,lb i en trle read a1crW thE? TOl'ifnlii'18 must also have rL.n thrcUF;h " ;1 a lmo s t 'J n h r 0 ken fcr\'!E,:t. r-r fH::f i Y' t) t two side-r08ds in the south . , end of Vau~han had been orened flto the Humb er't bu t no t beyond. I J Thus a belt of un~ettled land cf varyin~ ~idth ran ttrouRh j , , Vau;:;han on the r 'e ~ t over thE: \ . . ~ in Kinp; Town3hir;. TrJi s 0]Vlc:e ,r r~. -.----.-.-..-.------'" .------- .,,"1 l. "" cont.ractinE: surveyors iJE:Te paj.j in land biJt few lnc 'I .4 . .......... ::Jther non-residents are listed. .A .. " I -' :. \ ~ . \ to ,; r: 01= . <(-.\t:- . IN'''' ,,, ... .... / '. S\, \ ...J _ ~ - <: '<" ~:\N \ --' " ... .... - .;;:; ~ \ .~-- r- <:) ,- - -- \ ;,j--"-""" + \ ~\\ \ ~ \ t 4 \ - , I~\ :,.~ 10-,'" \ , // '". ~ \ ~ , / I ~' " I \ '\ ,~ -~' ->. \ 1 i :., B .0N t \ . \ - , \ \ ,~~, \ "'"''\ < '-, . IOLTOIi I ~ \~ ' , , , 'x. , " / ", / \ t.-y \ . " t.- \ , . <? \ " / \ ~ , , \ '" ~: \ ~ '" , ~. \ , , CH\l'lGUAOOUSY \ ~ " ~ . , T \ ~ X ~ - "". ~ -~ I I ; MUNICIPALITIES -- I SALE MiLES " '2 0 2 3 . W"W' 1 '" \',- =l / /- /~ -"-.~ ..l" ./ -----' ~ ~ .~. , {., I ~ .. , '" ' / .J ~ ...~ ,. , / ~ \ ( \ ---./ </,1 /' ~" \ , NOe, Ii ,<)~ , . J J '\ . \ \ . \ , ..r\ \ , 'f~ , ~ ?-. V--, ~,r " , !--, , .~ \ '\ " \ \ vAUGHAN \ \ \ \ k< \ \ , \ \ ' I( \ ' ... " ~ 1 \ . ' .-" \ ~~ , Ore 8"'J..' "'V . ",'l... \ I \ , - " \ \ ~, '7 ; . '/' \ .- / "" . ,. \.... , - ~ \ , J "': <""'''"''--, \ ,.> ~'\J ) " \ . I , ..... ! (1,5' IE ~'*.. 'I I ~' \ " , " J) ,C)R" \ "I f'J' . I ... ...,...... \ . ~/" " .~ \ f ",C, "0 : \ +f" ~ t;, ! I I I I .. . I I f ~KF OJ\! TANle I " LtC situation was due in a larGe degree, to the fact that a consid- erable acrea~e on the !Iu:ouer \!atershed in both VauFhan and King had been granted at an early date tc non-resident~] . None of these grant~ exceeded 6CO acres in one block and few were , more than one or tv-Ill lots, but ~cme individuals or families held a thousand acres or more scattered through the townships. The total 8rea of these non-resident grants on the watershed in Vau~han must have been 12,000 acres or more. The situation in King was very similar, thou~h here most of the grants were in the eastern Dart of the watershed nearer to Yonge StrE::et. These lots ~iere sometimes rented to tenants and there r "'las Eome "squatting", but a large number were held vacant until ( after the government began to tax unimpruved land in 1829. \ .. There were also a number of reserved lots on " the watershed. Be sid es the f! two sevenths" regularly reserved c, for Crc\:Hi and Clergy some lots in Vauf,han seem to have been , reserved for mastinv. 1 A few of these lots were leased before 1810, hut in 1827 the Canada Company purchased about 5 coo , -' acres of Crown heserves in Vaughan and more than 4,000 in ~inf within the Humber Watershed. All of those lots in Vaughan l were resold to settlers between 1829 and 1833 and those in :1 j Kiner, by l841. i King's College received at least 1500 acres I on the watershed in 1828. j The same process of filling un WdS going on in ether narts of the watershed between 1~30 and 1840. More mills were being built and villaRes were grcwing up. The area wa s considered a desiraLle one and many of the new settlers purchased partially imprcved farms whose OViners moved farther out. 1\. good deal of capital was coming into the ,- district. Until 1812 a very large proDortion of the actual , " I set tIers on the Humber were Loyalists or emigrants from the . ') St&tes. As a class these settlers had little money,~ though experience of frontier conditions made it easy for them to - J establish themselves in new ceuntry. After 1819 a number of .( ,', l. for some reascn 10tE 15-20 enclusiVG Cen. VII in Vauehan .) were all reserved and vacant in 1827. , 4 "- There were some notable exceptions such as David Holly ,. .1 and Jacob Fisherc ~ 41 immigrants from the old country came to Canada. Some of these had been reasonably prosperous ,,:t home and brought a certain amount of money with them. This class of settler was particul- arlv attracted to the Heme District and a fair preportion of them located en the F~mber watershed. The less fortunate maJority ef the settlers had at least the advantage of being near a market and an old settled area, but no one could open a lIbush II farm without some degree of hardship~ (6 ) 1837 - l867 Even in 1837 the settlements remained scattered and the reads very bad. David vlilkie, a Scotsman on a visit I to York, describes a journey to a farm I1t\-;enty miles" north I summer of 1837~ \ and west of Toronto and his stay there in the . His account of the country through which he passed would apply " to all the better settled Darts of the watershed. !tl;u!' first ::: ... stage was beneath the shade of a large pine that covered a sandv nlain many miles in extent." After crossing the Humber at the "pretty little village of'Tobococke' (Lamb ton) , we then got into a better country with goodly clearances at intervals and at no part were we long with the wood on both sides I of the way". The "clearan cetl in which they stayed was three and a half miles long by a mile and a half broad ~ That is to say, about half of each lot had been cleared on each side of the road. Besides the farmhouses there were several cottages, a bla cksmi th' s shop and a tavern. The farm on which \iJilkie stayed belonged to a Toronto family.l It had sixty acres under cultivation, and a frame house, not yet finished, of two stcries and an attic. There were few houses so large in the neighbourhood. The settlers had an amply sufficient living '~ ' , from th eir farms, but there was in 'dilkie's opinion !tli ttle / comfort and no luxury". There were no "decorations - few fruit , trees and fewer flowers and plantsTT. He visited other Darts -' of the neighbourhoOd and says "many locations appeared as old .) as any in the province and had not the raw loek of many ethers .r we visited" (in 0 ther parts of the province). " ..' I ---.. ./1 1 ililkie mentions no names and seems to wish to conceal the .1., exact location of the farm. " 42 In the Township of King from the Seventh Concession westward there seems to have been a number of "vac_ ant and grantable!! lots which were net "located" by anyone until after 1835. Some of the patents on these lots are dated as la te as 1872, and several bear dates in the forties and fifties. A survey party \iaS running lines in this part of the to~nship in December l837. The field diary of this party, kept by Samuel Benson, the Surveyor, gives the impression that this section was still very spursley settled. 'l'h . je party sometimes \lent several miles to get a roof over their heads in severe weather and sometimes alept in the woods. 1 Their work was suddenly interrupted on December 8th, 1837 bv the outbreak of Mackenzie's abortive rebellion. LD that day Benson sent a man to Tecumseth Township to get supplies. There, a "Mr. Joseph i 'alker told this man that the Reformers had taken the City of Toronto. lthers also told him that theT'e was a tribe of Indians ~ho would scalp all persons tha t \tv'ould come in their way. At his Return he informed the rest of the i'len \','hat he had heard the men were Pani c Stri cken which caused four of them to fly to their homes the evening of that day." Cn the next day Benson heard the true account of the "battle of Yonge Street" (Iiiontgomery's Tavern) and of Mackenzie's flight. He tried to recruit a new party but could not de so and had to discontinue the survey until February, 1838. The men who fled were probably recent immigrants, who had no sympathy with either party, but the story of this interrupted survey is a good example of the confusion and uncertainty caused by this rising, even to those net directly t concerned. The inhabitants of the Humber Watershed were too close to the scene of action to remain peacefully ignorant ef what was going on until all was over, as did some settlers in the Trent Valley. llIa c ken z i e had supporters throughout the watershed and rarticularly along Dundas Street and in Caledon. ,I . ,:, l. The~l sometime s crossed into Albion to the house of John D . tenant of a Cler[y r:eserve in lot 20 Cons. X Albion. ennIS, , " Diary of a survey ef King Township, 1837. LDtario Archives. - ~ 43 There were lar~e ~rcups of TtGovernuent menll in Chinguacousy, Albion and Toronto Core and, as was the case everywhere, many who favoured the reforms fer which the "Rebels" \'Ilere cu,;i ta ting, while disapproving of the violence of their metheds. Seme of these ~rievances cCDcerned the hardships caused by the ~anv vacant lots and the delay of settlement from this cause. As we have seen, this had been very noticenble in some parts of the Humber ~Ia tershed a bout 1825. As far as t he Crown Reserves were concerned the situation had completely altered by 1835 and the non-resident holdings were also being settled before 1837. Even the Clergy Reserves were mostly leased by that date. Several inhabitants of the watershed were arrested after the collapse of the rising, and it is probable that many fugi- tives from Montgomery's Tavern found temnorary refuge on the watershed after the skirmish. The chief strength of the Rebels lay to the North and ~est. After l""lackenzie and Lount se!"ara ted in their flight, ~~ckenzie headed southwest crossing the Humber,l near Weston and spending the night at the house of Abraham Wilcox on Dundas Street west of Summerville. He continued westward and crossed to the States en the fourth day, so thut stories of his having been concealed in Caledon, prob- ably originally referred to some other fugitive. Lount struck northwest to the neighbourhood of Lloydtown so that the sub- sequent adventures of both leaders took place outside the \'<a tershed. ( 7 ) 1837 - 1867 These disturbances did not halt the movement of settlers into the country. Cenditions in the British Isles and in ~uroDe ~rew steadily worse during the 1840's and the l ...' .. streaffi of immigration greatly increased. Most of thE-se irnmitt- rants were directed to newer townships by the Authorities or took lands in the Huron Tract from the Canada Company. ~ome, however, settled in the Humber 0atershed. Cf these some bought l. Cn a footbridge. " 44 imlJroved farms, 'i{hi] e others at first \fOrked as farm Ie b')urers and then took up the vacant lots or partly improved farms in the less developed part of the ".iatershed. A number of families who were farming on the river in 1865, had corne to Canada or to the district after 1640. By now a much larger proportion of the inhab- itants of the watershed was of British or Irish origin. This was especially the case in the sections drained by the West Branch and the Main River above Kleinburg. There were a nu~ber of settlers from the North of Ireland in Toronto Gore and Ching- uacousy. Albion was supposed to be largely settled by Lnglish- men and many of the first settlers in Caledon were Scottish. Adjala was believed to be settled chiefly by the Irish. Act- ually, hO~vever , the population was more mixed than was generally believed. There were Irish in Caledon and Scots and Irish in Albion from the first. In the eastern townships, settlers of North American origin were more numerous but they were to be found throughout the watershed and there were many recent imm- igrants in Vaughan and King. In l846 York, Vaughan, Toronto Gore, Chingu- acousy ahd the more level parts of Albion and King were con- sidered to be well settled. The sections of Albion and King which lie on the morainic upland were somewhat less advanced. This was also the case with the small areas of Laledon, I\'lono and Adjala which lie within the Humber Watershed. The following table taken from W. H. Smith's "Gazetteer of Upper Canada" 1846, gives an indication of the spread of settlement. The land "taken up" had passed into private ownership. Land under cultivation included all land b 4 completely cleared, both arable and pasture, as well as gardens, ~, orchards, etc. 4, I '- 6 7 .<j ,. ~5 I. "'II j .'. - to, · "1' " '" j t '.. '\"l , ' .. ." ~ . . - ~ / .' " / , I t~..".. , , ...... ~ L" ", , 'I' ""~ " ' . - ~~ '. f,~ _ . ". I , · ',I~.. , ' < '.. .. . . '. - · ~ · .. 0 , '.A .. - ---~ o. .' p. ' · 'J' Jt II ., . .J(. ~ .......... .. ' 0 '.' . ;, " "'.',: y, ".,. -... .....~ '; ~ . ' 0 _ . ~ 0., " j " . o. 0 .' ,_ , .'~.. 0' - , . . . . ~. . . , . . ~ I .'~ {: ~ ".,', -: . , , '.' . .. -, h ., r. - . A ... " .: ....:~;;...: '4 ~ <. t.,:- .. .... . . -., .... · , . . f. · · -" · I. .', ~ '~.:l. a..... .~- .. ..... ....., ..' > "41 . - - :'. "'("~;o ... '~... -, .!' .......~'..: ~,. ' , · :....., AI , . OJ 'lIie, : ~ . . II f I __,..,..;., l[" '. ~~. -.' " ' I . b' I' . . ' " " - . 0 "0 . . .' ~>J -.!.' ., .. ...'~ ~t. 1, ~, <fi' . ~I b' '~<, '~" ~.l ~ -, ~'~1 . t · ".. . . . " ~ .1, ," I ' '~.':-;t ~ ..... , . ~ I '$- ~ -- o -.. -~ ~ -- -', , c.... . '~ . . " f . t." . .;, . .l . ',! ~ . .... · . . '\~'. r .. I., : . \,... ',., .' . . , " .~. , . ~, · d · · 1, , ~ , l l' . . . '. t. ,. 46 LANJ Sl::,TTLBr~ENT ON 'l'HL HUMBER 1846 Under Township Total Acreage "Taken Up" Cultivation Adjala 46,200 20,793 2,929 Albion 56,200 41,829 lO,OOO Caledon 69,000 43,661 9,307 Chinguacousy 81,000 74,977 26,266 Etobicoke 28,000 24,934 12,516 Mono 70,400 28,229 3,10$ King 78,400 53,240 13,814 Toronto Gore 19,200 l8,206 7,784 Vaughan 68,000 60,496 19,766 York 61,000 55,236 24,238 It will be seen from this table that there were still large areas open for location in Albion. Some land was probably available on the watershed in King, Caledon, Bono and Adjala. The remaining townships had been almost completely taken up. In no township had more than half of this "land taken up" been clearert. The average in the ten townships was about 30%. This was the proportion of their farms which settlers in the twenties were recom~ended to clear as soon as possible. It is evident that a great deal of land was bein~; Lelci in bush, either as woodland to provide fuel, as reserve farmlanrl to be cleared lat-er, or in expectation of a rise in the value of wj Id land. Only about a third of the Hu~ber Watershert was cleared at this time anrt this clearerl land was scattered in small areas. The cleared farms were most numerous in the central part of the 'tlatershed between .veston and Kleinburg. Hardly any farms were without a larfe area of woodland. Below ',j'eston on both sides of the river there were large areas of woodland well into the fifties. The population table shows large gains in all the townships between Id42 and Id51. This was due in part to the growth of the towns, but mostly to the filling up of the rural arEas. The proportion of uncleared land was reduced somewLat but still remained high. The period of settlement on the watershed may be saici to be over b~7 lJ57. Alnost all the lanrl '....as nm./ oc cupi ed ani the count ry hart now an appearance of settled prosperity. Goon buildings and well-tended farms /vere beccming the rule rather than the exception and the vi llat;es were busy and thriving. All the watershen continued to gain in 47 ronulation un to 1861. ~ubdivision of larger holdings made rco~ for some new settlers and new industries in the towns and brought many labourel s into the area. The peak of rural pop- ulation was probably aoout 1867. ( 8) 1867 - 1947 By l871 the townships wllich had been well settled in 1846, were beginning to decline. Mono and Adjala show gains until after 1881 and Caledon until 1891. i~s this vas partly due to lumberin? activities, it is rrobable that the decline set in sumewha t ,,"arIier on the rarts of these townshirs within the \.a tershed than in the tovmshir,s a ,::; a "I/hole. lhe decline v>!as due to hard times, to the ODLlJing of larve art:dS of farm- land elsewhere, especially in the ~iest, to the introduction of farm machinery and, to some extent, to the attraction of the '~rewing tewns and cities. The tendency to centralize indus try in towns \.;i th p"ood ra i lvlay fa c i Ii tie s helped the movement from the country though this teok place ~radually and {..as not complete until after the turn of the century. The cutting of woe::llands alse went on much faster after' 1865 and the exhaustion of supr;lies of tiuber tileant the remeval of filEtny fauilies who had derended wholly or in part on lumbering or woodworkinf for their livelihood. All the tcwnshirs excert Etobicoke and York ccmtjnucd tc decline in T'onulation up to IC21. The p~rowth cf Torcnto hod J of course, ~ffected that of ~est York from an early date. Before 1891 this influence was being felt in Etobicoke and the f'opula tien of that township has Clr;ain . . By IS2l, Vau:,;han and hing were showing gains in ln2rea31ng. "oDulat~cJn due to the influence of Toronto, in spite of the , fact that several corr;:!junitj~,s separated from the to\rillstips be- I tween 1921 and 1941. In 1941 only vor~ and Dtobicoke had lar?er , fCfulations than ninety years before and several ef the tcwn- :...-' ships threligh which the Humber flows hac! fewer inhabitants ~ than they wer8 b81ieved to h~vG had in 1842. ,r "' ,.i\; ., .A , ,. J'iIPillA.' UN ,,,- t "'I,f" IF., t'. ') t i .. "J ,) i n I \ .I t"l ~ \ )~U N T () {; \ ) r1' f " A \ .0 H A N A'" [) ~ 'N b .." .., ~, , ~ J , , ~ \, . ,I f :'. .1 . t f , '" , . j , '~. \; 1"'''- '"' \. v / " ... I .I 'I \ . t. (' . \ . I \ J " : . \, T . \ I !- \ , , I 1 , J ; j. . / I 'I' ' ! \, < ,/, ; I / ' I ../ ,. I ,<'~/ , I .I. . t ' , 'j i I f j ,I ""'_. ~,. I J / ,,.'. f -", . I I , I ,I_ I J '.' , r :/ t' " : ,', / .. . / / ,;y' ,/ . .I~. . I '/ . ~/ / / / ~.~ . l i ,r , / ~ 4(' Jij\.i .if, 'S'\:. ~ ~ 1f)I'if 'i-~..,. '1%.. ..... .. t,J .1 ~._",~, -- . - - . . . .. :- .- . . . . . ..- . . . . . . -./ ---............ POPULATION I DOT REPRESENTS 100 PEOPLE SCALE, MILES I 1/2 0 I 2 ~ L31t'_ ___ I . . II . . . I . . , . i i . "-ill I .' . , i . I . I ( I ! I I . I . . . . . . ...: ~. . . ., . fr- . . , . . . . . ! . . . I . , . , . . . . . I . . . . . . , . . . . iJ . . . . . . \ Jf . . i . . .... . . i . i . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . '\ . . "- . . . . ,-"~ . . . . . . . .. . . --"........... . . '" . . . . . . . .' . I , , , . . . . ! . . . 0 ! . I . . , o' , . .. . . . .. . i ',' . , il . . . . . . 0 , ! . . . . . . , ! . . . ....... I . . . . . -. . . , I . . . . ' . . . . I . , . . , I . 0 . ., , . 0 I . Ii H Ii II I I I ! ; Ii ,i ii if ti ~ f Ii Ii ,; f , I . ~ ! If Ii ,/---- . ' ... ~,.., l! " 50 20 rt0ads dnd TransDortation ( 1) Trails and IITurnoikes" When the HU:;'lber "atershed began to be opened up in 1793 there was pothin? that could properly be called a road in the whole area. The "Humber Trail" 'was only a Da cl:hor~;e "tra ce!! and in some parts not a very ~ood one. It seems to h&ve been abandoned very soon, aud new trails blazed thrcuF';h the woods alonf:the river. The old trail alone:; the shore of the 18 k e vv' a s little more than a foctnath nnti.l 1796. It followed the beach from the western end cf !~Lot Street" (.~veen ) to the Humb or, where the mout:l of the r i v e I' Itl a s crossed by ferrying. It:-.. road or enf~d f'rnrY] the town of York tc the Hunl)er!: is li:::ted 8.S Governmen t r r~)nert~; in l""'oC I There vias then a rE'gu1ar ferry at ( /' / . " the Humber, leDsed bv the uovernment on a ten-year contract. In 1809 the ferry was re-let tc Hob t'n't. Crawford for ten vearf.~. 2 There is C) re:erence to a b:r'idge f?xistinf:: at the date,3 but it must Gee);') h'ive been damaged for in l'.arch 1811 the settlers to the west of the river retitionect for a grant to build bridFres across the Credit and Humber near their mouth:,. ~,hen Crav'/ford was accused of overchar~in~ in lSlCl, the mar;istratef, fixed such for ferry iIlJT tha t it v,Quld arpear the traffic alon[~ v.;as fairly heavy or the ferry vIOU Id not have been Cra',dord evidentl if e;ave it up before the end lease as in lS15 tb,e ferry v:as kept by McLean who had a on the York SJd e. After rassing the Humber tho read cuntinued along shore for 50me d~stance 0fter it Ie ft the watershed. The .,...... c !t oDened If once more in 1804 when tenders were ''U d. ..:- ,ea lIed for I'C,ad l,vork and bridses from trie corner of Peter and (Queen) 5 tree t;::; to Burline-ton Bay. This is ttHoad to York" "Ruad Cpened by Governmentll sho\m on ma DS of 1806 and 18110 ._----~-~ - - -~_._-~------~-,.--~.- Documents in I'Cnner Can8da c.lundries" ~ Dominion Bureau of ~rr~;vc- L~t-w- lenn ~nrl 18Ge "'..i.~_..J... 0, .' ..,I,-,d d, ''..,IV Q ,....\. ...) 0 Documents ouotpd in Lizarst "Valley of the Hunberllo Iv,ars cf 'T'n;'u;:tc Tcwn~:hj,r; (1206) aile Stobicoke Tov:nshin (12~11); Ontad 0 Dey;art.mer,t of Lands and Fcrests. ' 51 It turned inland after crossin~ the Credit near its mouth and was joined by Dundas Street southeast of Erindale. In a clan of the hing's Mill Reserve made by Au~ustus ~ones in 1796, a "!wad to Durlinp;ton Bay" is shown running alone the top of the high bank above the mill and crossing the millrace on a bridge, before fordinv the river at tLe head of the rapids. At this ford are the words nproposed , l Bridge" and Jones was working at opening a road and building bridges of some size near the mills in 179g. This road may " I Ii \ have ~oined the Lakeshore road at that time, but. a few years i ~ , later it nrobablv forrr.ed Dart of Asa Danforth's new line for . ! "Dundas Street" blazed in 1799 - 1800. I "Dundas Street - orened from York to the Grand ij i I River" appears on a list of government property issued early ! in 1300.1 Danforth's line was usually farther from the lake , ! i than the old "Lake Road", to allow rivers to be crossed by i i l fcrdint" or on shorter brid~es. It appears to have entered the i j watershed from the west about three eighths of a mile south of : ., ! the present Dundas Road (No. 5) and, after crossing the river i i I at the Kin~'s Mill swerved northeast to avoid broken ground so ! I tha tit joined the present Dundas Street before leaving the I . watershed. Charles Aikins travelled by this road in 1806 and , I I ! 1 considered it as merely IIlaid out", but expresses the belief that ! I it will "sure be made, as no lots will be given but to those I WI10 will make the road in front of their lots. II The new 'I i I sett18rs were anparentlv willin.2: enough to fulfill their road I duties, but found tha t physi cal conditions made the work of mak- inf a road too heavy for them to carry out unaided. In 1806 tenders were called for by the road 'L ! commissioners of the Home Uistrict for opening lithe road called t Dundas Street" and to build bridges and causeways, " as an aid to statute latour, which is not suificient." Little seems to have been done at that time, however, for the ltiY1babitants of I Dundas Street't continue to petition the council, at intervals I I .( . i 1. In ItLpper Canada Sundries", laOa - Dominion Bureau of ,;oj Archives, Cttawa. .1 I f " 52 of two years or so for help in improving the ro.d. They say that statute labour is not enough to bu~ld roads down the steep sides of the ravines, dOT{m which they novy have to carry their goods on their sho~lders or "go round by the old road." They complain that they cannot get to Cooper's Mills (Lambton) to get their grain ground and say they are willing to build a bridge over the Hur'1ber if the government \.vill build one over tr:e Credit. They also ask to have the line of the road between the Etobicoke and the Humber changed to avoid "svlamps and moun- tains."l Some changes were made before 1811 and the road deflected to pass Cooper's MiJls, but the "inhabitants" were not yet satis- I fieri wi t~l the line of the road when the war broke out in 1812. The demands of the war traffic emphasized the \ . badness of the roads of Upper Canada and an effort was made to improve them. Funds were voted by the Provincial Government : ~ to be applied to Dundas Street throughout its length, under supervision of the Roads Commissioners of the various districts. This gave an opportunity to change the line where it was con- sidered desirable. On June 15th, 1814 a survey was ordered of part of Dundas Street from "a spot nigh Cooper's Millon the River Humber in the Township of York" to connect with the existing road through Toronto Township. After reconnoitring the ground the surveyor started at the boundary of Toronto Township and ended his line "just below Cooper's Mill, where a bridge is to be erected". "The line now finished in survey, continues with very few exceptions upon a pine ridge which extends in a southwesterly direction from Cooper's Millon the Humber to the River Etobicoke and furnishes a situation very eligible for a road." This has remained the line of Dundas (. Street with very little change until the present. The bridge I over at Cooper's was built by 1816 and though the rest of Dundas Street continued for many years to be the subject of bitter complaints from travellers, the part from the "Mimicon , to York seems to have struck them as comparatively pleasant. ;t . i l. Journals of the U. C. House of Assembly 1808-1812, Ontario ,,,' Archives I\.eports, 1912 and also 1931, page 90. .1 '- ,. 53 Dundas Street and the Lakeshore Hoad were the only roads opened by the government. on the watershed until after 1818. For connecting roads the settlers were dependent on the tracks opened in fulfillment of settlement duties and kept ur - as far as they were kept up - by statute labour. Few of these tracks were sufficiently "improved" to be consid- ered roads even in 1825. "Pathmasters"l were appointed yearly to superintend the upkeep of roads, enforce statute labour and report defaulters to Petty Sessions, but their efforts were not sufficient to keep the roads in tolerable condition. The str- aip:ht "survey" roads wer8 only opened in part and they were sup- plemented bv winding tracks cut ltacross lotslt from one important point to another. There was such a track through the "King's Mill Reserve" on the west bank from the Lakeshore to Dundas Street and this may have been continued as far as Holly's Mills (Weston) by 1812. A trail had been blazed by Ja~es Lever from Dundas Street to the site of Weston about 18052 and this was soon exterltd to the German settlement in Vaughan probably along the east bank of the Humber and of Duncan's Creek until it reached the boundary of Vaughan. The south Townline of Vaughan was opened to the Humber at an early date. In 1819 the government cut the "Sixth Line Roadlt up the Western Boundary of Toronto Gore and Albion and the IICentre Road" through Toronto, Chinguacousy and Caledon Town- ships. The improvement and upkeep of these roads seem to have been left to the settlers. Other roads, following the survey or runping across lots were opened about this time to connect the scattered clearances and mills and by 1825 these formed a network of communications over the settled part of the water- shed. In 1825 and 1827, reports were made by John Goesman, Deputy Surveyor of Roads, etc.. in the Home District. The 1825 report is illustrated by an incomplete sketch map and covers York, Vaughan, Albion and Toronto Gore.. The 1827 report adds some information about roads in KinE:, Caledon, Mono and Adjala. The accompanyin~ map of early roads is based on these reports 1. David "Holey" Sen. was pathmaster for Etobicoke in 1809 and John Burkholder" pathmaster on the Humber" in 1810. He reported William Cooper as a defaulter. unto Archives Report, 1931. 2. Cruickshank and Nason: History of Westono " ? I ] ~ ; i \ I \ , f I \ I i j i I ~ 'j ._..."--,--:-,,,,-...-1 C' ~ O,,;r.'~ __.J ,.'- 'T~' ') C.T\'.6 ," " I .--"'""'. .' ~ > L u 0 "....!'. . j ,_.__ · '!v' L1 . ...,,'. . .'. (. . \J' :;. , :'"~ (()"I.~ ~,..... .". '," " ' .~- ../': -"" . .' \ . J/ -.' . ,. . '- ( ; 0 ~~ ~(lil.) Co1l:~'\'''''' . ~ fib < J ~ (' rvt'd' .../ . 0" CV rl .0 ,",or"",';" ~ 5 . ..;..~..:J,o('. B, " 0 b L-.';o~'; .... I~,.' / 'n'" i"" , :'< C?~''<J .-/~ l " . ~~ r' \ " '-/ '~' " .,,-. ;;./' CP~' j '" " I~. ~L.....I...' . ._ ~ . '0 .. ~< \ ../'. /" ( , . ., "~-''1~~'''':'' ...,,~ ".',,' .~. r .' ..' :{'I/,'" , " :'. '~::: ..;...~: ,.-:....~:,=~:.,_~'"~ :L.~."{ "'~~~"":"'I'r4..:"!'"'O~~;~~;:;:: '- ", (j ..... -';';..- "._._.H. . . ...... ......_, ..~ r ~. ._._.i;,............2,.....,, ....(.,._..,.~,..... '"-c- .~., . o. '" ,"'" "-V-""-.:':"~'-~-'-~' - --7"( \" " l ,\./. \\ J' }(l~. ~ / ,of::' , ,I 9 6-7< li . 1/ ~. .1 r~' ...., ( . 0 .\ '/ r..... . of" .' ~ \ ~. - '~.' \ \. -.r'" \, ,\' ' \. '\ \ ~"\ , ~.\. L , .. " " \..\ - ;',,' ~ "-~ ' ~ ' '. ~. ,: " [ ~ U N \ . J ~\ . ("..... ~,.. " ..' -i. . , i j 0, ,,". .~ " J .,.. .\" . )III.' \~. 1 ,. ~. ,)1 '.) , .~ ,( r".. . .~. .1 /.,............. . i ./" ( ('_~ [-J ~ ~:. -.1 I r-.', . (i ~J"""" ' I ~? ',-'\..' ~ "'. \ I . ...,.. .'V.'. ? '-. <,' <:". '- ~ r--,.,). . .- t .' "'; I ROADS, MILLS & CHURCHES r'c ;l h()lI t. 1 R 2 7 l'\:: , ~ I I ., / . , '1 f . ,/""../' '-.-- , ,.-......, .--., /"./' " '0\" r "- / ~ /',' .' ',.' ~--............ f . --, . .r " r .' .i...,'l" "., '- / I "'~." . ............ . "' ~ ~ ',-. .. r.' !. .,' )! -~~ .....~.I , - ~ }'\. . i :~ ,,- - I N G 5 ./ "'..._.1 , (oTl ':.'t~\ .. . ....~\ (~":' .: \"~'.?' . "'_..'.J ~ '" --< ,/ ~o ,.;-q' ,', "~t~ ')':""" "', 0 ,//'-;/ , _...;-.i::;,r"pjrP;'~';'-' '_ ,i,~;~'" " ~.. ,.C0719 . d~'.I" __.-if'?""!.? f.. , 1(1 . ) f"" , It- t _;lj711fr1' . ~ 011. \' _ __ .J H~lli~g~~ ../' '.' ~. ._.~'"z:Jl ~ ~__ .' ...J-. . IL '. \ ...' '" . ._~ ~ .".'.-'" _. i. _~~.... ..__ . _ ._____... ..._ ," _ ~._ " -- '/ ~-- ~,' /' ", ,!. Ii ,r . ~\ ' 11 (, (" 4 .. , ~ ,r./ 'J ;ly '., J \! '~:,r, \+"i , .)"-. r /:J'!I \ ,.,.... /0 ~ '~--0 //1" /' '. )c..-c=, ~ 4, 6 . 7 ' ,'/ /( /~,\,r. , \ _ N . '~/), .., ~ . J .tAi. /', , (l) / ( l '0 .. , 11 / . \ , \ \ 'I'~ '~ (I,' I \ '. .' ! \ " /" )! l ",' \ " . II). ( ..\... \.i \ 1,1 A ,. 1 . '\, r \..l.'Jl . /, 1'1 ,," , . ,. . ('."'''z " U ~:-yv -- \'" ), 'r? ?. ..' \ "\ ;~; ,1. 4 V " >~, ~'I /'\ ',. \~-\ ., -"~ " ' .:,-~. ..,<:. \.. ~ '~ " ~..., r :/ \ \, \ :--~ I ~ ' .- , ,/' . i ' \/~). ~~/ f'". ,------ ',\. ' ./ ~ ' , -- -., r..' .. I.':::/(( <',.., ..... ~ ....-' .j J '\ ':, \ '0.:..,. ....,-;-- . ~ , ~ ~, ~~1'<"..'~ ... I ..~~ . 'j\\.. .... ~: (< ~ 4 " ',', ... , Of'. , \I ~ \ " '. .>- ~..--. " /" r~ - , ' ~ L _' _ I f -..../ '~'>., (Of 1. t '. /< \ ~ ~-':', " " ' ......./ ':' 1+ '...~ " ""(Oft .... r., ,.... ~ ' 1l:J .~. ,....., -- ..:., ,..~ '-) {}J .<.~~::.,~ ~ ~'-,.. ,. . f~:o" ':. . . ~....-/ -.r- . " \, . , ". ~:J' ''--/;...-. . ) ....~ ',.: 1\ . _ ~ -:. - ::-..... : -- :'~I~:: -- ,; ,; 11 r. ,(, n II Q '\. ~..v.....~._.J II " ./ " j . /') /,/ '-. . -"or- \J~C'(\ . ~"_o . \\\~C\\ ~l ) ~, ~ COTI 1 . I Ii' -,'-;:: -- ~ , / ---.. . ! (011 5 ' /', I (;) -J'" ,Or/P}''- \ ,. ,-. ,., , '\ ~'_'~i;,;,;;.;..~.r.~~"~" ' ,'\i(;';";" / ., ..."p;rr" J' ~ '/ " .__r;,;.~~r .. (. , ,tJ til " .__--,r .r" . v~111fr" . ' .'. ~le1f': , ./' , L- \j '}. ..___'_ __ ,0. - I '-, "\ - //_. - :=-=- .;... ~ .:.:.. ,....._ v....~-... ~ ~ ,,'--... -,~- . . - . . (' I j,t / }-" -....... .~.~ 1 ./'r 1 \ \ ~ ' \~ ~'\ '- ~, ~.)\.. ::. \ ~ ~ ~-i A I' ~ ). \... l' .... \; "\ ~ .>- 5 1, ~ I ". ~ I i I / .~ 1-. " ~:J 'l( " _r .....,. , )\.. . '1-' ~.~ ~, I' : ;.--~. '.r ..~ ":' . ' " ///\1\11 .~ 1\ . ~./ ...; ..,P ~ ~ ,'"' I" I 1/ '. , ,j\./'''':' CO" 1 ,~ "J' ~-' " Ie'!: ' / ....~ ",/ '\ '("" Z "i ~ . . ~ " ) /' ' CVIL' ~/ " . .--.' ~ \\ " ~', .'." y (JIi' ~ , V ~ l~ ' . t /\ . .~~\ .' (o~ t ,,:/\;) ( 0,1 " ,. / \ I . 'l . 4 7 '.. Co" Ii. l';;;l :' . ()/ I?'" ", ',-\C)11) , " ,(\" \(011- 4~, 6 {(jJ_~t,c5>;\,/ -, \, '" ' > , l/ ....). ,,,.\c\./ ~ . . ,., c \ . , ' .<' .... f'" . "',/~. . . ../,......'" . , v.:l. H'~"" \ .<"c".' ','. . ....1'(< \ , .:it_ --f--.. ~ A_ - '=-- :;:~'~~;;;,; '_7; i ~j:,.!l~ AO " ,--,~ .,....... .... v ~...,;i..",. ,. \./' \lI 1 ~. '0 6,L ~ ~I / , , .., ( -' ,of" I \: ~.'\ \ \.- \ " \\ \\\ .,' \. "- \. - "- -...... ~ ' \ ~ " , rr~ (l N ,.!~ -. J ~~ /-'\ - "- . ~ 'II' \ ('. .) . ............. J . ("~ (J l, -.~ . -...... \ --;.J '''-:. ( ? ~.~~ .- r- '" i ? ' , j ., ROADS, MILLS & CHURCHES about 1827 Ba/ed ('1ll:e/ly on a llferp and Report./ I made by ,JOHl\r (iOEJ:IM A ^/~ DefJut!l furl/elfor 1 in 18.c '5 & 1821 ! Jr rr 1<' 0/ 1'f,1 C/ , () , Z J ... 5 ~ ...t... . ---~ LE6'ENlJ - Nain R~"/f I = '/'l"c-ondar!j Ruad/ "linproJ rd "III /H1rl Road/ and f'rarkJ (flnl/nprovcd) RorzrL/ "On the JurJ/f",/ H - partly opened by /~tll{'r/ 1 (hu 1 0 Hlll/ I / /)'t- ~/';vr'n;"tlll , fa" 1/11 II J I 'J J , / "'#,/".' / '1, I, I ,. /,," 1/,11, I"; ~ '-I, ,/; ",/,1,. /,,,,.,,, ,/1 ',//; I /nplJ .. Not nUHli"d -/,,..r)utp/ ,/rru/rl / 4. un/l nt/her{ ('/rl/t HiL L 5, Nr Matthea !.rJuwm,dL - lli~ J ~. &. Nr hu'r/ 6"'i/~a1l.djawNiLL - /809 T LVr Johrl. Jmlt/l './ L/uwmilt - abuul 18Z0 I). 8, Nr (korge Bolton '/ ari./~ Nill - /823 9- Nel uy './ J/rLU milt - rL/!"r /&20 7 10. /Vr Holltny//zrud './,/rUl null - I), j',r, I8L,/ /1. 1/, ."'fr /VcIau9hlul './ (7'rlfl #t/L - 182.0 I, ~ ~' i .r ~~~ '.... _--- ~ " ~ ,-., ..-- ~:::::= \ ,,~-~--~,,-- '; ~.~-- \ .~ . ( , ;j r"i' / ! . ,/j) (r (, <S\ f~! ..; ; ,/ / .'1 'j!/ "': ".Y r . +50'--/ ;) t .' " //". -~~ ~/... ~, 1 ""6 '-./'7 ~ J' N :(~d(iJ;( \ .;y \ ' ,,111, )1\ (' "I I \ '. ) , "';, \" i\ i ( \', i I \ ,)..' (.'.. '.~\ \ \ ) " ~(J;; ~ " "', ~J \-vv ), . \ .,- '" ;<:' \ r' - ... -" \/ <' ,;" ..~' bJI ....... ':' - ~ /' \!, \'~\,/) ~".,- ~ '" ~ l~.2 ~./ ., "'" \ ' (~/I(,... ^ ~ / -, t ",.>\ ~ . '~ '. "~.... ~ . . ~'ii ~~~~ '?0) .. .'. ~;'.' !~ j'" /~. ..c ',' 'II, 'II ;;..--- ~~, I ~ 'i\ ~%.. " '.:, ~ ., c ~ \\. \~ t' o N '\ 0 ,'. \ ~ (0" ~) '\.. ~ .~ ~.. ~.. \'\1 - '~ili I, \ '.'.'..( uft 9 ..... ....'.. /~". " I, " ,"~___:'- ',r>.\ 1\ ~~. ~ ~> , ,'. I :~", l" ""- =c , ~/ :'4. .. -- Tr~ ) . . . , '~_ "(1.(0 , . " '/'-.~ ~I 4'" , 1.:;C G UT. A 'Cli, 0 l' 1 Q ~. '''o,~!;;/ .!.- ~ tf\ . 'd ..L ~,+'-\. ~~, ,>. """,~,'..,:/ fl_~~-'.-r ~~ '-. '>'I, " ! i J ~~ I I, .......... ,'. ,--' (',.le ~ ~ '- ", ,v.' \' , ,...... . ~ --.' II ,.- ~',I'O .~.~ ~ C' ~ '. G..,y .>11 1",,'" .-'0.... '-: ..) <"". ~,0:1 b 1'/ '. . \, ..., "'.,vC'" V . \ """""- ' v , ~ r' 0 ,.I!'\'f to';" "\ ',.. ? / '- )' . , ~. ,:\. . '-'-.. ~"'\'::'< ~")' "\.,' I , -Of' t, \.? ,\ I""'" ../ ,~ .~. . "" \, , . . ~ .-:c\ A:> .'1' ~ '.'.'~' . ~". ~~~.. '\. " >(\' ... .." ,~() ~', .,' ,? .('0 ", '. ~ \. '- . r (l I'"~ V.. "., ~..~", "'-. '.0 , '-.." ~-" -\~:-::;,.---- '.'- .' I L " ~~".. ..\ ' , ( o"oll i\ , , ,v . 0'....\ ,( () T1 '1 \ , - . l \.1 l\ '.:{ Ull I " '1- " <;', ~ ( )." ~. y \;, - (0 T 0 ^ ft' 0 N, '\', .< . '" , ~' :., ~,:,~ ., > '",,*, ' , - - \. ... I; - -:. ~ --:.': ::,::;.,- I \ I;AU e/, ,/ ' i J,.\feetiluj HOUfe 0/ We/ley'./- Per/uu/ion "h..', ,.'Wt'etlng Hou..re o/We/l~!I f Per/ua/ion - 1/ '\ I '< ~ \ff!etiny ffulL/f:' - ;\fennun i/I: Gf:'/?'f-C.Ln./' f u Buryili<j (iruun d " 14. ('Au,-,), - l.utJu rlan (/erNUlll I ' {(zou/lloluP ~ fJurljinq Yurd" { ('!tOoIJIOII/f (/1./0 lI/en' lor Hcetinrj/ ;1 WF./ll '1/, (,{ua.Jlfr./ d I1rlfJlul/ n I '.41........\ r ~ U /"( )l. J(); (/ul ),'~ lL /(' &. 13 ':/ rtj I "-<j -',if'~' - rJ,,,rr./1 ul /( ol!uT[r( /"', I . , '.H.~t"ln (I Hou/, oj w,/If:tjull/ II.Viurtjiltlj 1'/(/((." ~r'9'lIll'1r /llcf!IN,/ oj Hr/l(lj(III/, Jr"'" y //oon y' / .'rr, /ul " . ~ I;-'~- --- ." - --.. - . ,- _.- -- --.--. ~- \ \ \~~. ) \.~. "t> A j\ ~ ,I , "'\ .>- 51i. - ,,- Ii 14 .') ,~ -. ____~ L_ ___. .' 'I 'I '/il ~ ~~, ' "- q.. ' , ~ :![ .. ~\ i. ~. : i .' \. ,\ "\', 1\ '\ 'lJC " 1 i. ,~~.~' (011 IJ \ ~/,\ 2 " ... . ~ ~ .,', (uti '\ . ~~ ' "./' I CurL' ..' . ~ 4 '\..'~ .' \, ,\ . ~_..._____ /1' I "f! ~.' (}.,~ \ ~ i ., C /'1.1 ~ I'i 0 1<'\ \ ..... C 71 Z . \. ... () ~;~)~."\' . .<\ c>. ", .c' . '.. '\J~>"c " . .,c- \ " - - :. - ~ \,.,c,',. - ~ ~- ~' - - " ~\ .K ~ I ,,/.<~ <,011'- 21 . . \:i~ \...'1 . c' ..........., ''''',L ..~~ I~ '. ~v ~ j.. .-- ..:';."-. - ' _~ ~__ _--,.,....- --=--..J~ ) . . ----- "--~- '- / ----~ /. " " " " " L A K E () IV 77 A R / 0 , II I r I: " 55 and Goesman's map, with some information from other sources. It will be seen that most of the more important modern highways are already foreshadowed, though there have been changes of line in most cases. The roads did not always stick to the surveyed road allowances but usually struck off sooner or later "across lots" to their destination, following the most direct or the easiest route. These diversions have sometimes been followed by modern roads, but in many cases they have disapp- eared and their line is only marked by isolated houses, which once stood close beside them, but are set far back from the r::resent road. tlF'arr's Mills", once Holly's had become an important junction for main roads. The road to this vil1are from York followed the side road along the east side of lot 35 for about three-quarters of a mile after leaving Dundas Street and then ran "across Concessions to the Humber." It wa s continued north to Vaughan, partly along the front of the Sixth Concession, west from Yonge Street, in York Township. In Etobicoke Township a road ran "in Concession B along the Humber to the Dundas Road, and also to the Townline of Vaughan". Another ran "from farr's Mills across lots to Lots No. 31 and 32 in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concession 4, then through the Gore (of Toronto) to Toronto (Township) in (between) No's 10 & 11, n to the Centre Road. This was later called the "Toronto Gore Road 0 " Goesman shows it on his map as dividing when it reached the front of Concession 4, the left-hand fork taking the course already described, while the right-hand followed a winding line along the West Branch until it reached the "Sixth Line" Road at the junction of the latter with a side road which had been opened between Lots 10 & 11 with Chinguacousyo The road between Concessions A & B had been "improved" from Lot 15 to Lot 34, where it joined the "Humber Roadll to Vaughan. Goesman shows a road running northwest at the centre of Lot 27 to join the "Ninth Line I1.oad" above " 56 the site of Clairville on the west boundary of Vaughan. This is the forerunner of the Albion Road but before it was planked this road had been changed to run from Thistletown to Clair- ville. In Vaughan, South Townline had been opened throughout its length and the next two sideroads to the north were in use as far as the Humber but not beyond. The road in front of the 5th Concession had been opened as far as Lot 15, but made a wide sweep to the east between Lots 6 and 10, apparently to avoid the upper part of Black Creek. The only other road on the watershed in Vaughan, which is mentioned is part of a winding route from Richmond Hill through Albion to Mono, Adjala and Caledon. From the "termination of settlement" at Lot 25 Concession4, it ran northwest across the watershed" through the wood to the middle of the 5th Concession to the settlement of Mr. Hollingshead on Lot No. 35 on the Townline of King, then on the said Boundary or Townline to Albion." From this point it ran "conveniently" across the Seventh Concession to Bolton's Mills, then acr03S the uth, 5th and 4th Concessions to the front of the Fourth, here it foll- owed the survey for two and a quarter miles to the north then struck across concessions to the northwest to pass '~eloy's" Millon Lot 19 Concession III and reach the "Sixth Line Road" at Lot 23 on the boundary between Albion and Caledon. This was obviously an important early road made to join scattered settlements, but other roads had been opened in Albion by 1825. The most important of these was the line between the third and fourth concessions, which had been improved from Lot 26 south to the boundary of Toronto Gore and through that township to the boundary of Vaughan north of Clairville where it connected with the Humber Roads in Etobicoke by the crossroad already described, forming an "Albion Road" on a different line from the later "Plank Road". By 1827 there was a road in Adjala and Mono which led down the Tovmline between those townships to Albion, "then on the line between Albion and Mono to the townline of Albion and Caledon - deviating a little to the 57 southwest to avoid the Hills." This was considered to be a continuation of the road across Albion and Vaughan to Yonge Street at Hichmond Hill, which indica~es that the Sixth-line Road was less travelled at that time. These were the roads considered to be worth reporting as such. They had probably been "improved" to some extent. "Opening" a road consisted in cutting a twenty foot space through the bush, clearing of the brushwood, cutting down the stumps "so that a waggon may easily pass over", and filling the worst bogholes with logs. Improving a road some- times only meant building bridges and "causewayingll the swamps - that is building "corduroy roads" across them. Usually hovJever, it inc luded "turnpirdng" of the drier stretche s. "Turnpiking" consisted of removing most of the stumps and boulders from the road and ploughing up the soil from the sides so as to form a "crown" with a kind of ditch on each side. Until the thirties few roads got more in the way of improvement than this. Even the best were bad for much of the year. At their best, during the dry season they were rough and dusty. Only under ideal winter conditions was travelling reasonably comfortable. (2 ) Plank and Macadam Improvement was slow and gradual. Some roads were "causewayed" through a great part of their length so that the whole road was said to be corduroy. Part of the Lakeshore hoad is said to have been planked as early as 1820, but by 1629 it was so rough as to be mistaken for corduroy. Dundas Street was macadamized as far as CooKsville by 1830. In 1853 it is described as "a pretty good stone road". It was under the Road Commissioners until 1850 when it was sold to the Toronto Road Company by the government. The Lakeshore Road was also sold about this time and replanked. The building of planked roads was very popular in the 1840's. A company was formed in 1841 to build a plank road connecting ~eston with Dundas Street which was completed by 1846. By 1850 this had been continued through St. Andrews I I I 5$ (Thistletovtn ) to a little beyond Clairville as the Weston and Albien Plank Road. From St. Andrews another plank road led to Pinegroveo The nSixth Line and Mono Plank Road" started at nliJimico" (Islington) and by 1850 had been planked as far as Grahamsville. It had been joined to the road to Owen Sound by a new road from I:1ono IJlills. 1 I As more and more of the survey roads were ~ ~ opened and as the use of gravel for surfacing of grading and of better culverts and ditches improved these roads, the old roads tf a cross concessions" pa ssed out of use. Only small sections of these roads remained in 1856. In at least one case the old road was missed after it had been given up. The "Toronto Gore" road as shown and described by Goesman in 1824 seems to have been closed for a time. In 1833 it was reopened at th e peti tion of the ci ti ~ens of liieston a s the Toronto Gore or Malton Road from VTcston, wit.h very little change of line from Weston as far as the boundary of Toronto Gore. The eld winding section throueh the Gore to Chingua- cousy was not revived. This is nOvl kno;vn as the ItBrampton Rcadlt. Thi s road \~as never planked and was notorious for its bad condition at some times of the year. In 1851 the "Yorkville and Vaughan" Road had been planked to Lot 10 on the third concession of York (Duf- ferin Street) and improved from that point to the boundary of Vaughan.2 By 1860 this road company had ext.ended the Pine Grove Plank Road as a toll road to Kleinburg and the boundary of KinR Township at the ninth concession. ThE road was either planked or macadamized from Thistletown to the boundary3 and continued along the ninth concession of King as the main Highway to Lloydtcwn from the south replacing the "Tenth Line" (cf King) which hai been in use for this purpose in 1850.4 The plank roads continued to be popular through the 1850's. They had the advantage of being passable in all weatber~; as long as they were in repair. They had, however, l. The "Tcr onto and Sydenham Riad. n vI. H. Smith; "Canada, Past, Present. and Future," 1851. 2. Browne's Map of t~e Township for York, 1851. 3. Tremaine's Map of the County of York, 1860; Hist. Atlas of the county of York, 1878. 4. T"r H. Smith; "Canada, Past, Present and Future,1t 1851 ., . --.-... n _-. ~/ ~..... _-.::;{] ::, ~~ ~ - . ~ -~r~ r~...... ."-f"\'~.~i'~' ~.:.:: .".~ I.~-:- - ~ ~. '~~~)-" '~.'fo.o~ "___~ "'" ~_ "_ ___~. . -;:: , .- t-...._~ ' .J.O .'1 -- ":'~. -- - _. __ __ ....4!!i __ . ~ _ , ....;;;:: y -.... ~ l' "-,r-- ~ _ _'_. _ .-,... <::-.... ., :-....... ._'_ ___.., ' ~.oo::::. '-......, .. T.::c -~.. " --'-:..J..._....." _..... I._~ j ..t-'-_ "_ '_ ~. -~~~.,:.. La-; - J~~__ .~- 4S. ~ -lbC."..__ _ ...~.. -w:..'~ .".. l-._ .... '. ,. . "-' -'r::it:!- jJl r-, ..~ ... .-... '. ~~ .- · ~ t.. . ~:~ c _'_. '~"'.-..:. -....-- o~,..... -.....1::; l .~ ;;jl) 'lLa.._ ,.....--. ..;.". I........~ . ;;C'; "~., .....- ~ '. · -- =........ -, . I r _ --. r_. -- . "- ~~.'_ __ _ ... ___- '. __ I. .... ".,... . '- .~.. '. 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''--'' -- -," ~/_'",'-rr17~.~if, ~; J',j . '.~ ""'-:'~;':.., } .; .~ .. ::~llhJZii -w.. " /, ~w.'.;~ '.. . _...... -. - ...' ,.' . ~. - .., . " ~fl""" ~ . :-." . .t.', ,t... . . . .. ~. 4i l. ' ..,... . - '- . . .... .' . . ::..- . ", . , , ' '. . . .. ... .. . \r.' ..." . . * '" I , ~'.... . ..,t:~... " ..,.... !,. .'. . .. '. - '" ... I~ ' .' f"\Cv '" P ()J:" v I TREMAINE'S MA ~ 60 some Rrave disadvantages, which soon became apparent. They consisted of a continuous readbed of pine planks laid on longit- udinal stringers and required an enormous footage of lumber. The Weston and Albion Plank aoad used up 2,250,000 feet of pine planking purchased from local mills at $4.00 per thousand feet. These roads had to be kept in constant repair or they became rough and even dangerous. the initial cost and heavy upkeep were too great for the municipalities to meet. Private companies had to be formed which recouped themselves by charging tolls. The tolls were unpopular and rarely sufficient to meet expenses and the companies for plank roads often went bankrupt. The necessity of paying toll on some roads had the effect of deflecting some traffic to other roads which were free and this in turn, led to pressure on the municipalities to improve conditions on the roads for which they were responsible. Through the 1850's there was a steady increase in the number of improved roads and by 1856 when the first railroads were built across the area, many of the concessions and side roads were in use and some in fair shape when weather conditions were favourable. 1 The railways changed the importance of SOQe main roads especiallv the Lakeshore hoad, Dundas Street and the roads from Weston to York, while it increased for a time, the importance of roads which served as feeders to the railway lines. Within a dozen years, however, railroads had been built which crossed the watershed in a north-south direction and the highways were no longer used for long hauls. This condition 80ntinued for nearly fifty years. The roads continued to improve, but were chiefly used to reach the nearest village or railway station. They had become reasonably good for horse-drawn traffic at most times of the year and the fact that they were often hardly passable for some weeks in early spring ~las accepted as more or less inevitable. 1. Even in the early 1850's a lar~e number of roads on the watershed " ".- in York Township were improved and possibly gravelled. They are shown on J. A. Browne's man of the township (1851) as a dotted line (~) and include Dundas Street, Davenport Road, St. Clair Avenue, Scarlett's Road, Wilson Avenue and the fifth concession from Wilson to Vaughan Township, with sections of other roads connecting with the- se main roads. The Weston Road and the Pine Grove Road are marked with a symbol denoting planking (~)o ..........-...- (fi c .- () .J;. u 0 N - II > - ~ to u (/) 0 ~ CO .. )- f- Z ~ 0 U ~ 0:: 0 >- lJ.. 0 Q. <{ I 62 With the increased use of mater cars after 1910 the trend be~an to be reversed. The roads began to be used more and more, their condition deteriorated under the new demands of traffic and one bv one the main roads became paved highways. The Lakeshore Road was the first and for some time the only Daved road across the watershed. Dundas Street from Toronto to Dixie was asphalted at the expense of a Toronto company before 1913. The First World Was delayed the development for a time, but from 1920 to the present the development of highways and the improvement of many secondary roads has gone steadily. Road traffic has continued to increase and is now the chief means of travel within the watershedo (J) Stagecoaches Travellers on the roads had at first to go on foot, on horseback or in a hired waggon or sleigh. In 1816 the first line of public stage waggons was opened along Dundas Street and in the twenties there was also a line along the Lakeshore Road. By this time it was sometimes possible to hire post horses and use a lighter carriage, but the roads were usually so rough that breakdowns were frequent. In the thirties coaches of the "Concord" type had replaced the waggons in summer and coachbodies mounted on sleighs were used for winter travel. In the forties other lines of stages were opened, probably to Fine Grove, Bolton and Mono Yills, but these ran only once or twice a week. By 1851 the Western I1lail Stage left Liddell's Buildings on Church Street every day at 6 p.m. for Hamilton by Dundas Street. In winter, when the steamers were not running, a second stage left "the same office for Hamilton, via the Lake Shore Road, daily, at 9o'clock, a.m. " A stage also left "Kellogg's (Hotel) Colborne Street, daily (Sundays excepted) for Streetsville at 3 o'clock, p.m.lI une of these connected with a stage from lIMimico" (Islington) to Sandhill on the Line Road. There was a daily stage from Liddell's to Pine Grove by way of ~eston, at 3 p.m. This connected at Thistle- town with the "Albiontl stage to Bolton. The fares were \....JI ~O\. re. ,",:\ .~.../~ ~ r f-<Ar~ )~) F~TAT1ON U E3ll(; lFl1l1lES . - - I I --...1'\ I , I ~lTO' . " ',r ,~ :;, \ . 1 . . -~- "ti- ;.~ ,,(,. - *' - ~. .., '\r.......~. ~, <.J' .. , l" c" . " . . - . r . , , :I '-./ , " ~~, , \ , <II.. "'~Tl[T~.~ f '. , \ '~ ,,.. t I ,. I' ;,., .. . , . 'I .' . L AXt ()!y TA.i?/O " 64 reasonable but it must often have been hard to get places. The fare to Weston was Is. 6d., to Fine Grove 2s. 6d., and to B 0 1 ton 3 s . 9d. The Dundas Street coaches were discontinued after the Grand Trunk Railway was built in 1856, but the nor- thern stages ran until the seventies. The Pine Grove line was extended to Lloydtown by 1860. Freight was handled by regular lines of freight waggons and by the private waggons of millers and merchants. Feot passengers could often geta lift in these as they could until recently in the trucks which are the 80dern equivalent, as the buses are of t~e sta~e coaches. (4 ) hailwaYE 2E~,_ '~he Watershed The first railway to cross the watershed was the Northern Railway, chartered as the Toronto, Simcoe and Lake Huron in 1849 and opened to Aurora in 1853. It reached Barrie in Letoher of that year ~nd Col1in~wooct in 18S5. Tris line skirts th e ea st boundary of the watershed, partly wi thin it and rartlv .~ust beyond it. In 1860 there were stops at Carleton, lI',veston Stationl;, "York Station" ( Elba) , ltThornhill ,station" (Concord) , "Ri chmond Hill" <~ust east of the village of Maple, and King. The northern was absorbed bv the Grand Trunk in 1888 and made part of the Canadian National Railway~ The Gr':ind rrrunk line by "'leston and jvlalton was opened to Stratford in 1856 and the Ioronto and Hamilton along the Lakeshore at about the same time. The latter line soon became part of the Grand Trunk System. It was fifteen years before any other railways crossed the Humber Valley. The Credit Valley Railroad was built to Orangeville in 1871 and in 1877 was connected with Toronto by a line across the watershed through Lambton. In 1873 the Toronto, Grey and Bruce, a narrow guage railway ( 3 r 6") , was opened to Owen Sound. It ran up the main river to Bolton Junction and then to 0rangevil1e by Mono Road Station. It became part of the Cntario and Quebec, which was leased by the CanaciL!in Pacific in 1884. It was acquired by the Canadian Pacific in 1883 and recently the b5 section from Ca.Lu1un to Lolton Wi: :'!'.~ba.ndoneu. The lLmil ton and 1~orthwf:sl:ern was built in 16'/'1-d. rWlning ur the Credit Vallf,y froDi -:;eorgeto\'m J c rO;3sin, tLc d i v ide near- Cc'Jlf:don L; st anr1 then down the valley of Centreville Cr. ek to the Humber, " !; i c h it crosst:(i brIo.. Palgrave. It crossed the northern Uivide h"yow'j ?algr~iVe ~)tation and continuen to I.:larrif' by All:mdale. Th Eamil ton and i'iorthllH' st,t-rn a.nal,',amat!:'dwith t.t dorthern in 1379 and pass(~d"Jith t;lA latter to tile Grand Trunk in Id38. The watershed \-JUS nm'! ",ell f;E'rVfCO by raih,'ays excppt for an area arou.nd ~Jobl~ton .,md a smaller area around Tull;;:non~ and "ildf if' 1d. The last line to be built waE the C . P . 1\ . brancn line from Surlhury to HU.Lcon Junction. This WHS built in 1904-5 as a riposte to tile buil,Hug 01.' f.~: Cern lin{ s by the Grand TrW1h. 3. Ihe :..Li,<';' 5 ;:,hiDyar(l As ~imcoe believed that York snou1d be the na-\.f"l bGse for tne Great L;--1,'. c s , rattle:!' them Lingstoli, he ~!et up a shipyard '::it t!lf' Hlliiiber soon after tll" founding of the' t .1Im. i\t first thl' ,..orhmen Cc:l,;;e from across tr.e latd''', rttlI'ni to trl E^'~ i r .hofiie s " , 1 "here this shipYdrd was lI1 ;',J.nter. f"irsG loc::.:t{~d l.S lUlcert:iin. In l'9b JoIr j)enni~3 ",:i~; t".aster Snirr"ri :nt an;] 'NetS aStin, h?iVe to es1~'!bli5~: hL. Yi'.rd on t'Aenty Ole ri' S "nf,ar IVlr. -~ +- John's old houseft. l'be location v~a~: settled ".; v. on Lot 41 in LlH~ .fin-lt Conces ion of York, the most i~estcrly lot in t,hr.l t concession. It. ~'Jas a "broy.euff lot and illcluded the west tJari~, of~ the river from al;out t'wenty ciluins from .l ts mouth to the line of tl18 2nd concession, (bloor ~~trcet). The shi1yard W2S just below the poirit ;.hc:rf .this line cros.ses the river. It is {/larked on a sur-vey of the lot 1C~dde in 1'1)d Ly trH',;o I'd !lvcssellt J.fjeJ a crude 5y:";,01 repnsenting d olliFr. It 'lias Lere that thE: armed yacht !'Toronto n ':,2S LiUnch(;d in iT)). ~he ".; ~3.B cO;lsi.cen.'c} a very fine vesf'!.(~l and ~;. h rc:uc il ser'ice on Lake UnLrio in the next trJenty .J 'iI'S. Othrr vesscl~:; ,;Frc .,,1:;;0 b~lilt Lere. {lie 1 >30,) lI;;j ta t eHi~,nt 01 uov<;rn:nen t Propprty" mentions t,r,'O ,mboats and a Loat !~for the trtHlsport 01' stone" built J.. FrOtH tiw Un i t f> d S tat ,c s , in most c<~-,es. 00 "at York neforE 1?99.n1 The "Toronto" \, s the jiJ()~,t import-Hlt product of the si'iipyard however, and the site of the shipyard soon came to be kno~n dS >'tI1E: spot ',;here the Toronto h<::S ouilt". The shipyard (,ad been abandoned bel"ore l.J0Y. JOI,n .lJcnni:, ,,~ s still build ing silips, but 1"as v.orKing (~t i.incston. In Sept-einber Id09 i',at.thias Sanders at tes in a petition that "he a::>sistGd at l,uildin.'; the Gun Boats, The Toronto and Other Vessels at the humber, tr.at he is son-in-la\'Ii to the mast.er-build;.r") an,:; prays to be permitted to build a vessel tilere, "havinG a peculiar attaCHment to the Hurnber". His petition was granted, after some (;uit)blinG over the fact that lot J+l W<'1- a timber n serve, d l' l' .', ;:; ,-dter this ~'C hear no an preSUIn",i, y tne VE-sse 'rJ<lS tJu~.l.t. male of the shi~-'yard on the Humber. I I -- I. See Section IV "Mills". (page ) of tIns report. " Upper Canada Sundries, Dominion Archives, Ottawa. Sanders ... was already livinG at 0Ile Humber. See II La,Hbt on" ( pa;~c:e ) of this report. f< ') vI 4. t"lills on the ilumber The import :mce of mills in the development of early settlement in Upper Canada is H:!ll known and has even been somewhat over-emphasized in some of its aspects. Not all the earliest set ,lements had wf,ter power at l:and, but alonc; the shores of Lake Ontario "millsoClts" were numberous and the settlE;rs of American birth were fully aware of the advantage of obtaininG a good one. ",.'1herever a settlement is foriaed,........ .it begins ;:.t\3.dually to develop the usual fea tures of an lUTieric an village. First, a sawmill, a gristmill, and a blachsiidth's shop appear; then a senDol-house and a plac(; of horsid: and, in a little time, trle village doctor and pedlar Nith his \varc:; , lntrodue e the:'isel ves. A saw-mill of itself soon forms a settlement; for attached to it must be a blac~smith's forge, ciwellin/;s for carpenters, milh'rights, and labourers, stables, and ox-houses. A shop and tavern are also sure to spring up close to it; tailors and si.oemakers are al~,o rei.;Llir':cd. ,,1 ,~hen tlii~; wFis,iritten in 18jJ, it might have served as a description, \"Iith a few changes, of any of a dozen little settlements on the Humber. In anot.her part of the same work it is stated that "a first-rate saw-mill, \.1 th two frame s, vd 11 {' i ve employn.t;n t to f'our 1'irst-rute, four second-rate and t~o tnird-rute, S51'JjPrs; bes~cles a ",easurcr, a bLtC l'. sn~ i tr; , and from thirty of forty m,,,n to prepare the tillibeI' required, and for other reauisite work......; t.wenty oxen and tV-iO horse s are a lso necessary for ll<:wlin,~ the tirlllJer If Not many sa~\mills or t.nis size were to be found on . . . . . the Humber, but smaller (;~,tablishrrwnts \,ere very nWHof'rous between 1845 and ld'l5. It is evident that these Wills, even if they only em:).loyed a SCl)r~.: of men for r'art of' the l. J onn i',ae Gregor, "Bri tlsh 1\;!IEr lea I' J 1033 PP.5Jl & 54d. "iacGrec~or \'iaS nlOre fanJilidr 'filtL the ~';laritiwes and the Ott.:n.'a Valley titan with the rest of Upper Canada. In the latter Province ,;,rist mills were often UAore import,e.Ht than sawmills 2nj tLP tavern fre\llently precedea the churC;l, school (lnd even tell" jl1il1s. Doctors '"ere much 1a ter in makinp; their a;)pei'l.ranc . Perl:. DS bf~C2U~H::: the c;)untry 'was healtnier. f.'."''' VI 4. i'lills on the Humber The import3nce of mills in the development of early settlement in Upper Canada is well known and hds even been somewhat over-emphasized in some of its aspects. Not all the earliest set ,lements had water power at hand, but aloni::~ the shores of Lake Ontario "millseats" If.!ere numberous and the settlers of Ameriean birth were fully aware of the advantage of obtaininG a good one. "wherever a settlement i s f 0 rG~ ed, . . . . . . . . . it begins,:raduaLly to develop the usual features of an American village. lirst, a sa\,>,rn ill, a gristmill, and a blachswith's shop appear; then a senGol-house ~Uld a place of worsLi; and, in a little time, the village doctor and pedler I"ith his ware:: , introduce th€~;'isel ves. A saw-mill of itself soon forms a settlement; for attached to it must be a blae", smith's forge, dwellin/;s for carpenters, mill'rrrights, ane! labourers, stables, and ox-houses. A shop and tavern are also sure to s~rin~ up close to it; tailors and sLoemakers are also re;iulrr~,d. nl ~,hen this 'tJas.iritten in 183), it might have served as a description, \-vith a few changes, of any of a dozen little settlements on the Humber. In another part of the same work it is stated that Ha first-rate saw-mill, ''iith two frame s, \r~i 11 give employment to four first-rate, four second-rate ~J,nd t fO th ird-r~lte, S.:n~ J (~rs ; besides a ".easurcr, a blacl". sn,i tIl, and from thirty of forty m\.:n to prepare the tijliber required, and for other recuisite Irwrh......; twenty oxen and two horses are also necessary for ilaulini.~ the tiwlJE:r II Not many sav,;mil1s or tnis size were to be found on . . . . . the Humbc r, but smaller establishmentr; ~<,ere very nWUblToUS between 1845 and ld75. It is evident that these mills, even if they only em~loyed a scure of men for part of the . 1. J' , ., "British .t::lfrlcafl, l' '< J p") 5"1 \ ":) ann i'~aeljregor, 'J -' I. v c<,) I}.. . j"jaeGregor \'Jas more fanJiliar with the riwritimes and. the Ott,:n'.'a Valley l:;!\an with the rest of Upper Canada. In the latter Province I;rist mills were often LUore import,;..ut than sawmills <:ifLl tile tavern frequently precedea the ~ ... : sehool Lind even tllE- wills. Doctors '"ere mucJi Cdurc" , later in makin,p; their appearanci. Pen: DS becRuse tne C<;'1untry was healtnier. I I I :jc Y""H' \,/OlLi" do "-l grp,it de,;,l to o;;cn up the Burroc;'Jling country. Lumberi'lg in this ea'(ly periocl, ho''/evpr, '1rlS not "of any impor- tance in r('si-:ect to clearing the lRnds". "The li,l[i1berers choose the trees trut they comd,cler' thp nost suitablE:' t and not 1 on(: in ttlOL~~;"_!~ '''1 ::~i p~:t~~;'(;>"l(~d ~()tt. Grist mills '/'!ere r'luch ['lOre e;;~Je);t:L:\l to the , rl;, " '"f'e ",.f' th ,'ntt' 'r'" t}.." <''''' '1,1 "'vI ()" t"l" ','"y'ber ,)r,,-,-n',lry ~,1.. 'JJ, e ,,,', -,-,r ,,) J Idd .",,,vll,.. S, cL., ," d <. 11,-,-,,1, r,hey apF,e1rwl :iJ..no"'t :18 e':lrly :;0 tr'L' ;;:},.'nji-'lr~ :wd C)'tl.,sted the. I sm']C C,';;':'C5 friit r:1ilJ.E: ,;(ore lnilt HhfHl ~)ettle,';ent <;;:,S D';reJ v bf~gun :lnd lone hero'" "'IV sl>J:niJ L, 'deI",: :;pt up ,d.thin :,y n;ilC':".. '~'he yenr-ro:.lwl:ctivitv and c0nst:int cor;1tnr a ,d going at thesemiJls rude the:) eve ::Jon~ likely to form the ""C1n"q nf 'j Vl."i1",.'e ;>It'll')''l.'l trl€ 'l"mber {)f rl:,r:c: F''''''.lo'{p(~ "as ..;..~. ...-'",....1...- ~ .... -L....!-...-."t-".~ ~ . ,....t.-,! ;.. .... \.4..__ ~ - ~.." ... ,.....~".i.. .. ....."l "'- i!1'"C h 11::.<3 ~ t ha Ii in thE CD se of the ;,;; .:: ' J:,. The d :Lst(lnce fro;: .Cj hll1,v;;;, ('me of the f8ctors .;hich settler~; Wf:re U;'{ ed to consider in c}1C'osi:,g a "location"; for, viithout thcr,e local f'iEi rkpts for FTB in ,- ;,(ricu 1 tu re could o;ily adVi; nee b~yonl the f',-b':i:'~te'Jce ;;tlfe lr: ~l f(~vi f;nrOU1'\,;t] loc.'tlitif~:-. ,JooJJen rtills r!<;rf ;:ll;~() of gr';~jt inport:.urlce to thE. edrJy settlers. [,fter It50, ',..ht:rl rwnd-i.w;:c\vinf ,J.:l" becoming hlSS im1)()rLdit, sf'vc'r',ll. of the c;e,rly c cdLl{ i<iills becdfie '",ecivink: mills of some inporti, lee and conti:lucd in operdtlnn for fifty ye~rs or more. . lIt f:.nit all t!w~;e nJil1~; rlepew!ec1 on the river 1'J1' thfcir po\'fer. 1\fter 1$);) stoam mills 'dere introrillced and , .,' .. .' , , . " 1 1 t oy .1.(;VJ tnerr. ~'H~r~.! sev.;r Li st(!~H': sa d';n..s ,1:1' one Of' ,'i:"l f,teC:iIi'; I rrist :'11115 in the "ratershecl. ~)t~~H1 ber,an to be preferred a~, .'l ~;()'TCe of PO,!E::r for saw:nills, tboUl!J r~lCltjY ',vater-driven :ilL: n::: i :in{'~ :in lH,:e, ar;r! in the c':J~)e of fTi~,t (;'Jill:) ~"t(:if:] Ins neVl-'r 'Jepr] S the only Fo\.:er, \ivhen rnlfficient '.'i~lter ..v'iS dvaiL!blf~ tu run thp nill. As l,tte a~; 1914 therE:: 'dere stj.ll :I number of ',"later mills on the Tbnber. ! A fe'- f th'", ~;.;llr . ' c"t1"1 r' q;,,' .,'t t)" I t\ i'J 0 ,E~C j .~,'-~- drl: .) J ~ l.rJ',-,-,lfc, [)" nle I I I I' 1. MacGregor, Ope cit. 1.1. 49'7. It is a i)ity that this l.lractjce , of selective c t;t:lYl{.IClf' no lifier! ;d)(Ftt tJwl:ty-five ye~>.n) I ' "t"r ,,<,-1 ,-" "..l(;.te' ""'<" J,)"..," -i-. fl' 1 ';,.,')Tc. . 1 (~ "..J E:. "'i ) I.:;, C t.) ~. ~ .~~' ~ ,.J ~ J~ V '.:t l J:~ ,r, ~ ". l..;, \" ' _'- r 1 _._. J_ \,... '-"' _." ,-). ' . , I l) ~oitfS of rnoc't of then are ;'"iarkfd only by brcket1 :j:lriS, "fry 11- r:,ce". , or the ~evelled };lntforrl in front C)f the nill itself. L,ve'; the fouwhtiol1s "re t;one in 1'10St ca:~cs , bl,t th(~ earthworks .;i] 1 ..]rob:l.bly remain for centllrief>, as no t rdCF:'S of nun's lctiv- ities l:l~::t so long. ( 1 ) The First >:i118 - 1 T1J -1619 The J<inf~'s 0d\'lui11 ( II The Old i1.1~1l) ...1. J. i The possibilities of the Humber as a mill stream I [lLid been ob:;erved by the Frer:ch in 1751 and it 8ug~ested das thit a Coverrmwnt si.ll'lill be built at tlToronto" . Notrlirlf\ ,<ias 'L)fje hOWf~vcr , in the' eight yc,ir~1 of r'rench OCC1l1Xttion. AS soon as the British bCfun J ~Jettlc;ment ,it York the idea of G~)vcr]jmc t il Is 't{:'lS ca rri,;d 01Jt. The f1 King's L) :Hv:'ii 11 II via S bu il t btsi,ie the f,i rst r:JjJid ir~ 1.~.1--~3. A llSta t e:le'lt of GovernE,ent ?rnperty -1>1 ;)pper Canad;:l 17')2-1'7(;']" sums (I) the history of this r:iill cLr- ....j, ing the fir;:;t, J' f~' 'f'i J'"t~{l rs of its exi~,te rlCe. The :!.ter'i rei-Jd:;: ,)<.d-I r'i lIon the Humber Guilt 1'.?~)3 . It beint; cant eripld t erl to "jd kp York the SEat A G a sa'iui 11 :'i s er,oc. wl On the [{i ver Humber 01. lovernr,'(;ilt, for the ",,:r. o~;e of obtainirtg the nec t;,; ~;i:i ry surP1y of Board;:, and other Lumber rC;\lirtd for thEi Pu blic f) f~ rv ice d S c (mId not be provided in cl .,ilderne s Co ,ntry di~)t~lnt fron any set tl'o!'Jcnt [(Jore th'::'dl fifty niles. ('I'll i ~J lUll hdS Ct;.t the t~reater iBrt of the Boc!. rd s li cied for t~hE:j i'1.blic ':lervicc at York ;:E1'j is lett for the C~;rrent Yedr at 011(: 1'ou rtit the iJ1.Jmber she may cut. III The n. t IPGsee Ie s en old ~;ol(b"tT .:Lll- :; 11"'8 ~ ~ rJ. :-lL:(: SO'[ db 0 >13 ~~ thOllfht to be S omeWhcl t Id.'~3~l. Hi~) lease e~q/::_rod if: 1"" ~' Betvee': l"}h dnd 1796 the vDluf of the Coverrwt:: ;it 's . ~ ,d , .' '-' . shc~ re of the c'.,.t d~H estimdt~d ~t r229, ~)(' n 1 Thh: hdd t-... ,4S . , :,~; l'j-- c . been use') for public pu rpos~;:3 d t York. ~ome oLf'ic ia1 [i believed th:~t llharJ the s~ldri~ll bt:en in the occupatJ.on of an i.;dustrious i:\'r~,on. . . . . DOliblE the ,u.antity of L1u.,bi,;r ~lirht h;ve beer. cut ,"lith 1 D.C. Su,nd l~ies ) ~')Or1"inioL hrcni Vt~S, (), t;j i..}:::! _ u" tcrl T " 10 J) .' .L. ...n.1Y, Th8 renl !liS ori! j 1. 1. ,}l 0: \:-1'1 lf, b t, hiJd t') !)~~ red ced LitC:r. i I I I 70 the utiflost facility. It The GoverrWlent receive!; H number of tenders for the mill in l7Q8. From these it djJpears th::lt th~~ bllildi.ng~:; Vlere in bad rE.'pa i1' and that mille1'E c I~e 'lo) btful ,,'/lH:ther the mill en u 11'1 be rn:J"Je p1'ofi! ."b"Le. l,vidently the mill ',~a~) let 0'1 a short l~;ase until after 1(0), ~: s " t',;il-YFar It!.:l:.'e Fxpi.red in unO. Aplin there '.'hiS trouble in disj)osing of the 71i11. The tenants declined to renew, an of~er of about $100 a year in cash was refused and the mill was ordered to be advertised in the York Cazette. A tenant was evirtently found, for about 1020 the mill was leased to Trlomils Fisher. Fisher bought the mill outril ht in Id3L.., ~vith 54 acres of the l1.eserve around the mill and another 46 just below Cooper's Mills (Lot 9). The I~(;sc:rve had been sllrv~;yed in 1796, abOlit 1811 and in 1834. The series of maps made from these surveys is reproduced here. From these maps it appears that the "King's Mill Reserve" varied eonsid- rably in size. By 1834 the'ia [(Ie h,ld come to be <ll)l.}lh,d to all the reserved lots along the V'lest bank of the river, from the lake almost to Dundas Street. Fisher built himself Q med. W,] sl,~ed fr'dL1e homH; on the b0nk a hove the (:1ill in lB34 dnd soo:! (.Ifter built l:l L.rif,t 'Hill ann the "Milton Tnvern;~. He sold thl~ .'fholc of this prop- erty to dilliam Gamble in l~J5. Gar(;ble developed Il!,lilton Mills" into one of the complex inrlu~trial establishments which were common in the forties. Ho\'dand Burr had built fJ. s.]".;:,jill in Id3Y on the York side, neelr the site oj' the old shipy::~rd . Gamble bought this and Tldcr1 plcHling (1),:1 tllrnint [i[lchinery. By 1846 he hGld SdW and Lrist mills, a tav~~rn and a blacksmith's shop. In 105,) he had added to thesl, d:n oat';ieal nill, <.n aslH;ry, d slaup,hter house, a cooper's and "~aLgon shop, a barley ITli:J.l, a bone mill and a group of cottages for the workmen. There had been a wharf \tilth a "v'arehouse at the lIs ,lftf;r lo3h and roue' 'Jf the pl'r)l11Ce of thf: Humber mills j;, <, lo[): ',;' l int;':J b:, rrtiS ('1 8::la11 vessels thpnCc, r:lost of it bei :[, tr.;'lf,~,f~"r('cd to larger vessf:l,o, (.It the ''1outh of the river. In i I i \\ \.... ('\) II-I) IIn n \/lllt '. III '<111 \ Tllf 1.\ \1, .111 \1 . .,,~- . ~'ho "\.t';h, " ) ~ ~ J } \l! .....-..-...- : J : 11\ ,::en , _... ['hi, i ~ ......; . \.I " " " H \: 111~;;' ~~~ " ;r... ; j, ......., ~. "., .. ',' .~~ ~..L : ~'L ,no ~'.::' . ..~a" { I .,' ,- ~-~ . ,'\ \~. 1 J ~ 1. "j ! .'....,1 "'1.:. 'n i. .A 't.:-.. ~' : 1 , " , " .. ,_.) . l ,~ i . ~ i I ! r. I ! ! I I I ; I I I '" I I ,r I ~ ;/ ) , 1., \ Hi. r-' <, i _/ . I ~. , it-} f 1 e r' ..l-. ..,;,. " -, -. I I l ~-'-- 72 IBL}O<'i11Lim Gamble-; ;l'rl seventy others petitioned for a hLlrbour :Jt the Humb( r, but the Govf'rnment \fouid rl () rlOtllinv for t heLI. In lo5D Gamble built a wharf on the vvf: f;. t~ brnik at tht; mouth of the ri'Ter anrl put up 5nother .I;,r" hOll~e b,,~;ide it. For:1 fE;,J ~i,::ars ,1 r,Jorl dedI of traffic went :;n at thif', wharf and the lake st ,"~'r:"" cf-tJJ.wl then,; for'J tit'](;. However, mo I ',: d'1'l r~l()rl~ f..eel :~_ '1 via s be i rll:~; t eel "~I E'd into York t~) b~ gr'Jimd in t,he 8 t, E'(~ "1 l;,;ill r, t b-;re 'IDt' shipped from the hflrbour. ,ji th the cO[;1jng of r;.~iJvLty[ bet- ,1'E'n 1d 5i; aD'j lo5~~ th': ,';1ilt()n ,'Til1s 1 () ~; t ,JhClt(;vl:r a'!vi,1TitbLe they had [:linpd from their position at the head of wlvigdt iO,1. GClmble hWl already suffered Fif~vE.~:,rdl :ni,nf'or't~ !Ies. " 1 ~;~ ,fTi st ;'1ill Yi<W burnt lo.m in 1647 and reb,:ilt t,he next yeilr, i,n st()rlt;. HiC' d:~n d,',~ ~).iC})t ddd]' in the rr~:lt flood 0 lB50; SOr'li:"; of his tnil'ini ~;,ve,'<)-! lr;;;i~e] .:tnd J;iO!3t of. the flour in his d,-Jl't. hou~,(.s S 1) () i 1. c ri _ H(: fkd ,,11'(~;Jdy faun-] that tIk l>}sition of the lIs wa~ so~what out of thL ";lay, bl<t h:ld ~Hle,'essf1)11y oV<c1:'- ~'o~nc th.i:: d i c,cldv"1 ntclge by 0 pfTdng Cl store dII) lJO!;t office ut n/tItonT! ( "E} S t L.:;[O b t 0 Ii ) . Th( n, he C()Uld inturc,;pt the trad{J of the fdrr~'ers from thE-' ',;l~ S t, , beforE: they l"eaCfwd Haviland's aod .is: iT'S ;;ills. Hh, train of ~'raU',ons, carrying grain from the st ore t:;. his 11i 1 '1 JotS ~~ () T'W t i en. e s Ct mile lone. Hi; is reliorted to h;;t ve given up be; ~.~ m;s~, aft,er th(; flc)o 1 of 1 d 5 ,) , but. is stilI li~;tfd as ci:irryint: on his manifold acti viti(;s ill ld57. Perhaps it >'1:5 the flood of that year or thut of Id5,) if,ihich Olaf, the last. :-tr"w; for by ldbO "Milton I1il1f~1! \'ia~, the proj)(;rty of the Bank of Uppc:r Canarh. The Da'it: sold it in 1864 to ,J if; (; l~h and L virl iitkinsonrlho di,l not run tho; rlour- r"lill b';t IBfi an Agric:; 1. t tJ- r: 1 o'<1chiner'y'ul j Found rv;Jor:(s therT 'mt iJ. '1 ' '. It ',/(:1 ;3 }Jrobably ........ () . thE! competition of nills :'lith bf~ttt;J~ rdih/ay sE;rvic:e c4nd ;;jore (""ylen, cc;uipr:lcnt that ccu5ed thi:' c l()f', i nf' of "Milton ;.iills n car,her than ;Hq flood dtiF1(-lt~e . By thE: t:,rn of the century only l'U in~; J. fl:~ '. ~:::l f(~ I (l'..'f~ 11 i nLs rc'rrl:lirwd t,Q i1ari-: the ~)itt.: of trIe first in:lustrial c:;ta bli~~ hment on the Humber.l .-------- i_ 1. The h 1'lcy Ein; b~m{c r1ills on thf: Y8rk Gi,l\~ ~':er(; ~;Vieljt ~1way by R fresh(;t before 1065. Th(; ',Jharf ',It th,; "1 c U 1, h ();' the Humb"r is sfl"hvn on Tn~''1il ine 's :i:-~ lJ :lj"' ld',,;) . I I i " ______ __n -/ ~) I .Y . - . . -? ~,' . - J) '/ ~ IJJ./L .....-1\. ...1 r ';. " j'i . ~ 'J} '" . .. .. /E.-/,"-y/t'.." -'rr . . 110; JI'\,!l 4 \) 1[7, I) . l't J 2l-A~' ~ ... / /1/0/' /111.1,(' 7:1//'/1", Ii. 5 T (I 11 r (' () A~ /t; ~r;ul 1IIIIIIl IJ, "//,, ( i "" ,..",1 // , ! ~'<.''-'......". - r 1 1 .n. _- ~ - -l.. . :~ '. f - I '! .. II ~....~ . ~ .-! , ,-~ \' -lJ"t,I ~"" 'l'1f"'u L< l.t l' .ll\..7~ I " I . I , ".. .~/;' " I --.-- ,. - /, l ,,/ ' .f.-./ -- \" , _ ., nd , I i ,I t. ,., ~ ~a~ , , ~ \~ Ii \.... "L". I 1 t"" . l ~ ._~.---_._---- , ( "- ... ~ ~ 1 .. "-, i ,\.\ "'Ll' . ,:'. ( .,., I ~ 1 \ J,.. . .,.4- ' \ !'f',.1 f"f" i ,.,_ f( r" ?.t. \ I~ I" , . -.; "" ' " ",I" ,; ~ ' '" ~ , ' ..-....- -..". -. ~ ... ----.--- ' . ( ff'" - 'I" " ~ . '.it l(. _ '..1T;:;~ ~.i.id - I. """,,~. \ <J:,<> '. .' . \ ?;m'^' ...... , .~... I '/ ~\. ' ::;."t" ~ / ~ . ~ , ." . , ,.,-- ~ '. " # <' ~ ~ \ ~ 0 I ~ ~ I 't "",- y # -- ~ II' ~ ~ I ..l~ $~- ., \ F \ /'" ~ I I - ~ ! - ~ , . '.i> '" j: . . .. \ J\ '!:-"\', ~ . " /"". ' ~0;'.- -0\< . > j I yLJ "., \ ,," , If'", , .~ I, c~'" . .." ~.," I ,;;,,'~,,:~ ':', " ,.."':,",. ,:-t"', ' l,:"~,::" ..~ , " ',',. '" ,'" t .~' . " ,fi, \ '\ ,',\' ':7;. , 4;'~" ''",' . ~.~;.J ~,!" ~~,,'<;\:-1';<Mii' .' .' - \. \0 ~,-: 'Nf. '., ' " , 'l~il' ~.ilt .~~,~ / ,":,ti;,1l'< .4,';:. IN ~,.,;,.,,; ,'. ""'. ,," " . I ,..' ' ''''r [' "~ ~ .. "....- ~ ....,.W.:; -~-.:' . ~ ' . allu',}!'loJ ~.. ~-~j~- '. ...'.... ~ ~,,:;'I,f "I ; . .~1 .... ..' '" ....-;'il:""L I, to,. i.;' 'i~ '"-,,,.1' . :~' ;>1", -!' ,.' . , . '. , ....-/ .".0 ~ '. ". '. I . . I /" h' ,r.r g '. ~'l/I if / <' i I . ,/ ': Ii ,; d '9,,;1' .~ ~. .... ,. " . I . , . \ . o.........,.t " ,< , "~-~]. I, -. .~.,. .. I " -1 ":, \ + -~~ -".,<- - 1-' J ; I . l8 I \, ro, \.'1\(','<" HI,I"",,, '1 ,lX, . \" u '.1 H)..~.-1 <' "r~ I ~'I ) \ i' 1 i I ....... i I' I ( I II 4:' "'''_01..'..__ I l , ~ . ", ,I. h. , , \ . T '~-~l' --~- (--....".. ' I , i ( , I I I,,, t I 11_"'<<1'0" l'" ".\C"'''' I I ' "" ~ ~ 1-1- .- \ ,., '"" 41"l' - J'" '*- " , i / ! , .~ 'it: '-;" . .. .'t " /Jt; 1 " ' v I .~ . /. .,oj.A.." ' .- ~ ~, I ....;:: . ~fI#- ',,,~-.t'_ 1. -\",' :r \. ~~ e" /" " "" '",,;, "." , ':;/ ",~\~~ I ~ , ~.. . ' . I,I~. 11'.., /. , . \. \~" '. /' '~l ~' }" . .' 'u~~~ __ / 4>' . / n~." ~. t\ ~. -" I- A" ."* i'" " '" ., .. " 1....1 ' '" , ~, l (" T',~~ ~ '~~. .- .j ~'\-,~ '. j' e I ,~. '''l . !;t-' ,,~ -f '( j' ' I I l' .,,~"L" .-..,{.-, \ ~ - -" .. I r...,,, ..... , ". >;) . .;,,<r ~ . _":;;'aI!~ r_~I'.f." .lii.~ ' Ci.,~..,- - ;'~-CO< --~- , i' " r'~ J I ,'I'f, I(t... Y 0 R K - .-....I.Jtl .' r \ ' +/ ',i -'.lft .t ~.d<'lljlJ;J I:. .f. : L.'.il f,J5J_.tn,' ,;, j. t /n Jlt,l.~ \J'"":' / '( J~1~-- . ~ /1,~"j11{' ):<,.- t ... 1" < ~ --. ~ ,c., , , . ' rllt"'S'~''''1 .~ ,'-..t. dh'i"/~,i f - Il11fV' / 1"4., ~ ~-~~-- t t (, '~ h! ,t ,.,<'t', .; 1(( i/:'--I,iL/!IJ...l. (' .'/' '--'~ I:, ",} . 0' \1 a~:.." ".(Iv ''WltH0 l . -." I \ "~,,~,,. ).., I " /" I,;, , \', ... ,>& 5' [,'"u ,- J-~ y, ;( Ii'.. ~ l ',' ~ )' ' .# ....... ,.;_. i, . /, tI.. -{ * :' . .-J.--- "- ~, / 1r ' II'" /'".,.s """" .,....lk"l-f '(~ J ~ u.....-...t... .. ~ c / " <. ""/.r~.~.<(.L i .? . , , ,...... , ~"d, ''I'' < " ' .... / " 't.,. r ':'.L-v'_ , WI,' ,i io.... '" , ,I . 5:, . ~...{ . ~ . I' ...... .~- . . .:i~..,-. ,L" t "'. ~. II ",. 1\ ~ " ,'j' ". ~,.:'. .:f.~ ' . . I , .j " " i'ffC ~.S:7""( . "~~~-",--~,~,,,..-""" I 1 / .' .~ ~ :~.. .~ 1:" -, .' ('. ")..... ~. ~"~' ~);.{l " !'::i 't' ,."~- ' "', ' " <;,....:;:,' :::',: o?'\'-':~I".jf). ., '''', ." ~ . , J," ,fll<" J. < ,:f . . , - "'" , - )'~~}~~'* '~./ ;1: "',~ .~",.~"t! :, ...,. " '. <;< .i\'V'~"'" ~"~'4 "d. " , r . ,.;.; .....; j--'-"': 'rit... ':':K<r!~" '~~14;",' ;...!' ,~~..r ....,;tii",: ~ ~ ,.....: ,A'j!!-Af.' N<<,.....? /11;, '. . ,,:,1.' " ;5~.(~'0< . r f -----.------ -------- ,. 74 ~: ()O~f'r!" j. J =_5 ( jmbtcm) t i 21 i.::;r'~ n ~,.... :' i{l~l~...C'E~ er of York", C'_ 11 c that - ~ , ..} ~_t J ,,) .. in l$!h he' tI ' ~ J.. t ;i Cr:i.st clry! :;1-i Iv 'ill on the "iver lIucd)er, which ;,t Uwt time 'v>ld~:' r:Juch ;anted II t,o nect the IkJls of the new settle s along Jha::r18s ~,;tref~t 'vv'(:st of the Humbe , "there not being Crist 'Ti'l between York a:.(l the h(!;Hi of the lake. 11 He goes on to say that he f' 'll/lS Ei.v'a re at t he time he built tb.lt it 'lie} ld not be productive for a lengt h of ti,w there bei"L few settlers. III From 1$06 to 1823, when Cooper tJresenterJ the petition which h..s just been quoted, t!lf:~re are mnny refer<;nces to Goo per's . - ., 1 J.1-S in contemporary records. ~ome of these have already be2D :: ') ot (~d in the seetion on roads. They make clear the importdnce of these mills to the settlers from 1806 to l812. Cooper ,lJrobab1y ~:hared in the prosperity which the war brought to all the millers. The ni11s hal no dOl bt been t'Rroducti Vd" for several ye:il~S ','1[: e n the -lam was "eut a_'1ay!l about 1820. It may h~ve been out of cornmissi on for some t.:if.c tlh:!} e C00 per t rj.eri to find a 'tlay to dvoid buill:i ng a '~,"lel'1b" :i [l'oJ f;ven cont~~mi-'J.ated nuvint i he nills in 0 rd e r t (l d () t his. In the er'ld he was contullt ,dth I'l()vin[', his dam som(~'Jista)jce upstrc:un rlnd b~i i lding a long r'i.l ce on t;r:e P,ist bc.i tlk . In 1t:34 Conper!f; mills ,'Ier,;: both nurth of the r(u d , the crist. miJ.I close to the hrirlge and the ~: ,:i'I'~Jrl ill ; 1 l:~ t t 1e f',rther up the mil rac\;. rihe d~,p,tj.llery "'1as hE:10,; the hrirl{E: 0n the river hank. (,[ter Coo per's -J eat h the 'lills 'de re renter] on a lonf' Id'lse to 'iillicl!?1 II mda wi and bOlJ~;ht by hi::; from Cooper's lH.',irs in J.o40. it nth. flour and r,ri.st r'-l:Ll~. was put up in 1045, clos, to the road on the sonth side ,iJl1'] Just eo s t of the br:i.rige. It Has a ~ b -II' 12U fc;:t by 44 HJ.rge I.Jl (lni:;, f t' e t , built oi-' wood on Cl stone sub-structure an': ".{~1S five st'.Tl.f.;S hi[:h ',v:ith four run of stones in lu50. It \^<l;~S ell) LUI-,ortcJ nt flour rniJl for t10re than f3eve:lt,y years. In ld.J5 the (:LL 11 11a (1 six r:1T1 0 f s to '1 e san 1 'dd B turnil,g out 150 barrel s of flolir1 day. '1he miJ.1 had been oper&ted up to thif; ticle by r'ienbers of 1. Pt;;t:i tion of, i J 1 1;11:] (;00 i.:er to tho Council ()f :; I' per ~~anada, lc23. '. c. ,)undries, Don. J\:~~hives, Otta',la (no (hy or month). '.Tari()us referencefJ to "thf~ m. L._~ at t h(~ :i r.lbe; r Let ween 1(;00 awl lo()5 are to be i'ound ill old documents but none of t em 'iefinitel'.' FIaee thE; lfmi;lslr at Flhto'! until 10;)6. :'ro h;b 1y the !\ i ngs Sl,mill i~; rjf~;~lJlt itl rJost C\':if3es. --- ---"-- I i ! I , .. j..",;- ~ "".. '.l.... . Y " ' ",', I ': \,,'; 0 '.:' , . L 1 ~~.:, ... '. --- _u"_. h t'.'" L., " , . " " ., C' 0'" " ' I , ',,; i, L I ," ." . t'\'-'\, I: !;,'~~"t~, ,,!,;.::. '..V~P,"'\'!}kT!~ ~ ~ .. .. ~ ' .. "3 L; _.. ., -,..J -- ... lL " f I ,. rye.. il.,.... t,f; i(n,;li'lnl fanily. In 1886 the fi rn bt!CCi;ie Howla'i'] ;clnd 1 :l:,tt. The flo'Jr mUJ clO~;trl down abo'lt 1'll]. "~h.:; s"hr.n:U.l :-lacl bc(:n: rebuilt in loL..i+ and rlan- ing 'nachincry,rl-Je\ t:J it. Th\; YieW ,pla:lt \vci~) bu1 D,I the i;~t r::1.!.,1 -; : .~-~t""c:,-; t. F1 ~ (',..1 "J.' H~,":':'"; --r 'o..l' ,'d \:':':'""i ~ c11 ,'. ft "_~ 1 -', :-:'" 'j ~ to. ,,"," ".~, ,..L, .)tl"""~ ,e l,J It,r s I.J." J, .,(),T. ..J..,.,c,J. i\ J\,r ~vC". -,-, ,f~,S sold to ,.1.~:son Bros. <1 wi ~won cony. n:e:1 into a bn:nvery. lhlly's lUlls (Heston) i\ ni] 1 of sor1e kin'] dHS built "by ;vn". COl: ,trymanl! on Lot?] Con. C. in Ltobicoke To,m~~hip "during thE: latter years of the eif;hteenth cpntltr::'l. ProtFlbly this ',.Hf5 11 Sh"l[plil1l tind it i 8 1 i k E: 1 y t h,] tit vf ass e t \) 1'\ bye 0 n r ad Co 1.1 n t ry' 18. 11, .1 h 0:.3 e apr,liciition for'", i;r;int. in trw ])11\ district ""if:. the SDn of ('J Loyalist, was ai,priJ'IvJ iYl ITiG. All a:,thoritieslre ,J!rfcd th.;t ttH rtli!.J..I'f; burned,{ithin a fev{ YCdr;3. It Has locdted Ol! a Cnh'Tl reH:;rvc; lot an 1 CountrYhan al:'l)(;dr~) to h::,ve been d llsl11at,tt.,rll, for in li.Uq he ,V() f) nC)t "in i,r)sses~',ion ()ftny lc;:::ts~ ! for land in the '.Lo'rmship of I..tc)bicoke1!. Lot s 23 i n Conce~ s io; I Bard C h]:1 been lp:::~H>1slnce liYJL, to J~!cob j'lhckdY ar:'l the Sur- veyc)r-Gi:neral '7) office ::;uf.Les1t'd t,h'lt Count.ryr~':\l1 nirht hVf::'.L "cc.' '""...,,, t f " ,,'j. i_,' 2 "'he~e ~,t'l'ec'" t c""r' ,".le l"" rt .:,1,,-,,--)1.;:,,11 _!cn __r,.)!.; .l"dC!"'~l_AY. J. ti .:.) ,J:_t,~ J,:C!l.l...J ':\." C ll::l~!" t..!". "j" t 1,5<; ),.ihen ~'or:'1p one :-I::1S evirie' t:1y tryinf to get possess:,');; ':;'1' thrc: :'iill site. IJn J-'~rl').Jry ;(:ith, unu, David Holly Ilof Lt,obicokc'l pet:i tioned for lift Cr').m n,eserve in the TO\"inship of ;..t;obicoke in Onf: of the broken Fronts joining the H'1P1ber as therE is a very good ;.1illse<.lt on it II , Flw1 s2id thnt "being a nan of Consid- er~'\b] e PrOpPl'tys (he) would undertake and save no Lxpenses tCi hui lrl I'.1ills upon (it), provided he CO'Jld in ::my<i::iys obtain scd,d t(eservp. by a gra.nt or long LCaSf.l. tI '\01.1y dirl evt:ntually obtain some kind of tttJe to ti e lot in 11lc:stion and the, lIs .ver': prc)bahly running by the sl>ring of 1010. In 1012 they .l. The Hi~tory of the County ')f York, 1885, c:iJ..ls it a rrist Mill, the llistory of leston, a sawmill. ~he latter seems m..,rc ~rC)b3 hIe. 2. Letter of C~e;-.[ett ~\rFl hido,.:t, J'octJ. ~.)urveyors- 'nerdl to '.C T,f"1 t. ,'" r' l')t. L, , ,,"J') . ,(' ',;r4 '~H" J'f "" . L,.' "CO d.;"Jr I.ct_. ,0,), ,1"'1. <I" -,-0" . ". . ",L.t J.e." , ~~Ll. hrCllJ ve.), ,)t,tih>id. Conr::ll Counvcy:,iati ''''dE; livi:lg itt ')r ne::(r y,,)r!, in . ' : j ,-\ rt ~ '" t ~ J '7 ~- , " h r "'\: ~ ..: 'L_.!-" or, J"Jdt,,{;; ,jtn:et. I " r7"} .' f J. 'i.'hc . ~ bui IlL: .yorl:ecl by,] aBO ph i J -- ~-; ci rf: S ~_~ j. (1 to h ve ;-'ere r -"}' . ('ll.l r~n "nil-ht and day'! durin,: the 'dJr YE-Jars. l.J. the (:anad L1n r'ii=.ls WE:re b. sy, as th d tH',Ull'! for provi~;ion~) Glnd f ,y1. r] r of :ill sorts I,tas so gre.:lt that 1ari;e ql: Hlt2.tieE5 hd.j to Otj lrtif. 0 rt ed from ';E:iv"rl,"L..md awl fro'"; C',v York ~jtate nLich to thl~ annoy',' ::e of the '\lucri can \ ~j ti 11 0 ri t " t... S d:iO co 1:1 r.ot sto~ the trdffic in contraband. 'I'll( imt:orted ."h .at 'l'L,iS groun I locally ill inost Cr':!f)es. Flour pr.ices rose VlTY hi[h and were :inally 'l~)ef, t:d" in the l:OFW 'h~,trict Jt ') l()s. tJ barr'e 1 i:; 11315. 1. il t ,>t year thE.; Holley~) sold t:.eir :ni " to ,Tames F':''irr '"rho '1 tri a Lood bj~-:):i,nu~3s f'cr trl:L,rtt'~:erl )lecirs. In 162d 'h ~ 1 ,lilT i:JT~i d SI'iO rt h bo, l f,h t the r:;:11s ilL'l enJargect l, ,)1 r -L (3'8 aIle the grist mi1:. In IB56 Cl new flour ,'T'rI1 ' . ~ t '~ , ',i S :;lJl_=- -' l)€..tD',1 tne old mill. It \'lC1S a frarl€ t . J d' f' t' high, ,Ii t h s ix )ia ,. lng lve S CJrH:S rl.': II of stones. 2 This ;:;il1 was moclernized tic,es in the SeVerd..i.. next sixty years. " second vmter ~'lhe,;l v~ith t-<'J !"lor,;. run uf h stones ';idS soon installed awl the ,'1'11 H run ni{ht. (J'ct lay ',"hiS t he year rou,pcjli, rJ r;",;i g its SUVt)lie;:j of ~vheat f:r-Oiij as far north as Collinfi'IOOG. ,ater po,:cr ,,ras g::ven "p early in the nineteent.h ce;itury ;inrl (;1 cctrj, c . . ~ i il11915. 3 pO'ller 'ivrw In,,t;;tj J.<;( .xcc:,t for a short tif'ie arounl 1900, . 't ::'ccised, the 11 .,me;)::. 1dci~~ ':Ja2. ]'~) n by r'l,~nbers of the ;~dsw()rth f&nily for about 07 y,:ars 1. <Joseph ;10J.1ey'),:)( s not ~qpear to h;~ve been o::e of~'nvjd Holly l~, nine ctildrcn. nis fatlwr':; is ' ~ ,; ~vl the rlar;1e i~.ven dS ,-Jell Hl.eel. Lt te of hi~3 b i rt h :'1 S 17 L\U , H j.n Permsyl V<.lIl ici. I' ., i'" ::;'.~:Ld to t (:' h:lvu corne to C:nHtda in l797. He was probably ~-:ome relatiO[l of ~'dvi .~ Holly, though h,' see n18 too old to be Li {:~rand8l)n. f)d\!j"d Holly, ,Jun. ha'] f;uccu?ded to sone of his father's leases of reserve Ints by 1$:'6. ;'<l,atheI' son of David ~;en. 'd:,S frob,]bly the John IIo11y,.,'ho Sil,~,r1ed a petition in 1810 with Willi~8 CooiiEr and other's, a~' king for protect ion for :,:;a 1: iOn on the iiumb(;I'. '"' r.~ ~,t. () f Yo r k C 0 U ; 1 t y, 1 a $ 5 . Th" "History of '''';~ltonn says that .:. . the mil J of 1856 h;11 {' i tht run of storws with a large "Breast iheE~llJ and a s:n1.11er Cerltral D:L,;charge 'fY;Je 11 "hz:el". The ] at, i e l' 'dEl E3 probably a later ad,'j it ion. ~ Hi<:::t. of ief,ton, 1937. As the whelt i'~ s.ti; to ha VA been j . tf:d~,'led fror1 Collingw;orl, the . , refc'rr"d to !:iust h',ve been I"e r"l 0(' before L.. 71, In view of the complai:lts of water short3ge by mi11ers on t,he Humber, :.lS early (;is lcjO, it. see,:IS likely thilt ,mter power had alr(~t1dy been sUH.ilec]e"ted by stea:; in the flOJ r m~, '1 1 . The l'li 1 Jrl,:n i" s'"i1 by the S:t"i8 :nthorJtj.e:-; to hic:l ve been ~ " fin;ll1y broken in 1909. '1 his >iil1 is not listed :11':0',(' the ,j flour and gris t Itjil.ls In d lif:'.t p,;blislled in 1')14. " '-8 A nrl , throu, : out i t ~_i r ,:'-.-: :~tE~'-;Ce I 'Uj :' () _~-l , T t, :;( .r:LnCl -, "1 -, }., C)'.:r r'Ji 1 } 5 on the f ~ urn be r . Ii new sai::n1i. ~v~ -t ~', h ~ ~i_l t in 183U,nd J' ~'-) I" :id Y Jl car's I :1iri :j l;':lrge bu ~~ l 'f' ~:, S . CrcHt nUrnl)f;r~) of sa 'ii 11: S IJcre ,purch 'E',ed 1 0 (' .:il. ] y an' ) c',lL: :Led in the i)on 1, to be ScHyerl rllJrinf the Seas- ons of high water. rfht.~ S.~'l ~1"Cli 11 \id ~3 c]. U ~': ed in 1070 d Tli rlestroy,_'d by the 1'1001 of 1/378. ( :j ) 1820 - 1839 There ~.,rere at Jeast seven sa'iir:l~11B, one 'I en ~V(.~ () .t mill and tbree rrist f'lil:~; 0 frating on the Humber dt th<:; end of 1824, another grjst :dll~las being built and -, f;ixth ,I/as in exi::~tc ,ce hi t r'lay hdve been temporarily nut of con :LSS ion. 'lhf:se mills f C) r::led te;', ef;t:Jblishrients, several Lavillf both fTist 'j irJ sawmills, c(nd one sa"" and w001len nilJs. Three \'/0 re i rI ,.tobicoke, two ill Yo '~o.lnFbii' , t.vO in \ 2. b Ln: , on in V.<,:' t c:.~ f1 ani onE' in "no. r: hE:'Y'-J rc li~~tc'~ ~~n a l' 'ru:llun of [to_",];,;, , 1'0:'.: r~O'i,ls , '!yc "aths, fci vcr~' , ,i vulets, I...clnt1S, Churchc;s, 'eetinv Houses, ~3a. :,,';~'^i i 1 J. s , (;r-i ~~tr'lills a wI ,.Jaw awl C'r;.st ,:i "LIst! , I !:lad by ,Tohn Coes3r':an, D... pu t, y tlrve}'ar in ,lanulry, J.025 ; f,.th th.; exceptio of iJ gr:st [ni'l '.it Jiona .; 1 1 c' "hj,ch J.. ,~t Y' :)utt; id e ~t.. ~, _;.. ~) , t h 8:t t'ea cave r,: rl by thE rE;p()rt, thE l<~_ . Tc; , . 1 1 .Jhi ch ' . , "J ,-1m 1 -'..... , ~ is mentioned dnd shown on the nap.... but not li:,ted, dnd Coov,;r's iJls, ~ihic hare nnt:Lre1y omitted. GoeE;~n.ln' s li~)t i::; as follcH'i~; : 1 ) ,John ;cctrlett - fln sawii:1.l and machinery for fullir:r, ,I . ca rd ing ani cloth rl cessing. . . . . on a rjvulet EH1t,tyinic int 0 the HUI':b,r!1 ( B lac k ere e k ) . ?) Hh::r. "latthew" - '_I sa wmi,t.l on Lot :0. ;~O COB. C. of i..tob ic~) ke. 3 ) ,Tar<.es F::lrr - !l a Sa ",{ (HV1 Gr:ist ?lill - f'i ve run of stOllt S. . . . . " villa[e of about 9 dHellint; houses. II on Lot 23, Con. e; . of Ltobicoke. i;. ) ,Tohn :)f'lith - ",g S;i ',"in j 11 on tl,i rt ()f the rivulet of ,J . ,jc,,;Tlet '5 . .;i 11 tl (Black Greet) - l..()t 1 COIl. V . of Va li,ehari. 5 ) (:,:::)rpe Holton - "a fri st<:;i:!.l - one run of ~)tones!J Lot q on. VII of .\1bion. " , 6) 1''j . ,loy 's Da,n'Ji~ 1" on I,ot 19, Cor!. IT-r of ftl bion. - ...LJ. 7) ,John ::cirJett - ,~ ... Gr5_f;t ;"i11 dwl 1istillery now ,;) built! ingtt on Lot 11. , Con. e of" t. 0 b i c 0 k e . 1. Goessman's map is incomplete and inaceurate. Ht:: --evid E: i:tly "dS not S'lce of thu con rs e of i31D c k CreE~ k or the exact ;-}O~-5 it ion of ,;carlt;tt'r, nil}.E;. He i_:l~'.i r k~) the sdi'/;;;::ll in an imi:o,<;isibJe r,osition dnrl (L)€s not fill in the lot and ..~ 011- ces~)ion fc,r ei tIle r of thef;e .",,: "1 n,1._L '5. " 79 3c2. rlett 'n 7'i lIs - York "~om~,hi-' , Only three of thesE-; millE; C:\reknmHl to have bEen j. n use in 181;;; ,11 the rest 'I/'lern pr()hably built after 1820. " t is Ij.kely th':t ,T ohn ::carlut t bTl J. t his mill on fn~jck Creek not long after the latter oate. He r:;overJ the sm.,rn: J..1. to the f!1din river by 1830 ,i !I'i turrHd thC?fH: rdlls over to his 8011 ..JeJ2i- uel in Idt6. t'lue1 ;c'Jrlett rei n the ,'a~'~JTni J.] until after 1.:;;60 a T'i "1 then built ;,inother ~ rl\:/tni 1. on the ..JE-,st side of the ri 'Iter. The sa'ou'iiJ. J on the east or Y oJ'k sine se(T1S to have c !)nt :'diU cd in i xiste,nce, i r at irl lIse, until Ib~8. In 1J75 both l>r'oper- ~'_ ,J.. ties w,rp sold to GC0rge 3toneholJ.se \''1110 was r';nninL the" in t.he eii:bties. The sawnill in York ctPi)earS to lUJ ve :,~,en COiive rt ed to a steam r1ill bcf, )1'e 10'78.1 'al7.iel ':' ' 'i {'~' ill 1 r I'" i an ,,}.(. v I'J..l. .'_ - \t \,-t ,i.~,;l_ ~John Srdth 's :~admill on i3lack Cref~k Wd~i also prob'clbly built ab()'lt Li?O. H e ~101d it in lc32c to <Tohn Lkl- ~:i e1 r:~ !l.--l i.t continue,j to he run b'1 members of the ]'ilziel 2 fwd ly, 'dho still occupy the j)roperty, until after Id~O. It ,ia~' an i ~l"port...~.llt sLhvnill in tht fifties ani sixt:eB arid a village h,:,d [TO An 1l j; nea r it hefore 1,3:;1. : ono 'ills Th re 'was a sr:JEl 11 rrist mill clt f10no i'ills soon after the arriva~ of the first set tl,ers in Ib;:O. It w;:..s built by H lli8P1 ;'<cLa1lrhlin. In 857 carding and fulling r~iClchincry hi] 1 beer] added to the flour min, Hnd thelL was a sa wrrlill ne.~r the villa e. "'}- ,IOollen mills ;:;to pod run!,ing 1.1 in the early IdbO's :;nrj the flour nill about ten y(~ars later. The sawrni 11 cantin cd ,until after 1908 anrl there vias a chopping mill in the village in 1~2J. -. 1. This is (In attempt to combine Uk information contained in thf: olri n:aps, d i n~ c t, 0 r i e s , etc. .ii th thf~ confused ;:ind contr~dictory aCcount of' the ':icarlett mills f,:L ven in the r:i~;tory of YDrk C01lnty, ~ " 5 which is largely follow~d by J (,0 , 1.J i Z Ll rs :in lIThe Valley f the HU;:lb(:r'i. The mill on the ,fe s t; s : d e rl () (0: S ;'lot d.:jpE~<lr on the FJ'\i)S till 1()~?8. That on the '.3st s-;.de is f:'la rked on one f1cJ}J of tlat Yf?ar, tippare (t1y ,~~i S a st,earn Iiull. ~carlettTs grist nil ':'aY TleVL r ria ve been con,}leted. 2. tfIlis rni,Jl i~:; ;:;ar'.d on the map in the H E:;t. i'~ t 1. u. s of York County, 1 V7(~ , but the :lal ;:iel fan::.ly believe the mt'i 1 llad ~:;tot-;J)erj .. , -', - ..""l . run 11ng SOl'). Y0Urs ear.:.ler. I 0:) :! ,) ,'u 1. I) r; C>.orge 301 t /)', ' " r'::. ;~t f:?:Lll. }1,_td ' 1. ., it Dcen ou LLt d 18':3. It La; then only one nm of stOiWS. The 1;,i11 ~JdS reb';ilt in Id46 on cj Ltrge scaie cL1'j a su',nnill ".;as built ~jt about the ~;dne time. In 1.:..:51 t . ] -, b . ese rn "J.S ,.;ere . E:J.,;;g o".)er- Aten by .J;lJ:ws Holton .funLir awl illi8,:1 UoJton. .i' :L ia!1 HC')jto;; had .clven up his sawmill by lUi5) ani it hwl pa~;~;ed to J. acTntosh, ;ho hact st~arted d card::'L[ [;15.11 dnd~"fJolli:m factory. These .wolle n and sa',,, mills w<' re run by the Buist fumily fron 186() to 188?md by Jo~;el..h ,'ci lsha\i until 1914. J. rlE:l :3'.:nvmill '..v',iS gi V\ill up after 1005. The gri~;;t; ,;.ill .\1::.0 changed hans in the fifties. From clbout lC:h'J to 1682 it, ~YilS ()','/L.t:d by the Clrdhouse ffwdly. In 1877 this m.iJ.l \bS t,11rning out lUO-150 barrele of flour Q <iav. HE::fore 18S4 tIlt' nill han beCO'Cie the pro~')ert;r of 'llix;-clnder .cFall. The Cil.rJCiCity of the ciall flour ~ill 8:'W given as '10 b[cTels in 1946. Lj,ttle j.s kno;.vn of H,'lcloy':fl ~;avvrni11 on Lot 1.; C.on. IlJ of Albion. If its position is iven correctly, the f')iJ 1 ;" S i-' one in li:377 , though the ,.rotierty still. belol1t:ed to 1 :1 ;i;alloy.... Jeston 2 !F'atthel'i'sll Sd~{mill on Lot ?U, Con. e; . of 1, ob- . k h' - " bu i 1. t in l~;;~~J by Thomas ')iXDrt to rt; rId ce one lce.e vniS t. e ;n~ ,Ll i)ut up by his brothc_r Geoq e on Lot ?l in Ible. It,,,,~"s bought by the Gibson brothers about 1040, ./ho buiJ t a flour' ni.Ll on t,he sitE~ of the f'H;vl'lill. '.his nj.1.1 ,hS ~)010 to 'l'hoflcls ;'JOLlEH'- ville (:;umr:li:; rv i J.le ) before Ib5C) und for ti>1enty year's the "C1en- bank ,'ills fl wer~, one of thH larf,er flour 1.1i115 on the ilumber. Het~\feen 1025 and 1840 the number of 1'li118 on the river '.vas more th;.>.n doubled. T ~ sr.,}. t"'l d ..n .L ,::;; tlO~ie.j 1 :iO~ ey Oeene. :~ Sc~ :;mi T 1 in the ;:: ()u thern a rt of ,;est,on, on the York sid e. ih.; r.nId thifi mill in 1829 awl it passed thruugh S€~V\Ti:L~ hmds 11: the forties. By Id5() i t ~~a s in the ;)OEs(;~:;sior; of ,J:ii.es :'~[.ee 1. This n: r;f'; is J 1 ~; 0 S i) e 11 t~ d 'uI1oy, 'cllDY or :L loy in the rec")r:Js. , . ttrlC'.v Ij':lY hav(! been o;;e, ating the r,iJl f r the i)(()'1'5 I i n 10 ~? 5 . I I " .~~' _L ,[:0 ''Vi-led fl,x il tc~ tl1e ' ~ i-:~ 2.8)) cf ;e ~; tl.S d ":') . tJre th,vn tho "'; ,,' b ~:Llrli .fO~~ ~:,- ~ n r1 h. .;, + ;1 l:,rge "JC)~Jl 8;' fd ct':ry OL'I ~.: i_-, J.. _. .~ 0f brie' r:n ~ stont~ on the sit.p. Th:}:,,: fact',nry WdS " SD-'J!l G ,1. (j to ,Tohn : 'i rJ 1 a ',y , ,.;!to it '!llt'Li. 1 ,\. In. 10()'7 t :'I\~ r~ln ._bt"l{). llr1:n ':f'J {J f) T';:, rr;,'n and ,~ '1 f '" ,::1,;-1'"1 f;Pl lOYf~(l t {e~:ty-f:L V( h ,~.; ~;',""1 8 to rUtt c;j fl:t -'~ '. ~... PO .;13 r l'j:'1~,) and 50D f, pir:.J 18::'. ; bC)11t, l,,;75 the ' '.' <j. \,";.::-ts ~,;,j,L1rt;cd ",'-'.J..c. I, (:pnrr c ith and Oliver Ii} by. f.:r:"titf1 ,'J j, t 11 r~ rE': '~.{ i r~ 1 t.://' _1 arld .~ ] b:~1' c! rr~.ed on Uw f:'l ct:H~Y oj lono u;-,t :i. 1 L"k4 '.1~:(-; n t ht~ est~)rl ,nnl] cn : ': rr:,' .fn ct i} ;'"j~' C 0;;-j :..),~'.i. rlY ;~_l C~ ff)r',e:j '.~ith ..j] I':: " l2r. " , he ~.~' J~ n q ~ .~i :'-l f~ no r er:1,loyi IOn Ii., r-ic ;.,1 Ii '''1 its f(liJi.Jrc in 1 C, '. . , ,"J ~C'1) ~ 1 "" 1 cc;ta~;trophe . J.. >~... ,: t. ~) ~::)c t., ',Ii" ttn r'l of thn 1(:l. rg: e f-l()ur /ni ~.J s :in ,,<-::ston h:...d it~ or:itin in t.he . -\-, 1m j." t-, h,. ,John ;) 0 rt e r 1. T I 1 d j ,) , 'l,ii-~Y S,J."'.j{Y-:tl_:_.1 ,.. betdec n j S dO rt h ' s ;;':i ,j ") j, XOD 'fe; nill:; . 'I'his ], :L. In;ii its .';:'viC: r from :... ';on:'] :;;;,j rter of Pol ;']i l e u1;stn;:n [y" 7"'; C:]: ~l II ~~ r~ ~- ,-, '-i UJ ct vc>rv Ion!. r/" co, ',.rhich .;.,i//:::1 S Llter (;xtendcd t.::; :}(:rv~.~ at~.el::'f; mi11s ') ," 've 11 . ~ l'()rter f~old t,he nills to Ho rid Burr, ',,;ho t u~, OJ € r:;;:-'t, mill ~nrl wooller! fr;il1 under one roof, dE~~;t of the s :1':/~ ']:1 ~_ 1. . 'i'hes( r_';.i 1J s w;(: r( b')r,;t 2. n 1!.-4'1 d .:1 the j ,1"0 erty :::;5 ,;()1-i to H,0h' rt ' c ~-) /:)'(.1 C::D 12. . 1cTjO: ,11 b'!i:t ,'~ i fjve-~to )! fJJ]~Jr d J. J. ~'~: 1. 1. 1 ':fit h thn~,~ run of stDnes .nd . ,~ fieVl S.:i,'v.~"'j~_=,1 t U i-era t i- q '.he " tt t'1 18 '") . , l-'ttle Jater he rebuilt, t,he dan I' a i ~-;:i, ~i g .1aJJer Li~; ~l (-~ i' so hir.h t-.!l]t thE' 'dat,er t}(lc"(d uF on t,; " 1 " -. ~-. ,dsworth's 'vIi Pc:.LS ',,-'1 711.: ,lS, cutt,inf' off t1:cir 'Eo:;cLar.i u. rL 't~tis "ir'-y:uced ~j costly 1 ai::O 1.. T t 'which ) - - In;:>t,. res'.l] t l~ p ,,~ 1 ,l ()ut. 1 "., e; OlJ J:."f~ ,L.L :tS :-i ~ .. ~,) ~,.J ,'. ' J .i..J.l "'v__..J to r he ,'(j ; 1 S '.1 () }'t., <, Jho used thr (:'ii 1 J II T11~ j,.l <1 ft (; r 1 0 i~ 5 1'1/1 t f1 e rl .:) :301,1 thf:~ bl_~ i Id :1.: fj t~; ,!:-)hr1 ::(1.J" C,'." Jj k ;, nd ~) 0 " :, '.1 f : 0 ',;Jrie t.he rt Df U.( "r {;:.~ t'" {:",o.n ~Vv() rL~s . f"'trrii~~ (t'", '''1'' (), ,';01'>:.;) ",as the i' , " t ,y,- r i . ~ d 1n f', t j II ri') 3 t rv t, 'J n Co E~ \t{ater )O\ler j.n .(C~.~t-,Dn. 1<3 ~--._.- --.- -- , .ilson iilby '{[1. ~~ t'ja~~;'1f~er ()~.-:. ttlis .,1El nt in 18<);: . J . ~, '.h, rdce ,J.'. ears 0:1 { r'~) .~e{Tl u 11 E~ (.lIl 1 ~.II1',lin' ~~I f ~Lt4'jS t c.i E:; rv i tlf. " . t Le 10'.H: r ni lIE? .. J ~" .~l~:: -J 1 a ~..:; ~~C:)O:lr(_:ilI tn. , :,' r'~: i C' k s' :~:". ~: .~ cd :, ~"on, .:'.f,t,.:ry of ,H::tr)ji, 1 "') "7 ) . ~" . - ~ -. "'1 CeL:.- L.." ,bt. on .j.Jlia.L; C".'~}l.c' ~, :r:,~ .l1. :'... r~ t f; ,iL:. " l s S II 0 ,." n on qH:' '"'l} I . ',J rVdY ; :.', ,; Df the : i n l..1 ' s ill serVE, on the ,ii; E:. t j .)i" b,"Jn,: , cIa e t th. bri lee and ,;outh of Dun,ja,f; "tr,,,et. .Ln 104(; t} i ~" hCl'J bCD',.C a C:0t/; j',ctory as ,#(::J.1 ''-In.! in 1051 the rnl.: J_ hE!": t ,m set. s () f :j:-1 C h ii, e ry d :'1(1 He,s Wf;f:;V:,,; ~l:out I:~~ X hun- rJ reil yardE~ El wf:ek. It, "llf;O ;'j"de "excn=~l(;;lt h:Lcl1d:cts l' . fi; lIe 'i'i ollcn L~~:.~ ~>F:er1S to h:IV' ~1 t 0 i';; . ,'j running a bOllt 1() . The ,). i 1 d :i nr ,:; dcrc 1 itA" r litH;rl Q ,j '::i fuund ry. 11' h () Eicl E~ . '} ". . t his l' ~ ~~ 1 "t/c)orl i 1 J ~~ n irl ' l S Ho'r t H; 1 J. , 1:- 5, aft c r :; c I J, liT i.he J:i:tg's j 1. J toe ~WJ b'L t'J . 'i 11 c s c ,-.., j J. ou r c:;.n"i r;ri~~t. ,1i:LIE >L;j'E; on the ilcst b",nk, l) J... <) i;,i/ j bt 0 L . Tlle r'Ii J. .l 'ivr-.i ;;. : r"! ~t :~n 1043, rebu:i_}. t :n ~-~t;ue clnd re,it.d to the () ',"J J flr1 S f,)1' <:j tl::e in 1<344., It CO:itlJ' t,:cJ to bG p l'isllBl'" '?' j, 1 I f: :~ U : ;t~ i 1 10GO. The 'Ja" \v'ap, (Je~:tr'()ycd by the J.0';0 flood I t.;r) yea rs I,ter trw r)~.~. i. J.. d i. i 1 [;~ - , to Ct;orfe :, ;:l:~ t h ~'l c r (; ~; O~] ~, n t ur:H:0 into a 'dooll (~n f .ct )ry. Vnrl.r mo'" ,.I'i.) (r,nrth) \. ... .., 1J'I' ,..11 i It ''I'; S rDlJJhly r)e t: ,>'een 1))1 ,1 }cU'.J tiwt ..L ;',) ~ <:. . .l.' . severa), i1il I,' v;er-c b T; i J. t ip or'th York on t;".~.b) thl"i.cs :) f) t t'le rn t) E~ r-> . l'118;--:. ,~" ,C rt~ t'; e v "r 'El ' f,._~ 'i.~; :ill (Lut 1 -: Co i. \1) (1 fHi J..,. t nScli e:Jier'B'! (Lot 'j ;'\ Con. TU' b'::Jt Ii on Blac Creel: , ClfJI ,~ D1..~n- .J.."'" ~, v J , /' , ;") f ~... ( l.,.:)t ::) , Con. 'fT' I)i.~rlC~J "Ci ' S Jr '. i. j r' r~ 's C r l~ ~.: k . They c \.L), on " re ;:il J 'hrf'ed on r~ r'D ,.'iL t: ' ~; dl' of Yark TOi'flshi of 10 :)1 t hut <It; re l:j 11 gone by 186,), ,,1 thou<,:;h the ;.OIl,j of 1i;'3clmeiribr'B" was still the .rn pe rty of the :Jnider faLlily. "ine Crave LTohn ..;n,' th r:H)v,~d tu i" 21 It.! Crove dfter ;c; e111Ef. [1 ~ "'. S:.) 'Jf:J i J~ I on rnitck Creek and b':'.lt (1 gr :'lS t (.~ ~i f,<lw;;;.:.11 in .1......, 1 1626. l~}-le s l~; ~.--1 ~l -, or:: ~/er\C: ~:; :)li to ).i~;..lia:.;; \~:~.~ ble dhout lij4'J. ~ '.I.L,,..J,,,J ";'I~Lth moved hi:::, 3d ~lr:ii 11 further ui) the I :.cj ~~ t. i~raJich to Lot 12 (,on. \/11 of '/dui':h':Ul. This sa vvT;"i i II ~.ILi S run by ;Jil!:llLl 0EJi th in the ~'ixtieB ;'jnr! seVf,'nt ies. ;~.t~ter 1 ()c:{J ;:"j 5h~,nr2e <i 1 ',ias a'.'J 1(d r<1 t.he s:Jd!1ill. These r;-;ilIs had sto ed runrlir;r: by Ibb4. - -- - - - , ~? r.(~ ,,~' n ' s 'irectory ')f the ii (liit:) )istr:~ct 1 t~~ts the ;,TO Ie r't; y ... . lS illi,:', Ch;,ble's in 1d4G. ,f." Pi) I J T112 ;~E::"lb18 "L;J.i. S ,:'t t Pi 11:-- I, r'ov ,c; ',\ ,: r,' b ',} i n oper:)t~~d in 135L by J. ~li .. G,::;!;"~, b 1 :-.! , "ho by t h':~:1 bE;,; Ti s' , 0<',. tmeBl, 0",1 w ,.i n.d wool- len ;1'] 1 Us r i'.;c~ 1 ;:.! s :3 .;"/1 :,C'~...1.J oth, r l.n,'u~" t rh) s . l>~ost of UH~; U d lin(J lr~n ,ilC'cont~llU'( cv Ut{n 'fl" tiLe L.our m :11 haa b.:.:coaL: d . 1-..."': ~,. \.......: , ,J.....t.......; } .. .. ~~. ,..Iv {......... more import~nt, thou ,~h '.l2mbl,..: i.V ~, ~'( i}.l c. ,) G 1'<1 tin; the SE.\~1/'- mill. ibout li'h::.'j th0) mills w:::r(; bou:ht by t he firm of ~oo ci ':~ f'- h(-}m a nJ ,.orts ~..;i1o lwd <:iV,r c;e flour !:Iill here for /;;i,bout twentJr yea rs . Th~;: flour mill continu,:;d un,..:;el' different own0r~ until 1923. );ood brid gG ';:';:3 :.Joodbrl.df;\2 mills b":Fr,in with the building 1 of a sawmill by Samuel Smith in 1(1)1.J.. Smith later moved hie mill upstream to Lot 9 Con. VII, Cifter ,~ di:'wute with i~owland Burr (::;,bout the watc;r privilcf;C. Samuel ~mith operatou his sawmill until about 1970. , ()n t h~~ rna p or 1560 an oatm~al mill appears on ~mithts property. i.;.urr built .9 sawmill on Lot 7 ven. VIr In 1837 ,)fter he he",: aCluir,::d the lot by cxchan.;:e. He already h;:~d 2 His mills at "Burwick~ soon a~lot her S2v'lrfl ill in V 3<u;han . included a <;ri st ~ill and ~ cbrdin miJl. In 1840 he built a 1, r,~;,:;! woollen factory below the old8r mills. By l850 this WCi~ the most import;-, nt inuust ry I," uurwick. It chan~ed hand~, . sc;veral tLr.to:", c.urL,," the f:LftlJ5 <dL:, ',;,3: ~" en dmt \.lown for . b ' ., l'~ 0 I!,bout this time the plant D. tlme ut nau re-openeu oy ,")(). was bou ";ht by Duncan ;,jclntosh who ran :i t alane or in partner- ship with ,iO~ ~ros. until 1374. Fro;; that tJ" te until it 1.,;108'-='0 about l390 the mill hcd iT):;Jny ul f f,-Tc...>fl t OP'2I'(, tors. Th '': .<:1'1 st mill In ~oodbrid~e its0lf was less tmportant. During the eishties ane ninet18s it ',,;a~; runt:y the o\.Vnerf of nei!:hbourin:; millSt first by Gooderham and \~ort S 0-; Fine ,} rove (1 d $4 ) and then by David Cldsr of ...ld8r'.:; ;,iLl s (1' ") ();I. . --.-..--,..-. -..----. ------. .-- ----- 1. Samuel .:.:mith rtof ~;0od brid~::;e 11 mus' not bie confused 'tiith Samuc"l Jmith.'fof. ;'inf~ '.Jr~l/a:T, mi2ntion::~ci above, who also owneG a s:,wt:'llll lTI thfl 21.Xt1.0S. 2. On the Don n2~r Uichvale. tLowland Burr ViaS a .",rea t build~,;r of mills both for him~.:clf :"nd for oth('~rs. H:', me; y have dc~[;;L;neci a number of l:'li '.ls on th0 Humb,;r b,"sid<:?s th thre ~.! ,,:hich he odneJ LIt V,T,i, 'U[j tiiih::S. H; pL1]C(1 ~l cnnsiu0!'fJt;le pErt in the aevelop~ent 01 the district. " - " ~ ~- <. S1 t,:o of n;:~1 zie1' ti ",-)awmill 1947 The 'l\i 11 ,"fa S f1 t tne extreme r i....~h t 0 f Li'~e picture ~nJ the tia~ near the fC::l.rt:1 !lUild in_~s . The lent:; mill rnea can be tCElChl at. Lne foot oft he nd ':1 K . I I I I 1.s8.;':~ l€~ ~/ " " . ", '~ C""T +~r~)fj tf1€ b r~i(} :.,i: 0 . ,--,OOr,lllo IiLd1_ 'i'he cara j neE "1111 ,;a;:" [;"c:U' l,IW br:id~",.; at the ~i'ht ( r, +1 \ 't.", "i' it'l ,- Li" L~' {',t '" . 6 S,-Hl","! ~ ' J" <.;>rl;,.,,, ,J . ~ <;:\. \ \,' '0; ...UJ "Her east. -' -, ,. .(, Rr:' ,l,) As John [)rown ~~n. WD~ loc3t~L on Lot 5 ,~In. VII ( f;out h of "Burwi>.::.k \1 ) b.,;fol":; li.U'7 , i~l'.> i~,rob" hi}' built ~ if; s,J':.f1'lil1 b::~for~ 1;:540. I t.'id ~ Ci.:rt~':1 :1.0 n y,) ::> ) · In 10uv two ::~J""'Ir.:iLlf3 Dr,; mar~ci:;l ()(, the ' Fill.;; pon\:; b'} low "Bro\'m::;vi~l~' . en::; oft he~; .,;) '-'\: " "'7' B .. ,', L), . 1 rs :. r1 1. :~; tS. j ..L(jr;t.. ,~al~;;(Cf,! B I '. S8~, ;,nt.. flour ni11 htI'e. fl1 J flour i~lill f'c"n un1~il ros. .1C:1~ -' n 1923. Vau:han JCJ,m(~ s t3rown ( ,L,ot 2 ./)11. V) InbY also hav(~ had his s;'wmill on Blc:,ck "reek in operi:itii)n by l2hO. This mill closed down in the e~, rly e:... v3nt i;,~ S. SOf{~ other owners of land in V,ugho.n maY h,;v(~ built sc:n":'ITd11 s b(! f ore 18~~O but it is not likely tha.t thCl'i.; were m,:>r.! than Orld or t.'..uo oth,=~r mills. ~arly Mills in KiIl.:LTownsfli,p., , A dam ~;.nd sawmill fri:lmJ h..Hi been pCirtl:r built on Lot 3 Con. V soon aftsr 1930. It About L~32" JOE,-,ph Baldwin of Laskay in Yorkshira, bouGht the lot and completed the sawmill. Baldwin had comi; to 'Jenada two years before and wh0n a villa;,~e ~rew up around his mil12 he gave it the name of his En~lish bir~hplDc~. The B8wmill proDp~red aurin; .. B:r 1 ~~ (.l 5 , it~; ca rly yeurs, 'I b( i n~ tlh:: only 0 ~1'! in thDt ~>,ctir;n"J.. however, it .1<::':' out. of r,;;pa. ir and 'f;;:~- ivcn up soon hft~r. .in 1349 Bc,.ldwin hau built. u. flour an., 1': .,.~ ruill som,c: ui~~ti.mce .. _ .J..~I., belo'l'; his demo m , . . ,,' 1 '\. . . t .. '. . - " - 1;:" ,,: i: b' " r -- ,~j J. ;1~S liLt. .L i[c,:::, ,~,,~;n O\i,;r:LlJ. 0(.)./ f JtJO ,,-,0 J.)c,J,.(,,- win and operatea by him for about t8n ye~rs. .F'OI' t(lt~ next ten yea rs or so the IT,illur W8 s A.n. LI.:hmf'u'l, tr.kn the mill became th2 prop-::rty of ~)tQphenson hros. until it closed aoW!1 about 1 )00. Tb,-,r,~ W;:~~3 a c~rdin.~ mill or "w0011en fhctoryll, just above th~ briJ~a at Laskay fro~ th~ fifties. In 1>~5e it W2.S own~d by bO~'i!mm :.md Cook. Soon ;"ft,_.:c thL: it ,';8 s t."L{~n ov,,~r by Henry B::::ldwln who ..{a.~, tho.) ::;tor,,:.k:2ep..:;r .::;,nil postma at <~r. ' -----_..__...~. ,... -.,---.-.-- 1. History oj' York ":ount.y, 1 ~;8' ." 1 II. Most of the above " J, IJI). . informat ion on the B.'3lclwin loll 115 h::i;c bDcntake n from thi3: acC- 0unt of thdt f.smily cont,dn~(i in th'c' Hicctory .:md checked by contempor'ry sources Wfl.re posEibL:. The cardin!, mill seems to hnvi:': been clos:d durin,' Ht.~Jlr"'j ij.Cjldwin' 5 :.,bS2nce from Laska'! (;.;twe,:;n 1~62 and 1,'>69./1'0 1E338 t11e ,-:rist mill had I been rebuilt in wood on a larf;er scale. The work was done by William Tyrrell, "mo W2S then & ycun; man without expe rience in buildin;. He later becam8 the principal contractor of We ton. It is unc,;rta in whethc~I' this mill \1\T,:) ~ b1lrncG in 1847 or '48. I: Tyrrell also built th.:> stan'" "-li'l > " l,. '-' '" c;:; ~~. ..L. . 1 '1 . ...~-. ,1). '\., r' ! ~.' v" I (,0 cnry Ba 1'1 ,vi rl':l n t,;1 i ~~ r'iill 't ""1+ ~ 1 11362 U lrl ~i i:,i.t ::i, " fror:] 1 c_ ' t: ...;~ ..J,.. for abo:Jt twer:ty YEiil'5. rr1'1 t; wa(1111~n ~ill also clo.!:"d d () ''1''J'11 tJ.:l r ly in thL-o cent', ry . " ~ec~')!:'.1 S i:-J'iW: 1.l1 ',la s b ilt he fore 1. b 5 '; , <l J Ii t t Ie ]J()rth.H.;:t, vilL::t{c. 1 t d:A S by lid vi; ,~t,Jesor I r t h<': O'drtE,d 01. ! in 1<557 dnd ~il'-'~I)ee1 rn to hilve hee c J {)tl eel d (jYV(i before 10?6 I I' I ,J tllc1['h the l'OD'; ~",t i.~ J. re ,1 ned II the LJ:ll ::jCi ~r h j ve been 1 .L ~ r "nirtf for fl t,jme after l,~c(). " I' /1 h s;j'#rnill on Lot 11, (' VI .vas pro b<1 bly built !: "on. 0" :-~obe rt 'J :iba! t 1 ')15 In 1060 tJariH~s ~:arsh \1HS ol;erlti:'i: the ::,.088 .....u"" . [nill,;nd Q,dled the dest (Jarter of l/)t 11 ':1 nd ~1 st ri1" of ; ot. ' ') J,.,.4- co ,t:,ir:i thE1 ':orthern l)arts ('f 1, he pond. 13'/ 1b'(5 these ; arceJs of Lmd '-r/Ere o'ilned b" ;\OSS, ,,jIJO .-1<19 u..,;..so uperdting the mill. i\ ~) '10 l.)on~l 1::; ShOd!} on the rnl}-' thE' nill may ",1re01'iy have bt:'en usin( StC2iL1 ,'O"/cr. Hy 18,55 thf: [(iill '~.lr~i s "in otrler ha .ds DLt...stil1 ;Ioi'( i:)od f'dC)rk' . It viR S i)O~)sibly the Ete:d;J mill " r'):l by ."u ",roe of ,;trd l1ge from before lUU4 to about 1 t::. ':CD?"; . ~-};e i~ir"E3t iT:::,t 'till on the i!ur!Jber in Kin,~ : mlshij:) d;18 b 'iIt in IJ38 b;! Chr'::"stoihel~ Stokes, Or! Lot 4, Con. VIr ,,,hieh he had boufht hi Ln L.. ,;tokes' milIs were later ce,11ed tht; , t t)f' Linton f;ills. sa .r1ill on the west e' ",1 of l-.lot ') i.,:. : .Jon H '':-',.L "- Carl. JII ormed . ) fJ rt oft [If' Lcnton Z:iLl s est,d hlishme.;t by l'-'{J' 3 uvV. It h,,:,l bee !'Ioved to King Creek by 18'iB. ;4'IJ.li~J.:;i ~:}tQkes' .-L:lIYt \\Ias "'i,"Hred by th"" i\) 1.t'~t( S t j~l OOf-1 oft ha t year :lnd the :{,ills '.iere ::,olj wit.hi a rno;lth jr t"dn to " l ~ 1. H:i'1 Hm,phreys ',>,ho i :sta lIed ste~"iL1 as ~I\Jell a~~ I.,att~r i,:o.Jer. TlJe rid, '.--{.::1. ~) ',.Jashed ..ddY i:l ., ( .',,,,,\ J..c.c/, , b'" t the r,;i 11 s ',if:; )'(0 runnl ig t Ft;rlJi::iJs 1)y st~;ct v: power 0 ,LY, :'11 19-.)7. 1 )a vid ,~c:esC)r is list(:'i CJS u TlLurnbec 'ltlui'acturer'! at L,(j skay '., . l' L')vcll'~: ~e, ::l'la ')ir,cto rv [::,r 10'57-8. "; ,':8. t t.he ifS C) i1,.Jd S \. I _~ ~ ~ . , ' . running d :~(j ~lmj.ll :Jt ~d:QY in Id86 but t t1j.;) :J~.J y hi."lve been ....( I' 0 rt c..t b 1 (; ~~tC:Ul outfH,. JOt; . '.. -' td(:~dJ1' S s,.';,\"; Cl nd r;hin~',le mills F~ Ie b01.h Ij,cot,ed as nste,:JrnH in 188;. In lcN2 the: s,-l~n~!i_ll is f~l ven c; s fi ']ter" . 2. Tb, History of York COli ;ty says that ,,-oss () C C up iej l.ot II i~ " Hn2 .rand erected ,; sawmill on a s"lRll trHHltdry of the H;.imbf;r. " c 1 sot, CH t ft () s ~) llli ved Oil thE' farm for fifty ye~rs a ,d operated t hf~ s :J\I'f'~; i 11 for" r~lOS t oft ha t t J. me II . For r<~ rsh f s connection h'ith this f:1i 11 see 'l'r,:ma i ne 's ail iHl'-j ihrectory for King 'l),r'~;hip in this report. . The ;ar-le " Lenton ;illsn is riven to both these ;'lil LS Oll '~rerrjdine ':; 1"'i<1,.' . 'l'h,; i,ond of thl~ second rd.1l is still ;"01 rked it 1$'78,,,;i t;hout d'iY ,~ji 11 syn;;ol '",hile there !",; t;vo By"t)ols +- 'inf Creek. cf 11 ~~ H1a ~) ~/t..()ke~) i ~~ i th(! [)il'ecto:r-y of tho :t:,:.~t. ~ I," . t. Ii S of Ynl'k CO)) ty dc, n1l.lbr but ~'ur'1i'hr(;y' ~) :.aile ~t ,d t~ f)US- i~ ess c'lrd I, ~~ ;--f ::':')0':1< thof1e "dded J1jst before the book 'd,;.s ,"~ :,1 i ~, he d ], ,t; ~~ in ';"('e");'~;r 1878. .;(:C chi pter 0:, floods in J tlis rE: ,"art. " .'.. ') ( l'rH:" (xi., "C",('C of c. , r:u~t ;,.111 in Albion J.o"n- Sill!, nortp aI' <iildl'ield is i;iiplit'd in trlf' returns of ins ction of Cl ("ri~Y l~c ~3crVe lots in Idl",j. 1 Lots 2 and d Co.n. ..i....l ,,:lld Lot (; COli. ''''1 c: in~; one mile ..t'r~Oi~.i. t:l Hli.1.. 1. otL- 1 if a re ill ri,. ;10}' (> F C as ing LTther is l<.no~m of (,Lis will hhich pl'otdDJ..)i stopPed running t;efore 1...54.3, }.lErlu.lIJS bec.~iu~ E Lb( "i..tc'r ::;Ul~',)l.j 'I'OV( ci irH; ui' f I': i en t. . "VwL X' s ,',ill.2~ The l.'irGt i;rist nail at ~,d';'o.nll:!Y t S <'.il.ls WdS PI'() \,- Qbly built before IdJU. It rc;;L.iin(~d tbe only ;[.il1 in 'for'oilLo ,.;0re till after L)L..0. l;ei'or(~ 1 ;)1-!-,) the 'IGore i'dlls!l, ;.A :r- i ~:. t '."".).{1 '--l.1.l....... 8,.." (,jill, 1lad ),pen sL::r cd b" lov~ the villa!t~. It W d S I) P e Li Lcd by Goruon T~cker in L;.57 .:In,] for about t(m y.<u's Lor. The :niLls hiLi ::.;ev r 1 difL'crcHt milL 1'5 be t;;';f~' n Id5u :::,nd 1 j '/,; . The Gore "Jills '.,nrf' OihHd QY Gnri ,Li toplwr r:urrcll ':Jnii by Ls'!J tile villa,~e mill~3 were ''; L 0 o\~neG by members of tIi~: Burrell I 1"";!;.i1.)' ~l11(1 0[.1:__ .l~.J.-t(~-,J 1JV 'jIl.E';:~ un t i L .:J..~0Ut L, 5:> . 2 thi:r'u mill .'1 yO',: ~'..i ~~ ~ Luilt ~oove ~tan10Y's ~ills in ....hin:u,jcuysy :lGout .L,)Uv I ,_ l,)' , I Jo::n v-3.L~l.. It ",3 ~ the ;:ropE;l'ty OJ '.il1idLj Hl',JLr::-oll by 1 J Tj'l all() ! I-l~.lci r'Lmn in,., L: Y 1 ')3. Aftc"!, L):_,v all ' ,. 1 i ~~ t()PPC'O tilE: :J..~..L ~~ ,,'erE- I I flour bnci "ri3t nil 11 S. i.Ll( U().t"iJ ...Jills h',;,re still oper,'} tin,;, i_"~ .. 1 ,', , it.Ll t..hrl:e lid.L.l.S h re usin , ;; t,~" ,Jilt pOhC rin rl. by L)(j) . .J.. j',,,,..L. (J) 1 Ji..U-ld59 I Lumberin ',-l';3S nr.' :~r i LG peat' on the 10 ;(::r part of I I the.; \'\'-Llter,~3j~e".1 before ld)U an,] ti'O IlU:I, er ~)f S I;', viiit ii 1. S river orl 0f1(; incrca~';i ci con2id ra:ly l.l1 Lli(: l.34,j t s. The apr)f>oxL,<\t~:: nULbcn, of Gii'C('I'cnt Y I)f' :3 \) L' lil1i.l~~~ un t,iJ e l: Ll.!iJb er iLl 1');,0 ure con \~din\'d Ifl tl-lf: Collo;;irl: tacIt:; . _.-.. -', .-............-- -'~._>'- 1. 0nt~rio Arerii ves. , J.hc loe,.s on whiclJ both !IJta.nle:;' s "'.ills" and the l?Gore iiiillB f! ~. >err, built Lt~lon,/~\l to the 0urre .U family ( .uur\,}eil or Burrill) L Eo fore; 13.3'1. ;';td.:il,,~'y' S "JillEiW~W once hflOYJn a.S ttburrell Hollol-v" but Lad i.1 f'o..t lJ1'fice l.mder its pre~Hnt n2.,l,e by 1,.540. ,--"" ~u.tT('jl~. ;:u'e llot rElerrt"'d to 35 mi1.i-o~~el'S unLil the .lIl0 i"L' ~ ,,,entiOlH;d. Ai"onr_, t.iH:l 1(~~j5eeS or wlll',rs ;1" 3t .1nlfY I s !Jil.ls in the sixt~eE i'ias va,vie! J:.l.ucr, (1,ju4-u)) . I I , O~ -: t,..... 0;; t~h(.; \ ; T') ,:; e 1',1. .:..01.J..t/ 1. ~~_ -0,.'::" .-- TO;rin~ Li, e: J'-:i s t j, .1.1 ~~~ \~ . t ;/{} I j" ~~_ l S oollf'''i ~:UJs --.... (Larding i', fl,)lIi g) \ Ibion h 2 '. i if 1 3 ono 1 ,t, obicoke 5 4 2 i :)ro~tc core 1 t[.:J.!; ['ha n 'j 11. 2 l, York 2 Ih ') l" 1b )7 --"- 'l:jtill t) ~ nee rt (J i 'I . C a rcli ng ! Ii 1 J s are said to hnve bee; run f () r " time in ,<'clr: ~i 'dorth r ~i 01 rj sawf;j.1J at .eston and ntlry-"s 01-1 ':fTO 011 f n"'1 i 11 () t ,')odbridre. 'p .t, 1 ',' d Vorl. T 'J' "'h; " - 5 :)1 un..,,--~:-~~~.:_.:l:2...=..L:. lh,,: . .fe'll S ;;'1 i 1 2 s in York Tmm~ihip i:,cluderl ;)IH:~ b,-,iJ.t in 'veston in 19L~l by tJ")sc.;:>h Pol1cy, who ('vir! erltly .,n. ferred b i) i 1 r1 i; f. rl i J 1~' t () 1" " ,,~ .' t J pm t' () r h~ sold this t h i rd 5,:t vvm j 1 J. " .-" t:~," 1 "" . , ') r~Li, U .tj.l 1073. in18l.4. " It das ne,',r ..::cl;:;'i{ort,h' 5 11; lls and h not h "r :-,:; ;C), ~"r; i 11 ".-'/:::J8 b: :LJ.tJ i,n Ji:~ 4 3 0;1 Lot ? ~: Con. ,", '1' by "oEc.h t.~) ~~-'W' rl t Y' e € , ct n j OU 1"'" e~.rr"1: i ~':. :.~ i - 1 e ;... , "ho hid '} ~. ~~ c o::~. frot', .nr~} (~'- ir1 c () :'::-~ t~ :.7 (~{-:J r's hofer-e. !to\dt ree t lll" a gri;:;t ill o'n th( .J\;st: bar before 1..40 nd j' ]}(;;;8 PCT' e'.bolrne illsP :.t'Jpf'e r\;:. by the j,ml t-(~e { '.:'r ,()~jnt recs ) unt, il t. }1 f? end of the ce~ltllry. In 18i,.L" <fo~; . :-h !h rtriiB lYLli J. t I Bel ~~it..: i 1 for his :~on J-Ienry t 0" Lot 1, C()~ . V of York Township. llt3nry ,e !lis soorl .J :1 --'!el fL',y i']il J to the Sd ~{mill ann rJ.:, the 1 u t t t, C until ,'j fV:2r 1 G78 . .' <~ l' ,'nrYJ(nni s ~l ;:; list(~.] "i S n r:'li ll(~ r-.n iri. lij51 DI.lr! as ~ ~ !". ~~ C) :.';Y1 e r of" "f]o'!r nil1" in 1 >t',.- he 1i:iY h'i Vi h'rl .Crist ; 0 , _6.,,) / , 11(t',j, ,.-~ '~.i J. he 1'( in tIle: r -:. f i:; i ':' f:, a r:,rl " i x t: " I,; S . fie i -r: ~n() re () ft e Cd:;} ed cl '-' :; j'.-l;;'~ l.l . O~Hler or hU1ber ncrctu it, hGvvev('~r , a')d 'lOthi ;g is heJ.rd of either: flnur or flax t'Ji 1::' eJ.fter 1870. - ~ " ;-,2t,h' ,- t.. a n:..t d ~~. Fl r t r'~zPteer, 1L i ~; ~:.; i t [1 ' s fiplres d.,re Jarl ely ..1..- . -- '-... ......), b.'lSS 1 an ~he asseSSMS' t rolls for 1~5h2 and ld44. liS only the :ir1her Qj~ i~'1ills in each to';'/r'shij: i " ".:; ver' it is the or,ly ..-.J c.;;......... ... ~ -. ;ossiblE-~ !,() make an a~1)roxi8te estimate :)1 f;1lLJ.S ))fl the 1) :..: r~: ~..'; -or' u;{ c e l't, - Albj,on 'l'd Toronto Core. ') .,. f f ~est on. ','0 \-~rn . :;",Jting (Kcatting or ~)i-J it tin E ) " . !'lS '.ory G ~~olIS' ;:;1'''0:)::1 b T:l hil 1 t~d t,~l~'c C I. th:Ls ";:L J 1 ir, 164 t) ,..,he :l ' r, 1.eatlop ."lent l,a' krupt (see belov\'). HoLLy i. ~:~ Cd ':led "lumb. r e t.c h.;] t ti 1 G ~) ',J d. ~ ! if .()fl. r' ""':") >'( had SD. ViL''1i J. j_ s iIf l.i ; oJ..c..Y ~;e~. Cst.on in lU5"'-6. -. " 39 John ~)cRrlt!tt ,lad :-;t ,rtc'd anotner saw,;dll on Lot 10 Con. ,-, of ~~tobico, c by Idhb. Tne miLi was operated by v. Ld,;, T'" "' Sc.: r let t until 10'11. It \~'('"J.S t.il()1~ ~;.old 1"..0 ;',dtl.hew '-' \.1 . ,0 . . r'unnin::: it in It c lOEit>d dOh'n flfter \"'a...-~r~ ~n:_:'~ \~lt; () '~\I'clS ~ i ;.. 1.385. 'i'here '..'18S a \':oo11c n mill n(~'Jr thL:: S<l>'Ill(:ill fro,;, 1351 to 1305, \\In en tl1e buildin,- s >pre bJTn ~ :1 ~'l 1,-: n:);. rcbuiit. It '~'..'a ~:; r~11n t):l JEi2. '" illiams. Crosson's miLl Gll Lot 1') ....on. v 1, thO n .': ir..Llls O~1 1.31u C l' Crc:(',; (Jnri one on "Duncan' 8ft or Durn's GreeK, Vi e re Dll :~rcbCi 1" I~U_;i Ij. .l!l (~ b c: i: 0 l"';~ 1.j1tb. '.rhey ,:'re- nll one by j 1 :r;J. 1 "'ftl i s t.1 €-:. O\'~[11 Thou :n there v:cre no ~;i':.tcr-:nill;~ 3ctu:U .ty in thE' v i ll::~ <e of tf C'..... Andr{;:~' s 11 ( Thistl to'i"ll }) . \; . ) th n;Iu~;~l)~,~ r- Oo; v . f'ordH i'i-,~ll.lt,";, le~;s t tL3 11 c~ rail(~ to tile nortn, , , , w'ere conSViercc'o .~ ..... '.. ;j b;.~lon in. t'J it. f"rili~J ~~~ri5t and [-> ;~~,l '~<!lJ i l.1 \v C"",: probably built ~, c:i":)re 1 -.,It.(). An advprtisement in the Toronto \;lobe for .L>: C <:'iil1.0 r ?nd 1 1 '~i.:$ s.1r(j.~'.iY offers for 3<11(' Lot 30 von. 1, of ..:. . E.tobicol\ e, 110;1 ',.;:ich a ri, t :;;ill.-;as and i" erected fl. /l11 c':l ~-3.v i~_: ["t i S Clil e 11 ~ .....n t;' " loron,() f' triot 1 da t.ed ;'12Y 17th, lj4') ~ ~ ',. nnd si~n ,y Tho;~las i'ifl.;er of ,'illwood ,'.ill~; :~~} s assi,',n2e, inteI'cSLin,' ih:Coun: 01' tUi' ;'Tonert> , , . 1 i '-7 ,;\ l. v C s an 1;\/[11 (~;1 -. j ~}S- c r 1 tw -l >s De 10I1;in 1~O n~i~liam Koittinc, a ;<C ,'l'l ;j<- h The .......~.. J.-L- v . GrL:t mill (Ot1 10:;:' );)) had ftt..vo p~ir of burr StonES, .~).i. 1"10...... :.;n t md COu;ltry 1 ts, ~mut ,;<,ill, Elevators, (c. J everything comrletc for c,:;rryir~ on the business of H ~iller. !I A savn::ill '"i tit 120 :: c r" s of land, !I:;i'J:;tly co$ri'J witi' PinE T i;",.1 c r ~. ( ~JO": ~: j ) and an lIa'_'JDiilill,fl Lu';;. of he, ,:,;eres ~:ll unucT Cui. t. i V'., Lion 2=l.(j,(j situat.ed tJw fLits of t.he ilwn: cr, ) '. '.. '.~"rl , r\~ aiSO Q,lcrea .for sale. i\ll t, : : ..L~J ;:~{~O r' 1/./ ~~ ;'; t, () U.} ':11 t by 11 . J. 1.)OU.1. t cn, idlO "J ;. ~l () \i -~~:' G the S D\'lLiii 11 GO Lot Jl) bCt1;~pen 1.;:;0 and 10:.,,) . jjcn", 1 ~~\Jn ran tLf:' mi U;o un ~, i 1 .....1 ,-l ~:.,. J ;it;!, en t.hPy wen::: pllrc ~: f' ,':~ uy J 0 s:. C :1; HO\,tn tr e of hCr UUOi.Ul€ ,':i1108 f? (about Lnu) . The i_to-v;n I'J r ('.::: I',jfl .... ~. ~~ r) Lliill ~:.; f01 "I, I: n t.'{ y,"'{U'[) or :Gore;. ln' - - ~-~ - 1. .l..Ii] \"\~. i.)Il ' G. J !Jot ,:-:1 l.,,$n. 'v r J ,one ld;ju. il.icL:.ini:::on t:'3, l.lot 14 . \..I L)n. 1'- bplon ~d to JO;lf: DO:~Ke in Id00; Taylor'L" Lot 14 v , l.,Oll. V, , ,,::::. 1.. <)j'1 ,. Lo vl1ri.sLUi'ilcr 0nidcr .In J..,,)()~...' . " ~}o KinL 'lo>.rnship 'The thjrrJ s ;:nw; 1 1.: in Lint '~oHnship in 1 Ll;o >i':-,~ S built bv tJat1es "'urns rwa r l(i nthorn Ctot 6, Co-:' ~_. I \f j , i'Y'O " bly "bout Ibid. or 1(;/~5. f"ur'n,s lS .s ~;:l to tE:ve run t.,J:t"Is (,;ill f'jr t,.Jenty-fi ve y(,arB arld :L S descrj,"ed /..1 ~~ Ci. " dr:;;er" only, Ie .J b71. ThE; Vmrl of thiE i',lj_l1. i~~ ~;ti"1 1 rrElrh?d on the r;;:, p of 1<3/0 but no uiJ] is ici:~cat>'rl. Va u 1'1' n "0 w n C' tili F- . .~~ 1 ..) !..L ':' :)eVE~r:; 1 of the fourteen f;b 'vr.;::. J Is on the Humber I rc.:ort,E'd fro;'1 V;J 1; f'lEJ rl i n_ 1L1.6 devulo{"erl into larLG iiilling estdhl:~shmentR in t.he fiftjes. Four or L:. VE, ,jf i,heE.. can be loc,'-; tf;d wit, ;::orw certainty lEoDvinr onJy t~1O ()r thrEc,e unidentified. ~:j.ch()1:lf3 ,)tbV(r a' ready till d a sa ,{H:'l:. ~.1 orl ll,_~,t 1 ') ~- Carl. '/111 , 1<.L.6 to ','i h J, C t" a i r~st, ~li 1 J Vi:.\_ S o1,<ileo (,t:' fc rl2 186,; . :)'V hest: ;. 'i:Ci i.: 'h:-in ills!! ~rle re a C ,':lG reo ocut ] obi bv t:ar.~c~:.; r[ [1 c; ;_~ i.e' ;;: 0 r.~ <';nrJ ,vere o',med ;,Inrl 0 , eri:tcd bv rrh();~" sorlS UJtt~i] tLl'Y ~,t,,) i'ljed r:;n inr ;;jor~, than fifteen years ter. 'diE; :1;::t rd:/ . .., ~ 01""i SLL',;.J" ,1 J..._~_. .[ c:t 3, " v~., , vviiS .:loot her of thos(~ runninf j_n 10/+0 '" s :"'W".l S \.,on. thBt b~' 't by .Tohn '; r;~ in on I ot 2'7 Con. \T"fTl ;,;'(;C"-: hE;:; t'j:);{ ,. ,. , '.l...;!.-=_ , over th:s l.ot i'ron hi~; f: tlJ('r. The Hardy f":i~ 3. ran fe. J. rl y continuously until about 1 () 9\) . .John rI'r~-\ itl c.-i ls':.! rEin }';is :rti .; 1 f(;r morp than f:i rty yea rs (]Dd i: l.li:J:,' Tr:.\in had cl steaLl 30'.'- .rnl 'I in or near t<leinbnrg in 1 <3q2. The f:i::Hi,;iI1 on the "est .J. Hranch at v1einburf is ,FrObd ly another of these early Vii Ii s hut it t'.jrj ~; not ~o i r:11:o l~t.ant to tl'w vil1:,~ e s the later miJle on t he "lRin river. C 11 r j. s t j 8 n ..; C hI ere r 0 'tvn e d this mill ! in 1057 and it '-tv ;~l S sijll runninF t~Je((t y yea r~) la tcr. I I ,lrlf'r's :..J_18 -,-..---- Chl~::'s;,o._:her 'i r:.,in, t) 1'1 f} f;jther of ,To 1 'frain, hi, 'i built - ~ :::. ::~J ..-,f:"1~:' 11 .~~ t '.1dcr';3 'ii1J.s irl 101.[. ()lit unvcd ,\>iay almcist ! i t once. - ot lon, ftur the ."; ~. -: 1- ~~ i t e ,'j~:~.i. ~~. i C (ju1 red [) ,~i 11:i ~~ 1":1 ;c<ylor",ho bt i It a I rift nil1 o.fter 851. These ;';'lj~ 1:';:) lie re I c '1 ed i ~ ." l~; r;':j ',1 '~ l' s ' :in t; he si.xLes. ,i\h ~)l~ t 1 cr;::) they ~i,)re , i ! b 01_.t f~' h. tJ b~l )avi'] lrler nrl tl:(~ nz.,~:",1e clwtl; f,d to J,1~, r '", ~.:- , l c I I..! ..L -J.- ,,) . I --.----, ~ , I l. l c J.:;t, 27, r on. 'JI~'; , 'ri};,ic;'~ he L ~.1 ~ '~;, Q rl :)V r t~;J b.iE son ; ht~'f\;r'e I ~, 0lj6 nrJ 1J)'1(':d t.~) ~ ,i ) t. ;2: , t . ('\ t'.) l. '-i :..: C":' -too ~-', 'Y"....-: ,)f";1"" CCH:l2',tj', ,I >_.1... _ . . ....,J '.' j ", c. ~j " (', ,-~ u't''':'~Jn'~ 'jj rd~' t,r) r'y ')1' t} e \ L:.!y H.: li~,t.r:Lct, 1,~1}.6 . i -~ : :..' t ! I i i ~ f ! ;,1 ri-ll(: sU.',-tr:':il.l,.~u'l~. f"i.'lexl ~J~' b'~)11t 1,~95. The :ii:'." s ,v(;I'C the ~ pro l>ert v of the !,J.d~ r j 1! inr COr1I:any 'Jlhen th(;C~rwre c1oE:HJi in i ~ 19;'3. ,10 ne.1f (Tj st :';i 11 s seen t,D kJ vc be(m bui It in VcJllf!an i ,.dter 1850. C avcnt ry (C oluI.'1bia) 1\ ~,avl an' t;rist.ill had been built at Cslumbia (Coventrv) b:' Thom,;;; ~)winarton bef;,re 1<:346. These mills were owned by :,.>linarton until after J.<..73 though they ,ler' oper- aterl by several millers in the sixties. After 1678 Swin- f I arton's :'i lIs ~iere o"med by John Caldwell for a bout tv'le~1ty-fL ~:e I yea rs. Another prist mill was bu~lt on Lot 10, Con. VIII in the sixties. In 11378 this nill belong(~d to Hobert Jick :;,f I Bolton, lumber merchant, \tvha had l:ll~;o 0 sawni1l on Lot 11, JS vvcll:1s one in ViU, hc<n;'ttld one in Peel To,mship. By 1908 I there "vC1~; only one :'3'drJi.' 1 Lit Coventry and this close'! d:J>,m I I no' Joni; aftE!r. ! i ! Centrev:J.l1 e ( 1 ", t I' I ), ~ ,', -'.""er ''-'_ oj.' or, I -, , , The fjrst .)f tL(.~ {Toui; ()f n:lls near tht;> vi}l- , I I e~ of Cen~.r' v5.1Je ,m.t 1.(lC ton 'iL;[; tho fT:Lst n~.ll on. Lot 23 I ~ I Con. IT J, rnHl exj.2.tcnce of :1 rri~;t~ ~:i1J hore in 1,-4,.) seens ... . I I t':l ;)8 in-L C,J t ed in tht; return of :insl;ectiOrl of, ", I lot In L-Ler~,y Caledon Township. Thomc! s "'elburrH:: '! ,1:11'; in POSf;" 58 ion of the I I I site in 1$46 and iiilburns owned the ;):1=.1 t hrougl1out the nlnEl- i i I teenth century. There was probab:y a s~wmill as well until about 1860 as ,Tnse~'h :~:Llburn had a store2 at !l j\llandale 'i.l.lfiT1 in 1857. Th~?re is no [,'lention 0'> i'J >:i1burn sawmill after 1../,0. The fri st mi 11 cOnt i nuec! to run unt i 1 II tnut l:nl. il car i i ;j [: . ~ 1 v/;;;s running near the church in Centreville "t, Ibi:tst <.is '~:.irly tall.. 3S lL65. It was O'dIl€)d hy iiJl:iclr:j ,il1Eickey, Patric~< LeIly :cif~ cartier. The next year the nilJ is c: J led ;i v/Oo11(m fact() ry ---....- l. :\11 thr,~e of thes c iJ. - f' el.ie scrnr:tir:Ies listf~cl uwier [nekton. The >.~ 1 in1rn mi 11 Wi:S e, littJ_e !le~lrE'r].()ckton th~~n c(,t' re- ville bv the r06d nd <1S neCir c..iledc)yj ;,ist as Centrcville. .fter l~~O C llerlon ;,',,,,t ~W8r;s tCJ havc: been trH~ )Of}t '~)f'fice a~rlress of this ujJ1. . L:i~;te'l under' c)r:c i"! It3 irl j c'vE;}l t~; L.>-;rl;~tdd )irectory , J.(~5'!-~. I - l /~ "' .. ~ ,'. ' , ...._~ ~ ',..~:... . . .~ . _.,c~~~: ~~~:>,~::~:5'~~~~5::' , < :-i\....~ ~~'\- ~. fi ;:~ :-\ ';;. \i Jc. , .U .~. '\\' ... },. ) .,,", . i - -\ . (-.. ':~ \. of... .1. .f" X -" . ~ ~ ~ :~) .~~ , ~".:: .'j p 'r(~~; '~}:..jd b 1 :' ()f ',)(~~. :,~ .j ';', t.-:: . " ~~ n :~.:e ~}rt ..iC'~JT.J' ir, d-::J. ;~ '~ r' t, car,lin[' I'd 11 -'/ !., ~ ,; t ~:. .~ ~. r;,,; n n 1 ~1g irl J. )'J(j. The f. n. ::3 t- ill on the ea?t If of Lot 22, Con. IV .;J,:l f6 '} lBo rl~nning by L..6 ,J..I, J . : ~ . 1\1 "ot ter · he :L:.', ~ er in 1006. Tlj(:o mill Odt:e,-l ' ,. . .., . ias \ft/',1 s tJY ,,;'; ~ 1~L11 T:'~) rd in 1L73. 'l'rli5 rnf;t ~;j 11 a1~)() ,'an unt::: 1 ~i bout ' ,.,., -; ..i.. \.j J,l . YGl';~ 'I!ld Ltobicoke '1'hiflr-,}d.5 ---~ . These tow~ships wer now well sU~plied "lith miJls , vcr;' few ne"rl O'lt~S were h1l It betdeen le,46 elf!'.] J. l; t")(~ ::3 11(; dhil~:' sevtH'al Sctwrni~~If~ aIld SC)'lC t:rist ,U.ls d:i.saplGcir0d. In L/;vcll's C,':.J liel ~.J,(i "!irecto 'Y fur :LJ5?-d, j.t -, s re'r;dr~:cd of c,:.tnn that: B'Ihe !'--f,i ntl1-'a Ctlj r~; ()f [um[H~r, f~)ri';erly v' ry.l: qe , 1..8 r>1'd onl v E'uffic ient for loc"ll canSU!ll, t5.Cln.' i i (.) .,'if V \;'. :r~ , CL"le 'r' "1' tn.: .1.1 Has bu i 1 t in v'')c:.' i:J;nlshir) in 1<34b. .J.,.:lS :,l'.:.lS r' , J. ~<) ,,1 .. i '~Vf~C ' ~:~ 'J f:'d ~<r'i ?,t ~ l~: ;': ,-.. 0;: ,:;,t, .LL, .--;.~ 1 . VI, ,,,',ie;; ;i~'. 5 _~;1 V ,c.' rt.=- cd f'QT" ~. .L to :I.~l U,e Tor',; r:t ) L j '.J \ c: C) f' leee ocr <~;:d, lcL,.t. ..Lt.. ' ~":'1 :~, bcmrht by :jYIC f tilL C.:i'.,rj~st.,ner .f;~; i:,y, rli,:; till C).dricd ~. t: J.Il 1050, but ,; t I,'. ,l d =~. E~~:j. l,e .i.l-'(: ,; by 1 LtjO. lkf ru tlat J::., t(; ~ ' ." ' ~ II t: 'd :~', .-~ ;V?i II J b or! beel! b'li::'t OJ t ~; b :L c u 't t t' l;e :1 lfl e Q. "yOSl ~ 0 ,nc .. . . of Chri~;tner's mill on prOierty belonginf; to TIFWl.:tS : ,U~;~,(n. 'j his d::;iS also tone by lB7$. V in~ 'lo'tlnship In r~inf TQ,mship d sa ,'Ir!1i 11 VJH ~.~ built in 1G47 I by .;,)hn l'erguson.iho ran it for more than forty YEH-trs. ~.~ ii i s rni II wa fe, sit 11'1 t c -i c_it t.he outlet uf the Lv(,rsley L<l ke O~ i :t 10, Con. rT! It .v'tfEi ~~ ,Toba bly not. Q,)erated throurhout tJ',c y~;.j r -I,..... . hU.t seer:,s to 11'1 'Ie 'hne a gooo lEal of' C't(Vtfirlf~- ~jl/l ,..ljst~ }-:~:",Je llad a b ttfT 81.1 i 1"..' . id t. u r t q ~i j .~ ~... I j ;., '1 cL~ 1 cl ~) ]. e ":0"; . ~: t L 'dA. S t!rotil b 1y '! uO'.:t thi~, tj, ;;,f; tl;jt tile ~k,'i'l(! i 11 ::it Hje.ton i .j] S !': ani t r1~? scc(!nc] f.; :~~t,r{; i 1 J.. ;;t _'.:,l: (:" i-1Y ,J're bU:'Llt; c;:....\ 'cn'_lt ,.,...I; ..J "-''',J t,he ',t' c:r-d rj 'lJt:Y1 ~; :~J -.dL11 1 J. H on t.:---,8 H11l"'"!l)el" in [' . , , ,{\ r(~ '" .... T"1.J n ~'i i t~ ,. t:. ',-" 185) . , ' , 1.. ( 1 rT t t ~..,l r i!~ l~'h8 r"l''-') S t, i"~J~-a.Jr'tH-:~ ;t 1.liJ 1 rei i 1 t in it Lb,:: ~:.l tiE; r' .,}.~,~ fi ft j e ~~ WLl S t ;~. 1 ....<< ;:;'; n t i t'1, ,: t. . i '\ ,ut:. np by H,~)..:d riet t' c ~?'~,;~_.L.L . ~} . - ')t :'5, C()n. 'J T~' C' .:': l}i) .:t lJ~j2-3. f:"J \' J~11o.j ~,,:,"l ~':i:.ls ,It:: tEl the on l {i';, ~ - 'i:; j '1 j n'i~;st~ ry jrt I> J.ei~ib~Oi t'--'p for nJ~)rc thci:1 ~;ev"~I)ty y ~:..~:... {' S . _._-- ~, .:-:'} n ~ ll,~.~ c' ;, ~ ~," , ',it.'c.; \f\? r~ , . J":i': ~ 'TJd. ~;3 : 1 V~,!, 'it (,(.: trlc"I:',-i 2_8 .,. ;' t.Le ~ . ~ , f<' :' ,~ x t, ~, c s , ,~ J i .J r.(~ n", 1 "':' u'icd ..t h:~ 'j !-l(;o,.;. ~ ,; 1 ,--,I.. ~ e b;~(l --)vwl tu I ..... t 'c r 0:; ~i ni! ~;. .i :7 t 1 '[) ~'~; '-", e l~ If C ,r (;1~ T f; :L" :1 is c J ~; (.,tc. [ , " ivcn Lr,p ,. ': ; ~ +;"', ,:'" i.!, r. " -. "J .~ .. , , , - . t i'lheelpi t and i'Ullsi te, Ballyc.s.oy 1946 I, ,... . . ..., ... #-' Tailrace of a bo ve . I I i , ! ~ ~ ! , - I I I ! , I f I S"5 Tne grist r:.ill vi'S::; still iL operation in 1923. !\ E(Jcond set of mills was built on lot 24 about 1870. The Howlanc sav:rnills were less important after lR80, as there v.rere then sevcr:.:<l steam sa\"'1;;il1~, in or near rId nburg. In the nineties the Ho~lands were running stave, heading and shin~le ~ills. These had been ~iven up before 1900. The miLLs a 1\: a.)' s belonr:ed to the S8Dle f~nily. Ballycroy The first sawmill at Ballycroy 111'88 probably built by Samuel BeDtty soon after he settled on the site of the village in 1850. In 1$64 a grist nill was being operated by John Fletcher on Lot 1, Con. IV of Adjals, west of Hallycroy, and soon after Beatty opened H carding mill which ",;~)f, doing db' ., "66.. }. '1- 1 ., . a goo )US1.ness 1.nolC 'Jut seems to n:lve oeen c osect GO'.-'L ~iY 1871. F)y that year ',dllial;; Be<=:,tty had :;;et up (mother sc1't,rmill and added a shinp;le mill to it about l880. By 18B5 there were, in Ballyeroy or near it, a sawmill, a saw and 2hingle ~ill, a flour 2ill and a flour and SbW mill. One of the ~wwrr:ills had elosed down by 1890 but one was still runnin~ in ISOe and one of the ~rist mills ran until after 19l4. (4) l860-l946 By 1860 there were more than ei?:hty ''''Etter rdlls on the Humber and nine steam mills. The distribution of these mills is shown in the following table. ~ pi t:. O'i 'Pl'::" HUi"Br.'r~ 1$60 J"l: ..l....,...."-., ...,... ...1..." ~., .f"",",1 . Townshif' G ri s t Ie i 11 s ~)a.,ndlls ';looller. Fj.lls Acljala 1 1 1 Albion 4 b 2 Chinp;uacousy 1 tobicoke 5 3 1 t:in,?; 2 q 1 " l'eno 1 1 1 Toror~to Gore '"l 1 l< Vaup;han 5 26 3 York ---1 ---2 ;>. - Totals 24 56 11 CODlparing these fi~ures with those in the table 1"cr 1846, it is evident that the sa~~i11s on the lower river \ - - , , \/0 in Y or'k a ~l.i . t-.') U i C 0 k f: , ',le I"C: bei : Imi.HIe: tD - ~. ~~~ "J. .. ..~,ed r '~'tj .i.e the n:~f'it)er of grist ~,-~ i. ~.. } ~-, ;';;1[3 r~ bl~)lJt 1-, lie 3D. :e. n stean crist ::::il1 ~~':J ~3 running on J ,ut I C:or1. iTT ( .. >"er1' ) ...) , , ~ \ . .~',i ./ . In ,r :;,~,!';jn the ' f S ~'l v;rjl:..1..L S probably nUDcer d. ,ld.S near itfj peak. ':Lherc 'dc: rE.~ a1 re;~jy cit =.e. tst four !,; teau S,Oi IJn;iJ 1 S ii nd it if, not likely thdt (-1 n}' r"()tt~r-dri ven sa~'i;:ii1ls ","'ere b~: i 1 t- in the s~xtJ~es . This is true of King r;,'o~,'w;hit also, but " few more 5tca~ mills were st.artecl there in the :31x t i ~: . Cl '~he total of rlj, =.': S on the !fu:-nber We'~; , .- j./ro Od lH Y rc,tcst:lbo1it 1067-::;' . "ft (;r 1 b 7:,) t h t)l'C' \''',j~1 S :1 ;:~. r::ed dec:.ine in t.}-l(' nUf]bcr <if 5Cl'tr!ilJ.s ~ .., .. the L..dstt;rn r'Elrt of the ;:iater- J.n C.i J..L !3hen and v;cy little :increaf;e in t}w nu[b~;r Df iv-at er nill,s in the ;-;cl'th-....estern sf:ction. t, ~~ ar'l 'ills 3tei:lf'j hQd l)ee:n ~J~iCci i U t [1 i s H'lrt f ., -, I c;: !" 1; i) er l :.1:i':V a ~--;_ s (~ ~v:urce Jf pO'ifer for l!1il:Ls since 2bou.t ], ,)1.5 and by 1(;50 ~ .~ was b~ginning to be ~~5ed to sUi.:.plmnent ,,;ateI' .power i~l ..i... :~ tLnes of d rourht . :rI;e first 3te,'.;-: eng:ne c) be used ir1 V ~ r' h' built at d~)od bridge a bout 1849 awl t~,e ,q Llf'. a n .l 0 liD S 1 ".m ~; .f5_t'st, st.ccu:: sruimill irl ,: i ng TmvnshiF v'laS set up by Fredrick lurrnws near ~versley in 1852. By 1860 therE: '.vere four SU:3r:; f,: ",\..r"i i 1 J s within the ~umber ~J t E: r El : ~ e d in Li.nt< 'I'o~irlShii) anej f/)~;r at J.e<1st in V T,.~tdl(Hl. :3 01"16 ot]!~n' sawmi1lo, (:ri~;t, r:1ills :i nd ',.:)ollcn factori es may hve been Hsinr stcan more Dr less DV t,lE;t di:ite c;n,] there ,'las 8 t 1. ea f~ t one grist . ~ -. t~lltn rl0 raJ. ..L_L other :wurce of LjOder. 'n'il' t e::;l.Gr:lry dec li:-;e :)f lumbering in the 187')' s lffecterl th(':! [) t ea ;~l SCt~lIi'1:;_ I.1. s in the ea~3terE art of the ~,,1a ~~ E? rsl 1e d l:i [; ''1ieI1 L~~] the water Sair{;y;iJ J.8. Burrows' .:1 rld :Jenr~l. s nj..-!, -, c. near i~versley diSdVI)(~8red ,;f; dLJ one rH.:ar (,lng ~ Crce1...l ~;11d t;r:a ir~ "';j' han. T,", Al b:1. on or, the at};,,'r hel nd , the ..1 ":; r,. , ...t.). . , " " (()bir:~,crl '5 ~) t (~EA. in ~:;;'1 ".vf:J i )..1 E~ t fh) rt h ()f (, h(:; ldkc at -, ~. ; . ',. . i.~ngsville (Loch Lrne) hel'! 11;;:) fone by 1867 but n.o:;ert ; r.: 1 i , ilL -1.J.. S = mi' J_ e:ient FLictOT'y at the south end hart beeome a steal:: sa w ~J.nj grist rni 1 ~._ , o\vned by ,T o} m j, b e 11. This ' . i 1.8 [n,.;. r~r:e \.. as (:1 grist [;till in 1870 but '"l ~ . ".~ t ~~ .....~ h -, r' .~l. .. C:'._' "'~ Y'l," 'rtli~ Y;~~'::L_ y 1;<1Y :, J.L.L~ ,." e ",OTlC' ~,a.I~:~f.. be tLe stca~l gr:u'it ~] i J.l l~ter l~stert ut Nob~eton. - h" -' , ,-j ~ :) ~ r,~.:. i 1'~'v,:t;, s -, c>' 1 t ;) t h f' ;".ett,::, 't u,; of stc!:) ~}:,,1, -r:' i J_ l~ ;_ s l '.,J, .i. ;..:... ..'. ...~~. . j- on; ": :tll'1 e ::'se.{ ere. fter :::..80 the lumb~"r';Gn r t rm.:d t~<) t118 attac~: ,om the u"l.n i \;'001j8 \rl:Lth incrfk:sed vigour cd1d the number of Gc,~<, "Wi \JOod...ur~(inL mills :1.n the northern section incre&.f:ed once u:Jrc. rf};is :OVt-~l'lC 'it i'ms related to l' . b;)tl1 :Ln farning and lumberinE. The dif- c 1ang1.11g Fra ct lees ficulties caused by the opening of the west made Ontario nd- Q,<\"ners more rf::C:u!y to realize on their remaining woodlands, and the introduction of shingle mills, lath m11151 dnd of the practice of "ele.:,m-cutttng" cre"itr-d d der.1and for ty,pes ')f timbt-:'r {ihich could hci va been passed Over twenty ye~rs before. The eXjJansion '.vhich follo'.';E~d recovery from the derression brought ~V'i th it d bu ild ing boom in Toronto and its viei::ity h'"h'ich u~t have [-reatly increaserl the de~Gnd for lu(':ber L. the eifhties fin~ ni net j_e~ . ~j Ii i n ~~F 1 e f:l i 11 s are i::'IO 3 t. nU::'jer')US 'Jrl tbe H'.1r1bpr bet-leen 182 S ~, ;10 1095 ,.tnd 'i ("~ '; C' h ~~ 1<"'",1 d(j:lr!~' f'.=i,.:.t- ." c.~ ...~ J.. C:.. l. '. ~ \)ries o;n'l J- J_ ,~t. r~ i^ :; i~' r:']i J. J. ~,~ '~'1 r.::: f ~)~ i :,'~,d ";, () rc f"rE2 :::J 11 (:~1 t, 1 ~t tJ2i:lL be,f,~)re. 2 ) ~-; t nf the s (: ne.i f]:;' L_ s ',HTf~ {';, l;1 b ''P Bteci{;; . .; t t~,~ -'; ',}cJ. ~3 [.,0 re convenient f ')r ;-iJ:yJdG l~king mi J. ~.~3 ~"':1 Q. it ;( ~Ll()~'wd t[;~ r.;L'. J_ to be set, up ne'lr the ,,'00'1 f' or in centres with [Dad communi CiJt ion::; but no de.' t er- J:O,;E: r. " ort::;iblel! sawl'lills 'iiere beiHL made in Hamilton before 1871. Some of these may have been in use on the Humber but most of the s8h'mi.l1s seem to have been more pe rmCi ne nt . Between l680 and 1900 steam sawmi-ls were running at various times at Sleswick, I1ono hoa d , Caledon L:,st, ~~ol y Pa rk, Uobleton, ). indo~l, :ount "f3"., fC i llf;~ ::': rl d i'().I., Jtrange, .ashvi} Ie, .::s well dS at older milling centres 3 i; c l'i .::: S lein- burg (;2) , COvEmtry, Laskay ( 2 ) , ,;;,HYlbridge and ,eston. ,~;hingle mi~ls wer~ to be found betiveen Idb 5 and Id95 at LdLeley, I.in.ton, l. ;;Rwn lath replaced "split" l:_lth in tLe 10 (jJ 1 F . 1:';1-;lit" Lth conE::;.;:;tE! of thi:i bocords ( ",'11 ') L" ,,rid e ) s..vli.t alter- .Lv -'..' t ' ~'Vtttl thE::; t;r:jt~-~, fr :)u: () ne Qclf.t;; EiJ~:~l() 1- t () the ithcr. Ii eJ.y, It coulrj be J2.tl t ul' i,lire " {I J ].. C i-: ~~ ;) than scum lilth, but re.juiri::;s trees )f [~rt; .:~_ ter L'irtli. .... . Jnc f:.1~'hi.on.lble architecture of Id7Q-lb':N used U;1 i P1t:'it: i1 S e l;,ntitv ,)f ';rnil]. ,J,~)r}~f' in dood. ',;,'Le style ';,ld~3 sl"read by . tr;: ,.i e I.:':lr~l z ines S11crl i]S t'Tht~ :c'od -):lC)r~:er'l (CrJ ::d . iris.) 3. l~: () Ij~;ted under Ced,jr ~ - , J... .l-S. ~ - 9q -- -- "--- k'''' ., .. , . .. ,- ~ . .~;,;! ~~/' ~ ,i 't ~--- -- --.- ---- ------- L<ill Jam at- uolton - 1)47 I I ---....... -j- - ! ! i - - -.):r .~..:;.,vr - ~-- '"':'"-- --- --..-------."-. i.'jill dam at PalG~'d. va - 1:;47 - - " 00 /~ .;\ount ~~'olf, Nashville, .v.oodbridge and Laskay J all stearn mills, I while there were water-driven shingle rdlls at Falgrave, ;)ally- croy and Eleinburg. Grist mills could be run more economically by w~ter-power where it eould be depended on through most of the year and steam grist mills were never numerous on the,{ur:ber. Besides the mill already mentioned, steam mills were built at Thistleto,"m and Claireville in the sixties and at no~)leton in the nineties. By 1885 several of the grist mills were using steam as well as water-power. Later Water ~~lls in Albion Township Several water mills were built in Albion in the sixties, seventies and eighties. A sawmill on Lot 17 Conc. V ic{aS running by 1866. It belonged to John Mellow in 1877 but is not listed after 18g0. Palgrave (Buckston) The saillmill in the village of 1~Buckston" was also running in 1$66. J.L. Card was sawyer at that time. By 1873 these mills had becoffie the property of Hobert l~ampbell who had a large lumber bUcineris by 1877. .?rom about 1890 to 1 S07 there werE' two sawmills at Palgrave. the second being that of Henry Beatty who had also a shingle mill in the l890's. By 1892 there was a chopping mill in the village run l by F.. Bradley. This became a flour mill before 1911. C'ocn : !, after this the mill was aequired by John MeLean. In 1 S;J.,.6 the ( [ McLean mill was listed as a flour mill with a capaeity of ! ! ~ fifty barrels. f I Caledon East I , Cranston's sawmill on Lot IS Con. I of Albion was I the first, and for some years the only mill near Caledan East. , f f ! fhis mill was built by Alexander Cranston about l870 and con- I tinued to be run by Cranstons until after 1901. In 1892 it is I I ! listed as a steam sa~~ill. Fnother stean; sawmill l'laS set ! up at Mono Road Station in IS73 and one in Caledon East ~ .- ~ about 18bO. , I I ~ , i I r I I I I I t ,~ \ l I ~ ~ ~ ~ Darn near sit: .1' Cranston's 08w'Iuill 0.1- 1911-7 - ~-_... " '~KA: !~~'i j'.- "'_l"'! ,.~ ~ , '- -, 101 ~ar l' ill~ Al though the site of Cedar I'ills had been settled as early as lB34, there is no mention of mills here until the bUilding; of the Irwin g;rist rdll a.fter l877. The .... Irwin mill elosed down in the nineties.. In 1878 there were about twenty-eix grist mills on the Humber. most of them water mills~ The nLUnber ren~ained about the san:€' until after :i..892.. Between 1878 and 1885 the number of sawmills dropped from about 37 to about 17. tfrle bu~ldinr' of new sawmills bet'lleen ld85 and. l8~,'2 kept the nun,her in the watershed fairly eonstant. :Some sawmills disappeared between 1892 and 1898 and durjn~ the first fifteen years of this century most of the others closed down. The grist n.ills lasted longer. Five [lou!:: mills and several ehop will~, WeI'e still runnin~ in 1923. In lS:46 only two rr:ills on the Hwroer appear in the list of flour mills and the few chop mills and satr.dlls still rurmin,g were doing only a local business. The Humber may be said to have ceased to be a mill stream about 1925, fer by that date all hut three or four of its many water mills were gone and it is not likely that there will be any revival of milling on the Humber. - - " 102 5. Villages Villages were slow in making their appearance on the !1umber considerinp; the early date c.Jt whic}; ~ettlenent be~an on the watershed. Forty years after the comin? of the first, settlers there were only t,,-'o vill;:;g€s on the l~iver. The villbges and hamlets which sprang up in the next thirty years 'I'!ere more remarkable foI' their number than their si ze. Ir: thE" lE7C' s when these COfl,lLUni ties Viera iLOst populous, only three numbered a thnusar,d inhabi tantt, and thf:28 tt:ree were already declininp in popul~tioil. Even today only ,e~ton is a town of more than five thous~nd~ o th " hI' ." ."> d . , n , e IiUID..er, as e ~mNner( )'Tl upper tA3naL a, t.ne first villaf:es were of two types - the 'lni 11 'I villages and the crossroad" villages. Jhe mill settlements ~ere perhaps more important and some have survived as fair sized towns or villages, but the crossroads settlements were once far rrore nurherous. All the settled part of fouthern Untnrio was dotted with little roadside settlerLents by 11::360. These usu.:tlly had their origin in a tclvern where travellers cOl"ld "bed t" their "10rses and obtain refreshn,ent for therrsel ves. As the horses so:netin,es needed rest at surprisin7,1y short intervals, these "houses of entertai nment n were very numerous. A srri thy was often built beside the inn, a store set up in part of the buildin~ and pos8ib1y a post office in the store. AS the had roads were hard on harneF~ and c&rriages, a saddler and a whee1wri~ht would open shops nearby. Cot tages v:ou1d be built for the f&milies of the tradesmen and for labourers on the neighbouring fares, and with the addition of a church and a school the villare was in being. Sometimes a church or a hall preceded the tavern, but the latter was sure to appebr sooner or later. ::',ettlements of this kinG 'if'ere very nur{,erous on the HU,111ber at one time. The IT,ajori ty were never t:ore thar; a few houses; but others with good locations grew into sizable villaiSes. Sor.e of these had declined a t the end of the nineteenth century but & fe\; are still pIc:' ces of rome Ie c~l " importance. - 1. Excluding municipali ties which are actually T-wrt of ';"'oronto · ' .' . t . P ,. . l' i \~nC(l~~11 separa ed ... ron, tne C:i.. t.y, 1 eston ). tse 1 s ~::o necir the city as to be hardly a country tovm. I " 103 The stages in the gro\'.fth of 1.111 villD.p:es \-fere very nrUC't the sEl1;,e, but the mill with its dwellin'! h:)use and cott(1[':(:"~' Vias t:'1e beg:inr.ing and ofta:1 determined the course of the rOD,d at that point. ';-hen a ~)tore find tavern~lere added to t.he mill the other small industries followed in the ordinary course. Not all mills produced villages and it is tho~e~:i tli raih.;ay co::c.:nuni cations whi ell have kept their in'pcrtance.. The mill villages were the first to appear.. Lambton (Cooper's !.ills) and ',.;cston (t'!l 's "'-111 \ -, .':'> "C.,rr " ..... S J, Oli,e their origin to mills built before la12, ~ono ~ills) ;:01 ton (Bolton's Mills), Dine Grove and probably Stanley's ~ills, to mills built before lEi30, 't.'hile\.oodbridf:e (ciu!'vd c k " v'"~ C. L - : :... ,j '~ l,;,J._ ,..;;, founded in IH37~ Between 1840 and 1$50 the iLprove~ent of ronds brought several of" the other type of village into existence such as Thistletown, Claireville~ r'andhill C 01,,,,ton Hewitt) and 'I'ullar.:ore.. t.fter 185C many villEl1,:es of both types grew up and the building of the railways 'Has responsi'nle for creatine a fe1r/ others v,;hich greY? u}' at a raih'lay statj,on.. Dy 1860 most of the villages and hamlets v\'hof:e names Eippear on the modern maps were already in existence thoUGh their names were often not those now in use. It is not posEible to recount the ,<:,;rowth of even the more important vilL:lges in Y,reat detail and, of the smaller places, only a feh typical examples will be briefly di[,cussed, \-lhile otheTti are only mentioned or are omitted altogether~ (1) Lan;bton The first of the Humber villages vias Lan..btorL, for no settler1ent grew up around the King t s Sawmill until after 1835. :here must have been a house or t~o at ~Ccoperf~ l;.illslt from the tiLe the IT'ills \-.ere built in 18C6. i1liam r' h. 1 -, d th l-1 b . f' h .~. 12c("1 ,-,ooper ,1.n~se 1 move to e "UD_, er oe... ore t. e sprl.r.g 01 .J.... . j, and probably opened a tavern beside the mills. 1. Ccoper i5 called "of the t,ov,rn of York, innkeeper" in the records of the Quarter Sessions held fit York on April 16th, 18(,6. '.;.'he references for 18c7 and 1808 simply refer to hiG as Coroner for York Townshir, but on !\pril 11th, H~09, ~rohn Han;rstead Hudson, j'atthias :;an~:;er6 and Caleb Humpfry are bouno! over to keep thf': peace towards "-(illial1. Cooper of the To',:hchi p ot' -''''."l . -,.. T' I' at thins ~:anders 'has the shi pvJright ",;'tth tl'l€ ~ arK, ItJ.J..l.er'. "peculiar attachn;ent 00 the Hur.-iberl! referred to above. ?rcbably the dispute concerned ti~ber. ..- ~-,.._~. . --------,;:.=...~--'-- " ] !l.~ I i 1 .._~ -- -- -- . . t , , , ---~ ~-~ ---,- - - ..., ~~~ ~' ... ~., ~ -~ ---_.__........~.... . i.Ot)ert~'~n ;:'anai':z.rt.3 of'J.'oronto. --.--.-. wCi::il;ton ,'J ills llO'ilLi.ncis :..tu.re in 1~)6 ...-.--- - .._~- - - -- .- -- --_.- ,~ - -.- --~-- - - I .- t .i.ohertson: J,dnu,<tl','.3 of lOl'OllLo " . i 1 tOll tl ., ill id(:'i .;aj(:blf.~ I~; ~t()r,; ill 1')) t..-. 'i.'hf:l veranuaf'; La v\;.: lJeer; a 1 t~p.:d. - - I ~ I \ ~ I I !. ~ --< " ~ lO5 When the course of Lundas Street was altered in l8l4. so as to cross the river close below the mills. the survey party stayed "at I<r. Cooper's" . On the map of 1834 one tavern is close to the mill and another. (the Simcoe Chase Tavern) an eighth of a mile further east. with e. ,. chair factory~ beside it. A smithy stood north of' the road between the two taverns and a distil.1ery on the riverbank belov,r the mills. Five or six houses were scattered on "Slopes and hillocks"l hetween the smithy and the bridge. On the west bank were a npuller's ~ill" and a house in a clearing of about twenty Gcres~ The village had only about fifty inhabitants but it was a pretty, cheerful looking place. A ride to the Hun,ber had been a popular ell ver- sion with the people of YOFk from the first and LambtoI! was already a pleasure resort in the 1830's. In sumrHer the visitors came to fish in the river, to canter under the pine trees. to enjoy the wild flowers on Scarlett's Plains or watch the races 011 the Chase Course3 behind Smith's 1'iCivern. " J., n winter the drive through the pine woods Vias a favouri te trip with 'tcarriolers" . All this brought business to the inns which were somewhat close to Toronto to be much frequented by long distance travellers. Before 1830 the village was known as "Cooper's jl,illstf . "The Humber j-illsfl or sinply "at the Hunber". About l835 a post office of "Etobicoket' was opened on the west bcmk and this name was sometimes Used for the whole Village. Vill- iam Gamble became postmaster and opened a store to catch the trade of the farmers from the v.rest before they could crc~'s the river. The settlement soon grew into a second Village and 'I'/8S named t!Ivil ton!!, though the post office continued to be 1. David ';:,ilkie: USketches of a ~'uTl;mer Trip to Nelt, York and the Canadas". 1837. ~ilkie calls the Village !ITobOcoke". 2. 30th south of Dundas Street. There ~ay have been more bUiJ.rllings clere north of the road. - Hawkins' 5 Survey OJ' the ". , ]"ll',J 183' ;\J.ng S i,.l ~teserve, 4. 3. '~Jhe Chase Course was the property of LTohn Scarlett of ~:ir.,coe Lodp;e. The Ejimcoe Chase 'f;,vern was kept in 1937 _.by T. hd th . The banks of wild lupin~ still attracted visitors after iSlO. - " lOb , called "Etobicoke" to the amusement and confusiof! of stran~ers~ For some tin,e there was considerable rivalry betvieen the east and west banks of the river. In 1846 the joint population of the t\'IO villages \-lae 250. the Howland brothers had opened a store in Lambton (124l) and set up a planin~ machine in connection with their sawrdll. Gamble had added a cloth factory to his carding mill and there were four coopers to supply the IT,ills and di~;tillery. ~'here were two blacksr.-.! the t two wag~orunakers, a saddler, three shoemakers and a tailor. These "tradesffien" were probably f&irly evenly ai vided betw'een the two villHp;es, but in Lovell t s Can- ada lJirectory for If' 5l-2 a much lonp;er and rr;ore varied 1i at of tradesn!en is given for "j\il ton" than for Lambton. 'i.'he pop- ulation of the tv,Q village,S was now about 40C. Cf the five inns and taverns, three were in "I<iltonH (one of thCIL a temper- ance house). In the next few years:~enjamin \'cd t f S large cooperaf.';e and ~JOodworking plant was opened in Lambt(m. Besides barrel-making machinery this plant had a shinp,le mill and IHthes for turning both wood and iron. It was a rnuch mor(; amhi tioLls affair than the small cooper shops of fifteen years earlier. In 1857 Lambton still straggled froIl! ~. carlett' s Road to the river, but there were now nearly twice as many buildinp;8. I,il ton extended froI;: the bridge to Conces~:ion 8, chiefly on the north side of the road. The racecourse behind r ';Jolfe's (fornierly fmith's) had disappeared by t.his time. The ~ ~. naIl:e "l<il ton" was still in use, but the villageE.' "'Jere (leginning l ~' , !i 1 ,. .~ , 'It .,..., +" n l- . 1 d ,. t ~ · Hecause o~ ~J.,on, 1n lr~~a~gar lownfulJ.pt a res.y nad B pes K office in l846. Very fe.,." of the villages in this part of the , w'stershed were knoitm by the names of their post offices ~. until after l860. Several of then. had tv.'O or rrore nanes ~. in con;mon use. all different froll; thoE,e of the post 011'i C{;S. ~ T",'o or three places ltlere called by the sari;€.! nar: e -- thus hoth ~. eston and Lan.bton were called "the HWtberT:, '"eston, ltl'/ilt.on" ~i'.'.; an.d r:to.bicoke ~ills" (SumI;:e:ille) ,,;ere all called...... "Lt...Obi co- i ke" ana ther'e w'ere two "l"ul cos", one on Dundas : treet , (lslin~ton) and one on the lake shore while !\Hun:ber 'cst r Offi ceff Vias Claireville. rl ~. I - ;<> f ~, I _ ~. ~ ~ ~ ~ I I " 107 to be regarded as one~ The population of Lambton-l; ilton in , C 2 1857 is given as 5 o. This was the hii!,hest population reached by Lambton until near the end of the nineteenth century. Ii i't fJ r the building of the railways in 1$56, the busines~ and popu- Inti on of Lambton declined. Industrial acti vi ty heCc'lnle more speciall zed and Lambton' s hi story for more than t"ienty years is that of its mills. The Credit Valley H.ail\'/ay "ias built through the villa~e in l877 but it was not till after lrfO that the viLl.age began to grmf once niore. The village \'/as now called ULambton Lills,,3 and thH population if; ~~,iven as L.OO in IbS5 and 700 in le89. Lambton IV,i11s was nOvi on the fringe of the suburban area and an attempt \<:as f:iade in 18S0 to join these suburban villages to each other and to the city by a railway. The "Belt Line" was built up the ravines of the uon, across the "ai videfT to Lambton in the third concession "froLl the Bay" I and down the east bank of the Humber to the Lake. The scheme I proved to he too far ahe,1d of the urban development which "':as slowing down during a period of deprescion. ^fter running for a few months the line was taken over by the Grbnd Trunk and I the western part was allowed to po out of use. i In the first years of the new century the I business of the mills at Larnbton began to dwindle. The woolle7l ij ! ~ mill was p;one by 1 Cjll and the flour rdll closed do\";n sorre ye&r's I I later. ether industries were, however, being set up not far I away. The new subdivisions were by now close at hand, Lambton ij I I was joined to the city by street-car lines and paved roads I and was entering a new phase as part of Toronto. I (2) \ieston ~ Althou~h there were settlers in the neighbourhood i I of :.,eston at an early date and a sawmill was in operation there I. ".t>liltonH appears on Browne's Map of F~tobicoke Township of \ 1856 but only tlLambton" on Tremaine's li,ap of York County of l860. i' 2. Lovell's Province of Cntario Directory, 1857:'S. Th~s appears I to include "Milton~. 3. This form of the name may have been used earlier but'"is not found in the maps and directories unti 1 let:,Q. i r ! loa for a few years around 1800. the villaGe cannot be said to have come into existence until ~fter the Holley mills were built in 1810: Something of a hamlet must have grown up around U:e I mills at least by l$l2, although we have no mention of any v11la~e. tavern or store until after the mills were sold to Jallies Farr in IS15.. Farr opened a store in connection ~ith his mill and in 1825 there was "a village of about nine dwelling houses" below the mill on the flats of the Etobiccke side of 2 This village was known as "the Humber" or 'lFarr's the river.. Nills".. Farr narr;ed it "VJeston" after a town in York shire J but it continued to be called "Farr's Mills" even after James Farr had sold the property in l828. A sawmill on Lot 20 concession D in Etobicoke was built in l81S and replaced by another in 182). This forni-ed the nucleus of another han'let, at that time separated from Farr's Mills by a stretch of open country on both sides of the river. There had been A r'ethodist ~eeting House on this side since 1821 but there are reported , ~ to have been only three houses in 1825, all occupied by far!rers~ A distillery was started by Edward and 'l'homaE i"usson near the upper r,ill s in 1$20. The ~usson's also built a tavern and a hall which was used for meetings and entertainments. ~~,t. :;'lll1- ips Anglican Church was built in 1828 on the hill above Yarrls !';ills. Charles and ',\illiam V,adSVlorth J who bour;ht the mills from Farr in that year, enlarged the establishment addin~ a distil- lery and building a new sawmill. Between 1825 and 1830 two more r:nwmills were built on the York side and houses tegan to be put up on this bank along the "York" road betw~en the upper and lo'tler mil18. Durin~ the next twenty-five years the industries of \'eston increased in number and variety. Besides the mills. a tannery and <:: large Cooper's shop were built on the flats and a tannery and brewery on the York sieie of the river. 1. See the account of the founding of these mills, given on page . The name is generally spelled "Holly." until after l$37. On Tremaine's ~ap of York County, 1860, both spellings are found apparently rei'erring to tR€ S8li;e person. "Poley" is found in leOS. ; 2. Goessr.~an' s i~eport, 1825. Ontario i,rchi ves. 3. Hi story of C...'oror.to and th~ County of' York, lSt~5. Cl'uiksh:ank and t;ason: Eistory of ',.e~:,;ton, 1'.37. - " 109 Tho lusson d1.sti 1.1t'H7 was r~~blli.lt on il 1<.1rf~t1r scale i.n li{1,2. A ~econ~ store had been opaned on the flats hy 1846 and a town plan of t,hat yea!' ShOWf; tvmnty-six buildin,9: lots ()II the r;eYi '.:Gston Plank itoad and R1.X p;,n'~' lots on Church :treet and the :Tumber. The Donulatil..1Tl is qiven as about ISO. ~ . " ~ . The villnc:e on the flat,s h;1d alre~:idy Guff'<Jred 103s and annoyance from floods. The freshet, of lBl.2 did a great deal of dC;tTTi<:-ige but in 1850 t.his part of the villr:cga contai ned about t';ien toy -fi va bui,ldim~s of '{(hi. ch t.v:al va or fifteen were dwellings. There were two stores, ~arbrick Brothers' tannery and saddler's shop, John ;'aul' s cooper'age, a blocksr,i th' s, a weaver f S and a second t,l1vern. ALL these' uildings were between the river and the tail-race of ~adsworth's ~ills. They '.,[ere all swept nway by the flood of 1$50, only t,hp c:d.n,r.ey of . ., the cooper's shop and some found~tions were left standin~. The mill buildings escaped destruction and no lives were lost thoup;h ~or::e ~)eople had to Lake their v:ay to ~wfety through deeD water~ It was decided at a public meeting to abandon the old site and move to the eastern part of the villaee J \'!hicb, nO'tI 'oecau;e by f<'Jr the rrore important section. In 1651 eston '!tias ".....a lonp; villaGe J containin~ about five hundred inhabitantB.....~he larger portion bein~ on the east, or York side of the river) ana the smaller, on the "rest or Etcbi col.:e sidef!~ The indust,ries on the York side nm-; included a woollen factory ("iIlian:s and Gledhill), a flax mill (James l' ar,ee), a tannery and probably a bre1f~ery. There vlere t'1fJO large flour 1;,i115 on this side, four s<:n'imills and one planir:p; mill. There wen? no\<', two Fethodist churches in this pclrt of the villa?',e and four general r:t-oreE vs v.Jell as a number l.>f tnldesmen's f,hop2. On the ""e~~t bank were ~adsworth's large establishment, ~bich included a Etore '2 arld di~ti11ery) and j,tlSSon' s di Ftillery~ - - ~ 1. 0 doubt the flood V;;)f, consioe red a "jUdgerr.ent" on t.he wic(.edn(.:~;s of \,€ston which h8d been called ltHabyl~ni' - for .' .' ,.,~ \. hI h I l.tE e,l.ns, Dot lt~; S1.ze. ide naCle \'Jaf, prOJa" y a out a~, approp- I " ~i.~e a~.th~t .~! :~OdD~~ for rortH~r~ ~ few ~e.rs earlier. ,.. n. t:. ~iJhJ.tn. 'vunCiu8, }Cif,t 'Present "diG. Juture' , 11:"5;1.. I 1 '-""'er'-'- I,,,:>" rroh'-'blv ,~ cecc,r'd. t"''''lfler'v 0"" +1'1"" s,.",t' ",...; '"l;p of , .. 4'" '" ,..,-' ',.' ",. "-' ~, J <:< h,.' ", ~ C.U; J "'J -" "" ~ ~) ..." " I. ',ad,worth' ~ nci~l pond, out,'irie the viUB~e. - ili,tory of the , ,..' '" .. v .. t "0 y,1 - I I..,U '~U\.;J v... j . t.. . I t " . l . LIIIm&' IIOUI&, . ~ .... ...,.. 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C ~ C........ ... ,.. .... , &aLE........'" ......,...... .. Sleillh ",Wr', So. U. 1.. _. W. T_llau. ........ \n:EO. ........, C, ' . . ,...... IIiIl ILOINI B., ___, ... n. U".U. L G.. 0-.1 ....... ......... 110. 1-. Itt NIL B. l.& ........' :f.. II. ,,, IIUt_ ,,". \\-KIlTOlC HUTKI, by --...., dAJIILlN, P.. e.-........ 11.QLlQ, "11.U6II, ............ II..~, " _0' . lift......... 11'_, ... ..nv' R ".~S. ~. r . I.... .I........ aIIl, Tv. 1::':'" ...... r4'-t llICU.u8 Ont-... 0__ .......1.. _ \1.a~~ .... ;>;. II, ,., ~ '!' '. ..... III..... ' .o..1i, ... I. .111. . W. ~, of "bioob rn-.'.... r' ~ ... . or-.....,... TV'. .....LMS... .,. !-. Y & )It I I · DUTON. O. B.",ller, ltY. An"." ;t~(JLTu.J-' .. ....... ..AJTD. If 1\.. ........ tf ~ :-, BUTr. II O. Tao.A' I'h~_ ...1 ,. __. i. _n l' ." ~~O__. IIDJR. .... "'... ......... il. ol \ r . tlv,-. L...To.., ;.. . -... IIiIII. IIIIM B-.... . . IIlfGBJ.JI. !\.. s.. 110I1, [TOIltro.. 'ICIIIUJII.~.IIWr. ............ lllfrcaa&.lI. .............. II. ' .or ELLI!:IUlY. ....... T_1Im, (',:........ & '"'~ ~ II, ".. :l. , etT..1IIIu. U4JWa"l'l'lK. "".'. I',.... ..., r Iud 8001 ~ A ~\..~&. L.;. . . ..... T-.:M'. !&.n:u..l. l',..Ja'" I & I. . ~... riA"'. 8. ~.. ..,.............. "....... I IODTI'IGtt\.-- -..u. BOWLAND. Co.. 11' P. 11I,110'" .D<I . ' ~ ,. ' . r. 0.--' 1......... Lo..".. 11\ ...... ~. JIll. p\." 1,\ ....1.. ___'m. .... v~..... 'ft. ~IO OTl""" LI, 'bolt.. Draia Pi... DOLliES, h".... . 1111II1 ~.. r 011, "fU,I..., ....,..... :::, 1 ' ,...' T~lt;'. M. A..a.... W .......... Il . WK. llDullE Blln:l.. ~ lla 11IIIo. III ' SO&ll'OOO 1l.~U!'" by Ta..1tIna. lit ~..u BAT.' . .... ." .... ,I'\....u. . ... . .. .. I M\nEE. ~-. BI'~i,h. "WmI. ,". I JIOU..I 1I0ra. bTf:,...,s.ma. ~... 11,*1" ..... ..-.. \ Ii_.', t.ll'KCHIIOIf, .. C.. . L.wlT'" "11"1 ~=t:~~~.... P1KU, BnI.... ...role,. ".nw, )ll'~'40lf. a..I.-hIr...1IlI, 1II,.t..... I. .... ..... lIo... .. _. L PRO!lI'Y.l'T DOra h (' 1(.'D." r. "fURLa. II.. P.. ......,. . . 1II..t' c). ....1-. .... ......1 ~.... nOll"~~'-" G.... ..J "..: .. 1. '. .. . iii" ,,1. (l,,1t T~", Y""Z" ~l""" I ~ . 1IiI.. "',,"U" . ....~ c.,.... 6 .......\ Tbaullll I .. ~l' \ 1U.rrrT. "..", ,I 0...... .... ---. L ~IU:.'f'.\JU); T.o.... . M,n..~.. 14. ~I" .&.. ....1 . I, Tea ...... t . S... ...-lull. t. 1\,' \RI.ITT. IW>W. C. L. "...., ........ IOIIETlT, _.,...\ h".,r ""PARD. J.. w....., I ~ ,I~' 1.~'n.I,'r . II.......... \, .0.11,... ---. "'. ...re....". N,.. 11 :., I'v" " \, \ IT J IU . , M A F-) OF YORK (. ()\j NTY, IS(>,Q TREMAINE S - Dl PE r: rOR\{ ~ K INn, y () r~ K AND E TORII:OKE TOWN~~H IP~~ I' 111 V/eston continued to grow at a great rate during the next twenty-five years. In 1857 the population was 800; the number of merchants had increased to seven and there were five inns and a saloon. The building trade was flourishing and some of the tradesmen's shops were developing into factor- ies, for exa.mple Shuttleworth's wap;;gon shop, Cruikshank's carriage factory and the foundry set up by James Coulter before H~60~ On July 1st, 1856, the first train on the Grand Trunk Railway from Toronto to Guelph passed through ~.;eston and for more ths.n twelve years Weston was the only tOl'm on the river with railroad communications~ This was certainly one reason for the rapid growth of the village and helps to explain why the hard times,..Qf the r"iddle sixties had little effect on its development. By about 1870 a change began to take place in the industries at \~eston and elsewhere in the lower part of the Humber \fatershed. Several sawmills in the village closed down in the e"rly seventies as did some of the other small plants. The chanse over to steam power which had begun about 1850 was more rapid during the seventies and after the great flood of 1878 many of the damaged water mills were not restored. Vieston was probably more populous in 1877 thvn at any other time during the nineteenth centy.ry~ At the time of the incorporation of the village in 1881 there were two flour mills, two carriage and ll/8gon works, two foundries, a pump works and a large woollen factory employing more thari 1. James Shuttleworth is listed as waggon maker in 1$51. He enlarged his plHnt considerably a few years later. James Cruikshank senior began to make carriages in 1852. James Coulter is listed as a carpenter in 1851 and as a founder in 1860. (Directory on Tremaine fa l<ap of York County, 1860.) 2. The Northern Hailroad had been opened in 1853, but its "~eB- ton Station", 110\''' Dmmsvie\!Ii ~;tation, lay more than t.wo n:iles to the east. ~ villa~e called "Balmoral" was laid out we~t of the station before l$60, but never amounted to anything. The Northern also had a stc;,t:ton at King, but none actually on the river itself or its branches.. J. The figure given in the Historical Atlas of York County (If'/.3) is 1700. This:LH hard to nccept unless it includes partf' of the Village not included at the incorpor.::;tion in leHl. ;' There was certainly a decline about lSgO, however. ~ ~ " 112 Ice hands~ and a sew and planin~ mill. In 1882 the official figure for the populf-:tion if eeo. In lee). 2LC pro rerty OV\'ners were assessed in "t,eston, all residents. Their f'ardliE;[, con- tained 965 persons~ The Village had suffered fro~ the hard times of the late seventies and was feelin~ the effects of th0 chan~e to large scale industry, the competition of larger certrcs, and the P.'eneral decline in rural population. The buildin,o: of the Toronto Grey and '-;ruce ita iihway (1869-1871) probably increased this tendency in the lon~ run, as it gave the villa~e5 and countryside to the north and northwest of Eeton direct railway corunmications y,j th Toronto. The failure of the ';.eston ";oollen l".anufacturinp: Company in 1885 thre....i nearly a hundrHd heads of families out of work. ]\s mE:ny of' the~.e fan.ilies moved away. thi s failure ha.~ a nati cesble effect on the prosperity of eston. At the end of the nineteenth century t~e pOlm- lation of eston was only a little over a thousand. Although the nwder of inhabitc:mts had fallen betvieen l8~ll and l~Ol~ \eston was actually at the beginnin~ of a period of ~rowth. In 18S,2 T. L. 1.>offClt and Sons moved their stove factory to ~.'eFton frot;, l'.arkdale 1t/here it hed been started ten years before. This firm had already an established businesf in the manufacture of stoves, at that time chiefly wood-burning. It soon became one of the Lost ircportant indw.:,tries ir..ef.:ton and continued to ",r'O~1 arlC1 exrand, df;velopir:g a 18rr.'.8 export trade in every kind of cooking ranye. The prcceEs of recov- ery was faster after the turn of the century. i3y 1':11 the number of inh&bitants had increased by nearly 80G; in the next ten yecJrs the gain vJas nearly l)OO. by this time the ne&rll€S~ of the viiblage to Toronto ami :Lt~ 1-,00 rail ancf road cor:'lnunic"tions 1. SruicKshank andJ,ason; HiEt:'ory of ~_eston, 1~,37. The f.<.lY';Liill - \. frt. ,~. ~'()flSi i~' Lot ;; Pf!c,:,iODPd, ~()ut if: li~teu iE Lovell!B Directory for 1882. ~, "po' ':.t'le"" on ,'c. ,,')c_,',' r:i ..cto ., r.1.' 1-'. . .....,t. ,-.' V,.,l. I $ ~~., -- l..,c. ~......... t l-dr,e..., .,... ""..L, '~"""L.-' r",,\ ~}..i. ..... ": ,;lA~.,t,.;Y \,).1 .... C1 ^ ;:art II, l8S 5. The second fihure evidentLY incl ur~eE the f:irf't.. The population ~iOuld f?eC!i, to ~'.ave 1;eer! increp-sinr. rCl; idly. 'P'!,~ " +-", ,....t """.'i f yo lQ-;'::~c;. ",-"" It- "';('r:. {! ~ ct f "'t,lr....... "l ..,.ce e. ......t..'" e ."',~i!en o. o:.;c.'.I, <iC(),-_ J./~'I..'. Ii..."".. C ,~..1.K County j . . 3. li~Sl-ll ~ 4; 1901-1C83; CenEus of \;ntario. The ofl'i cicd . figure for l8(.1 makeE. it likely that VH~ estiLC:lte for lAf~5 given Hbove \';;,as not far ot...t. There c:re other evid€r;c(~f: OJ~ a "'''',cll'f'e .;.. "'1\"'1' '€,,-r. 1'1" -.<1- 'frrr' " "7:: t 1.'C"-"~ c~., ..," t.,..~". ~'I""_'..... ;.' .....!~ 1,'\.4:....:. r. ",~".' ..... (....\JOf.i. ..J...>J..(.,.i 0.. ,-4... tte0../.-,OE:~" .J.;.\......~,e uer:tioned. " 113 were beginning to attract industries tc Weston. This tendency increased during the first ~orld War and grew more rapid iUJ;';ediately after it. ~eston continued to grow auring the IS30's in spite of hard times. The recent War brought a further increase of business and ~eston is now a flourishing town of about 6,000 inhabitants, closely connected with the ci ty , to which it may now be said to be joined on the south and southwest. ( 3 ) Bolton Bolton takes its name from James Bolton, who settled near the site of the village in l820 and with his brother George built a ~rist mill in 1$2). Ja..'1leS Dol ton Has one of the first half-dozen settlers to locate in Albion TO~'1lship after it was surv~yed in 1813-19. The township filled up fairly quickly, so that Bolton's mill prospered. In 1825 this was the only grist mill reported from f\lbion, but no village is ~entioned. A few years later, however, the settle- ment of Bolton's ~ills had taken definite shape. A store and a distillery were opened before 1840 and a tannery started in that year. There '\fiere then only fourteen buildings "vd th roof~3" in the village. A post office, called "Albion", was opened soon after, and a school in 1842. A Congregational church was built of mud bricks in 1643 and another, not long after, to serve the Church of England parish. This church was also built of mud bricks~ The population '\fiBS believed to be 400 in 1851. The villare was then "a thriving little place containing...a grist and saw mill, carding and fulling mill, tannery Emd post office". The mills ",:erfj run by James and ';dlliam Holton. Joseph Warbrick's tannery provided leather for no lese than four bootmakers and a saddler. Two coopers made barrels for the mills and distillery. A waggon-maker, carI'iage-ma}~.er and three blacksmiths produced and repaired the vehicles which ~,Iere I. Historical Atlas of the County of Feel, 1877. ':'he UE.e of unbaked bri eks as a fillinr: in a wooden frane \"1'85 corn.mon in Canada until ~,fter 185C;~ The outside of the buildirlg was plaBtered or boarded. There are sorLe exanples still~ stcmdirw in the "Home Districtf1. 114 the only means of transportation. There were three churChes, three inns and three general stores. The place was sOr1ething of a centre for the huildinr; trade and there W:1S a bri ck-r'laker in the 'village, so that. there v'as nO\r. no need to use nlUd for buildlnr. 'fhere was a pump-maker and a cabinet-rr;aker besides the usual complement of tailor~ (2) butcher, bakers (2 ) and. 1 The professions were represented by soap and candle maker. two physicianR and a land surveyor, who probably also acted as an architect when needed. Such a list of tradesmen for four hundred people indicates that the village had becollie the centre of a prosperous district. The town continued to hrow and prosper during the next five years. !n lS57 the populotion is estimated at 700. The nWLber of stores had doubled and there were four inns. l'he n1..U1lbet' of builders, carpenters and plaster- ers had increased and was out of all proportion to the needs of the village itself. Durinp the next ten years or so Dolton rewained nearly stationary in population and seems to have declined slightly in business. Another s8\<twill was built but the IlLL'11ber of stores was reduced to four and one inn had closed. This slight de~line in a perioct of rural prosperity 'VIas no doubt due to the fact that no rajlroad passed throu~h or near the village. ho line came near enough Clt thi s til:Je, hov'ever, to cause the growth of a rival community, and after the Toronto, Grey and UrUCE\ Railway \laS hui} t in 1871, the to~m experienced a slip,ht boom reachin~ its peak of population about l877. 0- . Lumbering was less important than during the sixties, there were now three tanneries, and the number of stores had increased. William Dick had started an agricult- ural machinery works in 1869. Dolton was incorporated in 187?. 2 Dodds Carriage and ~'Jaggon .factor; The nODulation was then 795. was set up in 1873. .J. }'. Warbri ck, who had bought the tannery in 1848.. was employing six hands in 1877. These with 1: al- ford's soap and candle factory and the flour and wo~].len rills 1. Samuel Walford, listed in laSO as "tallow chandler~ and ifr Lovell 1851-2 as "Samuel Walford and Eon, soap and candle factory." I'his became an important industry by lBfl3. 115 were the chief industries of the villaee. The population in 1877 was believed to be more than 900~ In le8l the population I had dropped by bet".;e~n 200 nnd 300. This decline corresponded wi th a general tenctency on the upper part of the 'h'aters'ted andt in fact, throUi~hout:. rl.1.ral Ontar.io. 'l'he village ere,;; somewhat durinf, the next ten Yf~(U'S and then declined to about I ~ 700. The nur'Lber of inhabitants rerr.ainfJd much the same until II i 1921, when it was again beginning to go down. The lm; pcint for the twentieth century was reached in 1931. ~;ince then Bolton has been growinp: slowly, tho~..tgh the population of Alhion Township has continued to grow less. (4) 'oodbridi::e 'i.'he beginning of i'oodhridp:e Y.las the cooper shop of If'ashington Peck t 81'ld the sv,wmilJ. was builtin 1831 by ~;amuel Smith. In 1837 Rowland Burr acquired ~eck'R property in exchanee for a hundred acre farm on Yong:e Street and ',.'i th it the mill rip;hts. ~:mi.th moved his milJ a little upstream and :lurr built a flour mill and laid out a village on CJ. definite plan, though by some\"ihclt rule-of-thumb rnetho(h~. Other industries were st,arted in 1$38 t including a distille~J and woollen factory. Burr built a larger woolle~ factory in le40. A cooper's shop was started ehout the Game time on the ei~hth concession. In le45 John Abell moved to the villap;e and set up a carriage Cilld y,'agp;on l,vork;:;. r-:er'(:~ ~~e built the first stage coach to r;,ake trip!; between'. oodbridp;e and Toronto. In 1847 he started a Sit! all foundry for tLe manufacture of II-ill irons and similar brti cles. He huil t hir,- self a lathe with which he It,ade the first stean:, engine ()sed in Vaughan. Burwick ~as growin? rapidly into a centre of some importance but it was still (-1 ~:'mall place~ ~'his part of Vaua;han "'~as no..... openinG up and beginning to be cult i vDted and an Agricultural Fair was held in Woodbrid~e in 1247. -.-.- . 1. Hist. J\tlas of Peel Cou.nty, 1$7? The writer 01' the text of this atlas seems to have beAn more accurate than ~as the case with York and other Counties. E~taterr,ents i'ound in these CitJ.ases must usually be accepted only '.d.,U'I- great ~aution unless they check with other sources. -, 2. 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'~IO~ ~ \~N 1 VJIJO~~f..~~":~. ~;~~~."i~~' r'" l17 Burwick, in l851 was "a small Village, vJhere . there is a large woollen factory containing three sets of :nachinery ::11<1. an Episcopal Ghurch.Tl There had been a school almost from the beginning of the settlement, but there was as yet no post office. The village was still sorewhat OVer- shado1-1ed by T'ine Grove. In l$57 the village had grown considera:;ly, though the estimate of 450 inhabitants seems rather high eEpec- 1ally as the laree woollen nJill \\Ias not running about that time. There were now several stores and inns in the village and a nurnber of tradesmen, especially in the building trades~ :~here was now a ''','1oodbridge" Post Orfi ce, so-called to prevent confusion l'li th other "=\erwi cks. n The villa~, however, continued to be c~lled 3urwi ck for 80r:;e years after: In 18622 John Abell opened an agricultural implement factory which "niS to playa large part in the prosperit.y of the village for more than twer.ty years. The business grew steadily during the sixties, employ- ing a hundred men in 1874, instec.d of the twenty with \i.-hieh it had commenced. There were several other srr.all plEmts in the village at this time. The merchants and builders) wera doing a brisk business through the sixties and s8venties. draWinG much of their trbde frolt, the surrounding 6i stri ct v:hich '\IUJS full of thriving farms BI'lC busy mill hardets. Vfood- brid'-e was becoming a large villaGe. In l877 it \'faS estin;ated to contain about 1200 inhabitants. ~hi8 ~as the largest number recorded until 1944~ South of vloodbridr:e, on what is now the Ling's Highway r.;o. 7, a small villa[\e had ,gro\\n up by the late l850's. 'l'his ~laS called "Brownsville'l for John Brown who owned the sawmills and the land south of the Highway. It was a thriving 1. Including a weaver. 2. History of the County of York, 1885, "Abell J; Iron Founder, ~achinist & ~anufacturer of A~ricultural Implements, Hrowns- villa" is listed under Vaughan on Tremaine's ~~p of York County, 1860. Abell continued to nake nill machinery ~nto the ('e's. J. There were l5 carpenters in le7l. -. l.h This estin.fite a,ay include Brovmsville although tn&t village is still rr,arked on n.a p.s in 1885. 1 t is alLost certa5.nly n,uch too high for 'l.oodbricir:e alone but the peak of popuL:t,ion ' , ,. t . t '. 1 - c'7C r ~n tne G~S r~e' vias In t le l(~ ; B. 1H~ Ii tt1e place by l$60, [tnd i t5 importance vias increcised en 3rown built an agricultural machine factory, acquired the mills about 1875 and built a grist mill. Not long after, it began to be considered part of :.oodbridge and is no"",,,, merged in the larger villa~e. ~he number of inhabitants fell slightly in the seventies as did that of Vaughan To"rnship as a 'Jl::'lOle. tfter fluctuating cnnsiderab1y between 1882 and 1889, it dropped sharply by 1691:;- The village had been incorporated in 1282. These fluctuations were due to the removal of the Abell works to 'l'orcnto in 1885 and to the opening soon after of SOhe ne\": businesses, among them a brick yard. The village was grnd- ually losing ground in the IBSO's and in ISOl there were just over six hlmdred people 111 it. The businAss of the mills was slackenin~ and SOMe were closing down. Woodbridge remained about the same s1 ze until after the First '11orld',.,ar, itlh€:n it began to ~row once more. Roads were now beinc; improved and i.oodbridge was soon at the junction of two n~ain hip,h....;ays. Bet- Vleen 1921 and ISdl the number of inhabitants increased by more than twenty-five per cent. Th1s rate of increase was only a little less in the next decade, in spite of the bad tirlcs of t:l8 thirties. Since 1931, Woodbridge has grown still more rap- ! idly and seems likely to continue to do so in the futurf'. Its future is now bou..nd up Hi th that of Toronto) for it has for sGr',e tip!e been \,.;i thin what may be called the "recreational area" of that city and is beginning to be in ~he "residential" arB2 BE well. ( 5) filono 1-';ills. 2tanley's J'ills and Pine Gr'o1re Of the other mill villages on the HUf;;ber only l',ono I':ills can be said to heve existed in 1825. It ~lad already a small grist mill in 1820. A store was opened not long after and Geossman mentions a regular ~ethodist field m~eting in the neighbourhood in 1$25. The Post Office was opened in 1$39. By 1851 the vil13ge wa~: important enough to be mentioned by 1. The figures from lBB2 - 18S1 are not official and tire too high, hut the trends indicated agree with thc~eneral; movements of population. They probably include Brovmsville wi th \"oodbridge. - 119 V~'. H. E'mith, though he ha~, little to say about it~ ~ono Mills was a crossroads village as well, and by now a new road I had been opened to connect the '~Sixth Line" Hoad tdth the Owen I .:.:ound Road. ~ituated at the junction of the three towllships, I Mono i,.ills was the centre for a large district. In l857, it I I j' had a nun~ber of inns and rerlel'al stores~ besides the IT.ills ! ~; j and tannery. The village grew fairly rapidly until le7l. At " Ii that time the population is given as 5CC, and the taverns and stores are still numerous. The chief industries in 1873 were sti~l the tannery, woollen and grist nills. ~d th the build- ing of' the railways in the 1870' s, L'.ono l'il1s began to lose ground to other centres~ since it was six or seven rdles from the nearest station. ~ost of the Dills, inns and stores re~- ained open until l8se, bui the population dropped sharply and by 1900 there were rewer businesses than ten years before. ~rhe lumber was beginning to be exhausted in this region and soon the soil be~an to lose fertility as well. The rural population was growine less. By 19l1 ~ono ~ills had only one general store and one hotel. It is now more or less a "~host~ village, chiefly ren:arkable for the ruins of r:assi ve stone build- ings, which are the monuments of a more prosperous pa.st. Stanley's I-ills and Pine Grove both came into beinv, before l830, and were both places of sor:;e importance by lE50, though neither of them were ever places of any size. Stanley's Mills dates from Soon after lB25. A store and post office had been opened by l837. The fact that it was the only ndlling village on the West Branch ,gave it more in,portance than was warranted by its size. In 1857, there were a distillery and a carriage ahop as well as the mills, the three inns and the store. There were about 170 people living in the villa;;r,e. By l865, the village had grown a little 1. "Canada, Past, Present and Future" - l8S1 2. Four - JOhnston's, Lindsay's. David McL~u~hlin's and Trirble's. 3. Especially after 1878. - - -. 120 lbrger J. dnd Oi tetrmery had been added to the industries. ~tanleY'B r~lls remained about the s&me size (200 inhabitants) as long i:!.S the toill!, were runni . 1;y 1 SOl there vwre only about sixty people in the pLace and it is now only (l hm;1et, consisting of a few houses and a store. Pine Grove begins with the building of John it ~ Smi th 's grist mill in 182$, but it v;as not until the buiJ.::ling ~ ! of the Gamble establishment in the forties that the village began to develop to any extent. "Vaughan ?ost Office" ~cd been opened near the millsl in the forties~ By 18511 ..J. ';,. G~mble had a distillery. tannery And glove factory, 8.S \';011 as his mills. There were t'li'iO innkeepers. a brewer .::lnti tv;o stores. The post office ~as still called "Vaughan" and ka~ kept by R. Bywater, one of the storekeepers. The roa d :lad been planked from Thistletown to Pine Grove and the vill~ge tJ8S the most imrlortant centre in this part of Vaughan. Ly It'57, ~ine Grove ~as being overshadowed by ~oodbridge and, althouvh it continuRd to grow until le701 there was a fnlling off of businef's ter the closin7 of the eBwrnills in the ei~h- ....' ~he villare kas now completely centred aroune the flour v~es. mill ~nd declined in importance a 5 the mill decli !Ced ir.: f:iI'leBt~ . (6) Later ~ill VillB~es Of the mill villages which grew up between 1840 and 18601 only hleinhurg gre~ to Bny size. The history of the rest is that of their mills \iJI!i ell has been given cilre,,;dy. It is very much that of the larger places. Of these smaller plEices, Columbia (Coventry) was perhaps the earliest. It was El. f'~ir-sized vill;Jge by lC5C. Xing Creek 1 Kinghorn and Laskay on thiC; upper part of the est Branch started with mills built in the forties, grey; int.o villages in between lS55 and l8601 and flourished until the mills closed uown. Kinghorn, ~;hich V,Jl1f,1 never morc th"rl & rov. of buildinr:s fllonf: the north side of' the road 1 ic probably - 1. '~'he Village Vv(~S alv..ifj)"s spread out; t one of the mills being some distance to the t,Hst Hrlu south. -. 2. George :te~man, Postmasterl 1846, /,2 ( --'-._<.. 010 Ih;l.UHi at L.a:.:i>l\',lty ';,;:' 'ii1:~' ~ ..w.~,;.."...: . ',. ,"'" \:~"~:~'::" .'~~i""" -::'-~--"--~".."'-~~i'., . , '., -"""'-->'-:'" - ~SM!'y Post 0t'i'ice - 1)47 -. ~ 122 verY.u.ch the S,:L.1C nmi as Wilell its f:lm trE~es ",.;ere planL{::u. The W&ter mL,ls are gone) but there is a steam ,',rist udll in .the village. King Creek, which was once of some size and import"ince (100 inhabitants ld7l _ l881) is now entirely gone, and has b~en replacE':d by a summer colony.l 1Bskay) onCE: the ;(lost important of the thrc(;, has survived as a post office village, and is also a summer resort to some extent. This village had a regular plot with two or three side streets in 1800. i3allycroy, in Adjala, had less than fiftYiuhabit_ ants in 1865. It was never a large Village, altboUi:;h at one time a fairly lively one, aud it remained about the san.e size when other places were ShrinKing or disappearing. Pal. rd.Ve 2 was already a village (called BUCKstOll) when the raib'\ay came, I but it OWes its size and ,importance to its position on the railway. The village doubled in size betw~en 1877 and 1Y00. I Its chi9f industries were its mills, but i t ~, ~ ;-;.nd ha s re",9.ined a centr,; for tL.p. sU.l.'rounding country side. Other ii.ills at.tracte-f)S of which little trace nov; n:''il&ains. Cedar '.0 j'~ills in Albion had for a time the advd.ntage of a raihiay station, b,,;,. never passE!Cl 50 inhabitants and was dWindling by 1900. tlder ,.ills, Which ~vas about the same size in 189u, lasted a little longer. It is now nothing but a name. The village at "Dalziel's ,"iills ll, although it is not named on any map, was older than any of these and must have had nearly a htmdred inhabitants J'rom Id50 to ldvv. After the closing of Drown's and Dalziel's mills, Edgeley took the place of this settlement, but there are still traces of the old village. (7) Kleinburii The story of Kleinburg (or K1ineburg as it "VcW originally spelled) is to a Breat extent, that of HOWland's ii,ills, but the Stltovmill on the East Branch was running in the 1::140' s and there may ha.ve been a few houses on the ridge .- 1. Xing CreeK has not large enough to be named on maps in' 18bU. There was a !!Kin(-~f! P.0. tilPre in 11385 as well ciS 'Olle at Kigg Village. It ""'ciS the voting centre until 1<389. .:... There ',/<;15 a "Pal,:rav('l' .;'.U. in 1(373) but the village ~as a srTJall. pInee. l' . { [ I ~ ~. ~. l" , ~ ~ ~ 1" t: ~:. t- i f )' ~; c "oc1 rKH1SB a" J\ 1 ~ in bLir6 "" c ') -;. . rick r s:.~:r''t,f ~. ~ u' ~ ~.::- tj~ {};.f /....~"J., i. }/~ 7' .~ -. I t 124 before 1<350. The villar:e:,rew tllrou/:h the i'irtie,s and in 1B57 was a busy place of 3UO people, with three inns and three stores. By 1860 there ~ias a tannery in the village a.no another near it. There were the usual tradesmen's shops, a good brick schoolhouse and church. The town grew in the sixties and sev- enties, although the railway pas[,ed r.lOre than a ndle to the west, 50 that a separate village grew up at "Kleinburg Station" (hashville1. The neighbourhood ~as prosperous and several neigh- I tourine; willers used Kleinburg as their post to'V'Hl. After 13135 i the villa~e lost population lire all the rest. In 10$1 it I ~as listed at 500, in 1901 the figure 250. Some of the business of Kleinburg had gone to Nashville, but there vvould probably have been a decline in any cSse as the business of I the mills dwinoled. Nev~rtheless, Kleinburg remained the centre for the imiilediHte district to a great extent and is I now, after the paving of the highways, beginning to attract I people from Toronto, many of WIlom have year-round eEtates in the nc ight)ourhood or live in the villa.,~e itself. It is likely to develop further alonr, these lines on account of its attract- ive location and good c~~junic;tions. (dj Thistletown and Glaireville there may have been a 5ettl~oent at Coonat's Corners at a very early date, for the Coonatsl settled on the watershed by 18JO and a concession road wai;i "improved" almost to the vill~~e in 182>. It was n01~ ti 11 the laying out of the Albion hoad2 in the forties that "St. Andrews" gained any L.lportance. By that tiwe thE:re WdS already a post office of "Thistleton",3 with J. Thistle, one of the two storekeepers, as postrlla.ster. A regular !lplot" had been laid out along all four roads, but only a few lots were built on as yet. The village was thou~ht to be "in a good position to trade vdth the farmers!! in 1851 and it was 1. The ll<1rr:O is sDelled Coonat, Conat or Conant in the "Upper Canada Land Booksn, \vlwtiler the reference is to thf, "CGon- ats" of ~~obicoKe or the "Conants" of Darlin,::-ton, and ( both br.:UlChes seem t.o belong t.o the same family. ~: . Geossman shmvs this road on a dii'fer(~nt line in 11:325, Which would Liss ThisLletown, bllt this ;n;q be an f:rror. .., here were then two other "St. Andrews" in Jpper Canada ). anu one in LOHer Canada. - ., . ~~ ,<: '.; ~-; \.' '~A,:_:.l.l,.,.,' /,p~l :.::-~ ..:.. v : .It ( ~~ __ T... i~" j: " >1';, A__ _.... a. J:l1.1;,:i :,': e I'""' ,---~ ':'-. !" - .- '.' . ,-,\.J ., '- .0' ~L ~ , l,~, \,).....: ...., J.. J 'i iLl:; .-~ J.... ~. ,-- " -- ldaU 'lti,lla 1'13Ci S{),i~() -, 1 S1.2le. . '-1 t:"E: ~3~i:a l. .L ~_~, '..... ._JJ. ....;; \,/~... ,.. -- ~ ... ind We, t r i:; ;;. 0_1 its o ~;w- ~'l .:l ~'1 J ctJ.r;)en.t.er~'5 , bllilders ,:li'ld. a bj. iCL,,:n(Ji';.er~ to f\:ili tl1P de.."L.a.tld .ror ;i.c...J bu.ildi11t;S iiYSlicn ~1;.f.'1S so .r~e e{~ .. +- ':..Lat C:. v date. ;( 1d'11 tile ")OD111at i ~)JJ. a( Gut 2JO st",.'.; , " \,-"J ;13 a 'T:"~:;t, .1...:. J. v,.._ 'c~i.Ll :i:ld been b;.lil"~ t.Le villa~e . , ~ Th,,; 1> 'i..l i l~-~ i. i1 o.r ~"'\..~€ ; ,-1 ltse.Ll. ~....\. Toron~:), i;rey a-~J.G Bruc (~ l:'ail~J a,/ reduced ti'lCl tr,:;~i'f~ic on t!:lC' l"'lt)-:~.d 2 , t :1 e V i l10.}_~~ e suffered. n.;JG 1:1 IdJG t,here '~'J t"; r~e one e ..ore OHl.Y a :; 0 i.l t l:;J ;.)ec DIE: la t', c '/.i..J.la 'Ce, al10 there .~a5 no ,;d,in for t ,.venty al'los. J. .i. :.. ~. It,J ~r:;~l'\red :co:,c:::; ",d ..lotor velie les, t .,. ';;loi;' t. '''~h"", ralllC J. u..:;.,..4_ l.dCre sed OLe e :",o1"e a..n.t)' 1) r....) U _'..;;..11 t a little trade j~ i tr~ it, but. l..I':e . "> : ,:-1i :i1.: i) T:" istle Lo,.v; i t- .i (? S Ii O!'t C l.li . t.:1C t.-l~'i.~e c 'n," 0 ~ 1"ii;S GJ... ..-'-_\....J.. :C', c'-iui.red tc re ,JC ,4 fror'~lit 0.... rf}i i s at ;,r:,cted :I.orc '_. 'AO.re ref:",J- (~ 'j". '.: t..., "';", area Hi:d t villA'e ., no'" "ro~:;in.{~ r~:J p i(il}:-, alt:,,::) ~_l.J, ......... v'...) V I. J. t: ...any 0:-' tile' li'lLlQ. (i it Llfl t S Lial< e tlc1.eir Ii'viI el~;f;"NLere . Clairevillc 'tv '~.l :3 '::130 El C I'e '-~ t i C'Il oi' the ~~l~~,:..ion -'-'l,a.~.i..t( 1':0) c. It ';rev, u'~ arouIJd :he poirlt vv11ere the t ~':rc e tJ~V~~- ~ ;' S::::.lp:; of :":tobicot-;e, 1./,.:: u " ';. a ~-l (1 l:c:ro~.lL 0 :;ore met et ~i.l~., junc- ~ . '-'t.... ~ tic CI~ 'G [lI't' e r~.la i1'1 1" D ~:; . Tl"l€ c.'irst hous e \~as bu i1 t "~ ...., 1';-' n ....i.~ J),: , a:-: cj ,<':j C:)L~re~d.t lunal Churc;: '.w l t,L l.l) a i~ tj,\j / ~:::-1,r~~} , :-,", '!. it \i"Ja ~3 L' ',_4 It.; l):C'O ,;.,,'ly not U..t-lt ~l 3Ltpr tile plarll< ill 01' e 1"03d tl~2t tl~le 'i i _..1 ~~ -, C \-J as .1 f,n c out. on. a re;"ular plan ;:)Y'" Jo;.n DE: la .i-.i....')()..~e 3.tl,j l:a ~~.;.c CL:ireville after 11i:j ~Li u < t r'. is.. 1)05 t office ila.,",e d Pl.tW~~t. er!~ opened {'~ojJ (~rt ;)(')~JLla~{l ' s s!;,,)re. "n-' viIla.c_e ~,"i~:; s l.tl l r:e SOO:--i cc.It,.rel():..)cd ., ;JOG (lea..!.. OJ. L;portanc e C" 0 a loc 21 C.._:'..itr'e, '.,( ~.t_ 2S ~i e 11 a.s a stoT) ()Jl tl1f~ toll !'()ad . C la i:'evlll(~ " c ,~ little ;......<\L t ~,; ay' r. t' i.llei liS t rj-~ l.mtil a stea.::., flour ;;lill ',; as set up ~u 'VI.!. ......1.~ t, ;~c villn -e .~e l' ;)re L)7J. '. c.' \ _~ -j ... t,'~ E:, 1.11 'i~ '::~, t~ 1--: UL-t t1 :iLl - v j+11a ~'0 il.;.i...J..e '" eo i'l [.'1 ,':1 :)0 Ut, -, \');;le, but 10. ter '"yIle:: the :"i11 Lc.!.d 0. ~UJ .. . , tne :c.. dU3....1y ~r'educed t.o .. 1;:;:)u. Ci..ose(j c. 0 ~~"v ~-: ~ u;;. ~ (; r ~J tJ. S .1.\,_;V l:j .. ~~{):~:.. \it~ r t s "p ( 1 '''11'- e r (, 1_; -yo. ..; ,~' ./-'i-". (.) y') t ~ \ tt }~~a.i t t i~l,,~':' s 1? ( 1..::1. :.., c: Y" t ~ ~, e L. .....f":~_ lJ \,.1....... ...L .:., l.....~ ~ c... ..;') J J ',':~'~"- d';'l ff) Crosso::'s, .1.~l(t t r~ e r> - 1 ' 11 eoW." e...",(...r ,'..'-"'- S , 'JrE~en!:o :::e Hi s" ',",.,"" t~. . e i [~.t'~; ~~:' er U j' .:~ J:l~i S D{; , S L~...lC1 C:~"'C' :~) a_;tJ"._ l.ll s Ofi .....J... ~ ... ......... ~. .....1 C ,!:lr~ ' E3 ~;reek. -- r-rJ.cIT,2: e1' -:~~r.o b Ei () l}' h Ei.J: ed :';l:'.: L r :i.. c i: s 0(, t,lle ~", it e " ,,:.. ().i: i:; ~,"uilditJ rc nos f: i :) 1 f~ ., If he c !} ") :.' r~iC}'::{,~~I'd '.J..~ie lj;,)L~l() ~) ~? 1 G f~ Cl ';.{.... '-", r.i.<;., :~1l~;:>.~~1 L~ 1~" ~~c t l.~,r'e r~ t? . ) '~. ..... ,..~. J (-; ,~.: :,0'1 ,:,~~ ..i.1 .,/VJ (? ..L 1 s ~'~~ .. ~ '.1(' C ~'-:... V ....'.f. .r'~ , ~. ,'^, a .(i tLi'L~) e 1.... .~~ l.' ~':'4.1. J..l-s , ~-~ ,'-. ... .L,' ;""j 1.~~\'j~;uJ..J ~, 'i , , iils c).f (],i :1.Je. ..... " .'. ." , , 1 ~3:~:all Ii '~1" J... ~-,:' "S :: ().l; ~ ::.: Ll .L:jOU t:.8 Vll. "'1 llac. S{)~L.e illCiu:2triF'S 0,[ its 0:{1/:1 C:t:id Cclr,')eLters, bu.ilders ,:lL"1 (i a bl'ic er "'. i ta :f :L Ii. t 11 f~ 'j e~'Garl ,~J i"tor ~jJ::'/J bl.lil,j i~}~;s ii'll' ic i': Viae:. so .t<eC,(i ~", ..... tr:at ~v i date. ,( 1d71 t:;e nODu13 t. i i)!) ,"IS (:t;out 200 ste3. ~;ri~:;t. t . " a ~ .... ! g , xiLl iiad hse11 built ill t.Le vill e itself. TilE; Luilul.: of ~}~e i ToroCi:':'0 , C}re:;! "'). j-" ....-; 3ruce Eail\j,::y reduced tiu' tl~(:Lffic on t.;1(: ro a,d z l.ol,. .~, J. \.A , t:w vi llC1i;e suffered. ,3_~rlG L1 Id)O there ".(,;1'e one e :"o1'e OilL}' a:;o ilt ljlJ j:ecD18 ~:1 t"r. -I ,,-....la. 'ie, ana there .;as no in for t went)' YE: ars. ~ J."'; It.i ;;D,ved ro:ds :L ,d ;.:otor vC:, ie les, traffic ,'.,lon t~lO l"'~oa (is idcre sed OLe e :::o1'e ' , 't a little trade j~it~~ it, but ' ' el[l n D r,..) U,:-;~ r1 cne c :''', -1 C,\ C' .<'::lir~ t,r) T~.lis.tletQ'/id ~'ii~S ~:'le S}lor..tc~li 0.1.- t:1C ti:t-.e ...i_\....J,. r cJilil~ed t(1 r"t:ac.'~ Tarot'i.tc, (1' }l i s at t.r.J C tea :r.ore [L~d,,~Gre l~e.s~,J,- Grlv~'~ tot lie area (L:d V",: villa.:e ., no',"J :'ro:" r'.:lr~idl:l/ , &1 t::Ol1;.~~)1 ~:..Lr~l)r Oi" tile l :!": a itll,.ts ua}:e their livin;~ el~:f)"..here. Clairevillc '.'i/1S 31so a crc'ltlon of tLe .4.1cion -..-~ i . -... -, -, It :;re.J up arou:ld the point v~r'lere the t ;'lrc e t O'vl/:'l- ' ....a'd;', IW) c. S:'i.lp:> of ;::;tobico,ke, ~/.j,U r'": ' a:1d Toro:1L 0 Gore met e.t ~ ~--., .r junc- ..."-"-".... vL~~:. tio c,i~ t IlI'l' e Lla ill }'" 0 ..,.,. .:.'irst llou.se \'ias b u il t in 1332, , HiE; ~.::. . ar~(j J. C Oij~re d.tiolla.l C}lurc.h.'i'iitl ill a i~e''-;i :/~.~?-d,r~~3, L>l.it :u::. f'Ja_ t:. !.) r" () ~_~) i; ~~ 1 Y' not u~-ltil aL'ter tne ~~lai"il~ irl.~'_.: of Cilt.: r'o:~,[l tl~:;~t th.e 'vi~_l~l"o \~;as laid out on a r8cular plan JOL:l Dt~ 161 iJ.,)o..~e aI1;j l:~:j ~~..C '1' "'1 after }1i~~ () <iU. l:t A peE,t () i-' i'i ice l'l,:l~'l.e d l.,; d:J.reVll. e r. ?:j r~.'er r~ >'1.':'5 o})crlcd ifl fCo:~)ert F)()~iLla[l' s stol'e. l'rl€ vil1st_e - , ood deal L;portance a local c._~,::::.re, soon c e"'lel.o~.)CCl :) OJ. ~IS a s ~J e 11 ~a s & stor) ()Il tIie toll road. CIa i;'ev 111(; litt.le ~u t",:, _"J d.y- r. {'\ inchwtry uut il ,'1 stea.:" flour ,;.ill 'iJaS set up ;: :... v.!. .....! i .. viil<,'e l'-~el~;Jl~e IJ'70. 'i\ll-~i Ie t- ". c III '1'JJ.s r~U{j:l the v illn ~'C; v '.J _ .l \~. co ;:'1 t .~'ll~' i ,",,-' d. .~l :;01.11:, 2i,);J ;pe 0 J)lf~ , but later -d:;en tl~e ;'Lill 1'~~1d closec; dO:/J ~-: t ~-; e " U.L,; C r '.~ as r~ dU311y' reduced to lljG i~i 16)0. ., tt(;:l:L\ter's'" (1 ".. "'r ''''ri'::'.'''e",t",\ '1 t~ E3. i t t j~ i ., ": ,? ( 1(1 ~ cr" t :'~.e L. ....f.,.. ..., E... ,......... ....' \.;. "" J. ;,:} J J .., , " ], ,~ :~ :~ d . ',' i 1 c I! ) Crossor:' s, a~d the Greenhol~e ~illG" ;.tlt.... e,J,... \..Ir J....l........."} , (j~:. t :'; (~ iiu.':; f.'er c':J':: IJ~-?.~~ S ()(; 's c'1.1 d DU.:"ica..-_-l f s - . . 1 :)a_\tJ ..~-ll. s on en,,'" :.~r~ek. ,-.... ~ .. ...... .- 2. 7r:~e trie!':J"2.~ er ~rcb ::tbly ba::ed Lric.l:s 0,; site .~i ~'1:1. ~: (; CL~, iJ.._1 '... ~..'tlildin " ~d r'" !JosEi'nle. If 11e i-~El d !1 2: (1 ,) r~i c }':Y' ,D_r~d ~ l~~ e r~' ..j"ji,.:..lrJ "'i.:') 'I tee] :.1 :::.: l~:'CL il~li:"~lctUJ-'.eI~t? . "- '., l26 Today the village is a srall place, thou~h it is once ~ore ! I an important road junction and will no doubt grow larger I l ! again as the country round frowB more populous. ! ! ! (9 ) Tullamore and Sandhill I , These villages on the Sixth Line and ~ono Road r ~ ~ presented a sharp contract in lB5C, according to one reliable ~ ~ I. ; observer at leas~. At that time they were nearly the SDxe. , I si ze , thoup.h Sandhill n:ay have been already a Ii ttle more I populous. 'rullmLore, sixteen miles north of Dundas ftreet, i ! 1f.as fla miserable, tumble-down looking place". It contained I I "about a hundred inhabitants and an Episcopal ChurCh"~ ! Seven years later the population was about the same, hut there were already two inns and three stores and the village was beginnin~ to be the nextre~ely lively place" that it WBe in the sixties and early seventies. In spite of its bad start Iulla~ore gre~ qUickly. By 1$65 there were about three hundred inhabitants, three inns and four ~tores. rZher'e vJD S I I a tlrickmaker among the tradesmen, but prohably not a brick- ! ! yard, of any i~portance at least. Ii new brich church had I I been bUilt in 1863. By l877 the (':ood times 'tiere ackno~;ledged to have passed wi tn. the corr.ing of rail,,;ays, but tbe village was still much the same size as ten years before. 'I'h rough the rest of the century the village grew gradually smaller, the stores and inns closing one after another, until in 1901 only a soli tary store remained and the nurnber of inhabitant s was about three quarters that of IB50. Today there is still an Lpiscopal church in Tullamore and one store, but there is very little el~e. However, the hamlet is no longer "a miser- able, tumble-dovm looking pIa ce'~. This description is now more or less applic- able to Sandhill, which is still a larger and more in;portant place, but ~!hi ch shows distinct signE of a more prosperous and not very distant past. There are several buildings in the village which were once well built and attractive, ~ut UTe ....-.-.,.-- 1. '.t 't' Smith, Canad& ;6ft, resent and Future. - 1851. - . r--:.. , "7 J. ... d " id . '" il Newton Hewitt or Sand Hill WAS now ~~ap ated and GlSUse(. "a neatly built, and fresh looking little Village" of a little more than a hundred inhabitants in 1850. The nane came from John Hewitt, one of the first settlers. fand Hill rost office had been moved there in 1844. Both names were used for some tirr.e and finally the form tandhill \olas adopted. The first church was builtin l837 and there was a bri ck one nea.r the village in 1850. Yrancis Logan opened the first store in 1839. There was a stage-coach running regularly to Toronto by 1851. Sandhill grew somewhat more slowly than Tullamore, but it Soon began to be a plbce of considerable business. '~:here was a tannery in the village from before 1857 and n laree carriage factory i'rom the sixties. The population however was never much above 200 and there were fewer stores and taverns than in the neighbouring village. After the railroads cnme, the situation was considered to be not very central and business was dropping off in 1877. We are told however that there '!rias still "e considerable alr:ount of money changing hands"~ Burbidge's Carriage Factory was then the main industry. Others were Dixon Elliott and Co., Tanners, Smithers' large saddle shop, a shoen,a}:inp: shop and a contractor's yarei. There were two stores, a hotel and three churches. by 1900 most of these businesses \-,'ere gone and the reJr>aining .store was the chief j'eature of the village. Nevertheless Sandhill has maintained its population up to the present better than ffiany of the villages on the watershed. (10) Kin~ and Nobleton Though there ~'as a "King" post office from the forties, it was at tang Creek3 and the hamlet ~;here the road from ~;ilcocks Lake crossed the "Third Line" of I\ing \"las a small affair. It was not long, however, before it gained in size and importance and a fair-sized village was laid out by 1. Several of these may have been there in l850. They ShO\f some interesting local characteristics in the design of their details. The village is rather picturesque 9nd could be rrac.e attractive with very little trouble. '2. ~li at. 1, tlas of Feel County, HS?7, apparently quoting }ir. -. Eurhid~e, the carriage maker. J. Kept by D. l{acCallum, lS46-lB51. There was no Kinp: Post Office in 1837. (~,al ton f s Directory of the Hon,e District, 18J'7 \ > I.; 'l' f) {f ~ ", i i I I " J I , I I I I I ! i I I I I I I I ! I \ ! I , : " 0prinhill " (l\inicS) 19h7. ,). b , ,,~:.' , , , -. ,\ ingb.orn l~rOLi Lne .I1~St, 1;J;+,!. The "i..owell '.fa.rlJ1cry" \'Va s iTl t,r~e Vall.ey, Nor~~h of the roaa. The Villa~e ~s <:it t. n. f~ l..Op of tne far slope. ,J'.,." E" :0 S r~; . ~lh()' },.<< ~')rl 'I ~J C :~'J r-"J E! " r ~ '> i"\ ' , f) .~ E: Ii f:, f;t~)re t f f. re . .'i,," n,~! : , q It '".ia ;; C'l} t;d · Spr::i,ll h:i.llfl unt:'.:' (.1 b :) 1. i t J, f;~ '~) . ,~i t1 e i1 , . j( ,~-) rt [1- ern ~ ! . - ,,.. " , b,,;ilt in Ib53, " ;;inr ~)tat:on!l Vi oJ~, laced a":-out : J ,-JdY v",,:~ S thrH? quarters of a ililf: s out h of S ],rirlfh:U::. i::.t nd abDut t~w<<ty- fi VE~ or thirty acres, with thE; tri:;C'f: in the cw~tre , '(~'as = ~,i.d 'Jut as d ~;i :lJ:'ive V'l~ st of the rOti'! . r.ct'lj, s or p Jot I' ~')l:::t s l:xtewl e:1 northwH 1'-! bet/leen the rd],J:-i(IY .,-i)d the r;udunt::Ll, by IdbC), tr:e t'lIl!) vt J,:! (:p s ~';I:-l r (, Joiner'! t/)f ether. Tlw <ioubl.t: vi.j::'nre of s.rj,rlrh511 ann f1O',v thE 1arf,.!st . t' ;."out he rn ,\,1f1/ 'tV,'iS ::..rl " 'if! part of the tOdnshlp. It Cl)nt.d i,ned ;:, bout t...ro hund red l:~' f:; ~.> J.';.1 e , a hotel 'lT1'J t 1'10 renera.L ~. t I) re 5 . Four uf the locdl sa weil] ::J tine rs lived in !I r i nt." : 1 Sf, I) ..-, c vveJI ciS tLe 0', ner :)f the -'- n ~ "." ~J d -. 1.:, rfe 1: 11 Cl/ff; 11 Td rln(~ry" at i :, ny horn. J. ;;inC harl a po )ula ti,l1 "f J . . in thE sevcmties. Thf" nt:n.ber of i nhc' bi t~.i nts fe]1 off J ,j 9bout ldor) but soon heEan tel r::ise at C~ lrl d Il'" hd'1 n:c,'chGrl jJD once ';c;1'e t)y 1 !~1'):). i:5.nf re i) J. ned cmch t.h(: ,>a,e until the Y:l.1'st ;orl"l ''::)r, but j bout Hut ti,e it D.; ran t:) dev\:~loF:lS i j .j nd ny villa es '1fi thin E::l.:o;y Ii). \tor:inr .~ iBt't!lce 'Jf l()ronto. It is no;,v one of the :;ore pro~perolls vU,la,u;s on the uvper "";ters of the fiu'11bt:r. r~ht; era:; s r08.d s on ,...h ich .JDbleton -; c. situated ..;..-...) .,'/'-re not f . inport,mce in the forties ;. nl fiftiE~S [:.it 0, r:!iJ C t'~ as th3t time the route tG Lloydtoi,1l1 fro"; the; fJouth 'ild,S the T' f~ ~~1. t }-, Line of r~ i r~t-; . i\ few years ~,.lter t,r:d~fj C sh::.fted to t, e :inth Lin .'dId tl'le hL.,"jJet s ':'."i.onf" th.is road began to rJevelo (; int,) villaF.es. The vi::' e of ,Jobleton iccu)-lied all four s.nrJes of the cr'.)5f3rDads 2ni s pre'l' .,.. ., - ebch (' ~ l.ltt..;e ;:Uon~ :f the rDans, ;:a't iC~J ~drly tD the ~ve st. ( ~ J ) C, 1 edon La s t . ashv:Ule and ,',:)I10 Hoad, 1);] isley or C,le.1o:1 t~;,j s t d a t, e s fro:; the fift j 2S. It i rew UcJ at first:, round ta. ve rn , but be:fore lo'~ ""lrn's2 "" "b '., ~L!' d ~..~-'~ ""--" ~ ~ "itcLe'l 's C,.. ," ~ 11 !:.i '~1 ,:".i ., . 'h rect'll'V Ib()4-5. Th<:\' 'tIe re .L . ':)U :.t 2" rL (: E:; ~~ - (':2;8. iJurns (,;.;ter I1ill cit 'inth;)rn) .J ,iohn ?\;rgus on "( 'i/a tel' Lii J 1 on Lot -I :"', Con. 1: I , ~:j-.Y"1t:') , C;"". iiE: ,ry (3tedii St;.1iL"<.~ 11 ..L!..J , L.ot 15, Con. IV, .. " . ~ Lf ~t~; . J(;ee ( "t I , <..... . ' ': 'i , t 1,!" e '\ :1.rl{) j , ....} t. ::-.i"f! d.:1 J'!{ ~ 2.,. .J...___ \:-1. J...) i.) ;"' nt J3, C C) It . I~ T ,\!~. <' C l\ ."1 '7" ) r'.l ,; ,:1 r(~./ flu V is (, ." .. --- ,. ie ry j . ~, c, , >' .. L -.' d. , t "; ~ ,; ,:J "~eo 1 : ''''; rrhe'~ '\llandLt Ie ilJ_s L ;.:ear Cer~t;revi1.1e ( ~" ) but t.. . ':Ie re LLblon , - listed un)er ' ~ ~ '.057 ~ nr.l und er C;,.1 tcion LJst :ire ~') rl CJ :~ ..l-i.,S 1 I1 in 188:: cmd 100'? - c-i i:ooct indication of the rise in impor- t' ~tce (if trw -, ter viJ.~-al~8 ~lfter 1d7J and th~ LC..ine of .1., ,,'1 nna i 1 }. s . 130 flAllnndale" ;nills were built no; far, \'1o.y ~jnd Cranston's saiImi1l c:J.ose by. 'hen the raihuay reached the lono Load in Id71 it began to fIOW much more rapidly. A ste.liL71 sash and door fact.)rv was bdlt in the villa!-'(; in the seventies and ran . - until after 1902. By then it was a fairly large Village and is still an ac \ i ve centre and the raihiay st;;tion for sever&l other vi 11a(,83. There had been some sIllal1 beginnin,gs of ;,ash- ville by ld6u but it \:va s as K1einburg St.ation of the Tor .r; to, Grey und Bruce hailway that it beLan to be a villut:':e. 1 t ~ia s some year:.:.; before it had a naJa. of its own but by l8d9 the:ce Has a steam savii:111l in ibshville and tv/{) a fe\'l ye,'irs .Later. Jne sawmill is stUl rU.nning. The vill;:3Le was never very larf:e, and the numbE:ref inhabitants probably much the same today tiS fifty years ago. .lono HOad h'Cl;: laid out imr;lodiately after the raiL1ay was built in l27l. Robert Shi(~ld s built the first house and a steam sawmill. He laid out the Village, which "seemed to spri ng up all at once". A tvacgon and carriage factory wus built and a store opened in lb73. In 1877 it ":as already a place of abollt 3uO people. ono Hoad continued to flo rish for some years. A.:Cter the rui lway was aba;,doned it lost some of its importance. Unly a few ,)f te vther crossroads settle,:;ents on the '.,'atershed had att,' ined to the di).nity of a name in l; Ge. ":)mi t.hfield tf , between Thi stletown and Claireville, is marked on a map of lH56. The name "t:.tobicOKS" was finally given to this villars after I~vin[ boen used Ly several other places in t.he t.ownship. Oirectly south of "Smithfield" on the Gore Road''-las another GrDup of houses aro.,nd the _ :ono Inn, VIi th its blacksmith's shop, wa gon shop and a steam sawmill (1'6"\ 8 U I. It is now called Hli~field. Other croups had begun to forLl by 1 6(., Lut are not yet named on the ma.'\s. Purnleton was only an inn and a ch,.rch, Vellore had a.l..ceady thE TO'~m Hall -- of If aue:han and a ho ;se or t,....o, at Ldgeley was the first church -. built on thE: .,J&tershed, the !' :lennonist" rneetint;.ho se of Coessnan' s l31 1825 report. There was no settlement here however in IS60, but after the closinl of the Black Creek mills Edgeley grew in importance and is now one of the livelier small centres in that section, with churches, school, store and community hall. ;'.ost of these centres suffered from the decline of rural economy from 1878 to 190C. fome, however, recovered after lBSO and were even growing in the early part of this century. Others on the lower liJatershed are reviving again as new residents beein to come into their neighbourhood. On the source area of the river, the villages that grew up to serve the sa~l1nills established here by 1860 have alzLost completely disappeared. "7inline Corners" (Lversley) t fl},ings_ ville" (Loch Erne) anci Linton had already been nan:ed in 1860 and Linton had a post offi'Ce. Robert Hill was making reaping machines at Kingsville at that time and there were inns, f,tore; and Hlacks~ith's shops at Linton and Tinline Corners. The kirk of the Church of Scotland and manse south or Lversley were the first in King. Eversley survived into this century, but Kingsvil.Le was gone and Linton only a name in 1909. Although the distance from the Huober to the town of York was not ere~t even for carriages, and Dundas Street 8S ~ood as most roads, there was little in the nature of suburban development within the watershed. In the early fifties there \':a5 a straggling villaf,e between the "Peacock" at the eston Hoad on Dundas Street and the fI[:;~'an!! at "",hat ~;a3 later feele Street. Another village called Carlton streched alonE, the eaton Road from the toll gate at the Third Concession, ("t Cl" \ A subdivision of large L' . > 8J.r 1\ venue J . "park" lots had been made on Lot 39 snd psrt of Lot 40 Con. I of York T01im~hip in the fifties but remained vacant, and has nO'tJ been obli terated by the village of S\'!cmsea J thoup;h the rove that ran through it from the Lakeshore Hoad to Bloor Street is represented by ~indermere Avenue~ ~a thin (:I. few -- I. Prowne's j\fjap of York TownShip, l85l. This map seems to have been revised in 1858 and some changes ~ade on the plate~ A rOQd is shown parallel to the upper part of '11\ inder-mere Avenue" below bloor, joined to it by a section of cross- roaa (Beresford Avenue and part of ~or~ingside Avenue). These are all shown with a dotted line which indicutes that they Could he used. As there are names ~lich have been el"c.tsed ~ r~ '~',~.: c C'_""'.-".t- .z ____ . , 1: Y,';,1'3 the rrv~'Jth ,)1' 11 l"lcKton" (", ri-:.; al e j ',>Ii. t;h t :IG buj I:Hng of the 1';, l,n;a) held convi need prpperty o\'mers th~t the city wa.:, !flavine \HJ~;t.i:,rd and t\."lO otr:er Jnrge Bubd j vi slans ','lere 11;3da on the watershed. The ~unnyme:e Lstate was laid out south of ;:;t. Clair and ~;f;' t c.f Jane Street and Hurmymede Ii-oad 'das opened fro!',! St. Clair to Bloor St. with St. Johns Hoad at r:ieht anr.Les tu it. The road [rom t. he LfH:e ldnd ermel'e Avenue; had been continued for ~nother three quarters of a mile north o.f r; Ioor and the ;hrie properties 0:1 d ':,her side had been cut U~ into lots. Very few of these lots \lere sold ~il1 ;'lany years later. There had been a b,.',l detd of au1 division of property it:!",) s';aller ~:JVct5.zmf, t~lon{': :: ven'iort i!.o:td nnd ~+ Cl.,tir ea,at of Carleton. ~hcre vJ'ere suburl',~m e;:tate~ of Vl"... . fr0x ten to fifty Bcres. Carleton h",d incrE~',!::'()d in sie and '1,Jas :3:)re2dinr tm\'ords JunrL,s :'treetr:nd Ll1c f'tCar-let.(}n ii..co Course!! had Leen laid ou,t behind the inn at Keele Street~ ii pottery ai!d brickY3rd s ~1ere o"'ened no!'th\1est of arleton in 1856 abd the ,'ianufncture of bricks on a lnrE:e scale ',:as begun . 1{'''12 T l"""" 11 d I third c:ncessicns n ;:'!'. .. r;: l':< t.!G secon arK had Leco~1e I!Blo)r :'treetti (jndttSt. caair .wenuef1 ::;s far C:~a the H '.lent: f;r . 1 n l" ~ 5 '''. r 1 . t 1'" ~ C " C r, +., f',)-,." . n' ,< ; " ~ n-l .I... '-'(,~ va e Od < <1., c. e.d ,,1 e ... '... r L .. >. >. J.. ., rt..q ,d I'Et Ci.~rdens, but thE:: ;':iTc-a to thrc south <'8 .f.sr dS the HPea cock" had beco':H: a nE;twork of raihva:;,s. Factories had been built ~ ere and the 5uhurbs of el:t Toronto Junct i ,n held ,T,)l,'in u-). T::e p':rt of the "';Dtershed est of Carleton was only occu~ied in a scattered and s\orad1.c f(]~3hio' until t":. er 1. ....1.. ',,; . TlhTe ;'''u; arood d(:~,l of develiJ;')i;'wnt j ~t before lS14, but it Y'idS !:lfter the First ,'orld (;1' tLi..t the aI'<c really b to fLi 1 up. ~',- ~L ~: c c t l. time tho bui 1 t-U:J nre'::-i tia s cr~):;;scd t:w t " ~~~ Lr10 t;-lC , (:llj';} GXLGnd ed DDrthie S". c:\.2, ft)I't HE eston. >Cl. erS!iC,1 I. r~C' nC'{j d eve 10 r\i:a: nt. s are "rov1i rapidly and will Soon cover liU s t ',jf t he (~lain V"j 11 ey iri York and .toLicokc tOHnships. .. , ..-.....-.... . 1. Tremaine's i;",p of York County J le6u. mode n names ~re ~.l.se:~ f:>r t.he S;l;{f: f cle~lrne3s. They did not",:' C'T:ne into i use until much later. The racec,)urse \.k 5 th~ pro pel"ty of .. c. ,~. ., -. r tlJ . hee.J..e. l .", l'!isc..iJry o.f Yorl~( ~(junt~/ , 1(:85. 4. I ! I' I !, 1 ') ,-, .;"- y t:: ,~.i I' {} the rru~Jth ,)1' n 1 ri)cktoi)tf ( i' r i-I. d a J e i',d t; h the b u 5 Id in g of the rtd .L',;ay had convi nC0d orpperty ol-mers that the city Wa.:'.i ![Iovinf He::;tH',rd and tY.iO other l:iri"e subd j vi 5lon S '8<31'e made :m the 'In1.\ ersned. 'lh€.l h"..mnyme e i:,state vu:~s laid out south of ~~:, t . l;lair and~'it). t af Jane ~)treet and Hunnymede 1ioad ',,,as opened from S1,. Clair to Bloor St. with . J()hn~; Hoad 3t ric.ht anr.l.es tu it. The road [ro:?l the La,(e tdndermere /wenue; had been continued for another three c;uarters of a ;nile north 0 Lloor and the d:lrie properties 0:-1 (.j'.ller side had been cu,t u :r:~ i t":?:.r; lots. Vpry few of these lots Here sold ill ;:;any years la.ter. There had been a d e[,1 of su1 eli vi sion of 'ro'" rtv it'l) C!"~ll r '" ,'i'~ ')'1<' "10 (>" ,.,' v ,,' ri' Fo',j ~ I':; ,~ "e J "J', ,;:) ,d. e ,jel:.,.r., ''',' i"" ,n,,,.,,' en.o ,_ '. ,1'" dn~ <7:'1- Cluir east of Carleton. ';'hcre Here suburb:-.'n e,:tate;:: of "'~J V . f'r)T. te.1 t.] fifty ceres. Carleton had incre~sed in si~e Rnd was s,reading towards Dunrl~s Street '~ind {~hc nCar'letcn Cc CourseH h.ud Leen laid out Lehind the inn at Keele St,reet~ A pottery a:Jd bricky;.~rd s ~'Jere 0 nQd north\1€.1 st ~)f., ar leton in 1(356 abd the ,'lanufncture of bricks on a large aCGle ',;a5 begun P'''l2 T 1"'"'" h d I third c~ncessions n ,'.Ii...r! "id t., e secon anc had Leco~ne HBloJr ~:treetfl andftSt. ,;lair ,<venue?! :JS far '-is ene Hu.mL:12r. In 19$5 Carll::ton a.s a centre for n'l ~'CJ'i:;'B and iiI' et c~;;rdens, but the Drea to thf': south ns .far dS the nPea cock!! had. beco:;ic a nf:t.-lOrk of rail~lays. Fact,ories ha:-1 bGen but It L: ere and th(} t:;uhurbs of 'e:.: t Toror;to Junct i ,n had. I'')1,1n u<). T~,e p:.rt of the ','!btershed est of Carleton wac only occw:ied in a scattered and s;\oradic f.:]~jhio' until :o'I,.er 1 ~'i.".i. Tht:re ;';:1t-; arood dC'~,l of develo;.)mfmt, rot before J '.,ll:;, but it j.i.:iS ;:lfter the First.;orld . ;,r tL t the (H'~; really t l' A "v fL 1 up. :.~:.?::;c th2JL time the built-u~ (1rea tws crc):5scd tl~le :.atershc,:1 ~~'j Lh.0 W€ ~> ~ DLd extErF~ cd nen'thles' fee feU' [U'i.eston. ~':i2 nmr dEJvelcYJi:'lent. s are '''l''ovli rapidly and will Soon COver ,:lJE~t ,,)1' tlw nain v[llJey in York anI .toLicoke townships. ........ ~.....".--- 1. Tremaine's of York County, le6u. The modo n names ;;re use~ i~r the sake f cle'irness. They .::iid not.:c'17ne into use until much laLer. The rncec,)urse Hi,S the prope:t'ty of ," Keele. -. . v. ~. :1',_,-1" ofv"r" ,-,aunty, li:85. " ~ .. ." d Y ... v l', " 133 The detailed study of the gro1/th of the villages in the valley of the Humber ShO\^TS clearly how r;,uch this development depended upon the improvement of co~~unic- ations and the spread of sDall scale, decentralized industry. 'i'Y'e few settlemer~ts formed before le30 "lere all mill vil.lages. The spread of the ldll~ led t.o the ir:lprovernent of the ro.::.cls and the traffic to and from the mills required services which were provided in the taverns. :'n:i thies, and v,:agp:on Hnd h.3rl!eS~' shops y,'hi ch were the ber;innings of so many villages. The demand created for provisions and supplies of re\"'; r;;ater ia ls hastened the development of a~riculture, which in turn in- creased the business of the existin~ villa?es and led to the growth of others. The trade of the larger villaces did not depend solely on the water,shp.d, even in early times. ::he ~oronto market al~ays absorbed a large proportion of the products of the Hurrher Valley and by le50 there was R co ,,,,,,- arable e.>:port trade fror:: the mouth of thf.' river, l' <IS '\1le. 1. 8~ throug~ 'Toronto. The existence of a city with a rood hartour just heyond the watersted prevented the growth of a port at the r;,outh of the bur her, and eventually drew busincs~ away fran, t~e rIu.tnber to'lrm8. Those on the low~r river as high as Dine Grove may be considered as "satellite" towns at least from lL~56 . ;-;t?vertheless all the villages were sty'ongly affected by t,ne depression of 1875-1880, which was due in E1 grEat degree to the decline in rural prosperity "..hi ch began abou.t 197C ,H;d was accompanied by a ~radua1 lo~s of rural populatio~. tuch of the watershed lies within the thirty-milR radius from the centre of Toronto and no towns of any sjze grew up within that radius until after 1900, During the eiF~hties the influ- ence of the city tenaed to draw even more population away fror, the villages, but in the leSO t s and early 1 <.00' s the larpcr centre2 began to recover. 0y that time this influence was t81dn,s the forr of the ~pread of populdtion from the city into tho townshipr. Trlis tendency has been greatly i!:- c~"eu:ed in the l8st fe'l; ye;~,rs. ,"":'11 . ~ ;.~"s longO-since ~)'Drec:.d lHQ Ci j ~ heyonc the Humber. Even the more distant vill~ges are -. " ~ :'; " Ai) J ~ i ~ f,:' ~ I I I T \ 11000 t, !, F r POPULATION ,. ~ r-- 10500 ~ Of t WESTON. WOODBRIDGE 1 I--- AND BOLTON 10000 ~ , ~ 9500 t Ii' 1':: ! ~' 9000 t' I " ~. ~ 8500 ~< f- 1 t , l I t-.,.. 8000 I i I' I' I \ I ~: 7500 ~ \ \ r f ! ~ --1- -~i----- l--~ 7000 ~ \ '. r i [ I I -" -- I- ----+-- 6500 ~ II \ \ / I I II 6000 t \ ! I l. 1--- I t I / 5500 I i I .-'-- II I 5000 I 1\ 1 1/ , \ ! l r I I I I T -/ 04500 , I I \ \' I I I I I I 1 \ ! l / 4000 \ \ I ~----+-- - ----- \- -,' --- 3.500 I ( , I ---l------- ~ --- ---.--- ____ -t---- _ I / ---,- 3000 I ' \ +-t- ,,- ",.--1 I 2500 I I \ I} i ' I , ~-------+- + \ . )( 2000 \ -- - --~ .... - -- - -t 1v / 1500 I "i/ I I W.., / I. ~ 1// 1000 - + -------r __ '_ /I 1000 I ~' __/~\' _-----1~-.::.::1 ~QkI9_tt 1-----.-;.:: ~\>.~~/ \ ,.--t---.--j- I __, _.. ~_ __ . .~""b,.'/ ~Q \ -- i - - .....- --. -r----- ... --....--- 500 t- - I 'I 500 ~S ~O~~f~ \ \ _~;. I ' I 0 'WES,ON .- : I 0 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 19Z0 1930 1940 1950 .'- -. - --'-~'- ~ .-, r -,,-, ') .~ 11000 I I I I I I 11000 POPULATION I I-- 10500 Of WESTON, WOODBRIDGE I-- AND BOLTON 10000 9500 9000 8500 I 8000 7500 ! I ~. ---f'- --+- 7000 I I I I -. - -1 6500 i I / II 6000 f----, I 5500 I / I ~._- 5000 V I i ---- -~ -- -4500 I I , / i , 1 i i I 7 4000 I I i --~-- -..-- ; ----- ~_._-- - + / 3500 i I I I I 1 i I --- --- ----t--- / --- 3000 I ! , I i I t I ---t- / 2500 I I i ~---~--+- , ./ -~ 2000 I / r ...-~ -- - + n_ ~ / 1500 i ' , _ w.., / i / ~_' / ~ ~ I ,// - - I \'l.lQ~"""'" 1000 I I I __~". I I 'L:,------;- ---- \, ----1~_:: ""90" '-----.-~ ~~r _____ " ""f_/' .-- i -- -- - -------f-- . + - ----- ---- -- ,'Q~? I 500 I ,?p~~1 ~6? i ; I i 'W(S10~ i -~ i i I 0 0 -- - 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 - -. , ") r:. .1. j :J Li:;-in1!iJ:1L ;~O r:e directly affcct(;d b;d . Ie the 1'1. L '.ll'e , t... l stJry oJ. Cite l-iu.ml: (;:r vi -,_l:-,., s L:: like1y t. 'J b;cu;" ,tJOl.'e ;" more di rcct..._y rn,rt..)f 1..J.:.t-0 S (...)l-''j vi ttl(;; c)ty of To,l' I; !~'-J. 111 ~ I I i ! l( ! J , t ! , i. , [ ! i ~. - -, - --- " 136 CHAPTER 5 AGRICULTURE The development of ngriculture in the Humber . Watershed, although it resembled that of most of Ontario, was influenced by factors which did not operate elsewhere, or which did not have the same weight. The proximity of Toronto, with its market, and the relatively easy access to the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence export route determined to an appreciable extent what should be produced; the varied topography and soil types found in the watershed tended to diversify production. It is convenient to divide the development of farming into four phases - the pioneer stage, an era of grain growing, the transition to mixed farming, and the varied agri- culture of the present day. Assigning exact dates to these periods is difficult, since changes were made by individuals acting more or less independently of each other, and the over. all transitions were gradual. The pioneer phase overlaps the ~rain growing period through much of its course. Clearning and cultivation spread generally northward from Lake Ontario and westward from Yonge Street, and its pace was that of the manual worker, so that. while the earlier settled portions of the watersh.d were already engaged in grain growing for export, the axe of the backwoodsman could still be heard ringing through the forest, perhaps only one concession farther back. Farms were opened up more or less haphazardly, beginning with a few grants to discharged soldiers in 1794, but agriculture was not extensive until after the larger grants of le19. Immigrants were counselled to choose their land according to the type of forest cover growing on it; stands of mixed hardwoods, with maple, elm and beech predominating, were considered to indicate the best soil, ~lile pine, hemlock and tamarack were to be avoided if possible. The oak plains, of which Scarlett's Plains on the Humber were an example, were I ,. 138 generally regarded as less desirable, because of the scarcity of timber for building, fencin~, etc., as well as because o~ supposedly inferior soil. The Humber Watershed contained rather lar&er stands of the "undesirable" type than many other parts of Ontario. These considerations were in turn influenced by proximity to roads, Crown reculations recardin& cutting of pine, Crown and Clergy Reserves, and personal predilection; the total e~fect was to produce a patchwork or farms and woodland which esisted for some time. Once located, the settler commenced to clear his land, if possible starting in the spring. He would plant his first crop, usually potatoes and a little Indian corn, together with squashes and pumpkins, amon& the stumps of his first clearln&, as soon as possible. It was customary not .~ to cultivate at all; more could be accomplished by clear~n& further land, and the newly ba red soil wa s usu~lly r1 ch enou&h and tree enou&h from weeks to ~ive a fair return without much , attention. Fall wheat would probably be sown amon~ the stumps of the land cleared durin& the first summer, and then scratched into the unstirred soil with a harrow, made triangular for easier pa8sage between the stumps, and with teeth slanting slightly back to facilitate dra&Cinc it over the roots. The rest of the first year would be fully taken up with the build- ing of a log house, and a little rencin&. Sprin& wheat mi&ht be sown the following year where the corn and potatoes had been the first. After one crop of wheat, clearnings were usually left in hay or pasture while the tree roots rotted; or they mieht be sown with oats, rye or buckwheat. Some ~armers sowed wheat after wheat, but it was ~enerally considered best to sow fall wheat on four or five acres of newly cleared land each year~ After four or five years, the tree-roots in the earliest clearin& would have decayed sufficiently to admit of a primitive sort of plou&hin&, and another crop of wheat 1. Jones, R.L. . History of A&riculture in Ontario, p. 72. . . I ,. 139 would be taken off, followed again by oats or rye or pasture. Finally about ten years after settlement, the stumps could be pulled by oxen, and the land taken into permanent cultivation under relo~nized methods. Durin~ the period of twenty years or more characteristic of the pione~ring phase, the farmer's income would be lar~ely from his small wheat crops, supplemented by lumber, pork, pctatoes and peas. Sawmills and ~rist mills were soon numerous on the Humber and its tributaries, in many cases precedin~ any ~reat amount of settlement. Most of these, however, used timber from their own ~rants, so that the f~rmer's income from lumber was not ~reat. The ~reater part of the timber from his clearin&s was burnt, usually at one of the old-time fflo~&ing-bees"; its ashes were another source of , income as the Canadian potash industry expanded. The early settler kept only enou~h livestock for his own needs, and ~ave t~em a minimum .f care. A yoke of oxen were the customary work animals; most settlers preferred them to horses for bush work, and they required less care and expensive feed. A rew cows, sheep and poultry completed the list of domestic animals. The early Canadian hog could only with difficulty be termed domestic. He ran almost wild in the forest, feeding on kitchen waste, or whatever he could find, and was often hunted with a rifle, like ~ame, at killin~ time. Sometimes a settler would catch and pen his ho~s about a month before butcherin~, to be fattened on corn, potatoes, or more prObably peas. Millers were amon~ the lar~er pork producers. Their pi~8 fed on mill waste, prinCipally bran, for which there was almost no market in the early nineteenth centure; if the mill, as was often the case, was associated with a distillery, there was also the spent mach for feed. In ~eneral, these ho~s were far inferior 1n quality to those of more settled areas, but were a mainstay of the backwoodsman. The Hon. Adam Fer&usson, speakin~ to the Provincial A~ricultural Assoc- iation in 1846, claimed that: "Of all our domestic animals ,. 140 there are none in Canada to which we are all more indebted than the HOI;;. Without his aid, small progress could have been made in clearin& the forest by supportinc the hardy pioneer of the backwoods. "1 The market at York, or&anized in 1804, created a demand not only r.r pork and beef, but also for such commod- ities as oatmeal, potatoes and peas. It is known that farmers had raised pork for town consumption as early as 1794, as well as some frUit, most of which was ~rown around the mouth of the Humber. The war of 1812 created an extraordinary demand for every kind of farm produce. The local supply was inadequate in any case and was further handicapped by the calls on farm labour for militia service and by destructive enemy action. Prices became prohibitive and government action became necessary. Distillin& was forbidden for a time in an attempt to increase the quantity of wheat for millin&. Larie quantities of irain and cattle were imported, mostly from enemy territory. Never- theless prices had finally to be "peU8d" to prevent profiteer_ ing. The rollowin~are the official prices of farm products at York in l8l5~ "Prices of food and fora~e in the Home District. December 22nd. 181' Flour --- per Bl. · · · · · · · · · · .:',. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · .. f.3. 10s. Wheat --- per Bu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l2s. 6d. Pease --_ " " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10s. Indian Corn" " lOs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . Barley-'-_ " " lOse ............................ Rye --- " " lOse ............................ Oates --_ " " 5s. ............................ Hay --- " tIn · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · .. i.S. Straw---_ tt ton · · · · · · · · · · · · .. · · · · · · · · · · · · .. $3. Beef, on the hoof ............................ f2. Is. " slaughtered, per lb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7id. Pork, " " " Is." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. Journals and Transactions of the Board ef A&riculture of Upper Canada, Vol. I. 2. Dominion Archives, Ottawa; Upper Canada Sundries. ,. l4l In spite of the difficulties under which the settlers were working, this extraordinary demand had a favour_ able effect in some areas, which were not directly affected by the fightine;. Farmers had every encouragement to improve their holdings and increase their production. The war prosperity helped to increase the demand for land in the Home District when immigration be~an a~ain after the war. The inevitable fall in prices did not check this development to any noticeable extent. As York grew into Toronto, this demand continued to increase, and its pressure was reflected by high prices in years of crop failure, as for instance after the "cold summer" of 1816, when flour sold at $16.00 a barr.l~ As larger and larger areas passed over from the clearing stage to settled agriculture, it became possible to produce crops for export. The Toronto area had a surplus of grain as early as 1804, and production increased steadily. Both York and Peel Counties came to re~ard wheat as their staple crop, and as long as the market remained reasonably good, there was little tendency to experiment with other lines. After the postwar depression and the bad years of 1819-22, conditions improved, and by the early 1830's the prosperous wheat farmer was a typical figure in the Humber Watershed. However, the market was subject to wide fluctua- tion; Britain, the principal importer of Canadian wheat, ~~s committed to the protection of the British farmer, and ~ood crops in En"land would reduce imports to almost nothini;, as for instance in the years fOllOWing 1832. In le34-5 the price of wheat in Toronto dropped to a low of 32 cents a bushel, and the export demand did not resume its former proportions till after l840~ Hard times were slightly alleviated by American de- mand caused by crop failures in the northern states, but the agricultural depression was severe. Nevertheless, farmers con- tinued to rely on wheat. Livestock did not seem to offer a solution of their difficulties; American breeders could 1. Jones! ~. ~., p. 37. As this is about the price fixed in le 5, the re,culations may have still been:in force. 2. Jone" .2.E.. c1t., P. 123. . 142 New York 1~rket8 - qL,otations ,. 143 produce beef, mutton and pork for export at far lower prices; other lines could not be developed qUickly enou~ to be of much help. The 1840's brou~ht a return of prosperity. Crops were ~ood, and acrea~e increased. Preferential treatment under new British Corn Laws and small protective tariffs a~ainst American products helped. At the same time, the eastern portions of Ontario were forced to abandon wheat as a staple crop, because of the westward advance of the wheat mid~e, which is estimated to have reached the Bay of Qu1nte by 1849; this left the famers of Central and Western Ontario at an advantage. The late bli~ht, which rava~ed the potato crop from 1843 on, also resulted in hi~her price8 for grain. Althou~~ the early 1850's were not\marked by prosperity, a general European crop failure in 1853 sent the price of Canadian ~rain skyrocketini:, and the Crimean War, by cutting off supplies of Russian wheat, kept quotations high. Boom times continued until 1857, with wheat sellin~ for anything up to $2.40 {in 1856;. Farmers built new barns and houses, and acquired a considerable amount of the new farm machinery which had been developed over the past two decades. But this four year boom was in many seases the end of an era. Th. panic of 1857, Coupled with a poor crop, plun~ed Ontario back into depreSSion, and wheat ~rowin~, although it remained a major part of Ontario farmin~ for a furbher twenty years, was never again to assume the relative prominence it had formerly held. There were several reasons f'or this. Durinj; most of the wheat-erowin~ period, the farmers of Peel and York Counties had had about a third of their cleared land in wheat, and it was necessary to practise very short totations to maintain this fi,ure. Some farmers used an exhaustin~ rotation of wheat and naked fallow, while others continued to sow wheat year after year on the same fields, althou~h this practice was not common in the Humber Watershed. In spite of' the efforts of 144 Price of Wheat at Toronto _ 1861 _ 1891 (~raph) , i I 145 pro,ressive agriculturists, and the publicity ~iven them by the Provincial A~ricultural Association after its formation in 1847, farmers continued these debi11tatinc methods. Althcuil;h intensive cultivation was not the rule, since labour was expensive and land cheap, there were evident on many farms the si~ns of soil exhaustion. V~nure was little used, and such crop rotations as were practised were frequently abandoned in favour of sowin~ more wheat when the market was ~ood. The wheat mid~e had advanced in Central Ontario by le56, and was seriously reducin~ harvests. To many farmers it was already ~pparent that wheat could no lon~er be the mainstay of the a~ri- cultural community, The lure of hi~h prices continued to operate, however, after a dip in the early sixties, fall wheat rose to well over $1.50 and remained hi~h until 1868, when it fell to ninety cents within a year. This was only a temporary drop; even durin~ the depressed years followin, 1873, wheat rarely fell below $1.00, and was usually hi~her: The Census of le71 shows a drop of almost a third in the proportion of land in wheat from 1861, but this does not appear to be a true picture. The fall in price of nearly $1.00 in l86e-70 undOUbtedly caused fsrmers to curtail wheat production; and this assumption is borne out by the fact that while townships in the Humber Watershed had an average of t 18.7 per cent of their land in wheat durin~ this depressed ! period, the fi~ure had risen by the time of the Census or 1881 l to 25 per cent~ It seems eVident, therefore, that the 1. Commercial reports, Toronto Globe, 1861-1891. 2. The lack of data between the decennial censuses makes the pro~ress of a&riculture a subject of conjecture. However. after 1882, when full data are available, there is a close correlation between the market price of ~rain and the pro- portion of land devoted to it by farmers! with the percent- a~e of land in wheat risin~ the year fol otdn~ a price rise, and vice versa. It seems reasonable, therefore, to attribute the sharp drop in 1871 to the price tall just precedi~. A complicatin~ factor in estimatin. the impor- tance of soil exhaustion is the fact that newly clea~ed land, or land i'ormerly not used for wheat, was probably taken into cultivation and other land retired to pasture. ---. l~ Pictures of 2 types of harvestin~ (~rain) machines 14.7 effects of soil exhaustion had been SOrtev'lhat exa~~ercited by the f'arm PUblications of the fi:fties nnd sixties, although they were undoubtedly present. TABLE I Percentaee of Improved Land in Whea~ Township 1861 1871 1881 1891 Adjala 31.2 29.8 32.8 26.0 Al bion 34.1 18.1 24.8 18.8 Caledon 35.1 24.1 29.2 19.0 Chin~uacousy 33.5 18.0 22.7 14.5 Etobicoke 19.3 11.9 15.3 9.2 Kine 30.0 18.0 22.7 14.5 MonG 29.2 3l.3 29.9 22.1 Toronto Gore 25~2 13.5 23.5 15.2 VauchaD 13.4 13.9 21.7 16.0 York 19.5 9.1 17.1 9.9 - AVera~e 27.0 18.7 24.4 16.7 Additional evidence of the situation prevail_ in~ is round in the increased acrea~e devoted to oat8 and , barley. Barley replaced wheat in many instances, partially , as a result of the wheat mid~e, partially because of the ~row- in& American demand :for brewil1&, and continued to be &rown in I 1 enormous quantities until the Mclinley Tariti' o.f 1890 reduced the trade to a fraction of its volume. This was particularly true on the morainic 80ils of the upper watershed, which were b better suited to coarse ~rain. Since barley is a more debilitatin& crop than Wheat, it seems evident that economic factors, rather than soil exhaustion, were primarily responsible for the cha~. to mixed farmil1&. However, it would not be untrue to say that many, if not most, of the i'arms on the w~tershed were deterior_ at1~ rapidly, and that harsh sconomic necessity saved them from inevitable ruin. For some areas, the chan,e came too late, and the exhausted soil has not yet recovered. The i'inal blow to Ontario wheat farming came .from the Canadian West. After 1$$0, Manitoba wheat came 148 Pictures of p1ou&hs and a mower ,. 149 into the Toronto market (as well as the export trade) in com- petition with the local product, and consistently found prefer- ence, even at ten to twenty cents a bushel more than the best ~rades of Ontario fall wheat. Under these circumstances, the Central Ontario farmer reduced his land in wheat to between five and fifteen per cent of his holdin~s, dependin~ on the current price; this situation has continued to the present day. Barley, as has been noted, was not a lar~e item of product10n atter 1890, and oats, which continued tobe produced as a major crop ror a fUrther thirty years, lost some of its importance witp the passing of the hourse but is still an important crop in the area. The Growth of Mixed Farmin~ Just as grain ~rowing overlapped the pioneer sta~e on the watershed, so the developMent of other lines be~an lon~ before "wheatin~" had started to dip from its zenith. Potash became ne~ligible as a source of income after 1850, when intensive exploitation of the Strassfurt deposits in Germany began; in addition to this, the timber was outstripp_ in~ ashes in value as trees beCAme scarcer. The farmer's self-sufficiency was rapidly disappearing; cookstoves, man- ufactured lamps, imported cloth, luxury items of food, farm machinery and all the other appurtenances of a spreadin~ civil- ization replaced the earlier home-made articles, and they had to be paid for in cash, sooner or later. The farmer began to cast about for sources of income beyond his annual crop returns. Fairly large numbers of stock had been kept on some farms from the thirties, especially in the Black Creek a rea. One or two of the roomy log barns built about le30 are still in use. ConSiderable numbers of workin~ oxen were kept at tha t time, the number of oxen in Upper Canada in l83l bein~ ~reater than the number of horses. Good work oxen were nearly as valuable as work houses. The number of milch cows had incre3sed conSiderably. The settlers in the Black Creek area were mostly from Pennsylvania where dairyi~ was well established before the Revolution and in some cases had brou~ht cattle with them when they came to Canada. These cattle were 150 Picture (Barn) and a newspaper public notice j II -^---- 151 Of nondescript breed however and tho~ hardy were not ~ood prOducers of either milk or beef. On the less developed parts of the watershed stock-keepinC was still in the primitive sta~e. Livestock improvement be~an fairly early; the more well-to_do colonists had imported blood horses from Encland in the 11l30' s, and the b reedilllt of lid>t dr8l1;ht horses be~an soon after. ClYdesdales were imported from le36 en, and had produced a strain of heavy dra~ht horses cenerally conceded to be amon~ the best in America. Cattle were improved rather more slowly. Grade Durhams and Devons were not uncommon in the early days, but were not bred in any great numbers. The state of cattle breedin~ was summed up in 1846 by the Hon. Adam Fer~usson; "We find everywhere a mon~rel mixture of Devons, Herefords, Lancashires and Normans, frequ_ ently indeed producin~ cood milkers, and useful cattle for the yoke, but entirely deVoid of any established qualities upon which the breeder can rely. . . "1 Swine improvement was very . slow; the Berkshire and Essex types eventually became well established, but buyers continued to complain of their qualtity until late in the nineteenth century~ Sheep received more attention, and cood breeds were common in the forties, with Leicesters and Southdowns the favorites. This provided a profitable winter line for farmers of the HUlIlber Valley from about 1850 on - the stall-feedinC of sheep for the Toronto market~ I! Poultry improvement be"an a bout 1852, with the spread of the "hen fever" from the United States; eiCht or ten varieties of hens were introduced, as well as new types of ducks, ~eese and turkeys. It should be emphasized, however, that all the early improvements were on the farms of the well- to-do or the pro~ress1ve farmer; the aVera~e Canadian was content with the native hYbrids. 1. Journals & Transactions of the Board of A&riculture of Upper Canada, 1855-6. 2. Report of the Toyal COmmission on A~riculture, 1881. 3. WOOllen mills are found on the Humber from 1825. After 1845 several of these mills were cloth factories of same size. 152 Grapp of Average number of Milch Cows per 100 acres of improved land le7l - 1943 " -..- 153 The American market stimulated livestock breedin&; especially after the advent of the Reciprocity Treaty. The 1850's saw a steady rise in prices; even durin& the depression tollowin& 1857, prices were double those of the forties. Improvement in cattle, sheep and horses was rapid, as it became apparent that &ood breeds commanded better prices, and actually cost less proportionally to feed for the market. By the time of the Royal Commission on A&ric- ulture of 18g0, Ontario farms could boast of purebred Durhams, Devons, Ayrshires, Polled An&us, Herefords, Holsteins, Jerseys and other breed.. Horses and sheep were represented in equal variety. TPe Commissioners note, however, that a number of Ontario farmers, while realizin~ that higher prices would I result, refused to improve their stock, because their assess- I ment would be raisedl The extent of the over-all chan&e in farming is indicated in ~he preamble to the chapter on General Farming in the COmmission's Report: ". .. the person to whom these remarks are more directly addressed is the man who carries on a system of mixed farming, worki~probably from one hundred to two hundred acres 'of land, raisin& just such crops as his soil seems best adapted tor or his convenience demands, keeping his fifteen to twenty head of stock, and a few sheep and ho&s, u8in, the milk of his' cows for the cheese factory or home dairy, and .t1lttenin& two or three beasts annually for the market. Such men as these form by far the larger portion of the farmers of Ontario." A forei&n market for cattle developed after [, 1870 to replace the American, lar&ely lost with the end of ReCiprocity. Shipments of cattle to En~and were 32,680 head in the year 1879-80, and 50,000 in the calendar ye~r 1880. A few horses were also shipped, but the bulk of the trade in other animals was in sheep, with shipments rising from 3,170 in 1977 to 109,506 in l880~ Lambs oontinued to go to Imerican buyers. The main cattle-raisini section ot the 1. This description, with few chan,es, would apply today. 2.. Report of the Royal Commission on A&riculture, l8el. ,. l54 province did not include the Hurllber ~ia teI'shed, but Peel and York counties made considerable contributions to the trade. Its importance was lar~ely in enablin~ the farmer to free himself from dependence on ~rain. The breeding of horses for American mines and of li~hter drau&ht animals for street railways were two profitable lines. However, by the 1890's, American needs were bein~ supplied locally, and the electrification of street railways about the turn of the century cut off the other main demand. Sales of horses from Peel and York Counties fell to 2469 in 1900_ The demand for other drau,ht animals went on, and increased until the years before the Great War, when York and Peel Counties were marketing about 5,000 horses annually. Since then there has been a ~radual decline; the avera,s number of horses sold in the 1920's was about 2500 per annum. It was the rise in the dairy industry which ~ave the farms of the Humber Watershed their largest single source of income in the twentieth century, and which materially aided in getti~ the farmer over the economic dislocation occasioned by the collapse of the irain market. Cheese and butter had been made for the Toronto market from the earliest days of settlement, on a home dairy basis, and small quantities were even exported. By 1850, dairyini was becomin~ fairly important, althouih its profits were not to be compared with those of wheat farmini. In the years from 1847 to +851, butter production in the United Counties (York, Peel, and Ontario) jumped from 42e,297 ' . . 1 and a contemporary writer says that in Ibs. to 1,877,577, Peel County "there are no large dairies, but most of the farmers manufact,ure considerable quantities of butter and 2 cheese for sale'J The factory system of cheese-makini was intro- duced in l864~ and althou~h Peel and York Counties were never 1. Journals &. Transactions of the Board of A~riculture,. Upper Canada, 1855-6, PP. 332 et seq. 2. Ibid. 3. There was a cheese factory at Eversley by 1878. 155 " " among the lar&est cheese producers, they did produce more than half a million pounds of cheese in the peak years of the mid. 1890's. After that, the industry declined rapidly; Peel County is dr"lpped from the returns shortly after the turn o~ the century, and York County just before the Great War, althou~h the total production for the province continued to rise. Creameries were founded in the late seventies, but were hampered by havin~ to Compete with the cheese rsctories; they had more success in the Toronto area than in other districts, but tor a lon~ time their prOduction was small. The sale or milk in the city was slmost completely unor~sniZed, and eVen the most elementary sanitation was ne~lected. Grad- ually, however, better systems evolved. The liVestock breeders looked with suspicion on the &rowth of the dairy industry, because it tended to make farmers ne~lect stock improvement, or to make them look tor roilkin& qualities rather than beef- producing strain. The Royal Commission of 1880 tended rather to look on beef cattle as the most important aspect of cattle raisin& . In assessing various breeds of cattle, they remark: ~For ~amily use, or where the sole object is to command a hi&h price for very choice butter, the Jerseys are a useful breed ot very docile and manageable little animals, but to the ordin_ I ary farmer they are, and are likely to remail1, practically unknown." Under the prevailing circumstances, it is under- Ii standable that they were unable to foresee the herds of Jerseys and Guernseys which dot the fields of milk-producin~ areas. Their views would have been partiCUlarly applic- able at the time to the Humber WaterShed, where the proportion of milch cows was well below the provincial avera~e in l8S0. It was not, infact until a.fter the Great War that .farms in Peel and York Counties psssed the avera~e number or milch cows, altbou,h dairyin~ was definitely a major source o~ income two decfides be.fore. The ~reat specialization in dairyin, in the Sas~ern Counties and parts or Western Ontario make the prov1nc1a~~ aVeira&e fairly hi~h, so that, althou~h the farms on the Humber !' 156 only averaged five or six milch cows per hundred acres in the thirty years before 1919, they were produci~ More milk and butter than ~~ny other parts of Ontario. The Present State of A~ricu1ture Present day farmin, on the Humber follows the lines indicated by the transition to mixed farming. It exhibits a well-balanced economy, with emphasis on dairying and dairy products botp for the Toronto market and for export. Stock is produced for the packing houses, and market gardenin& is car~ied on to some extent. Horses continue to be bred in small quantities. With the advent of dairy farmi~, the farmer has had a fairly steady source of income, free from the wide fluctuations of a one-crop economy. Some farms have not yet recovered from the exhaustin& ~ra1n ,rowin, period, but there is a little improvement broucht about by the increased amounts of manure available, and the retirement of previously cultivated land to pasture, which has tended to check erosion and rebuild to some extent the worked-out soil. Poultry are kept in increasing numbers, risin~ from 400,000 in 1896 to 1,500,000 in 1943; and both egCs and fowl ere another steady source of income. No account of the development of a~riculture would be complete without some mention of the part played by the ~ricultural Societies, be~inninC with the formation of the Home District ACricultural Society in 1830, and carrying I on to the present day, when Societies flourish in almost every township. These ~rouP8 consistently worked for better farminc practices, sponsored competititons, arranaed for the importation of better seed and purebred stock, and in ceneral aided the procress of acriculture. Althou~h occasionally hamper.d by local j~alousies and rivalries, their contributions hav$ been of great value to the farmers of the Humber Watershed, a,a. well as to Ontario as a whole. t \ J . 1. Figures quoted are for Peel and York Counties Oo'.~ined. i .' '" 157 CHAPTER CE;EUAL CO:;SIDEHA'fION 1. The Land Use Survey ^ land use survey is a detailed inventory of the physical prot)erties of the land and of the use to which it is being put. Soil type, slope ano (~rosion and the major physical factors influend.ng its use are shown in relation to the present use of the land. The field man cross~s the land on foot, examines the soil with a soil augur, rtetermines its type, estimates the degree of erosion it has unJergone and measures the slope of the land by means of an Abney level. :~ach natural lano area ,~xhibitinf the same characteristics dhich is large enough to h~ve practical significance is ma pped . Aerial photographs ,iving a map on the scale of one inch to 1000 feet are used as the base on which detail is mapped. Field boundaries are marked and the use to which each is put is marked. Other physical factors, especially the surface rlrainage, are indicated. Lach area delineated is outlined with a black line and a symbol me rk0d on the arc,a. This symbol expresses in H condensed form t,he features that have been observed. The features mappei in this way are transferrEd on the same Bcale to one map by use of an i\brams Sketchmaster and copies of this map are provided with the report . rc:easurement of the areas clelineated on the map is made by the use of templates nwrked in acres to the scale of the map, these are entered in the table of acreages from which observations of the conditions prevailing on the watershed can be made. The purpose of the survey is to find the relation bet\ieen the condition of the land and the use to which it has been put so that futore use may be planned to fit the capabilities of the land as it now stands. The type of soil, its slope and susceptibility to erosion, the erosion that has occurred, internal and surface draina~e, ston- iness and shallowness, all these determine the capability -_.,--~..~.> '" 150 of the lanrl. To measure the capability of the land a ' yard - stick' has been devised which classifies the land and inrlic- ates the treatment which is best for each class of land. This 'yardstick' , called the "Land Use Capability Classific- ation" is used. Th<'::ll there can be shovm clearly over the area studied those areas wh;.ch ,'lould be best withdrawn from cultivation and put into woodlot or pasture because of stoniness, wetness, steepness, shallowness or thinness of soil; those areas which would be suitable to drain, those areas in which it would be beneficial to practice erosion control measures and those areas in which the continued practice of good farm management will ensure for the future the same good returns that they have sho~'m in the past. Also there ~an be observed those stretches of land most suitable for withdrawing from agricultural production that are required for the use of the community for such purposes as reservoirs, waterworks, forests, game zanctuaries, recreational areas and parks. 2. Soils There is a systematic science dealing with soils that has, so far, accumulated a considerable body of knowledge of soils, their properties, characteristics, use, capabilities and response to troatment. This science recog- nizes soil as a natural body formed from the materials at the surface of the earth by the action of water, air, the plants which live on it and the microorganisms \ihich live in it, over a period of time. The kind of soil which is found at anyone spot has been determined by the mineral substances at the surface and underlying the surface, the local climate, the access of air anrl water to the soil and the kinds of plants that have been living on it in the past. '{'he topography affects the movement of the water in and through the soil so that it, too, has affect,ed the kind of soil produced. l\lany of the conditions that have led to the building of soils in Southern Ontario have been similar throughout the province 50 that differences in soils can be traced to two main influences, "._._...^...._.~.. ~._- _.---,.:~ ";;.::--~,.'- '" 159 that of parent mineral material and soil water. I Soils can be recognized, described anrl classif- ied on the observation of the 'profile' or vertical section. This is done by digging anrl showing a face of the cut into the soil or by examining samples at various depths by boring with an augur. Examination of this profile shows what appear to be 'layers' of soil with different characteristics. As they have not actually been 'l<-1yed' down as they appear but have grown up in place by the action of thoRe natural forces described above they are called 'horizons'. The most char- acteristic feature of the soils of SouthE:rn Ontario has been a process called '~'orlsolization' , in this a wet cool climate ann a forest cover has brought about the leaching of soluble mineral dnn col:oidal material from the top horizon and their clei;osition in a 10\ver horizon. The horizon at the surfdce is called the 'A' horizon, the next lowest, in which there has been deposition, is called the 'B' horizon, The next lowest, called the 'C' horizon, ronRists of the parent material and is mineral matter little, or not at all, affected by the soil building processes. The 'A' horizon is subdivided into three, the AO, Al and A2 horizons. The AO horizon consists of the decomposed leaves or grass of the natural cover, little mixed with mineral matter. The Al horizon is mine~al matter ( sa nd , clay, silt or gravel) ~.fith a heAVY Admixture of still further decomposed organic matter and is riarker in colo:,r than I the lower soil. This is often called the 'top soil' but in this report top soil is used to refer to the whole A horizon and 'sub-soil' to refer to the B horizon, The A2 horizon is the zone of greatest leachinh, is :nuch lighter in colour than the horizon above or below it, it looks ashy ifrits most ex- treme form. The B. horizon tends to be browner than the other horizons, a little more compact and plastic and is often mottled with reddish patches. The C horizon exhibits only the characteristics of the mineral matter of the parent material. For fine distinctions in describing soils of very nearly the IbU same type furtlJer subdivisions may oe made of these horizons. \<\here land tends to be very poorly drained there occurs below the B. horizon or in place of it, a gray very compact pL;\stic soil called ")'lei' or the 'G' horizon. t, The classification of soils is made first with reference to the climate and original plant cover, and certain fairly well defined zones are observed over the world. The major group of soils which includes most of the soils of bouthern Ontario is ca.lled the Gray Brown, t'orest (or podzolic) soils. These 50ils ;,vere formed under hardwood or mixed hardwood forest under a climate the same or similar to that which is experienced now. hithin this group there is a further division into Associations on the basis of the parent material fronJ which the soils wer€~ fonned. As most of the mantle of rock in Ontario is a glaCial depoit of one sort or another, such as boulder clay or till, moraine, water depos- its and so forth, a study of the phYSiographic origin of the soil is the first step in describin[; and classifyill(; soils. ~ithin anyone association there are a number of soil 'Series' based on the deeree of development of the soil, the factor which has influenced this devel.opment the most is that of aeration and wetting of the soil so that within one association we mii:ht find €Xct'ssively arained ( and too aerated) soils, well drained and well developed soils, ia.per- fectly drained soils and poorly drained soils. ..1thin a series there is another cl,,,-ssification according to texture of the soil and this, added to the name of the series, gives the na~Ute of the soil type. ~oil series are name~ after the locality in whicIl the) ~,\.;re first recognized and desc- ribed, for example J Peel, Haldimand, Chineuacousy, King, }-'ontYPool, Brigrlton and Kettleby. Soil textures are d~scribed as sandy, silty, clay or loam or as clay loam, silt loam and sandy loam depending on the proportion of soil separates that occur in the soil, sand or grdvel being the co~rsest particles, clay the fine~st particll';s and even mixtures being loam. 1ihere a soil type, such as GrenVille Loam, occurs in more 161 than one ~'iid.y Ci. further description is addod and the full name then refers to a phase, for example, Grenville Loam and Grenvile Loam, bouldery phase. A soil series can be consid- ered parallel to a plant Genus, Type to Species and Phase to Variety. ,ihere soil OCClirs in a ri vcr bottom and because of its recent deposition by water and its annual flo'ding has not developed a fru:'ile it is mapped as 'Bottom La nd ' , Also there are soils that ctre so wet that the profile development is very much rerluced and they are described and mapped as muck or peat, muck is black, contains organic matter fairly well decomposed and lies directly over parent material that is nearly always saturated with water, peat is even wetter, decomposition has not proceeded so far, ~lant remains nay often be seen and it is likely to be more brown in colour. The mapping of soils and examination of the soils in the field and in the laboratory to cteterrnine their physical and chemical composition is the function of a soil survey. This is done in Ontario, county by couni;y, by the Ontario ~;oil Survey which is contributeri to by the O'ltario Agricultural College a;,d the Lxperimental Farm .3ervice of the Dominion Department of Agriculture, It is clone on what is called the netailed rec- I onnaissance scale ann their results and observations are mapped on the scale of one inch to the mile on the topographic sheets. In some cases reports accompany the 11[11)8, as published, duscri- 'I bing in detail not only the soils that are ma}Jped but conditions of erosion, fertility, crop adaptability anrl type of topor;rClphy that is found. Soil types are identified by name and a mapping symbol composed of abbreviations and initiHls of the name are . inserted on the map. These maps are used as the basis for the more detailed observations made of soil type, condition and use that are made by this departme;.t, 3. Mapping Symbols for Soils A method of classifying the soils found in Ontario on a basis that gives a methorl for mapping the natural . '" 162 types of soil has been worked out by ~r. G. A. Hi}.ls, now of , i the DepzlrtrH=t;t of Lemos and Forests of Ontario. This is called the 'Decimal System for the Classification and I'b1ping of Ontario Soils' and is used in t;he field 'r'/ork and L)ublished mrlsJS of the Dt;partment of Planning and Developmlcmt. !ising this system a soil series can be described by using a three rligit n:Hnber, each di(;it ret'resenting one of the three main features of the soil in the following manner: Hundreds 'iifit Tens digit ;;n~,t Digit Parent material nock composition !rofile development Types of parent material according to the manner in ~'lhich the mater:.al originated, when represented by thb first of the three digits, the digits indicate the following: O. Thin drift. 1. Coarse textured open til~. 2. Loamy Till. 3. Htavy Till, Lt.. Roughly st:ratified gr<.lvelly drift. 5. Uniformly stratified [ravelly drift. 6. Ih:avy deep water deposits. '7 Loa my d E~ e p wa t e r d e po sit s . . 8. :i.oughly stratified sanrly drift. 9. Uniformly stratified sandy drift. (,ihichever of these classifications occur in the report are describerl in the chapter describinb the physiography of the area.) ThH second digit signifies the proportion of sandstone, limestone and shiclle repr~ smlted in the mineral matter from which the soil has been devEloped. The position of the digit in the follo~in[ table which best rlemonstrates the proportion of these rocks is used. --.~.... " IbJ ! Od 'I' /; SJ. J.ceous 100% argillaceous 501~ siliceous 50% argillaceous 0 10m; siliceous. 0% calcareous 4 5 6 .0% argillaceous 50)~' calcareous 1 OO~b : calcareous The third digit represents the development of the soil profile in the mineral matter indicated by the first two /riigits. From the following table it will be seen that '2 ' represents the best developed soil, , l' and '0 ' ro }_,resent excessively rlrainen soils with poor profile develol)ment and numbers Imler than two represent progressively poorer devel- opment due to poor dra inaj.:;e. o. Excessively drained and aerated, practieally no l)rofile and no capacity to hold water. 1. Excessively drained, poor profile development. 2. The best development of a soil profile possible under local conditions. II 3. Slightly imperfectly drained, some 'mottling' in the 'B' horizon. 4. Imperfectly drained, mottled 'B' horizon apparent. 5. Aher€.' great variations occur, used to represent transition from 4 to 6. 6. Poorly drained, 'B' horizon, bluish, mottled with bro'im, often replaced by '~lei' horizon or nearly laCking. 7. Gray muck over matt, led or bluish sticky glei. No A2 or B horizon. -- . ~.~.- . -- .-.- ~-,-,-=--.,;.- - --- .~ '" 164 Thus, three digits, 682 sil"n:i.fies a ~oil , that is \'iaterlaid, composed largely of limey and sheley material with a well drained, fully developed profile. The first two features a re those which d istirvuish "associations", previously mentioned. Further differentiation indicates the series, and indicates local differentiation so that vdthin an area in which all soils are mapped 68- there may bti some 682, some 684 and some 686, inrlicat;ing the well drained, imperfectly drained and poorly drained associates. These three series have names _ Peel, Haldimdr~ and Brookston, or may be referred to as the well, imp~rfectly and poorly drained associates. The addition of initials Signifying clay, sa nd , silt, loam, clay loam, etc. specifies the type within the series. Example: In reading thf~ map of the area of a table of figures it is easy to interpret what 'is eiven when this decimal notation is used. ','/here the soil type symbol bebins with the digit 6, soil of the bevelled clay plain is indicated, the final digit indicates the natural internal drainage of the soil, 2 is the optimum, 3, 4, and so on indicate progressively poorer degr8es of drainage. 4. r1al;pinf~ Land Use In r1rtpping Land Use, three main uses are recog- nized and mapped, (1 ) land under cultivation ami cropped, including pasture where that is part of the rotation USed. ( 2 ) permanent pasture, that is land which has been under pasture, not part of a rotation. (J) forest land, land covered by trees, which may be pa:~turen as well. In the field the use to which every field is put i~ marked with a symbol, L for cropped land, P for permanent pa~ture and F for woodlot. IrUe land, where found, is marked with an X, special features are also marked, such as gravel pit (G.P.) , recreational land, urban development, airports and so forth. The purpose of this survey is to compare the natural capabilities of the land and the actual use to which it is being put. Where present 11se is in accord with its capabilities, a good adjustment of land use to land can be assumed and little is n'_;eded of conservation mf;8sures. Where land use is not '" 165 arljusted to natural capabilities the results of such lJoor ad- ! justment are often obvious and the need for conservation meaS'1res to be adopted is rea.dily seen. There are two aspects of this IJroblem, first, misuse or excessi va use of poor lands al;o second, neglect to use fully the best lal.ds. Ofte;-; the readjustment consists of limiting use of land of lesser capabil- ities <:ind extending or intensifying use of the better land so as to return a well balanced economy of the area. 5. Erosion A major problem in agricultural land use occurs in some regions in the form of soil erosion. This occurs on lighter soils ml i:il.y kin-; of slope and in any soil where the toporraphy is such that long or steep slopes apvear. This is not only a problem to the agriculturalist in reduced yielris and effectiveness of the farm operations, but is l-'arallel to and contributory to problems of diminished water supply and poss- ibility of floods, Indeed, erosion, diminished water supply and threat of floods very often run hand in hand. Erosion and loss of water togeth~;r materially reduce the effectiveness of any agricultural program. Soil erosion is brought about by t~"I0 main causes, \dnd and water. In some ligr.t l'iandy soils which have been exposed to the action of the winrl, severe erosion has ()ccurred. This not only reduces the crop carrying ci;;.l.}lacity of the eroden soil but the deposition of sand by wind on acljacent areas dr~stically affects their use too. Water erosion is the kind most generally met with in Ontario and can be seen almost anywhere that land with any slope has been expos(;d by cul ti va- tion for any length of time. The actual process as it goes on can be easily observed and recognized and as such is known to the farmer as ' wa s h ' . Recognition of the nature of soil brings home a fuller appreciation of the significance of erosion. The extent of erosion in anyone place can be measlired by observing the soil profile. A study of the soil in an unexpos~d spot, or in a place wher\ it has not been subject to erosion, will show the del)ths of the horizons in that soil type, for example a soil ,. 166 may regularly exhibit an ' A ' horizon of 18 inches underlain by a 'B' hori?on of one foot. If the same soil in an area subject to erosion shows an 'A' horizon of only six inches or none at all we can easily recognize the extent of the erosion that , has taken place. This is the kind of examination that is made in the field '.'{hen a conservation survey is made. <later erosion starts as sheet erosion when rain or melt \vater begins to wash the surface soil off a slope. iYhen sheet erosion has progressed to the point whert~ the rLlnning water has begun to form its own water courses, or is induced into water courses cr\nted by furrows, r!:ts or drill rows, 'rill' erosion Occ;;rs and rieeper cuts are made into the soil, More extreme i" still, and following rill erosion is gulley erosion. 'i'his is the most obvious evidence of erosion but it must be borne in mind that the Occurrence of gulley erosion is the extreme mani- festation of erosion and indicates that severe erosion has been foing on before thf~ ~:u lleys W'f;re formed. The velocity of the moving water increases very sharply with degree and length of slope and its ability to carry away the soil increases even more sharply with increased velocity. The other vicious characteris- tic of erosion is that as the humus bearing 'AI' horizon is re- moved the soil is less able to hold the water that falls upon it and there is more run-off to cause erosion. \ihen the '13' horizon has been remove~ the exposed parent material is very easily eroded and when deposited on thr lower lan~ on which it comes to rest, t.he lower land loses much of its agricultural value. Protection against erosion is achieved by maintaining, as much as Possible, pl~nt cover on the soils that are subject to erosion, by restricting the surface movement of water on sloping lands and above all by maintaining in the soil the highest possibln proportion of humus. Besides susceptibility to erosion there are other natural land conditions that are met with. The most genera 1 of these is restricted drainage in the soil. This mHY be due to poor surface drainage which will not remove thE excess "Vdtur from the land or it may be due to the materi.'il of which the soil is made. Often these two &0 to- '" lb7 gether. This is land that is called 'cold' land by the far ,cr I and experience with his ovm land soon ShOHS him >~tlicb soils are :in that state And he either restricts hi~~ lise of it accordingly or overcomes thedis~lrivantaf,c by :instituthlt'; a riraina[e system, underdrainage, surfacE:"' tiraina,fe or bot] . If the topogra~hy is not s'ciitable for such a system then he is forced t,o restrict the use of the land or run the risk of hazardous cropsint. The effectiveness of natural interndl drainage can easily be ob- served from th~~ soil profile. In the 'B' horizon the presence of iron com;)ounc!s gi "US ita cha racteristic colour. ::'1' the 'ivatf:r t[lble, is ,W 11 beIol'" the soil profile and tlH'ire is d Eood chance for air to enter the 80il the iron compounds are oxidized and t.here is a reddish-brown tiq:e to the soil. If the water table is close to the surface the iron compounds are reduced (or deoxidized) and a 'e characteristically blue-gray. If there is a fluct.uating water table that has alternately per- mitted and excluded air from the soil the 'B' horizon will be matt J f~d with brown and gray. These are the observation::; made by the survey field man determining the soil type according to drainar;e. 6. Land Use Capability ClassificCition In an inventol\Y of nat~ura.l Cai)abilities of land with a vie~i to pla;iI1inj:~; its use some kind of 'yardstick' must be devi~,ed by which the worth of land can be measurer! in terms of its natural capabilities and the uses to which it is capable of being put. The yarrlstick used in this s.rvey and report is called the Land - se Cap'-lbiJ.ity Cla.ssificrltion and \'ictS designed by the U.0. Departnent of AgriCiilt!.re Conservation .:.lervice. In this classification land is gro'iped into ei~ht clusses accord- ing to its cai~abilities or the practice~, ','ihich ./wo\,ld have to be carried 01tt to bring such land into fullest possible 1,rorluction ClfTicult, rally. The dm'{f,grading of land in this cldf;sifj.cation m:'lY be due to limitations i' ,posed by f~rosion or s sce~tibili ty to erosion, by poor natur~l drainage, by stonines5 or shallod- ness of soil. The means 'r'lhen~by it may be brought into the fullest possible prorluction of .Jhich it is cai;ablH, without ,. ..'.~'-,.~.._- lOb detoration of its natural lUdli ties, con::,'; sts of various special faming practic~s or by limitation of its use to special purpoSES or by restriction of crop rotations. .1h~m land use is best adjusted to it.s nat1;ral capabilities it is giviTl~i. the most prQfitahle yield ~.,hich can be maintained indefinitely. Classification of Land Land suitable for cultivation with: I. No special practices, Level well draiIldd. land with good supply of available plant nutrients. II. :::imple pract.ices, Land subject to erosion which will respond to erosion control practices, or imperfectly drained 80il due to tough subsoil. -- III. Intensive practices, ~ubject to erosion or poorly drained. LandIV1J.itEDlr fgr occasional or lim~t3d cultivftign witg:l d . . ,1m te Use or In.. [,roc e or pOOl' y ralne an tensi ve practices, (often best suited for long , rotations). Land not sui table for cuI ti vat:on but slli table for permanent vegetation with: V. No special restric- Levf;l land not subject to tions or special ero~ion but too wet or stoney practices, and for which drainage or clearing is not practicable. VI. Moderate restrictions Subject to erosion, suitable in use, for pasture or forest if protecte1 from erosion. VII. Severe restrictions .':>uitable for forestry with in use, practices to protect against erosion. - Land not suitable for cultivation, grazing or forestry. VIII. Lund that may have Extremely rough or wet land. ii value for wildlife, When an area has been mapperl to show soil types, drainage. slope and erosion, and other limiting features it would be cumbersome to describe the area in terms of the multitude of conditions found but when the 'Jarious parcels so mapped are re- duced to this classification the picture becomes r'iUch ~;im!)ler and a guide to future use is then provided. It must be borne in mind, however, that more than om~ featilre '-lay have placed a parcel of land in anyone class and that the remedial stelJS to be taken may folIo.. different line s according to that feature of the land which restricts :its use. Therefore in implementing any .-". ,. 169 plan for lanrl use, refE;rer',ce Til'!st tHo rucle to the dcUd_l':..d Con- I (Htions that have been observPi, des cri bt:d and uapped. Tht;se rletails and their significance are all contiined in the text of the report and inrticateri on the :"lap which accompidlies tt. 7. Happing Symbols - Slope. Lro~)ion . ./ate.r . Land U.se The way in which the natural features of the land and its present use are mappert in thf: fh.ld is shown in the following table: I I ::.lLCPI', CR)UPS HUNNOCKY 'rOPOGHAPHY A - 0-2 pEer cent f ,~ - 0-7 per cent B - 2-6 " " ",.1 - 7-15 " n ' ~ C - 6-10 Tf n p - 15-25 u " D - 10-15 " " H - 25 plus " " I: - 15-20 " " .., F - 20-30 " If G - 30plus" n "'HITR(\""'O" ('A'r R) ~ l ~ ~ .'i.. ......) .L I, ~i... b o - no apparent erosion. 1 - less than 1/3 topsoil removert. 2 - 1/) - 2/3 topsoil removed. 3 - 2/3 plus topsoil al~d less 1/3 subsoil. 4 - all topsoil and 1/3 - 2/3 suhsoil. 5 - all topsoil ar~ 2/3 plus subsoil. I ! - accumulat:ion, give depth, e.g. plus b". - erosion not determined. Ii (Topsoil -- A layers; Subsoil __ B layers) ',fIND EHOSION P - Same as 1 under sheet erosion I R - 11 " 2 IT IT " " n " 3 " " " .J - l' - TI TI 4 " " " U - " " 5 " n " GULLY ;.R03ION 7 - more than 100 feet apart. 8 - less than 100 feet apart but less than 75% ar~a in gullies. 9 - frequent gullies, more than 75% area in gullies. 170 o - around '/, o or q, e. C. f,ullies iHt 0 subsoil. I V - CJ bout 7, 8 or 9, e. g. gullies into subsoil. o and V - not crosse) by impl\;ments. ,,,lATER CUUi(S,;~S [i D r;ULLli:S (in BLUL) permanent streams. ~ intermittent strea~s. intermittent strE-3arnS no definite channel. spring. (in RED) ~, , , j"',-", ind i vidual t;haJ.low gully. --'- f~"'~\_...~ ,t'.:.....'.:,_.".., individual gully into subsoil. ~""".'-',"""-,,,,> inn i vidual gully j-nto parent ;rlClterial. PIE.S!:;;.;T LAND USL (in HED) P - permanent pasture. F - wood lawi . L - cultivated land. X - idle land. some examples are given hHre: 262 The number on top indicates the 80il series using C27 the decimal system, most ~-)ignificant is the final '2 ' which indicates that it is d well drained soil. In the lower . roup of letters ~nd numbers the letter inriicates the in this example betir.jeen 6 and 10 per cent. II class of slope, The digit following the letter indicates the degree of erosion, one third to two thirds of the topsoil ( , A ' horizon) has been eroded the 7 indicates that gulleys occur more than 100 feet apart, they extend into the parent material and can not be crossed by tillage implements. 6d4 684 imperfectly drained soil of the lucustrine AD clay association. AO Slope less than 2~; and no apprecLlble erosion, 393 393 Slightly restricted drainage in glacial till soil. MI ;'U Irregular (or hurnnocky slot>es) up to 7% with slight erosion on the slopes. 171 o. Remedial j![easures On cold or poorly drained land, expel.'ience and the demands which t.he farm operator has to make on his land de- t€rmine whether or not he institutes a drainage system. On land which is erode:l or susceptible to erosion or where the matter of water supply is one v:' serious concern tlwre are four courses which may be followed. (1 ) ,rust plain good farm manager-lent. It is essHntial .,.{hen there is close to Lmd that can be couIlted on to give good yields consistently \lith special practices, land 'dhich is restrictE~d in its capabilities and which may require spectal prac- tices, that special care must be taken that the greatest and wisHst use may be made of the good land so that no unnecessary burden is placed on land which requires special consideration. (2 ) Conservation Farminf;. There is ouch land which is eroded or susceptible to erosion and in which there may be prob- lems of water supply. There is a good deal of this that can be broUf,ht into more efficient production '.dthout further deteriora- tion by the arloption of certain farming practices. These L,clude contour cultivation.and strip cropping, terracing and diversion ditches, grassing of watercourses, monor farm engineering works and special rotations designed to add humus to the soil and maintain Plant Cover on the lund as much as Possible. (J) Permanent pasture. There is land that is subject to erosion that because of the topography or the severity of the ! erosion are not suitable to be handled in thD ways mentioned in the preceding note. Protection against erosion can best be ob- tained on these lands by severe restriction of rotation to inclUde hay and pasture or by maintaining them permanently in pasture. Such lands can be made, however, to carry their full share of the production of the farm. If fu' lest use is to be made of them, they merit a study of their Roil fertilizer ncedR and a program of such fertilization. (4) Reforestation. Land whose soil and .iater resources can not be protected by grass or which havf~ been so severely eroded that they will no longer SUpport a profitable stand of ,. 1"2 grasf3 is best used as woodlot. There ic; r:1Uch lawl yvhich is now under CD 1 t i vation or in past-,lIre that, in the long run, ,Jill i.,ive a better return for the labour put into it if put into woodlot. On anyone fana effectua Li.on of a proLram of - soil conserv8tion may make the riifference betvveen loss or gain. Adoption of any of these practices, where well advised, may do much to assist the farmer. A complete pro[ram carried out on the advice of technical experts qualified to assist the farmer will not only be of great value to the farmer but will assist in the overall consideration of soil and water conservation by the 'who'le community. I, . '" 173 CHAPTER THL ::.lOlLS OF THL Hupi1BLR HATEHSHED 1 I The soils of this region have developed on I various surfacn rleposits under a hardwood or mixed hardwooa forest and in a clima~e similar to that ...{hich is experienced W) w . On che h~sis of their mature profiles they belong to the groupv'lhich is known as the gray-brown podzolic soils. ihen the forest is first cleared there is a well estabJished horizor: of humus ann mineral matter, t,he ' Al ' . Under this, in ','/el1 drained soils, there is a leached horizon, grayish in colour, from which th€ organic acids from the decomposition of the humus have washed the alkaline material. This horizon, the ' ,. 0) , often resembles in colour the parent r~liner"l material 1'\.::.. , from which the soil was developed. The 'B' hori ~wn , or horizon of accumulation is more compact, though not usually impervious enough to be called a hard pan. In well drained soils it tenis to be brownish in colour, imperfectly drained soils ShO....1 a mottled red, brown anrl gray 'B' horizon. The ' {' , hori.zon, or \1 parent material, consists of the unconso15dated glacibl deposit with no modification by plant products or the action of climate. Except in very loose, light goils the 'A' and '13 ' horizons do not usu,~ lly extend below Ulree feet. The differ- ences in soils are due to the differences in the pmterial deposited by the glaciers and in the subsequent description of these soils they are grouped to conform to the physiog- !i raphic eli visionsviThi ch \vere described in the chapter on Geology and Physiogr;:'iphy. The soils of Peel &nd York counties have been identified, named and mapped by the OntElrJ.o Soil Survey; the names ascribed to the soils by that borty are adopted here. :,';ore soli types have been rnappei on fhosf:, parts of the t.wo counti(;s t,hatfall ',-dthin the Hutaber ,iat~ersued thc-Ul are here described but the ten soil types described are typical, are easily recognized and account for the greatest part of '" 174 the '/t'atershed. In the following discussion of these soils I they are grouped to the n~jtural regions outlioed in the chapter on physiography. They are enumerated in t he order in which they would be found in a traverse from the northern margin of the watershed to the mouth of the river. 1. The Soils of the Interlobat~ Area (i) :Roughly stratified gravel;ty drift - Pontypool Sandy Loam, mapping symbol - 472. Surface soil is light in texture, light brownish to brownish yellow in colour, the ' I:jf horizon is Ilot heavily compacted, the stones and boulders of the parent material are present throughout the profile. It tends to be deficient in phosphate and potash as well as humus. It is found in ! rolling to hilly topography and is often excessively drained. In its better phases it is suited to general farming but susceptibility to erosion, excessive internal drainage, fertility deficiencies and the djfficult terrain in which it is often found make it, unproductive for crops and it is better suited for reforestation. It j s nearly neutral in reaction, will support legumes as well as grasses and where tile slopes are not too steep, may be considered for improve- ment \",i th a view to psst,ure. (ii) Loamy Till - Kettleby Loam, mapping symbol - 282. The ' Ii t horizon of this soil is a brown loam but often appears 2.5 a light brown loam with light texture. I The subsoil is a clay loam with a mixture of sHldll stones. from the parent material which is a stony Till with limestone and shale fragMents. It is ty pically ~iell drained J o.ften shows deficiency in humus and tends to be deficient in phos- phates and potash. It is found on the slopes leading up to the heichts of the Interlobate l'10raine, in many w~ys resembles the t~~icHl soil of the Till Plain (King Clay Loam) but is found in hillier aspects, and has less limestone con- tent. :~ixcd and dairy farming is practiced on this soil. The steeper slopes are pastured or wooded. '" 175 (iii) Uniformly stratified gravelly ririft - Brighton I I Sandy Loam, mapping symbol - 572. This is a. bro;n sanriy loard wit}, a lea ched 'A2' horizon of yellow sand, thE~ subsoil is a brownish lOdID and thei)arent material is :J grayish, stratified sand with few stone~> . This soil has a fairly high lime content, is neutral in reaction and when kept well up in humus content is a productive soil. It shares the tendency to be deficient in available phosphate and potash which 59 typical of Ontario so'ls. It is typically well drained except for the small riepressional areas that occur frequently in j t. On slopes it may tend to be dry. This soil is subuect to erosion and when the more compact subsoil has washed it, is sub.;ect to severe wind erosion. Areas of excessive drainage or of erosion are suitable for reforestation. This soil is developed upon alluvial material, deposited away from the faceof the rlirninishing glacier where quietly flowing melt waters sorted out and deposited sand and silt materials. The sloping terrain in which it is found, its light texture and its tendency to be deficient in humus are disadvantages which must be seriously considered and controlled, otherwise it depreciates or erodes badly. ? Soils of the Till Plain ,"-. . (1) Heavy Till - King Clay Loam, TIlapping symbol - 372. A brownish clay loam over a subsoil of brownish I clay which has numerous pebbles, mostly of limestone, derived from the parent material which is a grouno moraine de~osit of limestone and shale. This is a productive soil adapted to a wi~e ranee of crops and which is used mostly for dairy fa rming. There are some steep slopes in the zone where this soil is found and these have been erod~d. woodlots are not large or numerous and mifht ~te 11 be extender! to include slopes that have been seriously eroded. Good pastures are found on this soil and extension and ~ood ~anagement of these would, in many cases, suffi ce to control the erosi on rnenace. , 176 Th,9t part of the '1'1J.1 Plain dhich lies in the u.Jper and enstern I port5on of the Hnmber ',iatershed is larr:ely covered with this soil. (ii) Heavy Till - Ch:.nguacousy Clay Loam, mapping symbol - 393. This soil is found in that part of the Till Plain that covers the 10Vler and western portions of the water- shed. It differs from the King in having more shale and being slightly acid in reaction. Shale fragments are found through- out the profile, the subsoil is fairly compact. The nature of this soil and the topography where it is found make drain- age a problem in its use. Where the subsoil is slightly mottled with brown and red, well l1r.l.naged surface cir-dns make the soil fully productive. Where there is evidence of poorer drainage it is not usually feasible to install tiles and the soil is then restricted somUi~at in its use. Hany of the streams of the west branch of the Humber rise in fields which have this soil. When adequately drained this is a fully prod- uctive soil with good crops and pasture cover, there are few woodlots except in depressional areas where the soil is poorly drained. ~rosion is not an acute problem on this soil 3. Soils of the Bevelled Till Plain ( 1) daterlaid de::osit, weil drained clay - Peel Clay Loam mapping symhol - 682. , ; The region of the Bevelled Ti'l Plain shows the result of a l:lke or ponriing anrl the surface soils have II many of t~e features of waterld.id deposits. There is, at varying depths, mater5al similar to that of the 'ri1l Plain but the soil profile, for the most part, has been developed in the smooth, heavy clay. The surface is a dark brown c lay loam over a grayish brO'.'m subsoil. There is a fair proportion of lime in the soil BO that its reaction is neutral or only slightly acirl. It 1s a fertile soil and carries a wide r&nge of crops including alfalfa and other lc.r:umes val- uable in dairy production. ThE:) heavy clay is inclined to "- " 177 restrict drainage but a slight undulation that c.dlows surface I run-off anrl. the com,parati ve perviousness of the Till deposit underlying the waterlaid cJ~ys keep this soil, over ~'li d e reg- ions, reasonably well dra~ned. Much of the area covered by this soil is employed in the production of whole milk for I the '1'orrmto trade and in the hreeding of dairy cattle. I (ii) .iaterlaid deposits, imperfectly drained clay _ f Hnldimand Clay Loam, mapping symbol _ 6u4. f J The heavy clays and the level terrain of the W' ~ t Bevelled Till PIa in restrict, r he dra in'~lge in sorje placos and ~! l a soil is formed from the same material as the Peel Clay t, Loam which shows all the features of an inadequately drained soil. The top~oil is more grayish than that ()f the Peel and the subs oj 1 is mottlerl vii th brown and f,ray or is bluish gr~lY . To obtain full production of a wide ranGe of cro!)s this soil requires artificial drainage but nost of the crops essential to dairy agriculture lAre grown on it successfully. (iii) ifaterlaid depoBits, sand over cl:lY - Herrien ~andy ~ Loam, maptJing symbol 5/682. 'I Sandy deltas formed at the mouths of streams emptying into glacial la kes anr! ponds have left layers of sanri over waterlaid clay. In these sands this soil has developed. The top 50il is a light brown sanriy lo~mt the subsoil is a yellow or mottled san'! t at varying depths clay is found. This soil is fr,1;n-1 in patches ..!here the Humber River flO\lis through the Bevelled Ti ,1 Plain and also II on the Iroquois Lake Plain. It is an easily dorked soil, ':Jften oevoted to specialized crops and also has b(~en found desirable by home builders. Berrien Sandy Loam is also seen on each side of t,he low-{er Hud>or on the Iroquois lake plain. 4. Soils of tht.) Terminal Ii10raines Loar:'l}' T1J 1 - Ontflrio Loam, rncq.lping symbol _ 282. This soil is found in the hill district of Toronto und in a ridge running south f{est from ]\~ono !toad Station in the westerly portion of the Humoer .JHtershed. It '" 176 is a light brown loam over reddish brown clayey lOdnl with I I numerous stones. It is a fertile ~wll dra 1ned soil ~da,;ta ble . to a wide range of crops. If the terrain is rolling or hilly it is subject to erosion. 5. SOils of? yJatE~r depOsited Sands and Gravels Stratified gravelly and sandy drift - Fox Sandy Loam. On the edges of the Humber Hi Vt~r Valley and in the old sano bar between St. Clair Ave. and Mount Dennis is found this light sandy soil, often underlain by gravel beds which are worked as gravel pits. Being a light soil it tends to become deficient in humus unless well replenished anct , in intensive use, requires considerable potash and phos- phate fertilizer. It is slightly acid in reaction but is well suited to the Use to which it is put, that of truck gardening. This use is often extended to Bott.om Land soils that occur adjacent to it. On Rteep or long slopes it is subject to water erosion and when left bare will suffer from wind erosion. Rrodible areas can be protected by the plant- ing of pine trees, of which some are still found on this soil, Lmd the proximity of this soil to desirable real estate sites and golf courses would support the desirability of this practice. ! I -- " 179 CHA.PTER , LA.ND USr: AND SOILS ON A SAMPLE AREA COLD CRbEK 1. Land Use Studies on a Sample Area_ A detailerlstudy was rwde of the soils, con- .Htions of slo~}e .qnd eros5_on and present land use of a sample area on the Humber Watershed. This area WEIS on the watershed of a small trlbutary of the Humber which arises in the hills of Albion ami King townships and joins (;h~: :ain Humber just below the village of Bolton. This creek is known locally as Gold Creek. The area of the ~iece of land described and discussed in t,his report amounts to 10,895 acres exclusive of the larger ponds and thR road allowances, ltJhich were not surveyed. there are, in this region, conditions of soil erosion and loss cf water that are really severe and which are representative of the problems that are found throughout the entire reach of the upper part of the watershed which lie in the Interlobate region and the northern limb of the TiJIPlain. 2. Problems of the Upper Heaches of the Humber ~vatershed These upstream probler'ls of \~ater loss and soil erosion are associated with, and contributary to unrles- irable condittons of stream flow throughout the entire water- shed. Efforts to solve these probleMs ~iill help materially in any program of conservation in t,he Humber ~Jatershed. hem- i edial measures will help to i ~pr0ve the economic state of the operators in the upstream region. The Sjution of land use problems will ado to the recreational an forest resources of that part of South Central Ontario which lies nea'rest to the metropolitan area of the city of Toronto. There are two aspects of the st,udy of lann use in the region of which the Cold Creek lv'latershed is typical vvhich are easily recog- nized by both country and town dwellers. A problem of consid- erable importance to the a{~riculturalists of the region is that of loss of water supply. This is concurrent "with the other problem of soil erosion, althour;h the water question is more readily recognized. The matter " 180 that is foremost in the Minns of the city dwellers is the I utilization of this splendid resource, the Interlobate ;,ioraine, in the creation of the 1 . 'Outer Green Belt' , a recreatIonal zone for the urban population concentrHted along the shore of Lake Ontario from Oshawa to Hamilton. In this ~~one there are ,. . ponds and stjreaGiS for DWimr:1int, fishing and boating, .....d Kes, hills for siding, woods cmd vaJ.leys for nature trails. ample resources for horseback riding and scenery vlhich. of its type, is of unsurpassed beauty. This re~~ion has the resources to provide recreation for many of the people of the urban belt who cannot afford the travel to the lake rHetrict. Also, this zone cuts across the main highways that lend to the tourist country .which at1.racts so many motorists from the United States. If the recreational res- ources of this region are to b~ developed systematically for the public benefit, measures will be adopted that will not interfere with or infringe on the rlgf)ts of those who now cul- tivate the region for agricultural purposes. Intimate know- ledge of the region is necessary and towards the building up of such knowledge this study is a contribution. 3. Soils of the Sample Area Four of the soil types which have been prev- iously described are found on the watershed of the Cold Creek. The valleys of the Humber and the Cold Creek and the hills of the Interlobate r.10ra ine give this region a topography Ii which, compared to that of the country to the south of it, is rugged. On the slopes ~re is considerable erosion; horrible examples of gulley erosion and wind blowouts can be seen. Nany of the streams, vlhi ell were known to be permanent a hundred years ago anti even to have been good trout streams are now ephemercil spring freshets with courses dry in midsummer. Because of the obvious unsuitability of much of the ~oil fo~ cultivation there are to be found here more dnd larger 1. Proposed Master Plan for the City of Toronto: Toronto City Planning Board, 1943. ~ ~---~.~.- '" HH TABLE I I ACREAGE MiD PER CEr'!T OF EACH SOIL TYPE Inter10bate Moraine Acres Per Cent Pontypoo1 Sandy Loam 617 5.7 Kett,leby Loam 2071 19.0 Outwash Land Brighton Sandy Loam 9:15 9.1 Till Flain King Clay Loam 6144 56.5 Imperfectly Drained Associate 156 1.4 P"orly Drained Associate 86 0.8 Depressional Areas Muck 331 J.O Bottom Land 495 4.5 ~ , , !I 102 woodlots than 10~ver down on the Humber,atershed. ! The soil with the largest areal extent on this sample area is the King Clay LOBM, of which there are 6,144 acres or 56.51; of the area i';apped. f\long with this are patches of soil a~soci.ated with the King Clay Loam but which are inadequately irained, 242 acres or 2.20 of the area. Kettleby Loam is foun~ on 2,071 acres or 19.0~ of the area. Pontypool Sandy Loam COvered 617 aCr!R, 5.7% of the area. Brighton ~;alldy ;,oam \1as found to the extent of 995 acres, or Ie' De;ressed areas containing muck 50ils bnd flood plains 9. ,to . of river bottor')S ()ccu~)y 7.5;; of the area. Pontypool [;,nily Loam L: found i;l graa ter extent in the More wesl erly portion of the Humber ,wtershed but the conditions found on the Cold Cr(;ek Tributary are typical of those to be seen wherever that soil is found. King and reef..:; -. d~y are heavier soils which resist erosion perhaps better than Pontypool but the hilly terrain and consequent conditions of erosion that were found on these soils are typical of 'those to be seen wherever the topography associated with the Interlohate Moraine predom- inates. 4. A ricultural Land Use of the Cold Creek ,iatershed The southern tip of the area studied in detail is within the Toronto milkshed and shows an efficient and producti ve developm~mt 0 - f...IHt type of agri culture that prod- II uces whole milk. There is considerable mechunization, fairly large herds are carried and the cultivated fields show the benefit derived from the use of stable manure. Most of the area is devoted to mixed dairy fanning for shipping cream to the cr. amery and to produce hogs, poultry, sheep and some beef. A few farms ~re in boef prOduction. The synbol, unhappily, of the depreciation of the soil is the large flock of sheep. Grazing where hiljs are steep, soils worn and water not rearlily available for cattJe, this useful friend of man is often relegated to those soils which are no longer found productive for other uses. Though ". 183 I TABLE II PHLSELT LAND USE TOTALS Present Land J1se Acres Per Cent Cropland 7447 68.3 Past' re 2058 18.9 ',ioarnet 1195 11.0 Idle and 195 1.8 Recreational Land -'l.. Ib4 pasture is usui'll y considered a protective neusure Cl.Lainst I erosion a nrl excessi va run-off the close cropi;ing eating ha bi ts of t,his little animal often ag,ravate rather than mitigate the ravages of soil erosion. The river valleys, the steep slopes and the muck areas are the sites of woodlots. The v"JV€ enn productivity of these are discussed el~~where in this report. 5. ~er Uses of the Land Some years aLa the iJeighbourhood.lorkers Assoc- iation of Toronto, appreciating the value of this region for recreational purposes, established a suwner camp on this creek for the children of Toronto. This is a model which might wall be copied in the development of the region as 3 recreational area. Hecently the Congregation of St. Thomas' church in Toronto has acquired and begun t.o develot a prop- erty on this creek for use as a summer camp for the boys of the parish. Noteworthy in their efforts is a reforestation prograM carried out by the boys. Planting trees builds forests, bUilds soil and builds men. A few properties have been acquired by city people, some are earnestly striving to develop the resources of the area, some are continuing to farm it in the same way as their neit:hbours and some are neglecting it and unwittingly contributing to the conditions which are depreciating the land. 6. l.and HoldinF;s I There are three families working the land which their anceston~ acquired from the Crown over a hundred years ago. Changes in ownership of holdings has been somewhat accelerated lately. In the better stretches the one hund- red acre farm is till co~non, other fractions of the 200 acre lots are rare. In the J,.woded and more rugged areas 300 acre holdings are found. A Co~~on feature of the reg- ion is the kettle pond. On many farms t,he operator depends on these for water 5up"ly for cattle. Some holdings of lOa or 2.,)0 acres are nevoted entirely to pasture, spring8~ - ... -, p r: l ! COLD CREEK SAMPLE AREA SOIL TYPES LAND USE "U&H10N SANDY LO"M '-I %. OTHf.R Usn 1-'''''' ".. WOODl.OT 110% ~ T~ .. " IC[TTLUl' La.... It 0... ! \ .... H \ KING CLAY LOAM '1'''' ItASTURE II'''' \ j , } (.1II0Il'L&"0 .. ~"'" 'ONTYPDDL "'NOl' La.... , .,... -\ "vel( '0' ~ IOTTOIllLAND 4 , ,., - ." -- '1NAO(QU"nLY O....INI.O r I'" 10,'" .&,"(1 10,'" ",eRES PRESENT LAND USE KIN' CLA'" LOA" ! I 7.. ... 15-0'" .... I II.... "ClitES -- ---~-_._---- I C..OPlAND "AS T URl WOODlAND 2-~"," OTHER usn KnTLUY LOAM r'O_- 20'''' i. ....l 2071 ACRES L 70,.... _ ._L-J CllllQPL.....O 'UlURE WOODLAND ."'IMTO. I&NDY LOU' 22' OTH[R usu '--~~~"1 99' ACRES ,.OPl....O 'AlTUltl ...... WOODLAND ~n'OOl. "ND' I.OAIII [~~}3J taO"-....O 'AlTUttl ....WOOOl.&..O _. ..=J IOnOML"'O r-] ~-- MUCK I.' I. IIlADIOUATlLY DIlINU " 186 str.eams and ponds provide water for the cattle. The soil types, classes of slopo, est.imated degree of erosion, nat1;ral s1:rfc.lce water and drainage, and land use are recorded on the map which accompanies this re port . Measurements of the parcels of land which exhibit these features viere made f rom the field maps and ~lubseq,lent discussion of conditions is based on these measurements. , ! .. 187 CIHPTLR I I THL [(ELATIONS OF SOIL 'rYPE, ~)LOrB , LhOSION fl.ND Li\ND USE ON THE COLD CREEK ,iATERSllED 1. General Considerations In soiJ type, t.opography and land use, the watershed of the Cold Creek is typical of the conditions prevail- ing in all t,hat part of the Humber Watershed which is above 700 feet altitude. This is a region of steep slopes of the lnterlobate Moraine and of the sharply dissected valleys of the many tributaries of the Humber. In this land arise f:1any of the source streams of the Humber River. It is still predomin- antly an agricultural region and conservation measures on the upper watershed will either be carried out by famers or by a ~lblic body which iill hav~J ~,~".j, ate'rests of farmers as their first concern. From the agri.cultural point of view the most obvious problem is that of diminution of ~~ater -resources. This is parallel to a nd largely the result of changes in the land that have come about throuch agriculturbl land use. The observat,ions that were made of the 60il types, slopes, erosion and land use on the sample area clearly demonstrate the con- ditions in that area and indic~te the means whereby undesir- able conditions may be corrected. hn analysis of these conditions .follows. 2. Degree and Sxtent of Krosion The soils of the sample area are ones which, within favourable circumstances and under good manaiement, are producti ve for agriculture but on the slopes that are common in the region they are susceptible to erosion when cultivated. :;'f the 10,895 acres which ..../ere examined only 9 .l~~ were found to have eyperienced no apparent erosion. Two thousand acres, 1$.4% of the area had undergone slight erosion, that means that on examiIiation of the soil profile it was found t,hat up to one- third of the humus-bearing, fertile top soil had been lost. Over one-half of the area has suffered moderate erosion, some of the top soil ann, in places, a s much as one-third of the sub-soil, has disappeared. 4here the top soil has gone, the land - - ... 188 I Forest litter and Ao Horizon I" leaf mould' AI Horizon 7" Freshly plowed Dark mineral soil layer A I Horizon Leached Al Horizon 12" light gray-brown Az Horizon mineral soil ------ ------ ----- Reddish -brown ----- B Horizon Id' ----- - more compact B Horizon ----- ----- ----- mineral soil ---- ----- ----- --- ----- --- ;~i;f'~'i Grayish stony ~t~!~ C Horizon material from C Horizon which soil is formed Virgin Profile Virgin Prafile natural forest soil after first plowing Cultivated layer Ao' . AI Horizon Ao has been mixed with A, AI Horizon Cultivated layer Al . Az Horizon mostly Az with some AI remaining Al Horizon Az Horizon B Horizon B Horizon --- --- C Horizon t~$j~~; C Horizon .1:.?'.16.;Sqi.~.; 1,,(,... ;:/l'T \~~Jb~\ Non- eroded Eroded cultivated soil cultivated soil where ~ topsoil has been lost Estimating Erosion Diagrams of profiles of a typical gray brown prodzalic soil developed -on glac ial till. Comparison, in the field, of profiles like the bottom two is the method whereby soil erosion is est1Lmated. . .. 189 TABLE III ACREAGE Aim PER CENT OF EACH EROSION GitOUP AND CLASS f~rosion nroup Lrosion Class Acres Per Cent No Apparent Erosion 0 994 9.1 ~night Erosion 1 200) 18.4 Hoderate }:,rosion 2,3 5960 54.7 :jevere hrosion 4,5,48 1938 17.8 e 8 4 V, 5 V, U .. ~ 190 has lost much of its abj li ty to absorb and r(~ta in the rain ~hich falls upon it. Noarly two t:housand acres, 17. 0'"; of the area, has suffered severe erosion. This includes land which haE' 101'>t one-t.hirrl to two-thirds of the subsoil or eVt:;:n all the subsoil as well as land which has begun to gulley or that vwhich has been \'lastt:d by wind erosj.on. l.and that has been severely eroded has little power to absorb and retain water !'''hen, under cultivation, it is left ba re . It will, however, in many cases SUPFort grass Cover and in practically all cases, t re e S . t:ither sort of cover will materially reduce vulnerability to erosion and greCitly increase its absorptive and retentive powers. J. Incidence of Slope classes The graphs on diagram II illustrate the distrib- ution of slope classes on the f:mr main soils of the area. Of the 617 acres of PontYPool Sandy Loam, none are on uniform slopes and nearly three hundred acres are on irregular slopes of 15 to 25 per cent. On such slopes cultivation is diffic- ult with any implements and in such irregular topography it is difficult or impossible to practice cultivation on the contour. Kettleby Loam is only found rarely 011 arnooth slopes and over half of it is on Class M slopes or Class P slopes. Cl JSS H slopes may be culti vc!ted but there is a tendency for the soil to wash off the knolls and deposit in the hollows. Slopes over l5':~ are very Rub.;oct to erosion and difficult to protect unless left under permanent Cover. B . "t ~'d . rlg'J ..en :::>an y Loam is also found chiefly on 15 to 25~~ hummocky slopes. King Clay Loam is also found in wide expanses of undulating or rolling country and can sUi)port a prosperous agriculture but in the dissected regions near the tributary streams such as the one studied in detail, it is found on steep slopes, over 500 acres on regular slopes of 2 to lO7L Most of it, however, was found on steep hummocky slo...es which are very suscepti bIe to erosion. All of the muckand bottom land that was mapped is level, in depressio'Jal areas and receives much of the soil washed from the slopes but due to flooding or poor drainage ....:l Cf) r-I <C [j) l:'- ~ -:t '-.D ...0 '-.D ~ ~ s... r-I l:'- 0' -:t ~ "CO N (J\ ::::> 0 -.0 0 0' r-I r-I to 'CO i:-i ,~ N ...0 .. 0 r-I -- ",:Ii!, ~ N c.l:::1 s... 001 ("""\ ~ ("""\ -:t (l) Q) 0 ('f\ r-I 0 I I I ~ N > I-. N N N r-I I I I l.(\ . o 0 r-I ("'" ...0 .......... .' -,t: ~ r-I r-I -- ";.''ir.:z ..." N 0 0 -:t NOO ()\ N C'. '-0 I I I ...0 r-I 0...1 I (l) N '-.D ("""\ .~ I I I -:t . l.(\s... r-I (J\ C'- r-IO N N ..............< ~I (J\ .:;....... '......\ 00' r-I r-I t' 0' "CO to I \Q ,a r-I (l) I l:'- N N N ("""\ N I ...0 . :?:II j.., -:t \Q -:t N l:'-CJ r-I N N --::1 I -- '-~ I ~~,~- UJ :: ~ l:'-Q) r-I N 0 l.(\ -:t 0'- I r-I 0'- ~II s.. l.(\ "- -:0 "'\ l:'- N I -:t . J) . '- E-; o 0, \Q 0-, ~ \D ......." ..-t, r-I r-I ,I ....:l I H r 4 ',j ,.... - ',; ......' .i ,,.. .......e '... .J ':' ~'...... j b - c.::ll("""\ .... () I I I l:'- I I I r"'\ N -~ s.. 00 I I I r-I I I I N . I ,-4 (l) :l.l 1'"\ I ,~ >s... o 0 H '-"' .;:::: I .,., i V~ :> , - H ' ~ ~-..~ 1 -: ..i ~:::... rr- 0 1 .. ~" ~ r"'\lIl , I , -:t , I I ...:t N ...... ~ -, ~II Cl) , I I N . I I N . " ..... co .. os.. 0 - ~ Nu E-t " ........... ':.:t 'I c.... -l c: - I ..... , .... ,",,~1 1 .....1 rs... j ..... '-- ;;.., NO) I f.O I l:'- I I I l.(\ l:'- , --- ~II Q) I r"'\ I ('f\ I I I t'- . l ...... l.f'\. j.., 0 J r-IO I ,-.... ......... ...:.t 1 '-- H E:-< , ....... , ~ 'l<-:.!!.. j i t-.., It'\ I """...11 o Ir-I U] ~, I E-; I (l) I l:'- 1X> l:'- I I I ("""\ r-I 01 os.. I N l:'- I I I N . I 1-, r-IO r-I r-I ,- - -::: -. I -- .......'... ~ c::';< 1 oU] . 1X> (J\ -.0 I . I C"'\ N r-I(l) I C"'\ 0 , I f l.(\ . l ul' j.., C"'\ C"'\ rr\ '-D 0 - <r. I -- j ":''':: III I '-0 eI) I l.(\ (J\ -.0 I I I 0 -:t enl I s.. I ..... -:t I I I l:'- . j NO N N N , -<: j , -- 00 I j ~:~, a> I l.(\ r-I l.(\ C"'\ 0"- \Q 0"- C"'\ I Ns.. I r-I r-I 0 ("""\ N N r-I . , ~II 0 r-I "CO 0 (J\ 1 c<: r-I - '"0 (l) C Cf) ...-1 (l) >> ('l"! j.., "#... I ~ ;>. s j.., '"0 0 s:: E ~ ('j r- ei) "'0 <::: m m C 0 c c Z.O\ 0 m ...:. :>. ...-1 ctl Cf) ....:l (/1 r-I (\\ ~ I (j) r-< >. +:><1) j.., (l) c c >> ,... O+J C" ~' "C' E '- -, C' .0 C ,...... (l) ~ ct' C 0 C"~ 0.. (l) +:> c c.-, . -l >,.,.., r::+:> Cf.l >, r-I ..r: s... 0 MO +J r-l r-I .;..J E .;..J Q,jE 0..:: ill 0 j.... 0 ~o <t '..-1 s:: m ..' "ri ("I:; C c~ (;) o \1, ocr: +J 0 o 0 (li j.... 0 '..-1 E: (!j C if. .... 0 ,..., 161 (:) c. ~.: ~ ~' ~': /--, <' ~-'.. "'.~ .''-.- ,~ 1 n ) to ',_,/0 COMPARATIVE ACREAGES OF EACH SLOPE CLASS ACCORDING TO SOIL TYPES 'ONTYftOOL KETTLEBY LO"M BRIGHTON SANOY LOA.. .'NG CLAY LOAM ':0:: 2071 ACRES 915 ACRES ..44 ACRES 117 ACRES "IIU ACltlES .lCiltU ACIIU &,,,ts AClIll!S AGI'U 1.00 1100 -, 16001 1.00 -, 1600 1 1100 l 'laD 1400 ..... '.00 i 1400 . 1400 ] "00 , "00 1 "00 1'00 1100 1200 -< 1'00 tlOO I ,.ooi "00 1000 --.0 1000 1000 1000 tOOO 1000.-1 1000 I . lOa J lOa' lOa lOa -1 lOa .00 j '00 I I . I toO I .001 .00 , .001 '00 1.00 .00 1 .-. '-1 ..~ -j '-j - ..! '000' .oo~ .oo~ ,00L ..j '^' '.~.' '00, 100 1001 --0.... 100 --1 100 100 Y Q .00 . '00 -< o o~~~ oj I I I 0 . .~ 01 I I I 0 o-t---r-"~.., ..."'. "ICOEFe; 1II"~" "'CDf ......lit "ICDC', .".. 1L0fa( CUSI 'l.~ CLASS !k..Olll[ CU" SLM( ClAII kOflf'-AO-I'1. CI-ID%. (15-20% GO't'ElIl!O% SI.MU-1II0.1% 11I15-15% I r -., 0 1(1- 15'1. F ro- ~ Jill l' _ "111 It ov[It U1f., ~ 193 is not capable of cc: rry:'. ng a wide range or crops unless specially treated. 4. Present Land llse Nearly seventy per cent of the land within the sample area is unrler continued cultivation. Less than twenty per cent is under permanent or long terrn pasture and 11 ttle of this is improved in any way. Eleven per cent of the land is under permanent forest cover, a low figure for an area which is a stream source region. Some of this is pastured so that much of its value in conserving water is lost through having a smooth grazed forest floor instead of the matted forest floor recommended by foresters for holding water. The lang Clay Loam is cultivated to a greater extent than the other 80ils, 76.65~ of it being under cultivation. An even higher proportion of the inadequately drained associate of the King Clay Loam is under cultivation because it is generally on flatter land and has this advantage over the other clay lands of the region. Brighton Sandy Loam and Kettleby Loam each have about 70% of their area under cultivation. The small arf~a of Pontypool Sandy Loam in the region has a much lower proportion under cultivation but a very large proportion under permanent pasture and only nine per cent under ;;ermanent forest caver. This is less than the average for the region. The only really wooded lands are those that are depressional muck areas which have been found unsuitable for cultivation or pasture from the beginning. The pasture requirements for the farms of the district are mE't "':J the steepest slopes, on the Pontypool Sandy Loam and on the river bottoms. Table V shows the proportion of each soil type "Vlhich is under various land uses. 5. De1?;ree of Erosion on the ;.lain Soil Types It is only the Huck and Bottom Land 50ils, which receive much of the deposition of eroded soj.l and the flat poorly drained clays that show no evidence of erosion. The accompanying table ('l'a ble VI) shows the extent to which each of the soil types has been subject to various degrees of I f/) .....-i C'-- .....-i ~ ...:t '-0 ..0 .....-i Cd rl r-- 0\ ...:t l..t'\ "to C"'\ 0\ +J \0 0 0\ .....-i rl ("\ -:t 0 N -..0 c;-. -. " ~ C"'\ rl N N N ...:t ~ . . . . . . I I . 0 ,-., N N l..t'\ 0 t I .....-i '-' rl .....-i ~ ,.. ..... 0 A .1-1 c.. +' ~ t"j ,p s.:: , 0 ....... H (j) N C"'\ N rl 'IX) 0\ I I l..t'\ ~ .... N :.t'\ I I 0'. '''; -- G') rl rl ~ ::r:: u Q) <:;( rl . , ....... ..... '-, H ~.~ H (1) .... 0 ~ CI) rl 0'\ N N C"'\ v'1 "'~~ . . . . . I . .' . ",. <t: 0' ZC '.:0 ..0 rl I ...:t to rl ~ ro... t"""\ rl C,) > +' ~~ 0 ....0 C!' C'. C'-- C\l I C\l 0 ~ '-"" Cf) rl ~ ':'0 C"- I rl 0'. 0"- ..... ....:l :::; 't:! rl ("\ \","" .....-i rl CQ 0 rl <C ..... 0 ...... E-4 ~ :.;: <:t: ~ ~ '\;,~ "'- ~ C"'\ 0\ ~ ,....., r-- 0"- ...... en ~,-~ . . . . I I . . '~'. . . C"'\ 0 't'O ~ I I U'\ co ".~ f~ 1"'\ ('J rl rl rl >- r:~, Q> r:z.. s... 0 ::::l I..f\ C\l ...:t 0\ I I 0'. 'to += 0 C"'\ 'to rl I t rl CJ'. ~ Z (I) N ...:t rl 0\ N 0 0 ~ N H c.. E-4 l:n h ~ ",,-,p. E-< -::t CJ'. ...:t ...0 '" ..0 C\l 1"'\ ':I) ~..,~ . . . . . . I . . <:; H t- o 0 ...0 t"""\ 0\ t rl -:0 C ~ C'- C'-- r-- 0'. .:::::) ...0 "C I c ~ -::t C"- o r-- \() l'- I \() C"- rl ~ -.0 0 0- -:t C"- I ....:t C""\ ...;t C"- \() rl ....:t 0 rl ...:t I C'- J... l) I 0 0 CJ) U) +-> II) ctl <::: ..... S 0 ro S "0 C 0 co Q) (I) H 0 C (I) ~ OM >> ~ "0 >> S s... "0 C E "C (!j .:- Q1 ct' ctj C 0 , u-: <;? qj ....:l >> OM "0 ..... ::f) .....-iQ) E c Q> r-1 l>> +'+:> ~ 0 l>> r.: ~ Oct! r::: ....:i 0 .0 0 .....-i Q)or'f E-< '::.., Q) +-> u fo-t l>> E U) >> .....-i .c: s... rl 0 ,...... r-' +-> ..., b.C; bD Q) s... ~ +J ctl 0"; c:: += OM C n.. 0 u +' +-> 0 0 Q s... ..... s 0 .. 0 0 ." (1.. :x:: 0: ~ H ~L. c.n E-< -tr61 ." (I) (I) ...; Q) C'- ...; '^ -:t '" '" ...; I.t'\ I.t'\ co :.~ ...; t... i.:" -:t I.t'\ 'CO r"'\ a- a- +> 0 '" 0 \,,~ ...; ...; f"'\ -:t to 0 <: N '~ .. E-t 0 r-I .~ s:: 0'. r-I C'- ...; to 0 \:;~ . .' . . I I , I . 'M N N I.t'\ 0 I , I , C'- (/) C""\ ...; N N r-I 0 t.. < .~" .>.~ Q) -~l s.. f"'\ 0 -0 0'. 'CO C1l 0 I.t'\ I.t'\ N , I I I r"'\ l> N N N N I , , , 0'. Q) r-I r-I (/) C 0 'M #... -:~~ (/) -:t ...; N a- r-- f-..' ~ 0 ~*-J . . . . . , , I . 0... $.. -:t f"'\ -:t N -:t I I ...:t >; ~ U"\ '^ \!) ...0 r-I I.t'\ t-l cP H +> H C'O ::) s... (/)1 (/) Q) ~I ...0 to to '^ f"'\ , I I 0 '"0 l""\ C' l""\ '-0 N , I -.0 - 0 ~"'\ ,...., ...0 00 a- ....... '-' 0 :i: r-I l""\ '^ < Z H s:: ~ (.~ 0 ~~ C'- C""\ 1.('\ C'- N a- -:t 0- ...... . . . . . . I I . (I) N -:t C' '^ -:t '-0 I I to 0 0 ,..i (""', .-t \0 1.1"\ r-I ~ t.. :1 c.:: ., ...... .~ +' ~I ~ ..c:: to r-I '^ 0 0 0\ I I l""\ "- ....:l H C'- r-i 0\ C"- O .... , I 0 -.. ~I r./) ...... t'- 0\ r-I ,...., ....., r---i N '-' X (/) ., r_ ...... C - " ... 0 H ...... 1.('\ \0 l""\ r-I r-I 0 0 ~ E-t fJ} I . . . . . . . r-I ."...j 0 '.:.~ I 0 0 .-t r-I ("\ 0 0 . ;:q $.. N -:t 0 0 0\ H ;..iJ r-I .-t ~ e-. ..,:' C/) s:: ...., Q) C:-' $.. fl li1 I N ...0 0 C""\ r-- r-I U"\ -:t .-t to l""\ l""\ l""\ 0\ c-~ 0"'\ -:t 0\ < 0 Q) ~ r;1 ...... () 0 Q) fJ} ~ tI) .." -::C ...... El 0 CO E "0 0 C m Q) CI) ....::: 0 c fJ} ..... ...... .... - ~ CO "0 :>. e ~ "0 C e "0 !tI r:::::, Q) CO en C' 0 :.::: C!) 0 ctl ...:! :>. ...... '0 CI) H Ci') ..--l CO C ~, ..--l :>. ~ t.. ~ Q C >. c ~ () c:::. '" ..... C ..0 0 ..--l Q) c-' u.. Q) ~ t.:: c,.... >. e 0) :>. r-! .c ~ r---i 0 .-t ..--l +oJ ..., W b.O Q) s.. ~ +> '" ...... C ~ 'r-! C n. 0 () +' +' 0 0 Q) t.. 'r-! 8 0 ~ 0 0 .~ L ~.':1;... c:r:: 'L" H 0... "-- ~ E-< '..-'.1 """ S0 L " ~ -"- ... 196 erosion. Uf the '1/ell rirainerl soils, all have more than half moderately eroded, that is, most or all of the top soil, lost. The :'ontypool :;andy Loam has nearly one-third of its area severely eroded. i)ne-fifth of the King Clay Loam has been severely eroded, including many acres which are gulleyed. One quarter of the Brighton ~)cl ndy Loam has been severely erocted. This soil, '\ihen exposed by ',;later erosion, is subject also to wjnd erosion. ;Jind erosion is not only a I'lenaCe to the s~)il which is eroded but also to nei~hbouring land which may become covered by the blow sand. One of the numerous deBF valleys formed by tributaries of the Humber cuts through a patch of this soil and there can be seen there an example of the sever- ity of wind erosion. Steep valley slopes in the clay areas have been worn by gulleys. ,find and guIle' erosi.on cJre the extreme and more readily recognized forms of erosion but only follow the more insidious and less obvious sheet erosion. 6. Helation of L~osion to ~nope It has been shown that all types of soil in this area are on slo~ing land dnd all have been subject to varying degrees of erosion. It is revoalint; to see how cl()sely erosion is related to slope. It is only on slopes below five per cent that erosion is absent or only slight. ~.)uch slopes fortunately are not long ones, otherwise even five per cent slopes might show 8 worse condition of erosion. illl slopes from five to twenty per cent, whether smooth or irregular, have been subject to moderate erosion. Slopes over twenty )er cent are almost inevitably severely er~rled. These slopes have lost their capacity to support profitable agriculture, the milder slopt~s with moderate erofd.on have a~~l ready lost <3 good tieal of their capCibility to support crops though under tood nan.~_Me~t may be made to support fair to good pasture. Further use undel' the present systerls of cultivation and cropping can be expected to lead to more serious conditions. This relat,ion between slope and erosion is analyzed in 'I' l ble VII awl is illllstrated grdl)hically by reJCJ.ting the dornin;mt erosion group to slope class. U) ,......j fJ) 0'\ 0 (V\ ("t'\ '^ ...;t ("t'\ ,......j '-0 ...0 '^ '^ C\'l (l) ,......j ('- '^ N C' N N ...;t '-0 ...;t '^ 0'\ +J >-. 0 N r'"\ ,......j :.0 ...;t 0'\ C'- -x> 0 0 r-! r-! N N r-! . E-< ;t: 0 r-! C C\l '..0 0 0 ...;t ...;t t' 0 . . I . . . . . t . . . .rl ';,R,f I . I ... .. i' 0 I I ("t'\ r-: {........ ...... M :':; tIj r'"\ .::> r-! ::.0 ,......j 0 ,......j ,......j $... ;=J Q) ~I s... Q) . I . N ..0 ...;t C"'\ I I ("t'\ 0 ::0 > I I I ...;t N N N . I f"- r'"\ r'"\ Q> ("t'\ ...;t 0"< a') r-! I""'i C' 0 .rl (\1 0 W ...;t ("t'\ ...;t '-0 '-D t' tI) I . . . . I I . . . . . 0 '$J I ,......j 0 '^ '^ I I :-:) N ("t'\ ::0 ...;t '" ~ $... :;0 0 '-0 ':-~ I""'i 0"- "'"1J r-1 '^ - :.i.1 ,......j ,...., '--' , Q) ...... ~/) +.:l ~ 0 $... ~I E-< Q) I "'- r'"\ rl "'- I . ~~O ,......j ...;t '^ 0 "0 I I""'i '^ to ....:t I I ~ 'CO -0 N '-0 Z 0 ('./ ("t'\ ...-l N ...;t rr\ ::;- 0 ...,. N N '^ ..... H E-< -~ , ...... -, -' ,.. .... 0 N ~ \,Q . r\ 0 ...;t -- ;z: .rl "i"..J . . I t t I t . . . I . H fJ) ""),) ::0 I I I I I '-0 t'- ("t'\ I to I H 0 ...-l -co I""'i H '::'''J $... :> P., . --. -, c:: ,j.) ,..... ~I I-i :)~ .c: ::c .... ("t'\ ,......j I I . I I '^ '^ 0'\ I ("t'\ ...... ;.11 to '^ I I I I I 0'\ -0::0 to I 0 - E-< .-~ '^ ,......j 0 "- 0 ct) rl N H C;') .-, '...> ~ _.~ ,.. - ~ 0 C; -rl to r-l N fJ) ';{:.J . I I I , I , . I I I . ~. 0 I""'i I I I I I I C""'\ I I I (;'\ ,.... $... CJ'. '-" H ~ e-. -' ..., CO C 1--1 (l) fJ) ~ $... (l) '-0 I I I . I I to I I I ...;t E-o Ct1 J.. CV'\ I I I I . I l.f\ I I . 0"'- ." 0 Q'\ 0'\ . . J H ~ -< ,- t-... ~ rJ) rJ) <11 r-i (.) "'-- ex; c::: u c ~ ~ C ,c;-;;" --;~ 0.. 0:: U) Q) ...-l 0 ctl 0 +.:l r-l 0 U) E-o LC)l " -- ~'-~ ,. 1 ." ~ ~. I DOMINANT EROSION GROUPS ON COLD CREEK SAMPLE AREA SEVERE /--~~ SEVERE _I / MODERATE MODERATE 1 z z SLIGHT ~ 0 0 u; SLIGHT u; 0 0 II< II< N.", i _, __,_ ... ... NONE . --T----r----,-----,---l I SLOPES A B C D E F G SLOPES M N P R DOMINANT EROSION GROUPS ON REGULAR SLOPES DOMINANT EROSION GROUPS ON HUMMOCKY TOPOGRAPHY SLIGHT EROSION - SOME TOPSOIL LOST. MODERATE EROSION - SOME TOPSOIL AND AS MUCH AS 1/3 SUBSOIL SEVERE EROSION - ALL TOPSOIL AND MORE THAN "2 OF SUBSOIL LOST SLOPES - A 0-2~ E 15-20~ M 0-7~ B 2- 6~ F 20 -30~ N 7-15~ C 6-10~ G OVER 30~ P 15-25~ D 10-15~ R OVER 25~ 199 7 L.xtent of Lrosion on ")resent Land Use Classes f . ~f he siCn:Lfi Cd nce of the problems of erosion and a clue to their solution may be seen when degree of urosion is collated with present land use. This is illustrated by the figures presented in Tahle VIII, I): , lnd X. Three quarters of the Pontypool Sandy Loam which is under cultivation has lost morc than one-third of its top soil, the rest has been severely eroded. Und.:r pasture the condition seems not quite so severe, one-quarter has been only slightly eroded, yet one-half has been severely eroded. r1uch of this has occurred where the slopes have been used for pasturing sheep. Of this soil that has been kept under forest cover nearly one-half has been only slightly eroded even though such soil is on steep slopes. Where this happy state exists it can be seen from such indications as old fence lines that the land was only culti 'fated for [l short time after first clearing or was al1ow.d to revert to forest after the tjmber was taken off. It must be noted that the Pontypool Sandy Loam that was examined on thi.s survey is found sidf~ by gj.de with better soils. Operators have, in many cases, been able to relieve this soil of some of the burden of crop production by using the heavier soils on their properties. Farther west on the Humber ,Jatershed many farms are cOi'lpletely \'1ithin the belt of this soil and tht~ full burden of farm production has fallen on it. In that region erosion has been more sev- ere, many sanri blowouts can be seem and mor(~ strenuous st eps have been taken by SOfrJe p:-'jprietors to protect tiH~ land bv reforestat ion. On the Kettleby Loam and the King Clay Loam it is seen that erosion has been alnost as serious, or necrly so, on the cultivated land as the 1.. 1V; ~hich is now in pasture or woorllot. On exar'1ining such t,5-eces of land one CdIl deduce, from marks of plow lands or from the ages und types of fence lines, that land now under pasture or forest was at one time cultivated. ./i th rleteri.)ration of such land by urosion Hn j C"'- C"'- ...:t N ()'\ 1"""4 I 1"""4 c ,'<.1 . . . . . . I . -...:t 0' ()'\ C"f"\ r-i 1"""4 0 1"""4 ,,0 ct3 t r-f m C1j I +-> -...:t ::-- 0 C"'- '-0 C"'- . '-0 C"'- O l.t'\ '-0 '.:) Cl' ~ C"'- I -::t ~ C"'\ -...:t l'- '-0 rl -:j" I rl -.:t r..... I ~ I 0 C"'- ('W"\ 'rl ',,~ . . "00 C"'- eo fIl l.t'\ "'" . . . . I I . 'J' 0 (\/ C"'- l:' I I I I l.t'\ i.t rl 1"""4 rl ;.4 Q) ~ fill ,....f '-D l.t'\ ...... I . . I C"f"\ Q) ~I (J'\ C"f"\ N C"f"\ I I I I "t:x:) > r-i ,...; "().') r-I Q) r-I ;j) ~=:l tl. >.c E-i ~ 0 ~ 'rl ('W"\ ...... '" N C"'- O H CI) '<,~ . . . . . r I . . 0 0 -...:t C"f"\ 0"- l.t'\ I....., I I N (/) ~ r-- l.t'\ '-0 ...c r-I .-{) 4 0 E-i Q) +-> c.::: :0 '- ~ ~l ,.':. ~ H Q) C"f"\ ()'\ 0'-. -.:t C"'\ I I I ~ -- "C ..0 r-- "().') .,.., N I I I ,....f @ ...... 0 N ...... -.:t 0 ...c ~~ C"'\ -.:t c.) ~I ......... '~.,~ = <: 0 H ....:J ..... -co -.:t N C"'- C"'- '-0 H c~ C/] "6~ . . . . . . I I . H .--... 0 I '-0 r-i '-0 1"""4 C"'\ I I ,..., '-' N :> :..!:: ~ ('W"\ r-i ...... '-0 --0 r..;,. .... ~4 ,...:: Z +' CQ ,...., ..c: CI) ....... <r. , Q) I 0 C N '"' ()'\ . . r-I '-' E-i r'" ..... s... I -.:t ~ '-C C'\ -...:t I I N ~-' ~ " 1"""4 0 l.t'\ l:' l.t"\ ..... ::::l ~:i ~.::: r-i 0 """' ."" ..... - 0 s::: H 0 CI) ..... t"') (f.l ,.... 0 ~ , ::0 C'- 0'\ ....0 <"'\ 0 .-{) _. '0" s... . . . . . . . . . ~.~,'" .~ 0 0 ,-., :"\l '-0 I C rl ....... ~ N C"f"\ C 0 ..., r-I s::: ;Z; Q) 0 s... (f.l H 'il Q) . N --0 0 C"f"\ to I '" l.t'\ E-- s... I r-i -.:t C"f"\ N I ('oJ -- ~ 0 1"""4 ,..._~ CO ...:1:,' < H ~ 0 E-I Z U) H ,.... o. Q) +-> (1j 'rl 0 C Q) to +-> to CO < 'rl 0 E S "0 0 (1j (1j Q) to 0 0 e- rn ,....; ~ ..... -r ct! >> >. s s... "C "C 8 "C C1j ...." Q) s::: (1j c: 0 t:: (~ 0 ~ t-1 >. 'rl "0 to ,-,-"I ...:; U) rl ~ s::: .) J C) >. +-> C'O > rl >. .. (1j 0 ~ t-1 0 .D 0 ...... e i:... 0 Q) 0,..} c.) >. s rt) >:l. ri ..c: s... r-I 0 rl r-I >. +-' j....... bU Q) s... ..'II: +-> en ...., 'M C .j...' 'M j;:; n. 0 0 +-> +-' 0 0 (l) s... 'M E 0 ~ 0 0 (f) ..... :;'<' 0::; Jx:: H ~. "'" CD I:-< ""- neG " ----,'-= 0 '" 0"- I'- a- ~ ~ . . . . , , . . 0 0 '.0 -.:t , , 0 -.-:- r-i N -:.t .-J (1) rl ctj ., (1) 0 Q) t-l s... U"\ N -:t 0' , , a- 0" to () 0 C""\ :x:> r-i , I r-i '" U"\ < N -.-:- rl 0". N () N ~ .~'t 0 0 -:t /.0 N rl 'M ~ . . . . , , , , . (1) 0 0 --0 '" . , I I '" 0 U"\ N -:t <""\ N ~ ~:c1 Q)i s... ~l Q) r""\ :.0 '-D ("'\ , , I I 0 > 0 '::) :0 N I , , I 0 Q) r-i ("'\ '-0 C/} ~, .~I C'_ >-t ';#!.. ~-1 (1) er, N 0 -.-:- ("1'\ 0 ':...'::.1 . . . . , , , I . ~ s.. U"\ rl rl N I I I I rl H ,..7~ N U"\ U"\ U"\ -:t G ::') Q) ., 0 ('\1 t-< s... (I) C""\ r-i ...;t rl : , , I ...;t Q) (l) U"\ N 0\ :0 , I I 0- ,,, "C' s... N ... to "'-' ...... .~ 0 t) .'..... I H ,~ < ..... 0 I ..... ""' r '-...J Q 0 ,...:: ..... ;:il 0 't~~ ...... 'M r-i ..;:t N \0 ":0 .-. ~ en \,;'tJ . . . . , I , I . i:--l 0 -t to N r-1 , I I I ("1'\ -/) s... N r"\l r-1 r-i >< ~ A -....... H n.. ., ;il ...... ..c:: (1) a- """ .. t"-- , I I , C""\ 0 ...... ., , Q) ... ~l 0 , I I I to ...... ..... . " c:o 'M s... r-I rl N ~~ 0') rl () [-t p, .') -< :::l 0 ~ Ci ~.,. .'-0 0 ~ H 0 ::1 'M ~"'-. 0 (I) to 0 0 to ;.~ 0 ,:/". , I I . , I . . . s... I I , t'""'o I I 0 1""\ l.," '- ...' '-" ",' I"" 0 r-1 ., ..... Iz., r-1 rl 0 ....' s:: ....-~ Q) en ..... 0 s.. (l) I I I <X) I I 0'\ a- -.0 H ctj s.. , I , I I rl N N ['-4 () N ("1'\ :~ c::r:: a::: ~ H ~ 0 ['-4 ".'.r- ...... a) H C Q) ., ctj 'M 0 0 Q) (I) ~ U) CO <t 'M e () qJ e "C' 0 0 Ct! Q) U) ;.-., 0 ~ (I) , 'M < ....... >- ~ '"0 >- S "0 :;: e "C m C: Q) (!j ct'I h 0 C (j) 0 ~ , >. ...t 't':' ...... (1) H (/) r-I (!j c: OJ r-I >. +> s.. Ct! !' 0 >. i:: CU 0 C ~ 0 .0 0 rl Q) ~ a. Q) ..., u ft..t po. S (1) >. r-1 ..c:: s.. r-i 0 r-1 r-I ~ ., QC bD Q) s.. J( ~ (1) 'M C ~ .... ~ Q. 0 () .j.J +J 0 0 (l) s.. 'M S 0 '"' 0 0 (,;") c.. ~-;; CD ~". H I:l. ~ m t-< TOG " i.'-- ,....j ...;t '.0 N ,....j 0-. '~J . . . . . I . . -:t ...;t i.'-- r-i 0 I .,0 lJ"\ ,....j ("'\ N r-i U) ,....j :'j ...., U) 0 (1) .,0 0' 0-. l:'- N t N 0 lJ"\ t....... $.. lJ"\ '" "CO ,- t ,....j 0' 0-. 0 r-i ("'f'\ ~ r-l ,....j ,< r-i r-l ...;t '" ("'f'\ I N s::: ~ . . . . . 0 ....0 lJ"\ 0 l:'- I I . I ! N 'rl ,....j ,....j lJ"\ ,....j I I I I ,....j (/) I 0 !... ~:::J U) (1) (l) 0'\ '" lJ"\ lJ"\ . I . I lJ"\ f.t f.t N -:t ~ I I I I ...;t Q) () ,....j > <::C (1) :f} A 0.... j:H 8 ~ s::: l-'.~ 0 t"- o-. ...0 0-. '..0 D 'rl \::~J . . . . . u') (/) l..'"\ t"- ,....j lJ"\ . I I I 0 0 C"'\ lJ"\ -:t 1..1'\ I I I , ("'f'\ 0 $.. E-< ,..:.~ 0 Q) ,.-... ...., U) ~.- H ctl :tl 0 '(X) i.'-- ,....j . I , I ...0 ,...... ~ $.. N 0'. ~\ r-l I I I I ,.0 ;-~ ~ Q) U N C"'\ '"C' .,~ . . . . . I I I . ~"' ,..... ...-1 to ...0 C". ...;j' ,.... I . I -:t ~- (5 .-, (/) ... N N ,....j '--' ...... ....... 0 ,....j .,"~ ~ -. ;:;J ...... 0 ...., U) Cf) ..c:: Q) i.'-- lJ"\ t"- N N , I I (""'\ :1 0.... ~ N ...;t a-- I I t'- -..-I () ,....j ,...., r-i .~ '-, .. ...., .,... ..... "" a:l .~ '--' <:X: E-c ...:... .-, '--' H \.f.l s::: ........ 0 C"'\ 0 0 'to \,..; 0:: 'rl \,~ I . I . I . . . . ..,f-f en , I I N I I 0 0 N 0 ,.... 0 -:t ~.J ~ ~ ,....j r-l 0 ..:~ :z ...., 8 s::: en H Q) (l) I I . 0-. I I N 0 ,....j E-c ~ ~ I I I I ,....j (:" ,....j ,,"...- Cil () ('f"\ ,....j lJ"\ a:l < H "'"' <::C '-- E-c V) 0 H 2':; C (1) ...., CO ..... 0 0 cP U) ..., If) CO ..:t: ..... 8 0 ctl e '0 0 0 ctl Q.l II) !--~ 0 s::: U) H -M <C >. CO "C >. e f.t '0 C El "0 ctl C Q) CO C'O C 0 s::: ,r":",\ Q C'J H >. 'M '0 .....,1 en ..... en .-i C'O s::: Q.l r-l >. ..., ~ j , 0 >. c (1) 0 ~ 0 ,D 0 ,..., Q.l ~ 0- Q) ...., U ~ >. 8 U) >. r-i ..c:: $., r-I 0 r-i r-l ...., ...., l:4i b.0 OJ $... ..!It:: +-' Cil ...-1 s::: ...., -..-I C 0.. 0 0 +-' ...., 0 0 w $.. '..-I S 0 ;:J 0 0 en 0.. ;:,c:: p:: l\ot:;. H Cl. ~ 0: t-o GOG ." 203 with the wider uses of tractors vihich can not always handle slopes that were formerly cultivated with horses, much was reverte1 to pasture or woodlot. Pasture whej, well managed or woodlot that is not graZed, protects the la,d from f~rther serious deterioration but examination of the soil profile discloses that erosion has at some time taken place. dhere pasture is not managed with a view to controlling erosion or where woodlots are left open by being grazed, erosion can Occur and is still affecting the land. f) -', I COLD CREEK SAMPLE AREA PROPORTIO\J OF DEGRFES OF EROSION SLIGHT EROSION - 184" NO APPARENT - 9 I"'" EROSION 547",- ~ MDDERA T E EROSION SEVERE EROSION ... 178~ IO,89!1 ACRES SLIGHT EROSION - SOME TOPSOIL LOST MODERATE EROSION - 50..E TOPSOil AND AS MUCH AS 1/3 SUBSOil LOST SEvERE EROSION - ALL TOPSOIL AND MORE THAN 1/3 SUBSOIL LOST I(ING CLA'!' lO"''' SLIGHT EROSION MDOERAl E EROSION SEvERE EROSION l!l7 .... 629" 20 !" 6144 ACRES I<ETTL[BY LOAM SliGHT EROSION MODERATE EROSION SEVERE EROSION 355.... ~31' 121% II '.. 2071 ACRES litO EROSION 8Ft IGIHON SANOY lOAN SliGHT [ROSION MODERATE EROSION SEVERE EROSION 95.... !I3 I'" 12 I' 995 ACRES - PONTYPOOL SANDY lO"M 12"10 54 ." 329.... SLIGHT MODERATE SEVERE [ROStON EROSION EROSION fil7 ACRES , ~: 05 CHAPTER THE TL-SULTS Ot' THE SiJF(VEY 1. The Purpose of ttle Land Use Survey Conservation mclY be defined ':,5 the adaption of land use to land resources so that land nay be continued to be used indefinitely without further deterioration of its capabil- ities. Studies have been made of the Cold Creek sample area to appraise the natural capability of the land, the use to which i~ has been put and the results of that use. ThGse factors have been considered in relation to each other in the , receding c ha f't e r . In the discussion that follows the land of this area is claf> jfied according to its capabilities and the steps that are neces~)ary to bring j.t into optimum use vlithout further deteriorat ion. 2. Land Class I Land Class I is land which can be used as agrtc- ultural land \iithout restrict,ions an.t without any special con- servation practices and \ihtch, under good farm r,wnagement will continue to e;i ve good yeilos indefinj.tely and of the full range of crops which are adapted to the soils ani climate of the region. In the sample area it consists of King Clay Loam, Kettleby Loam and Brighton Sandy Loam ~ihere these bre found on level land with only slight or no erosion. In the overall pattern of land use it is necessary that all Class I land be usert to the full extent of its capabilities because if it is not, then other land will be reqll ired to produce rtlore than it is reasonably capa ble of produci ng and further harm Lay be dOfte. To maintain hi~hest possible yields on such land, attention has to be paid to the recognized precepts of good faruiing, main- tenance of hum1J~'; content of the soil and fertility by the use of ;'~anu!~e, erop rotations ;' nd chwlical fertilizer. The studies of land use related to conservation prohlems were not made on the most favoured regions of the Humb.r ,Jatershed but on a sC1mple area that is represent':ltive of the most severe conditions of soil and water loss that are to be founrt on the Humber. It is not surprising, then, to :> ... I.('\, :> co ,..c ...;t ...;t f1.l .. c..:: ':.:= r.n :> ... ... ('(1 ...;t I.('\, I.('\, r-I ,- (~ ~> C,,)H .. ... "'1.('\, I I I H :::- I.('\, ...;t;;:;) ;r~ I . t ~> n:: n:: n:: ... ; fill I . , s:: ... .. -:> ..> ." ...;t ...;t ...;tl.('\, 4...;t N I .....:l 'x::: ,::r;: OW:: O,::r;: :2; ... N f1.l C. f1.l .. 'fJ ...;t r-I (""\ r-I 0.. r.:::...~ C,,)H - ... - I t . I > (""\ (""\ ...:t ...;t...;t I I I I -0 -- n.. ,:.... ~:l.. . . 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"0 lJ"\ 0 'CO -:t t'- ..... f-i Z t:: -:t N 0 t'- >..: H :'il rl l""'\ rl lJ"\ ::::: .-:l N N ;..:: ;::::: H --- - "'" -.J H ....., < " i--i '-' E-i <C H ...0 '" l:' , r:-- '<;,~ . . . I . ,_. ~., (f. ...;;t N ~ l""", ..... ~,-' .., (/) ~,,~ ~ rl ::::: ,- , ...., z JI "t: ...... -..0 ~ ~ , N ...-4 z: t"'\ l.t'\ I ....... '-J ct1 ('1'\ -::t E-4 ~ ~- .... ,-,~ U) H ~ H "-' ~,J ..... N 0 -::t -..0 ~ " rn . . . . . rn ('1'\ t.r\ lJ"\ '-D '" j:L, m N r-i rl ..... 0 ,...j u II z 0 "0 lJ"\ N 0 N 0\ H s:: N ..... '-D ('1'\ N l'-< (1j t'- ('1'\ ....... :::> ...:l r-i N CD 1--, 0::: H c-. ~ r,'" rn t'- -:t r:-- l"'\ -..0 v.. H rn . . . . . c. ct1 ..... 0 0 t""\ r-i ,...j ,...j ".--'" u - rn -, t;-i 't:\ W 0 0 0' -..0 lJ"\ s:: L (""\ r-i N t'- Cd C) ,...j ,...j .-=: <1: rl (1j s:: 0 """ W +' rn C1) --. (i) ~ "C C) C .... en ,:C ..-. T - '-' ~' c W +' C C (t ~ 0 moo rn Q) r-i r-; C rl /' (n ,...., +.> T Q) ctl ((j (j,) c c;; 0 r-'H .j.) r~1 ~ Q 0 'C 0 Rez ......, " -- C... h t-< '" -" -.- - --------e-~._.___.~ _ - ,. , ~ i: ' - "".1' ,# """- - ~ Class 1 Land King clay loam, level and uneroded, this soil is well managed and highly productive. " ---- - ~-----_____'_J__~_ ____ ..-..-,.-.,-~--- ,...-....- Class 11 Land (\et t leby loam with eroded slopes [md poorly drained depressional areas. The crop yield of this land is reduced by these conditions. " 210 find only 175 acres, or 1.6;'~ of the area f!':llls in this class. That is not to s~y that only 1.6% of the area is first class farm land. for much of the Class II land is, under wise use and good management, good productive land. 3. Land Class II This is land wllich is restricted in its capabil- ity by reason of its eroded condition, susceptibility to ,-rosion or inadequate internal drainage and vlhich requires the application of ~:.rosion control practices or artificial drainage to bring it up to the productivity of Class I land without further deterioration. It includes all the well drained soils of the area where they occur on gentle slopes, have been slightly eroded or are on hummocky topography more difficult to cultivate or to control the erosion. It also contains the inadequately drained clay loams where they are level and not eroded. There are over two thousand acres of this class of lawl in the sample are" or 19.61~ of the total. l"or the most part this land is well managed and carries good herds of milk cattle. The intensive use of stable manure and good crop rotations retains most of this land in g ad condition. Farm practices designed explicitly to control erosion ann excessive run-off are not carried on syst- ematically in the diutrict but good attempts are made to do so. It may benoted (Table XIII) that of the 2129 acres of this class, l7~5, or nearly three-quarters of it is under continued cultivation. That some is retained in pasture or woodlot may be accounted for by the rectangular arrangement of fields rihich often cuts off a piece of the best 1 and for inclusion in that part fenced off for pasture or woodlot. 4. Class III Land 'rhis requires intensive conservation practices to be carried out consistently if it is to be kept at the highest possible level of production without further deter- i.orat ion. It includes r~,gular slopes up to l5~; on which there has been no more than class 2 erosion, that is, there is some top soil left to form the basis for further agriculture. 211 No such slopes were found on the POIltypool Sandy Loam but the other well drained soils are found on slopes of this class ami there is a total of 402 acres of thjs Class III land. The bulk of it is still under cultivation and is handled in much the same way as the Class II land. Such land would lend itself to the systematic adOi)tion of conservatton farming practices, contour cultivation, strip cropping and grassed waterways to protect the land from gulleying. 5. Class IV Land This class of land requires the application of conservation methods of farming to protect it against erosion and is also restricted in its use. Most of it consists of steep irregular slopes that are subject to erosion and have experienced some erosion th~oughout. Some of it is on smooth, steep slopes that have been subject to severe erosion or are susceptible to it. Because of the rough topography on which most of this is found it does not lend itself to those systems of contour cultivation which can do so much to prevent erosion and excessive run-off. The means whereby it can be protected is to establish long rotations to provide, as nearly us possible, permanent cover. Jhen it is cultivated, for the application of fertilizer and for the establishment of a new seeding, it is necessary to adopt whatever means are possible to protect it from erosion sllch as establishing winter cover before a spring seeding or the use of stubble mulch or trash mulch methods. This class of land includes all the soils that are mapped in the a rea except the muck and bottom land soils. There are 2577 acres of it representing 23.6% of the sample area. In practice this land is cultivated to the same extent as the better land with iluch the same crops and methods applied. 6. Class V Land This capability class has been assigned to all the muck and bottom land soils of the area. These soils will carry perm~nent vegetation without any special practices being applied and with no restrictions. There are 826 acres of this land and it is used almost exclusively for permanent ....-...." '"".....,~.'"'.,-_., ......_.~- .,..~.;'.. .~......'". '_._..~.. ~ lI. /~ r'" .1 '.'" ;"', . .. . '~~ '. ..~I " ,. "'Ir.~'~~ ~ _~_~ . ~ -- ~. -' '.'~ . .... "'.-, ~- if ...--.....- ......-.. -.. ... . -- ~ ~............ - -,.,......... - '~ ~ ....... .... -:rl" ~ .-...._~., - .'" ,. ~ . .,."" Class III Land King clay loam on a seven per cent slope wit.h moderate erosion Carrying a grain crop. Land like this can be protected by contour Cultivation, the stream course in the foreground could be protected by permanent sod Yielding an annual hay crop. -'-" -----._-....._....__._-'-<:...~....,_..- -.- ".---.----- Glass 1 V Land Loam and sandy loam on steep, hUmmocky slopes. This land is erOding, is not Suitable for Contour cultivation but can SUpport good pasture. l'he well and watering trough are not used, cattle graZing on a hundred acres of' this land are watered at a 5)'nal1, spring-fed, artificial pond. II, 213 pasture (on the Bottom Land) and woodlot (on the r'.luck). A few acres of Bottom Land were used for a root cro,' which was sown late in the season when danger of flooding was past and the land was reasonably well drained. ?. Class VI Land This is land which has been seriously eroded and which is susceptible to severe erosion. Its present capab- ility is very limited for intertilled crops or even for pasture. Protection can be given to this land by putting it under per- manent cover, using conservation practices, contouring and the like, and should be restrtcted in its use. That is to say, if it is pastured it should be limited or pastures rotated. If it is rlooded, then it should not be pastured and any subsequent cutting should be restricted to maintain a permanent cover. 6 This class inclues the severely eroded smooth slopes and all the steep irregular slopes o~ all the well drained soils. This class covers thirty rler cent of the land of the ~ample area and unfortunately most of it is still under cultivation though generally on more restricted rotations. It is the exposure of this ]a nd to water loss and erosion which contributes so largely to the problems of the area. 8. Class VJI Land This is the most seriously eroded land, has very poor capacity to carry cropR. This in Janct which should be under permanent cover of woodlot and in the planting and subsequent logging, severe restrictions and intensive con- servation practices should be applied. Care is necessary in working over this land that vehicles be operated on the contour so that no gulleys are induced. Trees should be spot ,)lanted or if plantee in furrows they should be NNde to ruu";f.lT1tourwise. All the well drained soils of tht1 area are represented in this class and amount to 1453 acres. There are still, however, 907 acres of this under cultivation, there are only 115 acres under woodlot and although the remainder is pastured much is overgrazed and the pasture ooes not always offer the best protection against furthE-~rerosion and water loss. __~~_~h_+ ... -I/J v Class V Land Bottom land pastured in one field, cultivated and sown to root crops in another. 'I'his land is flooded in spring but well drained in summer and is able to carry a crop that is sown late in summer. .e.~_ .- _... <--------'-+- --- Class Vl .i..land King clay loam, severely eroded on ~ twelve per cent I slope. Grain in the foreground has responded well to good management. Clover hay mixture in the baCK- I groun,d has not preserved the soil wash whose bad effects are seen in the bald spot- The grassed watercourse in the valley demonstrates wise land use. .. ;'15 9. Summary The classification reviewed here and aPVlied to the land of the Cold Creek aample area fives a good indication ~f the adjustment of land uae to land ca~ability. dhen this classification has been rigidly and strictly applied it shows that only one qU.::trter of the land issuitable for continued I cultivation and then only with conservution practices employed. I Ii One quarter is sui table for long ten, pasture ad t~e re:l'ldining ij half is suitable for reforestation. Present land use rliscloses, on the other hand, that 68.3% of the land is under continued cultivation, 18.9% under pasture and only 11 percat in woodlot. The classification ~lich leads to this conclusion has been worked out on the basis of the natural capability of these soi Is with refer.nce to their perforrna;lce wherever found throughout the province and compared to other soils and con- ditions of slope and erosion. Their performance has been assessed by agricultural experts at the Ontario Atricu1tural College and this has been a guide in the preparation of the classification applied to the soils of the sample area reviewed here. If the maladjustment of land use to land capability seems severe, further proof can be seen in the results of it. l'liost obvious is the loss of water resources, wells, springs and stream flow in the region. Economic evidence is seen in the increase in size of holdings necessary to support one family. It 18 also seen in the diversion of farms from mixed farming to pasture, rented in hundred acre lots, or the actual abandonment of farms. It is also seen in the condition of economic and financial pressure under which many of the inhab- itants live. The burden of such conditions falls not only on those who are striving to do their best but on those members of the community who, out of their well earned increment, support the essential services of the unicipality or province. 0 C'- C'- ..:.t N 0"- r-l I. r-i . .~ . . . . . . t . 0 ...;t '" 0"- <""I ,...; ,...; 0 0 r-l -0 r-l il ~I -4' l:'- 0 C'- '" l:'- I '" C'- 1.(\ -.0 0 0"- ..:.t l:'- I -4' "'" ..:.t C'- ...0 ,...; ..:.t r-i -.:t C'- H H > ~ N -0 N N '~ . . . . t t I I . fJ) l.('\ JJ t..... N I t I t N fJ) N r-i r-I r-I C\'l ,...; '-' ~ ~I ,...; r-I <""I N I I , I l:'- c: (]'>. N '" C'- I I , I 0 :'d ,...; r-i l.('\ 0" ...:1 H > ct'\ '" CO 0- N l.('\ Cl) ~ . . . . . . t I . 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These are listed in the order if the size of the areas involved. It must be borne in mind in any discussion of corrective measures for soil conservation that the one principle that applies throughout is the restoration and maintaining 0,( the humus content of the s01l. The outstanding features of the soil that makes it different from the mineral matter on which it was built 1s the humus which it contains. It is th9 humus which makes the fertil1 ty of the soil available to the wide range of plants which grow upon it and it is the humus which gives the soil its unique capacity to absorb and retain water. All other measure2 are merely palliative ur are supplementary and contributary to the process of maintalning 8011 organic content. The practice which serves most completely to maintain the organic content of the so11 1. that or preserving permanent vegetative cover on the land. Such cover serves two other purposes, lt holds the soil and retards excessive run-off of water. The accompanying table summarizes the rea- ults of research made into this question by American workers and illustrates the point very clearly. / ~ 1I. 220 Dense Cover Clean-tilled Thick-Growing Soil Average Slope Cro~ Crop Annual pre- Annual Annual Annual Annual eipitation Soil tvater Soil l"later Loss Loss Loss loss 'tons Percent Tons Percent Silt Loam 34.8 $.0 68.8 28.) .) 9.3 Fine Sandy loam 33.0 7.7 24.3 .14.2 .0) 1.2 Clay Loam 45.2 10.0 22.6 10.2 .Ol .) - (After "Soils &. 1.1en" lJ.S.D.A. Yearbook 1939) 2. Reforestation 1,'/000 lots and long-term improved pastures are the land uses which can best be expected to contribute to the protection of soil and water resources on the upper watershed ot the Humber river. The planting of fore[~t cover is the measure that can be considered both protective and econom1c~lly productive on all Class VI and Class VII land. These classes make up a large prJportion of all the soil types on the sample area and much of the pontypool Sandy Loam j n the f\Grthyrestern leba of the Humber '..atershed. Areas of plantable land are indicated on the map in the section of this report dealing with forestry, A discussion of the steps to be taken in reforestation is also found there. There are two ways in which reforestation can be effected. First, there is the building of a forest on lands held by some public body such as a County or A Conservation Authority. The second is by the establishment of plantations on farms or the extension of existing farm woodlots. There are parcels of land On many properties that are poor prodvcers of either crops or pastures b:cause of their sloping and eroded condition. Thea8 can be made more profitable by reforesta.tion. In this regard it may be noted that, even though the present proprietor may never reap t he profit from a \'lOodlot, the presence of a gOGd '.t:ooo lot may materially increase the sale value of a property and therefore represents a good investment. The bu11din(~ Qf a farm woodlot is a part of the farm plan and the . ... 221 assistance of an expert farm planner would make such a project more successful fro!"n the point of view (jf a farmer. The advice and supervision of local .forestry authorit ips <;8 to kinds of trees and methods of' planting further assures success in the project. Cattle should be kept out of a plantation if it is to become well established and )0 be effective in pro-. tection of soil and water. ~~imilarly with an exi sting farm WOodlot, the exclusion of cattle improves its value in the production of wood. Any value it has as a pasture Can be compensated for by the careful hardllng of other land that is particularly suitable for graZing. A well managed woodlot tends to perpetuate itself by natural regeneration, while the undergrowth and litter does much to hold the water of either spring thaws or summer rain, The vaule of woodlots oh hill tops to protect springs cannot be overemphasi zed. 'I'here is one example on the sam0le area of a group of springs which supply the water fur a herd of heifers grazing on a lOO-acre pasture farm. The springs are on the margin of a 25-acre woodlot which lies on the northern edge of the watershed. It is Significant to note that, in July, this useful piece of pasture was without any other 8upply of water. With the increasing use of electric fences on land that 15 pastured in rotation or on aftermath, the need for perm;;nent f'ellces is becoming limited to property lines and to woodlots or permanent pastures. This trend is pa~~~lel to the increasing use of mechanized equipment. With the accel- eration of these tre,ds in the post-war readjustment of agric- ulture it would Beem that now is the time for arrangements to be made for the buildLig or' exttH'lsJon o~ woodlots and the erec- tion, wher~ ~8~epsary, of new fences. Both Class VI arJd Class VII land are hilly and eroded. In the estab11shement of woodlots on them care must be taken to avoid the further ravages of erosion. where I ! 1I, 222 trees are planted in furrows it js worth the effort to have the furrows made on the contour so that the young trees are not washed out with the first heavy rain or thaw. Implements . . taken over the land should be handled in such a way that ruts lire not left that will dinduce gulleys. In subsequent cutting '~f plantations, or in existing woodlots, restrictions are necessary so that no area 1s left completely bare at any time. Two special conditi,ns merit the earliest consideration, sand blowouts and gulleys 1n the Till or Interlobate areas. These should bA c. ml"lete) y covered with appropriate trees or ~'jhrubs to protect against their extension and damage to other land. In addition to the hilly and e;roded land much of the muck and some of the bottom land included in Class five Can be reforested. Present lacd \A."ts cbc s that most of the muck EU't.l8S are now in trees. indeed much of the present woodlot on the watershed is restricted to such ar~as. Bottom lands are commonly pastured but, where adjacent slopes provide the nec- essary pasture, consideration might be given to the reforestatln of the bottom land. This 1s likely to eta1n more water in stre[:l.In coursea to th~ advanta[~e of either cattle or of wildlife such as muskrat. Bottom land reforestation can do much to prevent stream bank eroS1.on. It is the mud of the stream bank ero~ion along with the wash from the fields that spoils the river for fish or recreation. 3. Past.ure kwd Class IV, which ma.kes up 23.6% of the sample area is lartd which is sloping and eroded. Because of the irreg- ular topography it is not, in most cases, feasible to apply contour methods of cultivation to this land. Long term pastur~ with improved mixtures, fertilizer and liming where necessary will bring a gooa Hfl::,urn from thi s l<-i.nd at the same time EtS it is beir.g protect(;d. If fa nurse crop is used in establishine a good [;rass mixture on these slopes, and hay is taken off, then care must be taken ti'}at the land if' If~ft bare for as little time as possible. 1I, I 223 I Though the last word has not yet been utte~ed l' on suitable hay and pasture mixtures as a soil conservation I measure, much is known of their value. , Effective mixtures ! I have been worked out and a guide to thair use may be found in ! ! ! a very useful publication of the Ontario Department of Agric- , I ulture, extension circular No. 64, "Good Seed Mixtures for Hay I i I and Pasture in Ontario". The scope and place of hay and pes- I , I ture is outlined in extension circular No. 68 of the same Dep- ! artment, "Guide to Crop Production in Ontario". Recommended " , , seedings for hay and pasture are classed in three groups, ~ I ! namely 1-2 year hay mixtures; 3-5 year mixtures for hay and l. pasture; and long term n:ixtures (lC to 20 years and more). It f i is with the latter two classes that discussions on Class IV r land are concerned. Land which is suitable for more frequent cultivation may profitably be used for a five year stand, with a hay crop or two at the beginning. Long term pastures are suited to more rugged land, to bottom lands and even to Class VI and Class VIr land until such time as they are put into woodlot. The following are samples of suitable mixtures recommended in the above mentioned publications applied to the soils of the sample area: Three to Five Year Hay Pasture rixtures ~ Pounds per Acre Variet~ King Clay Loam 6-8 Alfalfa and Kettleby Loam 2-3 Red Clover l-2 Alsike i-I White Dutch or Ladino 4-5 Timothy 3-5 Orchard or Brome Grass 2-4 Perennial Rye or !w';eadow Fescue Pontypool and Brighton 8-10 Alfalfa Sandy Loams 1-2 Red Clover 1-3 Sweet Clover 2-4 Timothy 4-6 Orchard Grass or Brome Grass 2-3 Red Fescue 1I. 224- Soil Pounds per Acre Variety Lon~ Term Pasture Mixtures (10 years or more) Pontypool and Brighton 4-6 Alfalfa Sandy Loams 1-2 White Dutch 3-4 Sweet Clover 3-5 Timothy 3-5 Orchard Grass 5-7 Brame Grass 4-5 Red Fescue 2-3 Kentucky Blue \ 3-5 Canada Blue Bottom Lands 6 Timothy 3 Red Top 6 Reed Canary 3 Alsike The use of sod cover to protect the eroded soils of the upper watershed of the Humber is strongly recom- mended. Much can be done by individual farmers and groups of farmers by working through existing county agencies and with the help of the Department of Agriculture through their Agric- ultural Representatives in Brampton and Newmarket in taking the first effective steps to promote conservation on the Humber Watershed. 4. The Pasture Zone The preceding discussion of pasture as an effective conservation practice has had reference to existing farn-,s. Analysis of the observations made of land use and land capability show, however, that the problem is too serious and of too great an extent to be thrown on the shoulders of individual farmers. The change of land use required to correct conditIons of water loss and soil erosion on the upper water- shed would put large areas now pastured into forest. and areas now cultivated, into pasture. The establishment of either farm woodlots or of public forests is well understood. The land forms which produce the conditions calling for reforestation are such that forest zones are re~dily apparent. But seldom does nature layout the land so that reforestation is required up to a property line fence and clean cultivation may be carried out on the other side of the fence. Rather there is a transition zone between the land plantable for trees and the cultivable zone. This is the condition not only on the upper 1I. ! I ! 225 I watershed of the Humber but along the whole of that land feat- ! t' r ure which produces these conditions, the Interlobate X.,oraine. I: I This condition of erosion and water loss, and I \' I , its correction by reforestation and pasture, poses a problem i ; with wide regional aspects. The solution requires careful i planning and cannot be brought about qUickly. The establish- I ment of pastures can be brought about more quickly than the f , ! establishment of large forest areas. The income derived r from such pastures is available within a year. F'urthermore, it can be done without any uprooting of the agricultural popul- ation. There are now in the region many operators to give leadership in such a movement. The proposal put forth here, then, is for the establishment of a pasture zone between the reforestation land and the cultivated land on the more favoured soils to the south. No aspect of a conservation program can be consid- ered entirely separately froffi the others. In the conversion of agricultural land from cultivation to permanent sod cover, thought can be given to the recreational use of the land. In the city of Toronto and its suburbs there is a large and growing body of people who engage in the sport of skiing in the winter. The only land nearby which offers slopes and trails free of Obstructions, trees or fences, over any area large enough for their purposes, are golf courses. These are located on the Interlobate ~,oraine or on the slopes of the Humber and Don Valleys. Similar large areas of grassed land free of obstructions would be provided by zones of permanent pasture on the steeper slopes that are found. In any other rrecreational program designed for the watershed there would be roads, trails, lodges and hygienic facilities provided. These would be available for use in the wintertime, thus mak- ing their provision more economically sound. Even the small- est fees derived from skiers for use of unobstructed grass slopes would augment the income earned by the land. Prog- rams of reforestation or improvement of existing woodlots would not conflict with such use of the land. Indeed, the interests of agriculture, forestry and recreation would all be served. 1I. 226 by a program of land use adjustment which would go a long way in reducing soil and water loss. In the watershed, at the present time, examples can be found of such wise use of the land by individual proprietors. 5. Establishing the Pasture Zone Detailed investigation of the sort which would be necessary to delimit a pasture zone has only been carried out in the sample area that has been described in this report. Further investigation is necessary on the watershed to find all the areas suitable for such a program. PrOlE what has been learned in the study of the Cold Creek area it is seen that the slope of the land is the dominant factor which determines this recommended use. This information for the rest of the watershed is easily obtainable from aerial photographs and from traverses of the land with an Abney hand level. There are two ways in which such a program of land use may be effectuated. These are, first, individual effort and co-operation, secondly, by direction of a publicly owned and operated project. These two methods are in no way antagonistic and can be carried out parallel to each other. Each is working towards the same end and each is limited by three factors, namely, available land, pasture requirements of herds and available water supply. Co-operation between individual proprietors can be achieved by working through existing county agencies. The improvement of pastures by seeding and fertilizing is the first step after the areas are determined. The breeding and introduction of good stock, which is now a part of the agricultural program of the counties, can be extended to fit a conservation program. Arrangements for renting land to holders of big herds can be made with the object of conserving land against erosion. The means whereby land may be acquired by a county or a conservation authority for the establishment of a forest are well understood. There is nothing to prevent the same bodies from acquiring land to be put under permanent sod for grazing. Such land would be available to operators 1I. 227 who required pasture on a rental basis. These would likely be on the margins of areas acquired for reforestation. Improved pasture management could be instituted under expert guidance . and in addition to protecting the land so treated they would serve as demonstrations to independent orperators. Protection of the health of herds can be assured by long term leases on clean, imp raved pastures. If land is acquired in a zone around a public forest plantation, oubsequent division can be made so that each parcel of land has a permanent water supply. In the land that was mapped on the sample area it was found that in many cases better classes of land were in pasture because reliable water sources were on the property, and land which might have been protected against erosion by sod was still being cultivated because there was no steady source of water. Such conditions cannot always be remedied on a farm basis but only by planned land use of a region. Water supply is the critical factor in protecting land with sod, Lack of water is the most obvious symptom of the ills resulting from erosion, excessive run-off and lowered water tables. 6, Water Supplies for Grazin~ Lands There are four main sources of water for cattle in the region, wells, springs, streams and kettle ponds. Many farms in the region are restricted in their use by the drying up of wells and springs. This is the final res- ult of the kind of use that has devastated the land. With a readjustment of land use that puts more permanent vegetative cover back on the land in the form of grass und trees, and increases the humus content of the soil, this condition ~ay be remedied over the years. In the meantime the provision of water for cattle remains a problem. Two other sources remain, the streams and the kettle ponds. To retain the best use of these ~~thout deterioration and without prejudice to other uses, careful management is required. The first and most important thing in the proper management of natural water supplies is the exclusion I , t 22g of cattle. vJater should be piped, and if necessary. pumped to watering troughs. ~here this is impossible then a fenced app- roach to a limited area should be provided for the cattle. If this is done the trampling and spoiling is restricted, and when it becomes too severe the area can be allowed to grow over and a new approach provided. If cattle are not excluded, their trampling will wear away the banks, open the land to erosion, silt-in and fill the water hole. In streams, their droppings and the churning up of mud bottoms spoil the water for other uses downstream. Another step in the management of natural bodies of water is their protection against stream bank and wave erosion with consequent silting-in. Here too, the impor- tance of vegetative cover is apparent. Grass, perennial herbs, shrubs and trees can all be used and the choice can be deter- mined on the basis of their practical use. Plants which provide food and cover for wildfowl or muskrats may be used. If the stream is to be fished, trees to shade the stream to keep it cool are valuable. To exclude cattle and to provide vegetative cover on the margins of natural water bodies requires that water be piped from the source to a drinking trough or basin. In many cases gravity can be used to deliver the water to a drinking trough at a lower level. If it is nece~sary to pump, then power has to be supplied. Unfortunately hydro electric power is not usually available at natural water supplies as it often is at wells near barns. Windmills are not used much nowadays. An alternative source of power commonly used is drawn from a tractor. wbere permanent streams or kettle ponds do not exist on land to be grazed, ponds can be built by darr.ming intermittent streams. This is done by erecting a dual purpose dam. This is a dam that will provide a permanent pond for watering cattle and provide flood storage as well. Three to four acres of catchment area suffice to supply a small pond, up to ten acres may be used for larger ponds which are used for fish or waterfowl. wbere clay is available for material -'.- " " ~"1 p,-.- - -,. ~ -"'''--~'-''~-- '". ,,' ,~.~ \< ~~," l:t~ ~'"; ..',',-.--......-..... A Kettle Pond Put to Good Use Brighton sandy loam1 the steep slopes are ero~ed. Such land is suitable for long term pasture w~th some restrictions in use. The Kettle pond in the foree-round is used for watering cattle, and, as it i~ protected by fences on two sides, is fairly well preserved. Further protection from trampling by cattle would preserve this pond indefinitely. _. '"',. -.-.- '- "'~,-., .~-._.,~- i : i : , A ~ettle Pond Lost to Jood Use King clay loam on twenty-five per cent slopes, severely eroded with large gullies developing. This land can be protected by reforestation and the gullYing stopped by minor engineering works and a mantle of shrubs. The depression in the foreground is a pond that has been rendered useless by silting in. It has not been protected from the cattle that have grazed on the slopes. 230 and provi.dinE ::Ul imper::i.eablE"J t.otto:.>, the construction of such ponds is fairly sisple. The catchr..ent area shoL.ld be protected by permanent vegetation such as pasture crass or 'woodlot. The s;.;',e pr{:cautions should be practiced as for other natural water supplies, namely exclusion of cattle and protect~on uf the n:ar;:;ins by vecct stion. The spilh/d..i ~hat carriU3 t~ie overflow in flood times ;.;.;;.d t,;(~ baLks of the dam can also Ue ;_rassed for protection a~aim:t. ~~r~sion and silting. 7. Conservation li'3.n,..i".. ConservatioH farEdng means the practice of fann methods desiglled to combat erosion and water loss. Such methods in no 'flay conflict \-Jith sound farzn management. In addition to ,giving protection against soil and WQter loss in a region they help, in tne:':,sel ves, in improving the efficiency and increasing the yield of thp far,;,. Experts in the field of conservation speak of increases of 20;; in farm income in two or three years with the nractice of tIlese methods. ConservatioIl farming is particularly applicable to land ~'Vhich is deGcribed in this report as Class II and Class III land. This includos 23% of the land that was ma:ped on the Cold Creek swnple area. Some of these methods are also applicable to Class IV, VI and VII land when they are cult iv- ated3.nd planted to permanent cover. The methods to be dis- cu~sed in this report include uses of gr0en ~anure, restricted rotations, contour ploughing, strip cropping, diversion ditches grassed waterways and f ariL engineering projects. 3. Adding Humus The use of green manure is generally recognized and commonly practi~ed in good far:.1ing. The so-called soil building crops, legumes, rye and buckwheat are sown and ploughed under. Insofar as such green vegetative matter decom- poses readily when incorporated with the soil, it is a good rGeans of reestGblishing the humus content of the soil. This practice can be extended profitably to soils which are subject to erosion. The use of "stubble mulch" also helps in the same way. Although dry stubble :llixf~d into the land may not decompose as readily as green ,Jla,iure it tends to hold the - I .. 231 soil arainst either sheet or wind erosion even in its raW f form. On some farms some of the plant residue, chiefly straw f is '>lasted. Only that which is used for bedding in stables finds its way back to the fields in the form of stable manure. t The surplus straw might well be "composted" with stable manure, especially when stable manure has to be kept until a favour- able time for spreading. Though this requires extra handling and possible more equipment, its value in the fight against erosion makes the work worth while. The question of composting, merits further study in Untario. In many parts of the world composting is consid- ered a vital part of agriculture but in Ontario at this date it receives scant attention as the use of stable manure did a hundred years ago. In Untario to-day a limit is set on this practice by the labour available. Equi.pment and installetions not in general use are required to reduce the labour of hand- ling. The development and distribution of equipment for the efficient handling of composted plant refuse would be a big step forward, not only in good farm management but also in combatting erosion by the One sure method, that is, returning the water absorbent humus to the soil. Any vegetative material can be used for com- posting; straw, waste hay, household refuse, refuse from c~nning plants, leaves or peat. Stable manure is the best agent for rotting the vegetable matter, but inoculations of micro-organ- isms are sold commercia~ly and can be used. The micro-organ- isms which act on the plant residue require, at various times during the decomposing procG.;;\Q, air. \...ater, plant food and an alkaline medium. The handling of the compost pile to include the right amount of air and water is the most troublesome feature of composting. Available plant food for the micro- organisms may be added in the form of commercial fertilizers. The addition of lime neutralizes the acid products of decompos- ition and helps the process tewards completion. Humus added to clay soil does not increase its water holding capacity so much as it helps to increase its porosity and ability to . ~. .. l ,., 232 take in water. Humus added to light sandy soils will apprec- iably increase their water absorbing and holding capacity. 9. Restricted Rotations. In a restricted rotation the planting of grain and other row crops is reduced and that of. grasses and hay mixtures extended. This serves two ways in the fight against erosion. It maintains cover on the land more than that provided by the usual rotations and it helps to build up the soil. This practice is particularly useful on irregularly sloping land which is highly productive but not suitable for contour cultivation. On hummocky land it is often seen that the farmer puts his fertilizer on the kn!lls where he has recognized the erosion. 'J:'his is worked into the hollows where yield 8 may be les8 due to imperfect drainage or smothering by silt. A clothing of grass and legumes will stop this washing and at the same time, give a good yield. Corn, roots or grain follow two or three years of grass and legume mixture will do l,-vell and the land is not so susceptible to erosion a.fter the soil building crops have strengthened it. 10. Farrtlini2: "On the Level". Contour cultivation conserves soil and water I by suppJ.yi.ng a multitude of dams and reservoirs to hold water. The furrows and the drill rows are made to follow the shape of the land, that, on the contour . A contour is a line which joins all points at the same height. liater in running off tie surface is held behind each furrow or row and ha13 to sink into the ground. Care is needed to prevent water from piling up behind one point and breaking through to form a gulley. If ".!. such a tendencycan not be avoided then a grassed waterway can be constructed to carry away any accumulation of water on the surface. Strip cropping is the most effective way of carryir.g out contour cultivation. This consists of laying out alternate strips of close cover crops (meado,>!) and open row crops. Once the strips are established the crop rotatioh can be carried out with the strips 1n the same <Jay as it is ordin- arily carried out \-dth the separate fields. Any soil wash from ~ i " I"" "t:',h"" l,j"J "'r p"li'lJ ~'" II... """flr, ,l"~,, /..., ,/ ",hi (, ,-~"._... 1I, ,.. ,. l' \ ~ Farming on the Level The wheel marks made during harvesting suggest the possibility of contour cultivation. This 50il has, however. been severely eroded. "0' ,~,,~ _""~' _""'_'''__ ~, ",.,""\\:\'i \~:., ..~, ..~... W' ~~~~ .... \, ~~ ........., . "'\\.'1 .....\W'."~' ;'" ...~...,_,.~ \ ''", '''.!." (:"',. .. .F.:"r::.:~;;i\~..~ ~\"'~~;'~~lo \". , "~~I'~\l"t ' . -'I ^' ~f."~ \Al'~ {,I' ',.' H< 'i':~ ,,'# ,,,.'.~ 'J:jl," .. . "4 ',"' " <. -- , ~' ", ji/; l ":~}"_' ~f,'4"f..", . ,,~ , _..-~-.--- .- ,_.-~ ' I Heforestat.ion Severely eroaed gravelly soil on t.he rUt.;l:',ed slopes of the interlobate moraine.-The water resources of the Humber River can be protected by reforestation of this land which, under agricultural use, is not very productive. " ,') ,. '~J =' falJ.ow or open rows is trF.1.pped by the close veg,etation on the meadow strips. The marking out of a field for cultivating on the level and for the establishing of contour strips requires skill and knowledge not normally at the disposal of the averaLe Ont ario fanner. ','lith expert or experienced assistance in the first attempt, however, it will becot,e no more difficult than other skills rerluired in farming. ll. Hendling the Surplus Water ',/hen water collects on the surface and runs across :: cultivated field the means of protection against ordin- ary sheet erosion is not enough to hold it in check. It is necessary then to c!ivert it by means of a ditch around the cultivated field. This can be done with a broad flat ditch the botto~ and margins of which are covered with sod. The upper end of such a rlitch should start below some area that is under permanent plant cover. Otherwise sediment in the run-off water may scour and deepen the ditch. The water should be led safely by gentle slopes to a safe outlet in a watercourse. ilherever water runs in streams along the surface, the land over which it runs should be protected by sod. If the land is not protected in this way the water soon cuts a deeper course across which tillage implements can not be drawn. If the land is protected then intermittent streams can cut across the fields with the least damage. The water that is then delivered into streams is filtered and strained. It is not necessary for rivers an'l streams to be muddied and spoiled by the good soils of the farms. The grass on a sodded waterway can be cut each year for hay. The silt which it strains from the water will enrich the soil and increase the yield of hay. Where gulleys have formed and are growing fast they can often be checked by planting trees and shrubs on the bare face of the scar and sod on the gentler slopes. Trash thrown against the exposed cut will help bind it temporarily while trees anrl shrubs are taking root. Once healed, a gulley shoulrl never be reopened to cultivation unless it has been filled in. / 1I. 'J' 36 l.o, \ ~,_ _=<..... "'~._ ~:.~~_ ~M!!_:_- '_.' ~=,:'~'.....~;;~~:~~':;;: ~,"__'- -'~~.o :;js ,:'"0 0 ."--'~'~'_' ... - ,,.,'~' "" _ - ~ ~'!! ~ ~~- ~ ~ ~".....~ :.;.-'t,'" ~A;" :)o{^' . ......' " J i!iJ '___..,_ } \. ":"-.i- " ....; ,,-~ ',.. . ~ - ~ h.\ l ....... ....oil ('CllSCl :'atir," ,""f'r;'{ll'. Cultivation on the contour is here supported by strip-cropping ,with alternating bands of close-growing, erosion-resisting crops and cultivated roW crops, This practice is recom- mended as an erosion control measure for the more uniform and longer slopes of Class II and III land, HI' ('."';, :"':lIil ('OI/SO';'llt/1I1l ......rrl"',/.. Simple strip-cropping on the contour permits the growing of long, easily worked bands of crops in rotation, on sloping Class II and III Ian", " 237 .~hE~re vqetation is not enough to prot,,;ct a gulley or a v-vaterc\l11rse then snlll darns and spill~'i'-lYs cf tL;b(r, stone or concrete are necessary. One gulley, unccmtrolled, can ravish a farm in one lifetime. In a few years a gulley can unriermine a house or make a road impassable. 12. Farm Planning The most effective use of the measures described in this discussion of conservation farm'ng can be made when they are integrated in a farm plan. ~ farQ plan is based on an inventory of the soil resources on one farm. 'i'he location of wcodlots, long term pastures and water supplies is made on the basis of land capability. The fwnagement of the cultivated portions of the farm is based on thu conditions to bu found. The cropping systeM and rotation are adjusted to the capability of the l.:ind and the methods required to conserve the soil. easures to control soil erf;oion and water loss \"/111 bring improved results as soon HB they are practiced. Susceptibility to drought is reduced ann more eff~cti Vf~ use is '-"cde of plant nutrients and soil amendnents. ;iork of this nature is 'iOW carried on in Ontario by a staff of experts at the Ontario Agricultural College. ,lith more trainecl perRonncl and more farmei's experienced in these methods, guidance awl r.c;}p 'liill bflcon8 progressively more availab~,e to operators \r/ho recognL~e t,he problem and w.::;.nt to do something about it. 13. ,.atershed Planning The protection of the resources of a watershed can, in t,he long run, be done more effectively by the people who are now using tho~e resources than by anyone else. In the p::wt farmer's have organized and cooperated in brin(;ing about great advances in agricultur,. Through such cooperation s01l fertility, crops and animql stock have been improved. D168:ise, ','ieudg anr~ pests have been successfully cO;ibatted. In the future, the same kinO. of organization and cooperation can bring about the protection of the land a[Eli1:.st erosion and ,.vatGr loss. 238 CHAPTER THE FOREST 1. At the Time of Settlement For centuries preceding the coming of the white man the Humber River formed the main channel of cOJ':.munication between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. This ancient Indian highway made its way froIT. its source in the Caledon Hills through dense primeval forest hardly any of which remains to-day. If we would learn ~~at the forest was like originally we must have recourse to the descrip- tions vihich have come dOvm to us from early travellers and do our best to reconstruct the scene from these anti from the ecattered remnants of woods which still remain. The first white man to view the forests of the Humber was Etienne Br'fU€ who, as far as l'fe know, left no description of the forests. Louis Hennepin anchored off the mouth of the river in 1670 and later said of the for- ests of the Great Lakes region "The forests afford all manner of Timber fit for Building", but he could have had little concept of the stupendous harvest of white pine, maple, elm, beech, oak, ash and many other trees which had awaited the use of rr-ankind throu~h the ages. Even after this the era of the fur traders passed and it was another hundred years, at least, before settlement began and ~an laid his destruct- ive hand upon the forest, upsetting the balance of nature more completely than any other living organism has ever done. La Jonquiere writing of Fort Rouille in 1751 says "The fort is of pieces on pieces all of oak" describing the horizontal squared timbers and suggesting that there was plenty of oak timber near the Humber's mouth, the remnants of which may be seen to-day. Alexander Aitkin, a surveyor, in a report dated 178$ states that the timber is mostly oak and pine for a distance of a mile above the fort. ~, 239 hlexander ;~cDonnell who accompanied Gov- ernor ~;imcoe in a journey up the Hunb" r in 1793 rnClrie the fal 'HYing notes of the timber in his diary: From St~ . John's House at the mouth of the River to a point near the west enc1 of bflinton Avenue - ".'e entered the woods and keeping our course north, north1.vest crossed a pine ridge" . Beyond Black Gr~ek he cross~d another pine ridge near ~Jeston and then t! '.lent. throuf;L excellent land for grain and grass, trees uncommonly large and tall especiaJ.ly iJinet!. After crossing Duncan's Creek near Thistletown he says "The land through which we passed is chiefly fooded with maple, bass, beech, pine and c€dar.---Proceeded early in the morning. Shortly after leaving our fires went through a ridge of very fine pine (east of Kleinburg)---went over excellent land, black rich mould; timber maple, beech, black birch (probably yellow) and bass". Furthe:r on they "~ient over very uneven ground, the soil in some places indifferent, nut in general not bad land. Sa\'i some v'.,r:' fine yello'll pine (possibly red pine) and black birch". This ',../as probably near Hackett Lake for it was here that the party crossed the he5_ght of land into the Holland Ri ver ~iatershed. In 1851 W. H. Smithl described the forest near Tor~mto as he travelled north and westward. "Immediately after leaving Queen Street, Dundas ~)treet passes through what formerly was a cedar swamp, (evidently Garrison Creek) but is now dry and has been taken into cultivation". Later on about 5~ miles from Toronto city hal12 he says: "In this neighbourhood, extend- ing for some distance on either side of Dundas Street is a considerable breadth of oak plains, known as the Scarlett Plains. These plains are thinly studded over with oak trees, but few of which grow to any size--The soil (of Etobicoke Tovinship) varies in quality but a large portion of the timber pine with hardwood intermixed---On the pine l. Canada - Fast, ~resent and Future 1651. ? Old City Hall, Front Street. (St. Lawrence :1arket) . . - :=0. \ \ ~ ......._o._____.__...._..'...._........ . . ErOJ.IL.Nat.ural, .Re.so.urces of King. Township. . ! Fences constructed of the stumps of former white pine trees are mute evidence of the magnificent pure stands of white pine whi.ch originally occupied the lighter soils of the ,Humber watershed. .' "'.'A"'",,.:.':l'~,___""<\'_~"'__\~ ""If' I i , . .,~\~:;\':-":,. '~i:";.,,,. ",' .;:... _ .\: .' '~~'~\),!,'ti".;\\L.';:'i;::'O\:i}\:~1;~~h,;.I\<~\ \' ,.,'..,- ""'''''-if'-'S~''\' ";'., l~'" '.' . ~'-II\",.'\,,,,,,,,,,,,\,\x'\\'~a . ~"':i';f~~~l"'t~'~,;.ii~~i":.>~..,~;:\" .'.\' '\:~~,;~ .\../:~\.,.:,\'i,. --. ~'- ~ The last remaining stand of red pine in the Humbi;:)r watershed. These trees are Just north of Dundas street in the village of Lambton. Their thin foliage indicates their wea',ened condition and they will not long survive the smoke and ~st of the encroachin2 citv. ~:4l 'I (r:)ve ro<(J ':uch of tLc t:;-'lbcr :8 ij:,: e---:'!1 t~,( ;,: bJr;rl ;"0<:1,] :"io.r'e I j of the ti."lbc;r is h.:.,rd',N'oo<i and the soil i~) h(:;,vjer. t' heca Lise :~::Ji th follower! the r:i ver vctlle~' he S:;';rl much of the s,mdy, gravelly soils anrl gives in (Xctl [;erated idea of the proiJortion of pine and o&k. The latE) 0r. c. D. Howel has left one of the best, recent descriptions ~,)f tr" l'or€sts in the vicinity of '.i'oronto: "The city of Toronto for the most part stands on light, sandy soils rloposited j.n the Iroquoj.s stnce of Lake Ont~rio and the vegetation is characterhltic of such soils. The trees are mostly oaks and pines. There nre, however, pat- ches of heavier soils ann where their forest renains it is composect of beech and hemlock notably in Ashbridge's woods in the eastern part of the city. !,orth of the old Iroquoi~, beach the soils gractually become heuvier, with an increasingly clay content, and the oak-pine fort~st is replaced by maple- beech forest. On the ~{estern erige of the city in !lign Park and on the HUMber Dlains, the vegetation is ~istinctly Carol- 2 inian . . t 1 t' r . <lhile on t.he ea.stern s:1.de j,t is l.n 1,S re-,-a ..lons nps, il' leghanian, the city beint. the ~ividing lire bet~yeen the two types of flora. The transition bet,jeen the two tYtJes is very abrupt in High :\irk \'/here one nay pass in a few minutes from the Carolinian of the sand plains to the Alleghanian in the bottoms of the deep ravines." The city of Toranto marks the eastern end of the di vining line between the Deciduous Forest Hei;ion and the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Forest Hegion,which runs approx- imately frorl the soutbern end of La;ce Huron to the city of Toronto. Consequently, though most of the Humber .~atershed lies in the lattf~r region ann compr5~~.3€ct noatly types which Dr. ;: O''f/e calls Alleghanian, Carolinian types occurred near the mouth south of olrl Iroquois beach. 1. . ;'vatural }!:~story of Toronto Reg:\.on - 1913 2. The Carolinian corresponds to the Deciduous Forest Region and the Alleghanian in this locality, to the mixed furest of the Greclt Lakes :..t. Lawrence Forest Region. - , ,. 242 These early descriptions indicate that the original forest cover \iaS predominantly hardwood but with feHer species than occurred in the ')ecidu.ous Forest Eagion to the south. Sugar maple and beech were the dominant species with basswood, white elm ~hite ash dnd silver ~aple as associates as well as some , red, white and bur oakes and yellow birch. GrouVs of white pine occurred on t.he .'/ell-drained soils and white pine ann hemlock grew on the cool slopes of the ravines. White pine and hemlock also grew as scat,tered trees throughout the hardvlOod stands ~nd the for~er towered above the deciduous trees. The m~amps on level land w~re occupied by white elm anrl silver maple for the most part, while those in hollows, especially on Quck areas, WfTe cov~red with white cedar, either in ~ure stands or mixed with other wet-sited species. South of the Iroquois beach, oak greA in open, parklike f rouJ)ines on the f~and plain and sassafras reached its northern limit while red pine grew very sparingly here. 2. Since ~ettleMent The attitude of the early settlers to the forest was completely hostile, which feeling was very natural because the forest was, undoubtedly, the greatest obstacle to the natural develovrnent of the land. It shelt~;red the native Indians who ha1 harassed their hOffiesteRds further east anrl obstructerJ all the pioneer 'work of roadbuilding, farming ann establishing townsites and consequently they looked upon it as a great oppressive and fearsome thing which must be hacked, slashed, beaten rJown and burned by every means in their power. This inrralned antabonism was so deep-rooted that it has only begun to disappear in comparatively recent years. The cutting of the forests began with the clearing of small areas for forts and trading-posts, then certain speci.ql trees such as white pine for mast.s and si'ars, oak and tamarack, for shillbuildingl \vere t':.iken; then fol] }wed the periorl. :If pioneer sett let-lent when land WClS cJ eared for farming an' there Has little r:larket for the ~roducts 1. "The shipyard on the Humber was important in the eyes of the Governor (Sirncoe) and ships carpenters iiere imFortect for the ilvork from the United Status and returned to their homes for the "linter ( 11'/9) n - The Valley of the Humber. p N. Lizars lqlJ :1.. . , . ,. 243 of the forest except in the form of potash~ Following this period and running concurrently with later settlement ca~e the development of the lumber industry and the great square tiLber trade when the squared logs were rafted down to l\Jontreal and loaded on the timber vessels. This trade reached its peak about 1890 and since that date the lumber industry has declined till to-day it is only represented on the Humber by a few mills supplying a fraction of the local lumber needs. When a new area was opened for settlement the best land was naturally taken first and the rough and swampy areas were avoided. Land was usually cleared first along the fronts of the farms and the woodland cut further aud further back towards the end of the farm which lay farthest fror-, the road. This was done, in many cases, without reference to the soil except where it was swampy, and the consequence is that where woodlots still reffiain they "tend to lie in continuous strips parallel to the concession lines and in the centre of each lot. Hence apart from the ridge and valley woods the location of woodlots on particular farms has little or no relation to poor soil conditions but is a haphazard arrange- 2 ment." The rate of reduction of the forests was very rapid for though settlement did not begin till the latter part of the eighteenth century and "seventy years ago (1843) the trees were almost untouched for miles and miles---on the south side of Dundas Street.,,3 - by 1850 the forests of Peol and York Counties were depleted by more than 60 per cent; by 1910 by more than 90 per cent and the 1940 Census of Canada figures showed 7.9 per cent woodland and 9.4 per cent woodland for Peel and York Counties respectively. (See Table F1) 1. "The only commodity which found. a local sale in cash was a sort of potash called "black salts" which was made by boiling down the lye extracted from the ashes made in burning the log heaps while clearing land" - Topo~raphical and Historical Atlas of the County of ~iddlesex ll78. 2. The Natural Resources of r:ing Township - K .r, .li.ayall 1938; 3. The Valley of the Hu."!1ber - K.ii;. Lizars 19l3. .__._._._.#w.___....._#~.-.-_,__...,.....__ . 'l< 1<\. I' , :~ \l .:)::;;~~-:,'~~~J,_f " . , -- - "---_. ~ From Natural Hesources of King Township. Aeriar"photograpp looking norfhw~st from the village of ~ing showing part of the interlobate moraine and the way in which the bush has been left at the back ends of the tarm,s. <.,'.-'....\", A......,'.,-\...I'.,,,.......,.,~.....'\n.I'r'__..""..._..\,__... .... : I i -..._.."..---...~"""'---_....._......-.~.-. Sod remo'lal f' -"">~m 1 i2~rt t land i.n ;,lb:ion ........ Vl-l... and '.ing is an ir:lportant cause of "blowholesll. townships ! (/) -:tlJ"\-:tr-l ...;j' ...ooO'-co l""\ :1l C"-O;C"-'-.() C C'-- r....... ..(,\ r-l l""\ ~ -:tr-iC"-<",\ to lJ"\ r-i "''' 0 l""\ U .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0 <:: lJ"\ 0'\ l""\ ~ eJ'.-:tN '-0 -:t r-i r-l Q'\ r-l .j.) ,... ..... ~ o U"\ 0'- 'J' '-0 lJ"\ 0' r-l 01 r-I 0 . . . . . . . . . . ::'l""\-:tr-l C"- r..-...OC"-l""\ '..0 ~ r-Ir-1 r-I a> w... 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(l) N to -:t-.o N N..o01::O ... ..... u . . . . . . . . . . o..or-l-:t ("'\ r-Il""\NN r--- ~ ...;;tl""\!"'\N r"'\ \"0.; ~C""\~ N ~ 0-, if.) \C...;;tC'--\,('\ N -:t-:tNl""\ l""\ G) r-lC'-O'-N ,..., r-l-:tr-lO'\ ..0 ~ o -:J' 0 0". \,('\ C"". 0 \,('\ 0'- ';0 u .. .. ... ~ .. ... .. .. .. .. .:) N ,;",,\ (T'\ '" ,-4C"\C"'\N .... ..... , C lJ'\ .j.) 1::0 c: \,('\ -:t C"'\ N '" O-:tNO'- r-I ri Q) . . . . . . . . . . " , C'--....o \,('\ I"""i N ('. 0'- C"-..o ....... '-' '-... -:t-:t-:tl""\ -:t C"""'I C"'\ -:t f""\ -:t ~ Q) " ....... 0.. .,...~ ...;;t,t"'- N 0 f""', (\l\,('\'OOO \,('\ J::.co to 'to to ('t"\ tx:> N C'-- '" \,('\ r-I U) Q) '-0:.0-.70"- 0'. N C'-\O l""\ C c: ~ .. .. .. .. .. ~ ... .. ~ .. ~< -:tf'-f'-tx:> tx:> C'- ('t"\ -:t '" N 0 \,('\..0 C"- r-I r-I r-I:..o'-ON 0"- E-< >.~ N r-I u; ~ ::l 0 00 Q) 0- u oX .r-t C:cnO 0 c .c: co;::+.' en u co en CfJ C. "C bJ s: I"""i .,...j .c: ,...., c: .r-t (l) C 0 co .D bD ""..'x: (~ ~ ...0 r-I'M ~ .., C ~:. ;::: ~ .., 0 '""' CD..c:: 0 0 ....,.r-! [tj 0 0 t- .=( uu t- E-. ,..::: ~ :> l>-i E-o ~+rG ., ,. . - (: ,., . , t "4 PER CENT WOODLAND ~o TOWNSHIPS OF YORK COUNTY CENSUS OF CANADA FIGURES 40 30 20 I I I 10 ~ ~ \ I/lUGHAN E T081COKE YORK 0 I r-~--""T -~~,-~..-._-- --..-.---"--- - 18~0 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 PER CENT NOODLAND "I. 50 THE TOWNSHIPS OF PEEL crUNTY CENSUS OF CANADA FIGURES 40 30 20 10 CHINGUACOUSY ------ ----._~. TORONTO GORE 0 '" -~'-'-1 - ---- 1 , r---- I 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 ~-~ . 247 Table Fl is most valuable in showinR the rate at which the land was completely cleared rather than the actual rate at which the timber was cut because, frequently, only certain species or qualities of timber were taken at one time and the remainder was still classified as woodland. Also, the definition of woodland varied from person to person and one farmer mi~ht consider a certain cut over area as pasture while another would call it woodland because considerable reproduct- ion or young growth still remained. The actual measurements of the woodland area within the Humber Watershed made in 1946 shows a total of 22,311 acres or 10.4% of the total area. 3. Forest Products (i) Early Policy Previous to 1826 the only persons authorized to cut timber on the public lands were the contractors for the Royal Navy, or those holding licenses from them, and there was great infringement of the regulation and much illicit trade, but in this year the first steps towards making the forest resources a source of revenue to the Province and "50 securing to the public a share of the wealth drawn from the public dom- ain", led to co-operation among the officials and the termination of the contractors' monopoly. "The inauguration of a system under which anyone was at liberty to cut timber on the ungranted lands of the Ottawa lumber re~ion on payment of a fixed scale of rates to the Crown", overcame in large part the annoyance of the people and authorities in the colony against the export of the sound Canadian timber for the British Navy. (ii) Masting The selection of mast timber was made by government agents who went through the forest blazing "~th a broad arrow--which was the mark of the British Government. As late as 1$27, when Peter Robinson was appointed Surveyor- General of His ~~jesty's Woods and Forests in the province of Upper Canada, he was instructed "to make a Survey of the Woods and Forests within the said PrOVince, and ascertain in what ,. 24$ Districts there may be any considerable growth of Masting and other Timber fit for the use ot His Majesty's Navy.tt The ma st and spar export to Britain was thriving in the '30'8 and '40's and it was continued intermittently as late as 1855. The British trade dropped off noticeably a.fter 1854 cmd this may be attributed to the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States 1n that year, "securing the free exchange of the nutural products between Canada and the United States, including 'timber and lumber of all kinds, round, hewed, and sawed, manufactured In whole or in part'," and the builditie of railway connections with the United StaticS border ci t ie8. (ill) Souared Timber . The squared timber trade commenced, no doubt, somewhat later than the mast trade and was carried on simul- taneously with it fr:m the '30' 8. Squared timber consisted of selecting large trees, mostly white pine t and squaring th(~ best part into one long stick. In the earliest days of the industry the timbers were squared on all four sides to a fine "proud edce" but later when the best timber had b(~en cut t they were squt;red with a rounded shoulder, or "wane", which was known as "'r:laney timber". Such methods of cOt~se, were wasteful since the finest grained wood was sacrificed in the operation, but this was the type of material c~lled for by the British market. The timbers were transported either by teams or railway to the lake, and "...ere luilt into huge rafts, ~m ..;hich the lumberjacks built shanties and lived during the trip from the harbour dOlin the St. Lawrence to the timber coves at Quebec. During the years of the export trade of nu,sts, spars and squared timber, a considerable domestic business was also being carried on in Toronto supplying ship-bui lding requirements there. ,. 2Lq (iv) ~:aw If.aterial From 179? on !,,,htn thel<ings ~)<:l'V'lmill ;,-viS fi cst buil t near the mouth of the Htlr1ber the cutting of ti::lber gradually develo">ed as one of the [Jost important domestic businesses. By 1825 at leo:st five mills \iere in operation on the Humber which included the King's Mill - now usually referred to as the Ole! I<1i11 -, Cooper' s'ii1l at Lanbton and three mills at ,)caton. One ol~ map dated 1817 shows a sawmill at the outlet to Laton Hall Lake whichirias apparently run by a stream shown flowing from the lake. This stream is now dry throughout the summer months. Industries recorded in 1660 (See Table F)) are six cooperages, two match factories in York County and 9 waggon and carriage factories in Peel County. The Census of ind~stry for 1944 shmvs two sawmills and four planning mills in Peel County and eleven sCiwmills, thirty-three pl~nning mills, three boat works, eight box factori{~s, four coffin and casket fir:ns, three hardwood floor manufacturers, one hundred and six furniture factories, and seventy-follr ether manufacturers of wooden articles in York County making in all a t()tal of two hundrF;d and forty-ei~;ht "wod-using industf':',es close to the Humber Jatershed. :~ost of t hase are, I]f (:o\,;rse, located in the city of Toronto but very little of th~~ W'ood required by these industries C"'J"'1es from the HU!1()er ,,'atershed, in spite of the fact that there are thousands of acres here which once produced the very finest tinber on land which is now almost completely unproductive, but ~"hich could be induced to furnish vC11uable crops of tinber :-1c.;ain by proper forest management. By Id51 then; \Vere at least 45 saHmi' ls on the HtU'jber fa ver, one in 1,dJ~(la tOVlnship, six in !\1bion, five in Ltobicoke, four in !;ing, one in Toronto Gore, tv.renty-one in Vaughan and six in York township. It is not kno,\'n how many of these .vvere water power and how many were steai.i power but the Census of Ci:marla returns list the mills in ot)eration in Peel and Yor~ Counties in that year anrl in 1860 as follows: - ,. 250 TABLE 1"2 Sawmills 1850 County .hltE:!r Steam Total Output in H bd. ft. Peel 33 2 35 0,$30 York ill 9 l62 28.135 Total 186 11 197 36,965 l860 Peel 6 -- 6 l,l40 York 2.l Z2 76 25.826 Total 57 25 $2 27,236 TABLE F3 ViOOD USING IND1JSTHIES Census of Industry Figures Industry Peel York 1860 1944 1806 1944 Sawmills 6 2 76 11 ~agon & Carriage Factories 9 - 11 -- Cooperages - - 6 -- Match Factories 2 -- Planing r~ills - 4 -- 33 Furniture - - -- lO6 Boat Building - - -- 3 Boxes, wooden - - -- 8 Coffins and Caskets - - -- 4 Fluoring, hardwood - - -- 3 :'iisc. -..rood products - - -- 58 Hefrigerators - - -- 3 ,iClOd t 1; rning - - -- 7 Others - - -- 6 ,. 251 In 1678 the f.lufi1bel' of 53:I:'.i" ls on ths lluciber alonE har.! rlrnpped to about 3;"', a T1rl fror, trwn do>'!:, to the present tLle it has st(~adily fallen urf. r~-,>lO st"a:: mills dhich ria custom "mrk are still in operation, one at Bolton and one at Nashville, but the De.,i:trtfilent of Lands and Forest,s returns do not list these and show only one mill in Peel County and six mills in York County in 1945 with a total output of about .:..,2 thousanr1 board feet. All these mills are outside the d',tershed t hou€;h SO[:le of the:) r lOi;S may be cut wi thin the HULlber .River drainage area. ~ study of the Census of Canada returns of forest products as riven in '.cable F4 reveals the v'll'ious · rends and chant es in the lumber inr1ustry fairly clearly. From 1$70 to l890 most of the timber was squared and measured in cubic feet, lo~s were ~erely counted. In 187:] other products listed ~"'t:re firewood, staves, lathwood, tanbark and masts and spars. Between IBdO and 1890 tLe peak production of all iteIls was reached bnd squared pine timber alone in York County ran more than:.. nillion cubic feet in 1880. In 1890 fence posts and telephone poles were adrled to the list of prorlucts as werd raiL-wy ties and shingles. In the census y~ars of 1900 Bnd 1910 ~quared tinber wa1 f:t~ ill recorded in c~)bic feet and lOt:s ~ierE~ measured in b:lard feet; staves, la thwood , t'lasts .::t nd <) i)6i rs , tanbark ,'in 1 shing:.E~S disdi)i>eared from prorluctinn. In 192U no squared t.i;']ber is sho~'m and even logs are no -. on[er separated bv species. The returns of the latest census covering the year 191..0 SllO'v'li only one pr(vluct ;~f the forest indivi~ually Bnr the rest art; ~lll listed tou~ther as others valued at so [~ny ~ollars. The one product ,,,liich has per~'isted tLrougho1:t the records is firev-rood wh:.ch in York County has 'lrnpped frc>r1 a peak of 166,6J9 cords in lu90 to 24,000 cords in 1'/1.0. One or t.m :i nterestin,~' observat,ions ',vith regard to ind i vi dual spec ief; nay Llso be ,lade. Tam:~ ;'ack was listed regularly until 1890 aft(;r,'/hich it no long.er al)i)ei:.irS, due to . - .- :or 252 the depredations of the larch ;:;aw-fly Ylhich alI1G~)t~iiped it out at this ti~e. In lmW the returns show that 250 cubic feet of walnut were produced in York County proving that it was once nati ve h(~re, although only a feVi trees can be found growing in a natural state to-d8Y. 'dhite pine \i2lS, of course, the species most sought after. In York County in 1870 it formed alMost one-quarter of the squared tinber produced while oak made up one-twelfth. In lSdO pine \ilaS almost ten times all other species combined but by l890 it had dro1Jped to about one-half the total production while oak's place had been usurped by elm. In spite of huge quantities of ~~ple co~paratively little of it apFears to have been used, probably because oak ~nd even elM was much mor~ easily squared. Hickory is recorded in l870 and 1880 but disappears from then on probably because all available supplies had been exhausted. (v) Fuel and Ties From the earliest days of settlecent on the riumber to l850, wood was the sole source of fuel supply. The species used for this purpose in the vicinity were beech and ~aple - although these were furniture woods as well. tind, wi th the inception of stear.lShip travel ann later the raih'lay, and steam-driven factories, the forests of the area were ruth- lessly cut to feed industry. In the very early na.ys of the. steamship, 1632. the Honourable Adam Fergusson ',,,rites: lI,ioud is furni shed upon the St. Lawrence for one jollar, or five shillings per cord while upon the Hudson it now costs three times as much _ A man may prepare two cords a day, but it is severe wDrk, and the price, which is one dollar per cord, will do little more than compensate Maintenance awl In hour -- and an ordinary steamboat consumes fifty or sixty cords, or about 7,000 cubic feet eacrl trip (from !'ontreal to ;'uebeC).!l The price of cord wood in lS25 was quoted at r,;2. a cord, wilile in 1942 it sold at a ceiling price of $12. . : .... ~ ~ ~ . ~ ... 0 :'8 ~ . . .... ,;., IP) eft ~ . ~ :.1 I:' to- ~:Jcca.}' I" , r l..)) 0 I!'- .. . I I I I I '.1' ... U (\: f.l. 7.: . . .. V J'a .;) . f') ~ "".....to-i. I I t '~ .... .-f ~. ,-:'. :') . I It'. ~,. .'IJ ...~ r') !"") . .. . . . '..;:) C) ~"'C\1 c. ':1.1 -' -' ~ "l!'v.......t")N~ ~ :tc) I t{) I I~ r:)'1!'- .111 .'" ..... .,. of' ,.) ~' .,. 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'" 'f ,',?:i1 ~;;-;j,~"'~'1i ."' - 4 ' ~ ~ " o;r or ~ ,- ",,'I ~~. ..;!'~ ~. , ~ ~ (/;'0 '''' . 1:;.:. . . .:'>:..., :Ji.\".;,}:~::,)'...{<<,. ;,",",r"'f,:"...,,I\""""I~""'" ,Hi"'''');' ';"ll;cL,. ,,, ",j!".'f~;1~> f~:: '.... dC ....:.~'"._~' ,. .. . ..~~:..;. '\'~'~f~~",:";';';""~~;'~':t; :~,;",'d (\l:~::":~4;4,i~-1l'tt~"fc:.';;::"';'Tf; ,'. :.~ , ,. (. ..... ,. , FIREWOOD PRODUCED IN YORK AND PEEL COUNTIES CENSUS OF CANADA FIGURES CORDS 200000 150,000 100,000 50,000 YORK PEEL 0 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 - POUNDS MAPLE SUGAR PRODUCED 200,000 IN YORK AND PEEL COUNTIES /'~\ CENSUS OF CANADA FIGURES No'. Fo, ,.Oft .ub..qu.n. 10 1900 1!l0,000 ."up fi9"'.' ho.. b..n con..,I.d 10 I"-i' "'90' .qul.ol.n' fo' pu'po... of compa,i.an. 100,000 !lO,OOO /-~ / " " ~-.. '~ PEEL ~ ~~-- 0 ---_.._~-----.........,.--- . I I I I I I 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1850 1860 .. 255 With the completion of the Grand Trunk between Toronto and Montreal in 1956, locomotive requirements took large quantities of the best body hardwood, chiefly beech and ma pI e . (vi) Road ~aterials and Fencing In the early days, the making of corduroy roads furnished another important wood use. The Indian trails had followed the ridges and natural conformation of the country but when the "T-square" roads had been laid out in government offices, they followed the arbitrary lot and concession lines regardless of natural contours. Iv,any of these roads were huilt through swamps and in theE'e places corduroy constrllcti.on was used. Kany corduroy bridges and culverts were also placed over the river and its tributary streams. The building of plank roads -- a form of highway in which the planks were laid crosswise and side by side __ "..as done ill several parts of the province. About the year 1841 the old corduroy road through Weston, Thistleto~~, Clairville and COleraine, a distance of 18 miles "was changed into modern plank road. The building of the road too~ 2,250,000 feet of pine planking, which was purchased from the . 1 mills around Weston at $4.00 per thousand feet." Much wood was also used for fencing and for this cedar from the swamps was most common. The troublesome pine stump, also was used for this purpose, although in the very early tines it seems that it was left in the fields. Sonja of these old fences are still in use on the area to-day. Around 1900 the wire fence came into use generally and there- after a fence-post industry was developed: these were cut as a rule to a standard length of eight feet, while the diameter varied greatly. (vii) Woodworking and Planing ~ills During the early years of settlement in the rural districts and communities house trim for exterior and interior 1. History of \i'eston - F. D. Cruikshank and J. Nason - 1937. ,. 256 was made by the same man who constructed the frame of the house. The custom up to the 'fifties at least, was for the carpenter to board with the family the winter before the new frame house was to be built and work all his timber into shape by hand, ready to go into place as soon as the house was raised. These early carpenters did all the planing of boards by hand, both for the exteriJr and interior use. The early carpenter also made door and window frames and all interior trim of the house by hand, and, for all these products pine was the usual type of timber chosen. It would seem that doorsteps were one of the very few things for which oak was used in house bUilding, at least up to the 'sixties. For example, an old-timer is reported to have said, when asked if they used much oak in the early days, "no, we didn't need to. We had plenty of pine." Generally, as time passed, the building trades became more differentiated, and more craftsmen settled on the watershed. After the appearance of 'the planing mill in the 'fifties and the end of the hand-made door and window frames was foreshadowed and much of the ~eneral carpenter's work was taken over by mill or factory. For example, in the eighteen sixties, the planing mill business was well under- way. (viii) Wooden Implements and Vehicles (1) Early Tools: From the very early days, hickory was preferred for the making of axe-halves or handles. while for belilms or ox-yokes beech was used extensively and, for the loops, iron- wood would probably have been selected. Spike handles were made of rock elm, white ash, hickory or ironwood; the beetle- head (a mallet used for pounding hemp and flax) was also made of ash, elm, hickory or ironwood. The hardwoods r,rowing on the watershed were used almost entirely for making handles of implements, whereas pine was preferred for all building operations. .. 257 As settlement developed and more craftsmen arrived in the area, the general types of agricultural imple- ments improved and metal replaced wood in large part. (2) Vehicles: From early times, the making of vehicles progressed as carts, waggons, sleighs, and hay and wood racks were built by the farmers. In the building of carts and waggons, whiffle-trees, waggon-tongues. and binding poles were made of rock elm, white ash, hickory, and iron-wood, as were also sleigh-runners and hay and wood racks. Usually the wheels or runners of these conveyances were bound with iron, or with tin, although the use of metal was limited in early days, since the supply had to be imported by water. (ix) Indirect Products and By-Products: The three indirect products of greatest i~por- tance were maple sugar, lye and tanbark. ~aple sugar furnished the staple sugar for the pioneers -- cane sugar not, at that time, having been procurable; lye or potash was used domestic- ally in making soft soap -- almost the universal soap ; tan- bark was utilized in dressing leather by the shoemakers. (1 ) Potash: The ashery played an important role in the drama of pioneering life; and besides communal asheries, the individual ash house and the ash barrel on the platform for leaching was a characteristic of each farm in the days before the soap manufactory came into being. (2) Maple Sugar: Table F5 shows the Census of Canada figures for maple products in Peel and York Counties. It is interesting to note that up to 1910 production is all recorded as pounds of sugar, from 1910 on both pounds of sugar and gallon~ of syrup are sho~~, indicating the change from a pioneer necessity to the modern luxury. For purpose of comparison the syrup figures have been converted to their sugar equivalent and from these it will be seen that production in York County dropped steadily from its peak of 194,762 Pounds in 1$60 to between 1,000 to 3,000 pounds since 1900. -- I "'''-'._'''''-~- ,....-.-.. ,......,.. _.,........."""..'"'~-- ~.l, . ;:s UJ '-D 0 ....r-i ...;t ~ >. ,\1 C"- O ,f) :,) -:t ~~ ~ ';0 . s... o.vUJ lJ'\ lJ'\ -:t ,:0 N m ;:s..o 'X> ::0 0 :;C Q'\ Wls... :/l ,..:; ...;t -:t ,-j 0-, 0 ;:S'r-i .. lJ) J) r-i ..c ~.l. · '-D C'- Q+.J :=' UJ lJ'\ '" +' s...,-j 0 -:t m 0 :>. C(1 .. .. "O+.> 0 J) <; N -:t I C""\ __..____1 (/)"0 Q'\ s... 'r-i C) ,-j "" . N N 0 Q 0 ..c+.> '" uDW ...: -:t 'X) -, "CO -iJS-. ~ ,D C""\ ("\ (: Q'\ ID (':1 ~~ .. .. ~ .. o > r-i r-i (\/ N ~>:: 0 D" . 0 0 +->0 ~ (/) C"- N >:: ~r-i t'- N IDS:: :>. :\1 .. .. :::$(1) 0 ~,""" ,.. r-i N O"Q) ",.i_ N _,,_..._r_"." 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S::bD b.OS:: L:J C> O;j ;:jQJ ~ o~ O;j :::$ (1) Cl. f..)(/) (/) r-I Uf./) (/)r-i r-i t'll r-i OJ ctl 0..0 ,.-;l> C'O 0..0 r-i> ...., :::1+-1 ~'M ;:::l ::l-iJ ctl.,-t -- ,j..) $... ...:;;j -iJ s... +-' ;:j 0 l>> o c' C,) l>> o C' 9~G <t (f) E-o . , c:t: (f'\ i:-l\.:i1 ;.X.t t 259 CHAPTER PRESENT WOODLAND CONDITIONS In order to get as accurate a picture as possible of 'V;oodland conditions in the Humber V:atershed a detailed study was made of all woodlands, natural water storage areas and plantable land by the forestry party. 1. Survey 1'<ethods Each member of the forestry party was provided with aerial photographs, a compass, calipers and a tally board. The aerial photographE were on a scale of 1,000 feet to the inch and each photograph covered an area of 1,000 Bcres, usually a block lying between two adjacent concession roads and two adjacent side roads. Every area of woodland, brushland. marsh, swamp and rough land was visited and notes made describing it. In the case of woodlots and plantations, detailed notes were made of their condition. Overgrazed woodlots and wood- lots with very scattered trees which could be restored were classified as woodland. In short, where doubt existed as to whether an area should be classified as woodland or not, woodland was ~iven the benefit of the doubt. All woodlots were grouped according to the Department of Lands and Forests' classification as follows: ~,ature Hardwood lli.ixed Wood Coniferous Virgin B-1 ;,;-1 C-l Moderately culled B-2 ~)-2 C-2 Severely culled H-) Iv~ - ) c-) Immature Second Growth H-4 M-4 C-4 Young Growth H-5 ~' 5 C-5 11.'j- In this classification the term hardwood is used to denote all broad-leaved trees irrespective of whether the wood is physically hard or not. A hardwood type is one in \;',hich 80 per cent or more of the stand is con,posed of hardwood trees, a coniferous type is one in which $0 per cent of the -- ,.. 260 stand 18 composed of coniferous trees and a mixed stand embraces all others. l~ture $tands are those which have reached- commercial maturity and ar3 separated into three groups, namely,those which helve had practically no cutting done in them, which are termed virgin stands, those which have been mod- eratelf logged usually under 80me form ot selective logging,and those which have been severely culled where. as a rule, only large detective trees remain, Immature stands are those in which the trees have not reaohed commer~ial maturity and these are 8ubdlvldedlnto two groups, namely that in which the trees are over four inches in diameter at breast height which are designated as second growth stands and those in which the trees are under four inohes in diameter which are termed young growth. Stands were also grouped according to forest cover types. See table FII and the description of forest types. Where plantations were encountered records were made of plantir~, care, damage and survival. TABLE Fll 1 FORES'1' COVER TYPES Cover Type No. Gover Type NaInf 4 Aspen G Paper Birch 9 \i;r.J.te Pine 10 White Pine - Hemlock 11 Hemlock 1) Sucar !iIaple - p~ 3swood 14 Sugar i-lapl. 24 \'lh1te Cedar 25 Tamarack 49 White Oake Black Oak - Red Oak 51 Red Oak - Basswood - vihi tAt Ash 57 Beech - Sugar Maple 5g Beech 60 Silver 14aple - White Elm 60a \l/hi te Elm es "'lillow ..........~_..-, ..- . , 1. Forent Cov<::r Types of the East~rn Un! ted Sta,tes- Report of the Gowmittee on For€t't Types - Society of American Foresters, 1940. .~.- ---- .. " , , , ~ -~ype~'-4---")s'De'ii."'Asne n'i s .~ r'ioneer tyne ocourring after burns on 8 wide range of sites from very dry to fAirly wet. It freq- uently serves AS e nurse c.:rop for better ,species and on the Humber white ceder is often found coming up De neA~h,"J,t!.,...,..". , , ."..".,~,., I i , i , ! \ ;' . . 262 2. Forest Cover Types (See Map F 3 Folded) The Humber Watershed lies mostly within the Huron-Ontario section of the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Forest "P i 1 The northern boundary of the Deciduous Forest Re~ion t..eg on. cuts across the \vatershed from a point near Lambton ~',ills eastward to St. Clair Avenue and remnants of the forests of this region which once covered the site of the city of Toronto remain along the Humber Valley and in High Park. Sassafrass and :'Uack oak are still present and black walnut once gre\-v here. North of this line the forest cover types ~ere ffiostly those of the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Region characterized by maple types with 'Vlhi te pine types on slopes and ridges, but \d th some small intrusions of the Deciduous Region types from the south and occasional intrusion of Boreal types from the north. The most extensive areas of white pine were in Albion and King To~mships along the northern boundary of the watershed but only vestiges of them remain to-day. No attempt has been Lade to classify the woods according to forest types. Cover types only have been used adhering as closely as possible to the classif- icacion set up by the Society of American Foresters \vhich defines a forest cover type as being2 "a forest type now occ- upying the ground -- no implication being conveyed as to whether it is temporary or permanent." The forest cover types occurring in the Humber '/atershed are shmm in Table Fll and a sumr.;a!)T of the data appears in Table F12. Type 4 Aspen: Aspen is a pioneer type after burns and cutting. '.i'hol:lgh it avoids the wettest swamps it does grow on soils that are wet throughout a good part of the year. Its ass- ociates may be white el~ or balsam poplar with occasionally large-toothed aspen or green ash and in some cases there is a complete understory of whits cedar. It forms a little over eight per cent of the woodland of the watershed and occurs on a considerable rBnge of soils fron. dry to wet including :Jrighton Sandy Loam, Ontario Loam, King Clay Loam and muck. 1. A Forest Classification for Canada - Dominion ForeBt Service Bullet~n 29, W. E. Halliday - 1937 2. Forest Cover Types of the Eastern United States - Report of the COIT,mi ttee on Forest Types - Society of American Foresters - 1940. . ,.. 263 Type 6 Paper Birch: This is a pioneer I.y)e of burned and clear- cut areas succeeded by other northern hardwood tyr,es; its associates includ~ sr.iall pl"oportions of aspen, white pine and hel.'llock, red m;;:ple, red oak, and basswood. Frequently an understory of c:Jnlfers or tolerant hardwoods develops. It. comnrises less than half of one per ceni; of the woo- land of the waterahad. Type 9 i~hite Fine: The associat';s of this type on light soils are aspen, red maple, pin cherry and white oak. On heavier soils they are paper birch, yellow birch, blacl{ chGrry, t"lhite ash>> red oak, aULaI' m.aple, basswood and h(~ff1lock. It typically occurs on frt3sh sandy loam uplands but occas- ionally on clay and in swampy Hreas. On sandy soils this is frequently a permanent tnJe but on heavier soils it is usu- ally succeeded by hnrdi'lOods. This is borne out in the Humbi:r viatershed where the pine type has survived on 80.8 sandy areas but hardwoods have, in most cases, taken over the site on heav- ier 5')i15. It now constitut.t>!: less than one per cent of the tot- al,woodland and remains mostly on Brighton and Pontypool sands thou[;h it is also found on lenses of Fox and along the lower Humber Valley. Type 10 'wl1ite i'ine - Hemlock: Associated with this type are many species but none is particularly characteristic, the prinCipal ones are ~uear maple, beech, basswood, red maple. yellow birCh, black cherry. white ash, paper birch, red oak, and white oak. It occurs on a range of sites from sand plain. to heavy upland soils but favours cool locations such as tre slopes of ravines. On the Humber Watershed it comprises over three per cent of the woods and is found on Kettleby Loam, King Clay Loam and Brighton Sandy Loam. Type 11 Hemlock: This type occurs mostly in small widely scattered bodies in cool locations, moist ravines and north - ..--" . 264 slopes frequently in a sugar maple-beech type. Its assoc- iates are beech, sugar maple. yellow birch, basswood, red n;aple, black cherry, white ash, white pine, paper birch, red oak and white oak. It occurs on Brighton Sandy Loam and cor:prises about two per cent of the woodland. Type 13 Sugar 1>laple - Basswood: This is a type which properly belongs to the Algonquin - Laurentides section of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Forest region but areas of it are found as intrusions in the Humber Watershed. Its associates include American elm green ash, yellow birch, white pine, and red oak with ironwood and blue beech as subordinates. It forms about two and a half per cent of the woodland and occurs on well-drained phases of Kettleby Loam, King Clay Loam, Brighton Sandy Loam, Chinguacousy Clay Loam and Ontario Loam. Typ~ 14 Sugar Maple: Like the foregoing, this is generally a more northern type and its presence in the watershed may have been created in some instances by farmers removing the beech from type 57 leaving the maple for sugar or because it is the better species. Yellow birch, white ash, red and white oak may be present. It comprises nearly four per cent of the woods in the watershed and occurs on the soil types on which forest cover type 13 is found. Type 24 \':hi te Cedar: This type occurs almost exclusively on muck, but is also found on bottomlandsj and on King Clay LoaIli and Ontario Loam. Its assocL.ites are tamarack, balsam fir, yellow birch, paper birch, black ash, red maple, white pine and hemlock. It constitutes over twenty-one per cent of the v;oodlands because it is a type which maintEins itself on a site if undisturbed by fire or over-cutting. Type 25 Tamarack: Occurring exclusively on muck, chiefly in and around the kettles, this type makes up only two-tenths of one ----~,~---_._~ ,-'---, - . ~'I ~- i i , \ ; ; I l ...... - .,_._J Type 49 - White oak, black oak, red oak. This type is typical of th~ Deciduous Region and occurs on sandy soils notably those of the former ~~ Iroquois, as in the mouth of the Humber. I-ClKC .-.-..... ~ ," l"~';, Type 57,,- ~eech - sugar maple. lhis type origi- nally covered most of the Humber watershed and was used as an indic- ator of good agricultural soil by early settlers. It still covers more than any other single type especiallY on land too steep for agri- culture, but few woodlots remain in as good condition a3 this one near Hammertown. :-v'~e -T~-':-~~- ~ "'!-_.:;:;-:~_..- .~~ .. ..:-- ~ -- ~~e-.:,,-:.:';1,....K. ~ .r~l;..:. ~y:;s~ ~,. (: '-;6 t ",. ~.. _f . patcnes, uS~.lall"9J" ~r, r-~("r'- :'.. l~:'~ _~-~~ <J)d ,.~,~~rr)flf'II",i 'f~''!i:t qfnl,J' 1, ...' J H'~ ,) .~ 4, .. e 1 - d. r;j t n "d <,' r r A'" ., f:' n tue oeech _ sugar- maple type. -,j)rJ.t,jfl(, r r.t1'iU~rtU y ~ 267 per cent of the woods. Its associates are Ii'ihite celar, black ash, red maple and paper birch. The trees are s~all and have grmm since the near extinction of Ole species \iihich occurred in the ear}y part of the century. Type 49 Ihi te Oa k - Black Oak, - Red Oak: This type is only found in the Deciduous Forest Regior; south of the town of \vestotl. There is usually a small admixture of other species incll~di!:g bur oak, shagbark or bitter- nut hickory, white or green ash, sugar maple and occasionally I black cherry, butternut or large-toothed aspen. It comprises two per cent of the woods ann occurs on Berrien Sandy Loam. Type 57 Beech - Sugar Maple: This type was originally and still is the most extensive type in thp. wat&rsLed occupying thirty per cent of the .lOoded area to-day. It occurs on the drier phases of all soil types and considerable white pine and red oak may be present on Pontypool and Brighton sands. It is regarded as the typical association of the clinax though beech is the ultimate dominant. Their associates are red maple, white oak, red oak, hemlock, white elm, red elm, bass- wood, pignut hickory, shagbark hickory and black cherry. Type 58 beech: > Theoretically, this is the ultimate dominant but it is almost invariably associateA wj.th Augar maple. Less than one tenth of one per cent of the woods are of this type which occurs on the same soils as the above and has the same associates. , Type 60 Silver f~ple - Jhite Elm: Because this type and the similar, pure white elm type 60A occupy the poorly-drained land unsuitable for gener- al farming unless completely and adequately under-drained, they have survived better than cover types on land which is naturally well drained. They occur on muck soils and bottomland and on the poorly-drained associates of King Clay Loam, Ontario Loam and Chinguacousy Clay Loam. Associated species '.~~o::.~r~~~~~---~ . __'~'n ~... ,__.._ ,. , I \ i ~ i ! ! 1 Type 10 - White pine - hemlock. This type is not extensive but occurs on a range of sites from sand plains to heavy upland soils, favouring the slopes of ravines. ........... ..-."....- ~----~-- ~ ,-. --- Type 60A- Jihi te elm swamp ""l'i t, ,'. . 60 namely silver ' i' . ,J I S "Yf1f~iVtt,fl thf: !'u.;ni lil(' typ", ,... mcw e - w n 1 ... pel mi' ... . ially in the better fa "" <J., , '. ' , s very (;(Jm:il()n. ~H\PHC- rmlntJ i:1ceas t;e(:alll'.lf~ 1.1, I.JCCl.ll'fJ on '" 269 are red maple, slippery elm, white. red and green ash and in the southern part of the watershed swamp white oak and bitternut hickory. This type represents seven per cent of the woodland of the watershed. Type 60A White Elm: This type is very similar to the silver maple- white elm type 60, but sometimes is found on drier sites as well as in the swamps. Its associates are the same but silver maple is absent. It comprises over sixteen per cent of the woodland so that twenty-three per cent of all the woods in the watershed are made up of these two types. Type 88 Vdllow: Several species of willow are included in this type but the commonest is black willo\'J. It occurs on very wet sites in and close to the numerous kettles of the area but only in small patches. It represents about six tenths of one per cent of the woodland. It \iaS impossible to correlate every woodlot with the soil type on which it was situated because the land use survey covered only the watershed of the strean, ....ihich enters the main Humber fron; the north at BO.4ton. However, each forest cover type occurring within the land use survey area was checked against the soil type map and the above relationships are based on th~se observations. Map F 3 shows the distribution of the above types throughout th~ watershed and from it the following observations may be made: 1. The pine types have survived on the ridges particularly along; the Hwnber River Valley. 2. Elm swamp types have persisted fairly generally throughout the watershed and in the level agricult- ural areas are the most con~on types. 3. Cedar swamps are much more numerous in the north-west part of the watershed on and adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment. . 270 4. Oak types occur mostly in the southern end of the watershed in or close to the Deciduous Forest Region. 5. Y~ple types remain on the slopes in Albion and King Townships and on the better agricultural lands to the south where they have been left as farm woodlots. 6. Balsam, white spruce, mountain maple and mountain ash occur in the northern part of King Township and come as far south as the northern part of Chinguacousy in the west. Gray alder is fairly corrmon in Albion and occurs sparingly in King, Vaughan and York Townships. Black oak is found in Etobicoke and York Townships, swamp white oak extends north into Vaughan and Chinguacousy while shagbark hickory is found as far north as Albion Township. One stand of red pine, in a very weak condition, still survives near Lambton ~,ills and it is po~sible that it was present in the sandy areas to the north originally but only scattered trees remain to-day. Sassafrass is fairly plentiful in the oak woods near the river's mouth. 3. Present Conditions The results of the forest surveys are summar- ized in Table Fl2. Woodland within the watershed comprises ?2,3ll acres which is lO.4 per cent of the total area of 215,533 acres drained by the Hwnber River and its tributaries. The total number of individual woodlots examined was 2,186 of which 39 were in Adjala, 595 in Albion, 105 in Caledon, III in Chinguacousy, 233 in Etobicoke and York, 42 in Mono, 44 in Toronto Gore, 465 in King, 41 in Whitchurch and 491 in Vaughan. This includes a certain number of areas which are considered by their owners as constituting a single woodlot but which, because of the difference in types and age classes of certain sections of the woodlot, had to be considered in the field as separate units. The chief conifers within the Humber Viatershed were white pine which grew on the lighter soils and ridges and ~ " \ "" PER CENT WOODLAND ACRES OF WOODLAND 30, ACRES 7~00 ' 2~ 1 11000 20 4~00 15 3000 II. ,,~II 0.1 o J II _. % .. % 0 >:: .. % ..." >- 0'" " z .. z I >:: " z ~~ >- 0... 0 -' 0 % u % .. "II: VI .-11: ... 0 -' 0 u z .. VI .-11: " :!l iii 0 II: it >:: 00 OJ %0 >:: " .. ii II: it >:: OJ %0 ... 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I -,~ I ct:~ lJ'\ '-0 r-iO -:t ['-- (]', '" tX) tX) ;::! tI) l:'-4 rlr-i '-OIJ'"\ -:t 0 C If'\ bJ;::$ r-l -co \..:;) -.:: NC-- r-l r, -:t r-l 51 ~ 0 .......... or-! U H .c: c.) "''''-~,"'-' .. ~......,., ," ,......._,,,-",.., ......" ~ 0',0 t' ('-.I C"'\ '..0 '-0 \0 ("t'\-:t 0 'to\.() '-C <lO 0'lJ'\ 0'. 0 ("t'\ r-i "0 \QlJ"\ ("t'\ '::0 -:tc-- r-l...;;t-4N (I) .. .. .. .. rl ...-i rl r-l r-l Cil () ~ 0 '^ -co Nr-l \"\0 C"-C'-ri...o ..... OlJ'\ l:' Q'\ c'-C ...;;triC'C .D rl ("", O'....;;t C"-C"- If'\ON\O r-l .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ~ r-l\.() lJ"\ ri ~ N...;;t "Mf .. ~',_"h._' .<' '--'._-",' ""","'~"'''''' ._....~. ... .~ ;:: '.11 -ct: -c 't: 0 0') tlU (l) (l) ::'I C <( C 'Ot'.l '00 rr :: (jj Q) <11 Q} C 0 0 s:: :> t'.l ~ ()(l) ~ !:--o Q)Q) GltW ct,.; a. :>s:: ~ c (jj C Q) ~ c;.::> ~ --, cr:: ~- (LG ~ --,- . ~-_..- \ ~ I 4 ~ .... ,- WOODLAND CONDITIONS BY TGWN'JHIPS 1946 WOODLAND CLASS w " z ~ 0 u > z c' w ~, HAAowOOD "IUD CONIF[ Fl " 0 L' 0 Cl ~ r r ; ~\ " ~ ~ r "' _J Ii I- - Cl 00_ ~ o -, FOREST COvf~ TyPE o 2 ~ ~ 0 '" 01 0 0 ~ ~ Z 0 0 z W lIE Z l.!t Z w Z Z W Z .. I z ~ ~ ~ \; ...J .... 0 z ~ .J 0 - J o Z " o . .. J " 0 W W 4 Z o ! 0 ; ~ ~ ~ e ; ~ " ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ > Z '" ~ o . 0 '" I> " 4 6 9 10 II 13 14 23 24 2'5 49 '51 '52 ~1 '58 bO 60.& 88 W J C> ~ .. " . .EO C[NT JLJ__L 00 WONO 80 40 L L_ __I I 20 I o 1 - .0 JLJ__L ...DJALA 60 40 L_ ____I 20 -L- _L- 0 - 00 I .I.J..L CALEOON 60 I ::1_ L - L. _L 1- 10 JLJ..L 'L liON SO 40 _L 20 L __L -I IL.. 0 10 1 J~J.L , ,"'-"~'"" '" ; L 40 I to I -I I" o - - . -- '...ro -. ~ j .1 - --- - .J .ILJ_. 80 -1 __ _ I ___JI.J..L KING 60 1 40~ 20 1 --- ---- 0 .0 __ _ . __JJJJL WHITCHU"CH 10 40 L to _L 0 - .0 1 _ . ___JLJ...L YAU,,"~N 10 40LL to L . ~ 0 10 _ _ _ _ L . -LJ.lJ...L [TOIIGOK{ to ~-- .....0 YO_It: 40 20 0 - .00 90 10 10 TOTAL 60 WAUlltSH[O ~O ~L 40 JO ~ L to --, '0 1 0 PUt ! 0 ZOO Z 4 6 9 10 II 13 .4 U 24 r, 41 ~l " ~7 58 10 60A 88 z z CENT ~ j ~ j j .. ~ .. 1'1- 0 lr cr Z 0 .4 0 '" > > ~ g " ~ > ~ )0 ~ ~ > !W ~ ' , > ! ';; FOREST COVER TyPE ~ f- HARDwOOD 0 il WIlED CONIH R "' "' "' N ,. <l , WOOOLAND CLASS II Q <r w c, .. " " . ~ 275 white cedar which grew mostly on muck and bottomlands, since these were the soils least suited to agriculture, these spec- ies have survived land clearing better than the hardwoodl stands but have suffered much more from logging and fire. However, the proportion of conifers is still much larger than in many parts of Southern Ontario. The result is that, at present, of the 211,405 acres of woodlots, 63.5 per cent is classified as pure hardwoods, 20.2 per cent as mixed woods and 16.3 per cent as pure conifers. It should be noted that the percentage of conifers is much higher in the townships at the north end of the watershed because of the greater preponder- ance of lighter soils, and in Vaughan Tovmship because of the ridges bordering the Humber Valley. For the whole area the percentage of uneven- aged stands is considerably more than the even-aged, the difference being eighty-two per cent of the former and thirty- two per cent of the latter. This preponderance of uneven- aged stands is due to the larger percentage of woodlots in the more southerly or better agricultural section of the water- shed, forn.ing an important part of the farm econorny, in con- trast to the clean cutting methods which are i..ore common on the northern parts of the watershed. Grazing in farm woodlots shows a high percent- age for the entire area being 69.0 per cent which is an indic- ation of the low value which the average landowner places on his woodlot as a permanent crop. Grazinf.;, as is \iell known, is detrimental to the proper development of any wooded area. The number of cattle and the si ze of the '\lioodlot have a direct relationship to the damage which is done. For example, a large woodlot is not as seriously affected by a few head of cattle as a small one, but on most farms the 'woodlot is small and is seriously damaged by large herds. Grazing in a woodlot l. The term hardwood is used here in the sense of broad-leaved tree, that is, it includes any broad-leaved trees irrespect- ive of whether the wood is physically hard or not. ~;eedle- leaved trees are designated as conifers or softwoods. ~ 276 destroys young growth; open areas appear and become covered with grass, which means that the maintenance of the forest floor, which is so important to the health of the stand, is interfered with and there is less likelihood of a renewing of the stand by reseeding from old trees. These in turn become sta~-headed and are easily preyed upon by fungus and disease. The burning of woodlots on the area in recent years is not extensive and indicAtions of this were recorded on only a few lots. Even in the more northerly parts of the watershed, few disastrous fires have occurred in recent years. However, old residents still recall extensive fires which oc- curred thirty or forty years ago on areas which had been recently logged and where the brush and old tops provided a severe fire hazard. Due to the prevalent practice of grazing in the woodlots many of the f:tands have become open and require SOI:1e planting. Of the areas examined 67 per cent require planting of some kind to bring them back to fully stocked stands. Cutting in woodlots and clean-cuttin['; of ",hole areas has been carried on persistently in recent years; many acres being sold for cordwood and other areas, where white pine is found, being cut into sawlogs of small sizes. Exam- ination showed that about ten per cent of the """.fOodlots coru- prise young growth under four inches in diameter at four feet, six inches above ground, ei~hty-seven per cent second growth from four to ten inches in diameter and less than three per cent mature timber most of which has been r:lore or less severely culled. Forest cover types, their distribution and correlation with soil types is dealt w~th in the section on surveys and studies. HO\H?Ver, as y~ould be expected and as is the general rule throut~hout Southern Onterio, pine mixed ...d th hardwoods occupy the best-drained sites and pure hardwoods the better lands, while cedar, el~, soft maple, basswood and other species preferring wet soil are found on SWUDpS and bottomlands~ ~ 277 The woodland in general is characterized by young stands most of which range from thirty to fifty feet in height with smaller areas of less height and a few area~ containing trees up to eighty and ninety feet in height. The few lots containing the largest trees are composed of some old hardwoods, elm and soft rr.aple on swamp areas and sugar maple - beech on dry sites. From the foregoing it will be seen that the wooded areas on the watershed are not extensive, there has been no syste~atic method followed in improving these over the whole area, and very little consideration is given to the exclusion of cattle. . 278 CHAPTER FOREST CONSERVATION MEASURES IN PROGRESS Large areas of land suitable only for the growing of trees exist particularly in Albion Township which extend also into J..ono, Adjala, Caledon and King Townships. However, Albion is the only township which lies almost entirely within the watershed and the same areas of the others mentioned above lie mostly outside the watershed so that the reforestation which has been done to date within the Humber drainage basin lies mostly in Albion and King To~nships though some has been done on sand areas in Caledon and on somewhat heavier soils in King and Vaughan. 1. Private Plantin~ The free distribution of trees for planting was first begun in Ontario in 1905, and the following year a statute was passed which enabled a township council to exempt a part of the woodland of a farm front taxation; it provided that: "Any part of a farm used for forestry purposes or being t~;oodlands t ; provided that such exemption shall not be greater than one acre in ten acres of such farm and not more than t\t.;enty acres held under a single o'\'.'Ilership.tt tt 'Woodlands' for the purpose of this paragraph shall mean lands having not less than four hundred trees per acre of all sizes, or three hundred trees, neasuring over two inches in diameter, or two hundred; measuring over five inches in diameter (all such measurements to be taken at four and one-half feet from the ground) of one or more of the fol- lowing kinds: wbite or Norway Pine, White or Norway Spruce, Hemlock, Tamarack, Oak, Ash, Elm, Hickory, Basswood, TUlip, (whi te wood); Black Cherry, v,alnut, Butternut, Chestnut, Hard Iv,aple, Soft Maple. Cedar, Sycamore, Beech, Black Locust, or Catalpa, or any other variety which may be designated by Order- in-Council, and which said lands have been set apart by the owner with the object solely, of fostering the growth of the . -.-,..."",=,,,..,---------'--,._C'_,,,,-= -- . 279 trees th(, (eon anri ',i!; i ch are not used for gra z.ing } i vestock. "-- Ii.S.O. 1927, c. 'i) $ s.4, pa ra . 25; 1934, c.1, s.4 ( 3 ) . ,- , In 1927 the exemption of taxation on woodland W[~S made compulsory if a.).:lied for, and is interpreted as meaning p'lanted as \Jell as natural tr!.;es. In 19)8 the Assessment ;\ct 'das amended to i;revent assessment being raised on land after it had been reforested and now reads as follows: "Land which has been planted for forestation or reforest::ltion purposes shall not be assessed at a greater value by redson only of such planting. II -- 'l'he ~)tatute Law ,:;.mendment Act, '9'i8 c. 37, s. 2 (I) . .L ~. , Both these Acts were designed to facilitate the plant ing of tr~~es on pri vate 1<..: 11 \ .~;ld should be taken advantage of by citi~wns anxious to improve ~io()dland conditions on their OHn pro~erty awl at, the sa;'le tinE benefit the v,hole community of tiH, river valley. For some years now, the nepartm(~nt Df Lands and Forests has d"v:id(~n ~)outlH3rn Ontario into ,~one~;, e ,ch with i1-S !l.c..:one Forester" whose duty t is to give advice and assistance to private individua::"s and municipalit,ies on the l1anagement of their woodlands ann the establishment of plantations. The Cidrlress of the office coverin€; the ",~one in which the Humber ,i.iver lies is Southern Hesearch ~;tation, Departr1ent of Lands ;:.m,i Forests, R. H. ,,'2 I:a ;) 1 e , Ontario. At the present time, , , the zones are far too large for one Man to cover adequately. It is anticipated that in the near future these zones will be subdi virIen so that each forf:1ster will have a much s!c;aller area to cover. This will mean that the forester will have more tiple to devote to the establish.1ent of county forests, demon- stration anrl school plots, and also more tine to help private individuals with their woo01ot anrl reforestation problems. The rrovinc5.al forest nursery closest to the Pmnb,,;r HiverJatershed i~3 located at ;~idhur8t about fi va ,.j.les nDrth-.vest of Barrie on the Bcll~rie--;idlanrl High'day. It has served as a distribution centre for trees since If;~2 hnd prov- i:4 es SO~~le very fine exar.1ples of forest ".Jlantat ions and well- m~na[ed woo~lands. . -"- . 280 TABLE F6 TREES DISTRIBUTED FOR PRIVATE PLANTINOl Peel County York County Albion 116,113 Etobicoke 218,628 Caledon 199,252 King 512,401 Chinguacousy lu6,618 Vaughan 336,984 Toronto Gore 26,227 York 394,739 The above figures show the number of trees distributed to the whole of those townships which lie partly within the water- shed, during the years 1940 - 1945. , Peel County 3,045,213 York County 15,290,006 The above frgures show the number of trees distributed to the whole of the above counties though only about one third of the area of each lies within the watershed. , 1. Previous to the year 1940 the trees distributed for private planting were recorded by counties only; subsequent to this date the nun~bers sent out have been listed by townships in the records of the Department of Lands and Forests. - '" ------"--'--- - . 2ia TABLE 17 ACh.LS \,)1" PRIV ATE; PLANTi\TIONS WrrHIN THE HUMPEL \'fATf!;RSHED Conifers Hardwoods Total f..lono Ie - 18 Adjala 5 - 5 CaIedon 42 - 42 Albion 120 13 133 Chlnguacousy 5 - 5 Toronto Gore - - - King 122 42 164 w'hl t church 1 - 1 Vaughan 47 2 49 York &. Etobicoke 36 g 44 1 ... 396 65 46l , - - -~-~.~~, - . 282 Table F6 shows the total number of trees distributed for planting on private land in Peel and York Counties since the provincial government first began to distri- bute trees for this purpose in 1905. but as only about one-third of each of these counties lies within the watershed it is difficult to estimate how many of these were planted within the Humber Basin, particularly as the largest sand areas in York County lie outside the bounds of the watershed. The table also shows the numbers of trees distributed for private planting for the townships lying partly or wholly within the watershed but these figures cover only ~he years from 1940 to 1945 inclusive. However, Table F7 shows the number of acres of existing plantations within the Humber drainage basin to be 461 which, w1th trees planted six feet apart each way, would require about 553,000 trees. In addition to the'46l acres of plantations, many thousands of trees distributed for private planting have been set out in woodlots and windbreaks. If we take the figure of 18,000,000 2S the total sent out for private reforestation purposes in the two counties and ass~~e that only one-tenth of them, or 1,800,000 trees, were distrib- uted for private planting within the watershed, it appears that there has r~een a tremendous loss among them for this number would cheoretically reforest about 1,500 acres. It is therefore recon~ended that a much closer check be r:,ade of what happens to these trees in the future and that periodic inspections of plantations be instituted. 2. County Forests In lS22 the present policy of county forests was laid down. This work is done under the authority of The Runicipal Reforestation Act (R.S.O. Chap. 323), \'lhich lay dormant from 1911 until the above year. The Act provides for the purchasing of land and the entering into agreements by the county for the management of such lands. No limit as to the size of the area is stated so that some counties have plots of a few acres, while others have forests of several thousand . - . 2SJ acres. If, however, a county wishes to enter into an agree- ment ~dth the Minister of Lands and Forests for the planting and management of such county-owned land, the policy has been that the county must purchase not less than one thousand acres. The agreements which Bre in force at the present time run for a period of thirty years, during which time the Ontario Gov- ernment agrees to establish the forest, and pay the cost of . such items as fenCing, buildings, equipment, labour, n:ainten- anee, trees, etc., in short, everything connected with the man- a~ement of the forest. At the end of the thirty-year period, the county has the privilege of exercising one of three options: First, to take the forest over frolli the Government and pay back the cost of establishment and maintenance; Second, to relinquish all claim to the forest, l'lhereupon the GovernIt~ent \':ill pay to the county the cost of the land, without interest; Third, the forest may be carried on as a joint undertaking by the province a~d the county, each sharing half of the cost and half the profits. It will be seen from the above summary of the agreement that all a county stands to lose on such a project is the interest for thirty years on the purchase price of the land. Also, it should be pointed out that, in drawing up such a liberal scheffie, it was done purposely to encourage the ref- orestation of land not suited to agriculture. Again, it ""as not the intention of the Government to have the counties stop at a minimum of 1,000 acres, as the overhead necessary cn an area of this size could very easily be spread over an area of five, or even ten times the size. As a matter of fact this is ",flat happened' in some counties where the councils have initiated a progressive reforestation policy. This Act has recently been amended so that mun- icipal councils of townships shall have all the pO'fers, privil- eges and authority conferred on councils of counties except that instead of issuing debentures to an amount not exceeding . 284 ~25,000.00. they shall have power to levy, by special rate, a sum not exceeding $1,000.00 in any year, for the purpose of providing for the purchase of land for planting and protect- ing the timber thereon .-- The lV~unicipal Reforestation Amendment Act. S.O. 1946, Ch. 62. The agreement which has recently been dra\'m up between the Ganaraska Authority and the Ontario Government to establish and manage the Ganaraska Forest is substantially the same as that made with the counties except that the government has agreed to pay half the cost of the land and the agreement for planting and management is to run until the year 2,000 A.D. York County has no forests within the Hurr-ber >;,'atershed and Peel County has merely taken the prelin.inary steps in establishing one. No agreement concerning this forest has been made with the Ontario Government but the county acquired about fifty acres of land in Lot 13, Conces~ion III of Albion To~mship in 1940 and 69,795 trees have been planted here covering thirty-eight acres but there Bre approx- irately three hundred acres of submarginal land in this area alone \t~hich should be reforested, more especially because it is the only area of any size in the basin of the hest Branch. In addition, there Bre at least 17,000 acres of submar~inal land in Albion and Caledon Tow~ships within the watershed which should form part of forest either under the county or directly under a conservation authority. 3. ~unicipal Forests In addition to plantable land included in the Humber Forest there are many smaller areas of this kind scattered throughout the watershed on privately-owned property. (See lV..ap F2) . These are small areas constituting parts of farms which cannot profitably be used for agriculture and are the concern of the individual owner and should be planted with trees. l,"here these areas are in.portant from the standpoint of the public good, such as the protection of headwaters of stresffis, they should be the concern of the county or township councils. . . 2g5 No municipal forests exist within the Humber Watershed which indicates that these governing bodies have not been sincerely interested in the problem. Assistance in this regard and the supplying of free trees is still the policy of the Department of Lands and Forests. Moreover, as provided by the amendment to the Counties' Reforestation Act, it is pos- sible for a township council to enter into an a~reement with private landowners for the reforestation of their property. The amendment permits the council of a township to enter into agreements with the owners of land providinp, for the reforestation of portions of such lands. The agree- ments will prescribe the cutting conditions of all trees planted and such conditions will be subject to the approval of the Minister of Lands and Foresta. "Provision is also made for exempting such lands frorr, taxation and for n:aking arrangements with the Dominion and Provincial ~inisters of Labour regarding conditions of labour and payment of wages in connection with planting and conservation of such areas." -- The Municipal Reforestation Act S.O. 1945, Ch. 14. 4. Demonstration Plantations The only demonstration plantation in the water- shed is the one established by the Village of Woodbridge in 1929 in the Memorial Park on Wallace Street. It was established by and has been well cared for through the efforts of 1,.ajor Alexander MacKenzie, K.L.A. The trees in this plantation are now over thirty feet high and serve the triple purpose of demonstrating to passers-by what can be accomplished by p~antine trees, of preventing erosion on the steep bank of the valley above the road and adding to the aesthetic teauty of the ~emorial Park and of the southern approach to the village. This was established under the policy which was laid down by the government in 1922 when it offered to assist municipalities in the establishment of small forest plantations for the purpose of demonstrating the use of trees on mar~inal and submarginal land. The requirements are that it be on a well-travelled road and that the land be owned hy the municipal- ity, in return the government will supply the trees free and . 286 supervise the planting work. It is recommended that all the townships within the watershed establish plantations of this nature to serve as demonstration plantations in each con;Inunity. 5. Demonstration Woodlots Demonstration woodlots are privately owned areas of woodland on which the owners have a~reed to follow prescribed methods of woodlot management outlined by the Department of Lands and Forests, under the zone forester and to permit access to the area by interested persons. Such demonstration woodlots and the influence they exert for the proper management of similar areas contribute to the total conservation effort in any watershed. Supervision of these during the war has been spasmodic at best and many have been seriously neglected but with the gradual return to normal conditions and reduction in the size of forest zones in South- ern Ontario, it is anticipated that they will eventually be restored. 6. School Forests In order to encourage the establishment of school forests which would be planted and cared for by school children the Ontario Horticultural Association organized an annual com- petition in 1945 for which prizes Bre offered for the school having the best plantation and knowledge of forestry in each forest district. Prizes are provided by the Ontario Conser- vation and Reforestation Association and by ~r. J. E. Carter of Guelph. The winners in these district competitions are eligible for the Provincial Forestry Competition for which Mr. Carter furnishes one hundred dollars in prizes. No schools within the watershed have participated in these competitions and no school plots exist within the watershed. Trees have been sent out to schools in Peel and York Counties but these have been distributed to children for planting on the home farm and rr,any of these have been used to form windbreaks and shelterbelts. For this purpose the nun.ber of trees distributed by the Department of Lands and Forests is 28,937 in Peel and 259,056 in York County in the . 2$7 years from 1933 to 1945. All these conservation methods should be in progress now, all working together for the mutual benefit of j the whole river valley cOITilljunity and the sooner they are i inaugurated and expanded the easier the task will be. I 1 ~ ! , I t ~ I l t ~ 288 CHAPTER FOREST C':.)l"jsr',RV A TICN IJ,EASURES RE:'~UIRED 1. Natural Water Stora~e Areas The most important conservation measure required on the Humber Watershed is the establish~ent of a forest which will be centered in the northern half of Albion 10wnship on what is known as the Interlobate l<oraine. This moraine is a long narrow ar~a chiefly of sandy loam and gravel country which extends throughout a p:3.rt of Southern Ontario commencing in Peel County passing through York. reappearing again in Gntario and continuing through Durham and Northumberland Counties. The area included in the proposed forest is approx- imately 23,700 acres, much of which is plantable land and wood- land. with here and there farms of low productive value. Unfortunately. within the H,~ber Watershed the sand and gravel areas do not occur in a large solid block but are separated by clays and clay-lo~ms on which good farms are established. Furthermore. many of the submarginal farmE have been purchased by city-dwellers either for summer hor..es o!' for speculative purposes. Some of these have been partly reforested with the object of producing Christmas trees or timber. This means that it will be impossible to establish a large forest over one continuous area but a lar~e nt~ber of almost conti~uous areas can be acquired to forE a forest of very considerable extent. Table F 8 and I\,ap F 1 show under each branch of the river the lots and portions of lots in each township which should be acquired by the conservation authori ty and placed under a proper forest manager::ent policy with the two objects in view of protecting the headwaters of the Humber River and producing a crop on land which. because of its low fertility, steepness or poor drainage, is suited only to the growing of trees. Included wi thin the areas recoRD,ended are sand and gravel areas, many of which have been badly eroded by wind. some steep clay slopes where water erosion has laid ".....0 .. c,., TJU~ r (; )', r"l':IP!.(~rr'T-;-'r",1"._; \:'i;") (f"J't~) C'1:n::."C':" /D\'./5 L!..,. \-'d.~........r....;'1.. .L\..lt,S l,d,j ,~~\.J...~i... V ~"./~ ,..t..... ,n.l~ Tmvnship Con. Keres !teres Branch Albion II 14 III 13. 'JjD 14 300 Total jest 9ranch 300 Branch Mono V L!.: 1 VI i:,~ I? 6 VII 1 1:.3 5 VIII ~ 1 "2 ( ,~ 3 1 5 ':" , J' ", 1_' - ~".l , OJ:, . .I~! .+., ',-J. 2 :), 3 1.400 I~\ctjala II h" _. ;/ ;! III 2 IV " 3 }:,,'; 2 . , VI l, 2 VI 1 l' 22 1.300 CaJ.ectonIII .l.~ ? IV d.. 21"[ 22 " 23 . -) 24 tv ? . ~V ~': - , ," ;' . . 'i'/ ; :iJ; 25 V 1;'1 5 y' ~ 6' b . 1 q ....I~-, , t:.. ~ ,L:~ . L.~~, _, ~; 11. 18. 19, E~ 20, 25 VI J' 4 5 6" 7 ".},., Q , ~. ". 1 .. ;i '. 1 .V;; b " . ;i ~ /. II! IJ. 'ii, 11, IV'f; 12, t..f; 13, 20 3.200 Albion I t" 19. .V;; 22. 'il!, 23. I!'-,24, rl~ 26 .;J -:>' r)3 33 i....34 ..oJ 1:. ,~. ..' .." J.. t ~, ., _.J ~' ... , '( 3 5 ,.., 36 37 (' 38 . " 3 <) II L ;~ , . I t. '; , . . IJ ;5 . f b ; . 19, :'If; 25, 30. :i~ 31. ,J;;, 32. ,1 33' 34 " 35 III .1 :', t ,~ ;-, . ,J? , ~ ~~, E~ ~? 23 ~9 ~2. ~~ ~3 IV E; 14, L~ 15, JJ~ .1.B. E~ J.9 Lb 20. ~, 21, 25 to 2$. V ;i:~ 29";$ 30. ~J' ~,?, ~?, 34 EA 11 L~ 12 L0 13 L~ 16 - t ,~ i: ,.' .,f l '"' ~, ,,: ~t L,~ 171 J.'..J;Z 18~ W.2 .1.9, \I~; 20~ 21 ,- 22 ", 23 ., ')4 ') _ , L., . J:"~ ,L~.. I <<.. 27. 2$, L~i 29, bf; 30, vJi' 32. .i~ 33 VI EJ; 10 11 12 13 ,1)" 18 d~ 23 ,,~ ,., ',}' '\.),,' ~"," . .. li1: r:4, ,f;, 25, .f;, 26. ,J:,! 2$ 29, 30. L?c 31. 32 VII " 17 .) 25 " ')7 30 31 lJ~ t l..;.:~ t l:J~' ~., , VIII " 8 " 9 " 10 11 (12 . v ~ ~'i r. ,., -!1: \ r' ! 1 J_ '''~) , "'-.1>, ., ,., " J T;'1 13 J J, ] 4" ,t 15 2l 1~ , _.I ~.- . , i,J ~-: , , 3 '70:) .. ,! .. King XI 8, '). 10, d~\ 11 700 Branch 20,300 Branch King III 15 IV 16, 17 V "6" 17 ,1 1$.1 19 .l. , 'ff: , .i;-, ,'1;5 .. iit 20 . VI 16 to 20 VIr '/1 l7 l8 ! ,} 19 " 20 i ;) , ,J._~, <, 1 i; 8 r+. q 2.700 ,ihitchurch I .tJ i;: . .; tI.' . II ';I. 7 ',1 8 'J~'~., ,~Ij /; 400 Total ~ast Branch 3.100 Total Hunber ,/atershed 23,700 =- ;Z 9 i') I'" j ~ !\ I :\ I~ I I ~ ~ - SOURCE AREAS I I LEGEND I. WEST BRANCH 2. MAIN BRANCH 3, EAST BRANCH SCALE: MILES I '/2 0 I 2 3 t:.J!!;!!L.~.~~_ : -=-=:::1 . - . I r "L ~ ~l T i I i I ~ LAKE ON TARIQ ,. 291 bare the subsoil and in some cases produced gullies, all swamps of any considerable size and slopes adjacent to or surrounding springs. Natural water storage areas are of two types. 1) surface storage areas which include lakes, swamps and marshes and 2) underground storage areas which overflow in the form of springs on the surface and are the source of most of the headwater streams of the Humber. v\'here the former are large enough or adjacent to submarr,inal areas, they have been included in the recorr~ended forest area. and where the latter are surrounded by a considerable area of submarginal land they have also been included. \':hile underground storage is not as obvious as surface storage it is probably even more impo!'tant and the effect of forest cover over such areas is to increase the penetration of water into the soil, decrease surface run-off and delay the eventual discharge of water into the streams thus reducing floods and conserving the water for periods of low stream flow. In addition to the large areas of sand land. eroded slopes, s"tlamps and springs there are innumerable small areas forming parts of farms which ~ill always be in private hands, the aggregate effect of which on stream flow is very considerable. These should all be placed under a reforest- ation and controlled cutting scheme by the authority, a scheme under which the o~mer would get considerable help from the authority in the establishment and maintenance of the woods but would not be permitted to cut them indiscriminately. (See Controlled 1; oodlot ~.8.nClgement). These areas are also ShoviIl on .f\.ap F 2. The Hmnber River system comprises three branches, namely the ~Jest Branch. the I'ain Branch and the East Branch which vary greatly in their characteristics. The it/est E3ranch rises in an area of intensive farming where the ~mall areas of marginal land and few remaining woods should be handled "d th the greatest care to miniroize floods in ~pring but more . -- 'O'~~______" ...,.... 'r---.'~--- - -~.-- ~.- "-'~"-'- ~._--.-. ~ .2'7~ i j,. " \,,,,01 ... . ,0"'" t.O . ,.' " .,... . , .' ,: ~ III . " " , ,. " " , c;. .' ,. ~ ~ . RECOMMENDED FOREST COVER LEGEND AREA IN ACRES EX 1ST ING WOODLAND .~... .... 22,311 REFORESTATION UIND 14,205 EX ISTING PLANTATIONS - 499 1946 SCALE MILES I '/2 0 I 2 .... I - TOTAL AREA OF WATERS>iEO 211,405 Acs TOTAL AREA OF WOODLAND 22,311 Ac' PERCENTAGE OF WOODLAND 106 "llo i"'"~ , " I " 1~ le' ! " r' '! ;1'" {. , F ~ ~ j" \ J' ' ! I' · j--' ," . /~. ' ~. . .'" , . \ ' 1 ,. ...------ . . -: ll' 11' ' ~ ' '-" -/." :: \.. Aaj- " ~ ~ ,It '::..r \.. )..,-" . to ~.'''''?'~' \ ilf;~ 1" ~.-". '-'-'., .~ '.~ ", -, v-_~. "'-{1 , I ~ l J A':JIif"l ' . ';'> J \ ". "- .. i ~... 0 ' ..' Lt1/<. , " , L" >,. 1 j I' . . . . , r _ "" ..01. . ,,' _. "'<: ~ ' I" 10 .>...-."'- ...,- . \./~r · . TClM'N ~ Loch '.... ""' ,,,. . Er"f, ~ "1~ " ' t ~ . 1 " '.... , '.. .,,- A';,-':"'-' .c Y'. '~I1""t U'f i \'" "A;I. :/" ~c." _ ,.. KING :. 1"'P"dlPJ .. ~I'C." ." ,.. ~..\ ~ "'- '.... .~,\\ ,........ " ~~ I" \"1 . " ' ~. ~/l,.. I , ~,",l\' ~ r':/ '~ '\ . '" 1:/ ,,/".- ~. /' I /' I \ 1" \ I " .~ .. 1. I ~/ ". \ t I :/ I, I · " + , j, I .... -, ,\ . . 11\ i , .., -1 .. ~ -I' ~ .,. " - -- . , \ . - ." 293 particularly to alleviate recurrent drought in SUDm1er. The l<ain Branch rises in a rough moraine area where run-off is rapid and erosion by wind and water is very serious but flow throughout the sunurter is maintained by numerous springs orig- inating fron. the Niagara Escarpment which underlies the west end of the moraine. The East Branch rises in a kettle area surrounding Wilcox Lake and is fed by streams rlowing south from the Interlobate ~oraine. (i) !.he V{est Branch The West Branch derives its water from the Peel Till Plain which is level agricultural land of high fertility. Viith one exception there are no large areas of margInal land within its basin, though certain small ones exist close to streams in the form of small swamps and steep banks. They I are indicated on the map showing reforestation and water stor- age areas. \1 The exception is a sandy outlying island from the Interlobate Loraine north-east of Sandhill. The County of Peel made the beginnings of a county forest here in 1940 but it is recorr~ended that a total of 300 acres be acquired to protect the headwaters of Lindsay Creek which is the main tributary of the viest Branch. (ii) The Main Branch The J{;ain Branch is fed by numerous small streams which have their origin mostly in springs rising from the Niagara Escarpment or in the hills of the Interlobate Moraine lying over and to the east of this. These streams make their way between the steep hills of the submarginal land of the moraine and through certain swamp areas between these hills. In the section of the moraine which lies in the Hwnber Water- shed marginal land of pure sand and very steep clay slopes is so broken up by other areas of good tillable soil that it is impossible to recommend that a lar(!,e solid block of land be . set aside as a municipal forest. However, areas of submarg- inal land lyin~ largely in Albion Township tut also extending into Mono, Adjala, Caledon and King Townships have been delimited, - ~ 294 and it is reconmended that these be acquired by the authority. reforested vihere necessary and be managed on a sustained yield basis as a permanent forest to protect the headwaters of the main stream. In all, 20,300 acres of this land exist, some of which has been ecquired by city dwellers for speculation and some has been reforested by them with the object in some cases of growing Christmas trees and in others of producing timber. It is realized that it will be impossible for the authority to acquire all this land but as much of it as pos- sible should be obtained. (iii) The East Branch The East Branch has its origin in Wilcox Lake and the kettle area surrounding it but so much of this area has been taken up for stulJIner homes that there is only one single block here which mip;ht be acquired. This comprises Lake St. George and swampy land adjoining it to the north- east as well as a gravel area to the north-west. Besides this source area many srr"all streams flow south froffi the Interlobate ~oraine to join the East Branch on its way to the main stream. These have their origins in the kettle areas of the moraine and are undoubtedly fed by the water which collects in the kettles. They are surrounded by sand and gravel hills which form a rough topography suit- able only for the ~rowing of trees. It is recommended that 3.100 acres be acquired here for reforestation purposes. Part of the area recommended for acquisition may appear to be out- side the watershed but the actual line of demarcation between the waters of the Holland River and those of the Humber is impossible to determine and as much as po~sible of this area should be acquired by the authority in order to protect the sou~ces of the small streams flowing into the East Branch of the Humber. -~ . 295 2. Reforestation Reforestation is required in run-down woodlots, on eroded areas of Pontypool and Brighton sands and on muck and bottomlands adjoining swamps. TrE,€ planting on clay slopes and on muck and bottomlands presents far more problems than on sandy and gravelly soils. The competition from weeds and g,.:ass may be great. some preparation of the soil is frequently required a~d the trees usually need some care for three Qr four years after plantin~. This care consists of either cultivating the soil to keep do~n the weeds. or, at least. mowing them to prevent the small trees from being smoth- ered. ~,,'eeds. and particularly grass. also harbour mice which may be very destructive in girdline young hardwood trees. Iteforestation of willow scrub areas of '\flhich some 829 acres occur in the watershed. will also be difficult and considerable research may he necessary before a ::sui t::, "',le method is devised for re-establishing trees here but they undoubtedly produced elm, soft maple, cedar and tamarack in the past and can be made to do so again. On the liehter soils, particularly Pontypool and Brighton sands, blow holes are very common. r.:,any of these are caused by overgrazing which destroys the sod cover and permits devastating wind erosion. In recent years a new menace has apr:'eared in the forr:: of the sod-cutter who buys sod from farmers and sells it in the city. The lesE scrupulous of these people actually prefer sod from these light soils because it is easier to dig and often it is only farmers on marginal land who will sell the cream of their soil in this vl'ay. The result is that many acres of new blown-sand areas are created every year by sodders ",ho remove hundreds of truck loads of sod from Albion and King Townships. Removal of sod is ~. very serious menace in these areas and should be placed under the control of the Conservation Authority. _.~--,~.._- ~. - - .. 296 TABLE F 9 LAND CUfJSIDER.',ry E:SL:iTIl\L M) PLHi:J..NENT FOREST COVE:{ ',iI'l'HIN THL HUiIlJlLH..Nl'Li\SHbD ;)resent ',voodla nd Pasture Crop Harsh i:i.llow Haw 'Total Land Use Or Cover ";ono 201 304 57 12 29 - 603 i~rija.la 429 51B 14l - - - 1 06$ l.108 (;r: . CaJ.ed on 754 103 5 JV - 2.036 ;,lbion 5,859 7.805 78$ 109 304 10 14.875 Chinguacousy 46 61 - - 18 - 125 Tor nto Gore 40 49 - - - 28 117 (lng 1,476 1.571 292 66 76 3 3.484 ..hitchurch 200 133 11 34 62 - 460 Vaughan 3$$ 337 3 35 1 46 610 York & Etobicoke - - - - - - - 9.393 11.886 1.395 26l 576 87 23,598 These figures c"ver only reforestation land and woodland over or adjoining source areas as indicated on Map F 2. They do not include woodland which has no effect on stream flow nor do they include all the land outlined as recommended for inclusion in the Humber Forest. ._~- -------, . ~--~,~_.~'-'-' .. :1__ " ,'\',,}f,\:,,~.," 1'~\;"'L':;" ,:"-'--' - - """':':'>'-'1 ,~,'. Deterioration of pasture land and its subse~u.ent invasion by hawthorn is an ind lea tion of improper land use. l\'lany such sites should be reforested while there is still room to pla.nt trees between the hawthorn. E- "'~I"~~'~'" ~..:' ~~ "II',' Ii> ,\ '~r' 1i,,\ \\I-'~,,, 1\\ ~~~':M~ ,\\,t~d "J" ,& '>\>' > ''''" , ~ ~ '.'~ ,,,~I.,),.,,\, ,'.'" " j~ . ~ '., ,- <r,'- ': ,:~';'~~:;~;:;~,': . '.Ji. . '" -~.. - - > - ,; . ,Js~<; -:,~di ;'.." ----- -..:;..- --- ----..--....o.--~_____,~__~______,__ __ _~,..-. linprooerl v dr~ ~ ""d ' - . ; h' ."' aJ..n~ .Land '....sed fer ;. <; .. . W...t, a useless grow! h of P,ist.,ure ;"OOTl tHJCOmos Cf'Vf ',j , . . . ~ . scrub w' 11- ,) H' ( wn~ch ca~not be ;na lnt-ained a'" ,:- ow bushes. :,)uch a T'ea.t! t~ees whIch can survive wet ;o~~~t~re should be planted to slIver m.Qnl.... __L . _ ltlon~ Qll,.h ~_ ..... _ - 298 3. Planting in Woodlots Since many woodlots have suffered from over- cutting and grazing, these should be supplemented with suitable ~pecies of hardwoods in the hardwood stands, conifers in the mixed stands and conifers as an understory where stocking has run to inferior species such as poplar. 4. Haw and Wild Apple Throughout Ontario the invasion of pasture fields and agricultural land by hawthorns (Crataegus) wild apple O<,alus) and buckthorn (Rhamnus) is becoming a serious problem with many farmers. About 524 acres of these tree weeds are already established in fairly large blocks mostly in the south- ern part of the watershed and many small areas occur which were too small to record but which w~ll undoubtedly expand unless steps are taken to combat them. Farmers do not need to be reminded of the seriousness of this problem but they do need instruction in modern methods of attacking it and the value of reforestation in reclaiming the areas should be emph- asized for, in many cases. trees can be planted which will grow up and eventually smother the useless tree growth. In other cases it may be necessary to kill the hawthorns and apples and for this the Cornell Tree Killing Tooll is recommended. V:hen the haw bushes are older and have closed the cc.nopy over .I the field so that no light reaches the soil and it becomes bare earth, the problem of removal is a big one requiring a tractor to uproot and pile them. 5. \'!oodlot Improvement Improvement work in the woods in addition to planting would include the cutting of large, mature trees, the removal of dead and fallen and trees attacked by disease or infested by insects; defective and crooked trees, weed trees and those having wide, spreading crowns. Such improve- ment would include the cuttin~ of this material into fuel- wood as well as the scattering or burning of brush. Based on figures available for this class of work in other parts of Ontario. the time required would amount to sixty man-hou~s 1. The Killing of Trees with Sodium Arsenite - Journal of Forestry 1931. .,. f 299 per acre. l 6. Controlled Woodlot Mana~ement I f Before the necessary conservation measures on I that part of the watershed exclusive of the proposed watershed t forest can be properly co-ordinated, some system of controlled [ f cutting of privately owned woodlots must be established. The I reason for this is that the average owner does not take a broad view of the value of forest cover and is not interested, I to any great extent. in what may happen to land or stream flow off his property. The result is that throughout the \'mter- shed there is a systematic cutting of woodlots, both for the purnoses of lumber and firewood. This type of cutting has been . ~ in progress for many years, and the portable sawmill has done a great deal of damage in removing. particularly, young thrifty trees. The system of selling acre or half-acre blocks of timber for fuelwood is also another vicious practice, for the reason that when a purchaser buys such a block, in nearly every case he clean-cuts every tree which can be used, down to an inch or two in diameter. Some system of regulating cutting would correct this situation, and certainly the areas which are connected in any way with the headwaters of strean:s. or the feeding of springs, should be controlled to the extent that they cannot be clean-cut. Where conditions warrant. a certain amount of cutting would be continued, but such trees should be marked by a competent person and provision made for restocking, where necessary. The intention wou~d be to interfere as little as po~sible with the economy of' farm property, where the supply of wood is concerned. but in some cases it would be necessary to subsidize the owner in the form of supplying him with fuelwood, or the occasional stick of timber. A large qunntity of such material would be available. however, from thinnings and improvements from the Humber Forest, and could be used in this way. The question of clean-cutting of woodlots on this area, and for that matter throughout all of Southern Ontario, is of serious import. and is one of the chief reasons . .. 300 why some system of control shou~d be instituted. For many years now conservationi,sts have advocated controlled cutting of woodlots. In some sections particularly in tobacco growing counties such as Norfolk County the destruction of woodlots for the curing of t.obacco has become al(.:\rn:ing. It is admitted that the question requires deli cate handling. but \'lfhere the good of the whole community is enviEsged. some middle road of agreement could be arrived at. Furtherffiore. the distrib- ution of free trees by the government for conservation pur- poses is sometimes criticized, and rip:htly so, where on one .. farm the owner plants an area with seedlings and in the same year his neighbour clean-cuts a woodlot which perhaps protects the headwaters of a stream. In fact, so distorted is the rel- ative value of tree plantin~ versus established woodlots, in the minds of some people. that there are examples on record where municipalities have purchased land for reforestation and have allowed the owner to cut the timber before giving title. It is admitted, of course, that there are extenuating circumstances when a farmer may consider it nec- essary to raise money by selling timber. This in itself is not so serious if the cutting is done in such a way that the ben- efits of the forests are retained. Young forests, as well as old, protect the soil and have water regulating value, and the clean-cutting of such areas is a destructive and vicious prac- tice which should be stopped. The basis on which a regu~ation of this kind should be carried out is a consideration of the woodlot con- cerned. To make a blanket ruling that all woodlots on the HlID\ber should not be cut, or should come under one type of control measure, would not work to the best advantage of the community, and certainly ",'ould not be in the interests of good forestry. Some woodlots have reached the stage in which they are worn out and if the land is p,ood, should be cleared off and cropped. Others may be composed of a hi~h percentage . 301 of worthless species and have no relation to water regulation in the countryside. and likewise could be disposed of to advan- tage. But. where the woodland has a direct bearing on \"~ater regulation. erosion, retarding of the wind, and similar bene- fits. the desire of the individual should be sacrificed for the ~ood of the corr~unity. The whole question, therefore resolves itself into an examination of each woodlot by a , competent person. and the prescribing of a progranuue of management to suit each case. The basic method of control usually advocated, is cutting to a diameter limit, that is, that all trees below a certain diameter- for example below five inches - should not be cut. Such a reGulation mayor ffiay not be good forestry. In most cases it would not be because there would be much worthless material below this diameter limit, such as poplar, thorn. willow, and other species, which should be taken out. At the same time there would be certain large trees above the diameter limit which should be left for the benefit of the forest, as well as trees suitable for re-seeding the area. The diameter limit should not be a fixed rule, but simply a guiding principle; a sort of yardstick on which the lando~~er can base his calculations. In an area the size of the number a progranuhe of individual woodlot examination should not be too heavy a burden on the local forest authority. When the land use survey was made in 1946, each woodlot on the Humber was' examined, so that there is already on file a report showing the condition of each of these and from the reports the necessary data have been deduced, which indicates the types of work which are most urgent. These consist of improvement thinnings and planting which would require 1,30(.000 man hours. ~uch a service could be counted by the landowner as a forrr of subsidy. in return for relinqu- ishing absolute cutting rights in the woodlot. It should be clearly stated. however. that all land on which regulated forest is found "lOuld remain in the possession of the present owner. and the woodlot would still be his to possess and enjoy .. 3(2 !'}:'; before, but the intrinsic forestry val.ie of the are; "rould be controlled to the extent that its benefits in this re ~rd Ncmld remain permanent for the community. ... . ._-~~ I f/} ,;J "C Cv ~ >:: ,lJ...-J co QJ s.... .:: ,.... tJ) . ,... .wI-. ~ ..-1 . ;:.: "0 ::s ....,:..J ..-1 C \:W.-(:) . .rl L'!j C::: -tJ ;11 C~ ;.... ~ >'..-1 ;::;--1 If) . r-! "C I-. 0 . -..-I U Ij '0 ~: r-i Co ~UO +J(\:! r-i0 J.... rl 1j 'f' i-4 c: r-i:l.. 0..0 ;U ..-1 (/) ;:)..-1 ;.j (/j ~ c: _"': u[; (l) <+.tU u If) "" ,', C u ~ -.:t +.)4-t .... rt:: (/)'M ,(l) U) l':').. U) ,:; 0 )Mh Q U) (l) >< (l) '7" ..-1 '"C.1 "C tI).Z :;j '''' ~ ::::i'-.O ;:1...:t QhO r-i ).., ,....i r-i J....,) ~) "'C '1) ;;) >< U"Cl ~-.. ~C;::: ,.... C c (l) ...... ,~ ' .... H ':j ~ t-, ;) ricO i." .r-! I I 0 () 0 C) () >. 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'. <~I :..~ .~ r-i N r-l ...... 0 s ..--- C:1 E-< 0 .., 0 .-. ~ 0 C 0 C ..'''-''4 ~':-.. C ....... ....... 0 1.-... '~ ;,..<\ f/} .. .. .. .. ,--i , (l) 0 ,.... 0 ....... ...... ,~ .... , Q) I ...0 rt"\ ....... 0"" ..- ~. ~ s... rt"\ ['- ,-. ....... .- ~ .. .. .. .. r-i t' lJ"\ -.:t I ,....; ,...-: ('f'\ . ... rf) ...;t ....... 0 0 ...;t I '-' Q) N '-0 ...:t .-. ~, I -., , ~ s... lJ'"\ C"'. ~'O ~ lJ'"\ .- () .. .. .. .. ..... rl N 1.."\ ;)'\ -- ,....; r-I -.:t .. ......... .... ,..., to tJ) "0 s... 0 Q) 0 4-t ';;: .r-! "C C t. 0 m G ;:r:, - -- -tJ C tJ) Ul.; tllJ Q) c:1 C C S .!>.~ (l) '.-1 .,-.1 (I) s... s... ..., +J > 0 ..::: s::: C 0 '":?; n:l '" s... :;: r-I r-i 0. c.-. C1j Q. 0, e 0 ::J,,: t-1 CO "C' "C. rl Q) b.(,; C ~ 't ('(l 0.. ~ ('(l ~ C ..., >. 'M ,....., t-'....{ ('(l 0 c-< l-. .--; 1:-< L (1:: C c; 'C G) Q) (l) Co r-! 0.. ~:;", 0 U c c::; . ~ "-~""""'"""'---"""'"'-- -~"'.'''~',''-----''-~' ;--,.._..._...,_.-"._,..",.,....,-_...~ -...-,-,..........-.............-.-........'" fOt .. . -- - --~--_.__._-----_. --._-~ . - =- 304 CHAPTER LAND ACQUISITION The problem of land acquisition in any part of agricultural Ontario, where practically all the land is privately owned, is one which requires careful approach. The ovmership and use of land, especially for agricultural purposes, is considered by most citizens as one of their few remaining - However, where the good of the whole inalienable rights. corr~unity is under consideration, such personal rights should be and have been, overruled under the principle of eminent domain. Examples of such cases are the building of high~ays, the construction of power lines, and the acquiring of land for military purposes in the event of a national emergency. In Southern Ontario, compulsion has not been exercised to any great extent by the Government in planning proper land use schemes. But who would gainsay the fact that the acquiring of poor land on the upper Hurnber for conservation purposes does not constitute a national emergency, and therefore requires a more permanent authority than the individual to bring it back to its proper use? However, in dealing with land acquisition, it should not be the desire of any authority to approach the prob- lem in a dictatorial manner. It ~ill require careful handling and as a preliminary step in such work the people of the area should be acquainted with the purpose of the scheme, its ultimate benefits to the corrmunity, and by explanation and demonstration be gradually brought to the point where they will ~. be glad to co-operate. I Ii ! The only part of the Hurrilier where large scale /, transfers of property from private ownership to a forest I ~ , I; authority would have to be made is that section on which it is recorr~ended that a protection forest be established. J It is true. of course, that there are fewer farms in the area which are as good 8S many lower down the ~ ~; !; watershed, but in any large area of poor land on whi cll sorr;e =- 305 agricultl_~re is being practised, this ni#;ht b, the case. HO\^iever, it if', not essential that the best farr1s be 'dithdrawn entirely from agriculture, but an arranger1ent, could be arrived at so that such farrr:s, where the upkeep of public utilities is not too hfHwy, could be retained as africultural land. Such areas could be incorporat,ed into the forest as farm land, and be used by forest workers for this purpose; the farm work and forest 'Nork foing hand in hand; one supplenenti ng the other at different seasons of the year. 1. ;'ilethods of :cquiring Lanf! There are severBl 'Hays in which land can be acquired Hnd controlled for conEervation purposes, and it is proposed to enumerate and discuss the~e briefly in thts section. (a) Transfer by Private Sale: The most satisfactory method of acquiring land is by private sale between the forest authority concerned, and the land owner. This method has been followed by the counties of Ontario in purchasing land for reforestation work in build- ing up the system of county forests, which totals, in round figures, 2 5 ,000 acre s . This method has its rlravwacks, however, as individuals who h:;,ve not the community's welfare at heart, or for one reason or another have an exagreraterl idea of the value of their property, may block the completion of a unified area by refusing to sell. This was overcome in the State of ~,jew York, where over 450,000 acres of land have heen purchafi3d for reforest&tion, by refusing to buy individual parcels 0'" lar:d unless there was a sufflcient nUMber in a g,roup to make a contiguous bloc~ of 500 acres. (b) Haximur.1 Price pE::r Acre: A.nother nethori which has been used has been to fix a maximum price per acre for this class of land, beyond which the forest authority is prohibj.terJ to go; allowance being made for the presence of good fencing and bu~ldings on the properties, which in some cases have been removed by the vendors and allowed as part payment for the land. . =- 306 (c) Agreenents: ,Jhere mmers of iJ!"operty prefHr to retain their , w')odlots, or ~..rhere parts of farLls fi::lll .vithin the for(.::st area prescribed, and providing the ret<:ttning of owner:,hip does not Jeopardize th(~ complete conservation schene, agreer:ents could be made for the control and manarernent of such areas. This method ha~1 been adopted by the Dominion )'orest ;;ervice in ;;ova ~>cotia, where it has been desirable to control wooded areC1S for experii'lental and conserv:ition scher,as, and in this particular Cdse the ar,reei:Jents cover a period of twenty ~;ears. In Ontaria there is one exaMple, at least, where a nunicipality leiJsed a pact of a farr,l for refore~ltFltion work for fifty years, and one Unitwi Counties f council has adopted the plan of takinr easements on land for the same purpose. (d) Control by Lxisting Legisl-~tion: Under the 1.uth~)rity '.'1f t,he Private Forest Hes- t;rves Act (h.S.O. 1937, Chapter 324), the ;'linister of Lands and F~rests, on ~e(;omrnendation to the L:,eutenant-Governor in Council, may, ;ii th the consent of tbe mmer of any lar.rl covered with forest or suitable for reforestation, declare such an area to be a private forest re~erve. ..hen ~mch an arl~anfer:lent is marie, the ~:inister, or his representatives, uay reforest such areas, supervise the improving and cutting, and prohi. bi t the removal of trees by the owner without his consent, and also prohibit the grazing of the area by cattle. ( e) Life Lease: j;Iany of the farr1S on the :.lroposed forest, as already mentioned, are of lOVI agricultural worth and are supporting fanilies at the present time. The problem in such cases is not so t'luch the purchase of the property, as what will beCOMe of the faMily after the farm is acquired. In almost every case it would be iMpossible for the ven~or to purchase ~_mother farm with the money he receives, except one which is of approximately the same value, outside the forest. In some =- 307 Cdses such farms were occu.pied by older people, \ihose families have grown up and left the community. The removal of these from their properties Flight work undue hardship on them, and in fact in some cases they might become a burden on the munic- ipality. ,lith some of these, the plan of giving the vender a life lease would be sufficient. In most cases such old people make little attempt at farming the whole property, but require only sufficient pasture for a cow or two, enough land for a garden, the house and builrl inf:,~; and a supply of fuelwoorl. The plan of giving a life lease has been adopted in the case of two I properties, at least, on the county forests in Ontario, and has proved satisfactory to both contracting parties. (r) Tax Delinquent Land: Under the Statutes of the Province of Ontario,2 land which becomes tax delinquent is sold by the County Treas- urer. In the case of a farm this is not done in practice until the land has been in default for three. o~ in some cases, four yea rs . Lven then the owner has the privilege of redeeming his propertY,iithin a yeClr. .'ihi'.re such Iands are marginal or submargJnal J they are somet5_rles bought for only cl f)art of the area which is of special value, such as woodland, old buildinbs, or a good field or t,t!o. In some instances the poor 1 and remains idle ani frequently ap~e~rs again at the tax sale. The fact that such land becomes tax deli.nquent is an indication in many cases that its ultiT1ate use is forestry. Under the ~resent Statutes the municipalities are not .ermitted, at the first sale at least J to acquire or rf;s~rve such land for conservation purposes. Consequently this report rtwomnends that all tax delinquent land should come under the r(~view of a local com- mittee, composed of thB ~one forester, the Agricultural rlepres- ent~tive, and the ChainQan of the Reforestation Committee of the County, dnrl if, in the opinion of this CommittE,e, such ldnd is of value for conservation purposes, the local municipalities should have the first opportunity of purchase. - 1. Northumberla nd Forest and ,\ngus Forest. 2. \".S.O. C ';.72. Sec. 148. ---. =- 30B (g) :.xpropriation: As a last resort in land purchases, or where the owners of abandoned land cannot be located, such areas can be acquired by expropriation. The Forestry Act ([' c 0 1937, i'i... ~. . Chapter 39, Par 2) states: "The :,inister (of Lands and Forests) may, for and in the name of !fiG ilajesty, lHase, purchase, or acquire, rind subject 3f; hereinafter mentioned, may witho'ut the consent - of the mmer thereof enter upon, t':J.ke ann expropriate any L:md in Ont'jrio which the ,'inister may rieen necessary for forestry purposes." Also, under the same Act, Par. 13, provision is made for the rem~val of settlers from lands unsuitable for farming. To qU.ote: "vlhenever in the olinion of the']inister, it is found that settlement has taken place on Lands not suitable for 3fricultural purposes, ami which Bat'} lands ai~e required for forestry purposes, the i~inister shall have power to nuke arrangements for the rer'1oval of such settlers ul;on such terms as may he afreed upon." An a matter of general interest, it should be stated that this Act also provides for the power to close roads' on lands taken over for forestry purposes, the setting apart of lan1s for settlement, and thE: rerrlOvj,ng of SE~t tlEH's from lands unsuitable for farm~ne. It should also include, however, provision for acquiring permanent or com~unity pastures, and pondare areas, '..there these ari, required t as an intefral part of a large conservation pro~ect. 2. Cost of Land in the Proposed Forest }" B1 r ST}P'G C ""'T 'YF' I ,,,..) "Uf'C'" 'TD B:TT BIT 1'42 d 1947 /\ J::' J l I. i. 1 ,U..:) " ..A;n l'J ~ fjA~.J I~ 'V,,'" J an, FOil SLVl:JUdJ TYPICiiL FOHLSTS IN SOUTHbRN UNTARIO Forest A. c re s COot Cost per Acre - Ganaraska (Ganaraska Conserv'!tion 1,420 ;,7,610.00 :,,;5.50 Authority) BrtlC(~ County - niller Lake 1,165 2,159.;:5 1.$5 I'filler Lake 2,388 6,075.00 2.54 Semble 1,045 6,270.00 6.00 ,J ir1coe County 3,013 22,330.00 7.41 York County 1 60'7 3" 5 '? <) T\ 17 .93 , ., \,J, J....\ . \. l..J -- 309 In th above table i::.l cross-section of loud costs for sone nuniei;'ll forests !:lfill bo found. It ~;hould be pointed out th'lt the acre,lpc,s unrler each are only those for which figures were available at the time. It -dill be seen from the above table that the properties which are nearest to the proposed forest, namely those in York County cost t17.93 per acre which is the highest - price paid but it shoulct be borne in mind that the same proximity to the City of Tori'nto '(which makes the lanrl core expensive insures a good and expanding market close at hand where the products of the forest can be sold. l~;\'i 310 CHAr'l'EF. GIWUNlJ \,'A'nm 1. General No consideration of river valley developn,ent or of conservation or of re-develo~nent of a~ricultural areas could be adequate or in any way complete without soce ffiention of that water which occurs beneath the surface of the earth, and particularly of that part of the sub-surface water that is within the zone of saturation, the ~round water. For it is this water that is prifuarily responsible for the continued flow of surface streams and that supplies, to a very grent extent our domestic and industrial needs. The water of the earth may be divided into three: (I) water in the atmosphere. (2) water on the surface of the earth. (3) water below the surface of the earth. The water below the surface may in turn be divided into three: (a) That above the zone of saturation. (b) That in the zone of saturation. ( c ) That in the interior of the earth. The water in the atmosphere is perhaps prin,arily the concern of the meteorologist; that on the surface, of the hydraulic engineer; but that below the surface is directly the concern of the geologist, the agriculturalist, and the engineer. There is, in ~eneral, an upper limit within the earth's crust below which the permeable rocks are saturated; this upper limit is called the water table and it forms the suf;" face of the zone of saturation. The water within tbis zone is the ground water. Practically all the water recovered from the zone of saturation, that is, ground water, is o€rhred from the atmosphere. ~ost of it reaches the earth in the fon~ of li !! '" 311 precipitation either as rain or snow. Of the precipitation fallin~ on the eround, part is irr~ediately carried away by streaffiS as surface run-off, part evaporates either directly from the surface and from the upper mantle of soil, or by transpiration of plants, and the remainder sinks into the ground ultimately to be added to the ground water supplies. The proportion of the total preci ~'.i tation that sinks into the p;round will depend largely upon the type of soil or surface rock and the topography of the area upon which the moisture falls; if the surface deposits are of sand or gravel more water "Jill sink in than if those deposits were of clay; if the region is hilly and dissected by numerous valleys more water will inmlediately drain away than if the surface is fairly flat and but little dissected. Steady precipitation over considerable periods will furnish more water'to the !";round water supply than will torrential rains; in this case the run- off may be nearly equal to the total precipitation. I'oisture falling after the ground surface is frozen will not usually find its way below the surface and therefore will not mr.iter- ially replenish the ~round water supply. Light rains falling during the growing season may be wholly absorbed by plants. The quantity of moisture lost by direct evaporation depends largely upon temperature, wind and humidity. It is evident then, that the percenta~e of the total precipitatiop disposed of by run-off, evaporation, or percolation below the surface, is difficult to determine and depends to some extent upon ~ocal factors. That part of the precipitation that sinks into the ground finds its way downward until it reaches the ground water level or until it comes into contact with a layer of rock which is impervious to its passage; such a layer ~ay hold the water some distance above the general ~round water level. This is known as perched water. If the ~round water level is at or near the surface there wilL be a lake or swamp; if it is cut by a valley, there lfiill be a strearr;. -- ,. ----- . " . . ) -0 r"1 ::0 '(') \0 STREA 'S .' - INTERNAL WATER .1daptedjrom O. E. .Heinur. Figure I Diagram showing position of zone of saturation. --;...---:..::.. -;;;~-~:---;,~-:~ -"':-":;: -:....:;:--:-.: .-- --.",...: ......;::.....-...........:- -,:....; -;.:::-..: ~--;.:::..: -; ~.... ..:~-:;-: -:.,--: :-- --- - -.::= ~:::-.::-:.::::::::.:::.: ..:';-..:'::: ~:::::::::.::::-:- ~_- -;:~""/--::: -;-..... --" SHALE":-~::;-;- - ~-:::-------_-:....._.-::.--.:::~.. :-:..:-:..--:....; ~ ~--:{{{ i;ijJij f;ij Ift}! $!(f;;;fNf?i Figure 2 Diagram showing bed rock. and glacial drift. A: lens of imperoious clay causing perched water. :: .. 313 The conditions under which ground water occurs and the factors determining its quantity, quality, and possible recovery are many. This water is directly associuted with the rock into which it percolates and as this rock may (and in southwestern Ontario does) vary in its physical properties from place to place, so will the conditions ~ffecting the ground water change. Because of the large quantities of water that are daily conswned from underground sources, it may be thought that precipitation cannot furnish the entire supply. H01.'\"ever. when it is remembered that a layer of water one inch deep over an area of one square mile &Jounts to about 14,520,000 gallons and that, in southwestern Ontario the annual precipitation is perhaps in the order o~ 30 inches, it will be seen that ever 420,000,000 gallons fall on each square mile each year. If we estimate that only 10 to 20 percent; (surely a conservative estimate) of the annual precipitation reaches the zone of satur- ation there is still an appreciable quantity of wat~r available to recharge the ground water supplies. It is not implied that the ground water supplies are inexhaustible. So long as the annual recharge, that is, the quantity of water reaching the zone of saturation is equal to or greater than the quanti tj.' withdrawn, the ground \'[ater supplies will not materially decline. Unfortunately, however, there are parts of southwestern Ontario where this condition does not prevail. It is common knowledge that once perr;lanent stre0ms are now dry, that many springs have disappeared and many wells have failed. Such a condition is in large measure the result of cutting down of forest trees, draining of swamps, and bringing into cultivation areas that perhaps should have been left as woodlots. In general, the same quantity o~ moisture is falling now as before the streams ceased flowing, bu~ so far as ground water is concerned one of the most important results of the aforementioned conditions is the great increase in surface run-off, culminating all too often in disastrous '" - 31LI- floods and reducing greatly the quantity of water that formerly went to recharge the sub-surfoce supplies. Couple with this the increase in population with its ever increasing demand upon ground water for both dOffiestic and industrial needs, and it is not difficult to see that the ground water resources \ull still further decline unless some remedial measures are taken. Getting back to the geology of ground water; all sedimentary rocks are to sori~e degree porous, that is, they posf~ess pores between the individual grains of whi ch they are composed. ~ater stored within the rocks mainly occurs as filling these spaces. A very fine-grained rock containing \/:lter IY:ay have such small pores that the attraction between the rock and water is great enough to hold the water in the rock; such a rock will not yield its water to wells. Those rocks that yield their water readily are called aquifers; those that do not are impervious beds. For the presont purpose the geology of south- western Ontario may be divided into two parts; the bedrock and the overlying unconsolida~ed glacial deposits. The bedrock consists of layers of limcsto~e. shale, and sandstone that when viewed at an isolated out- crop generally appear to be flat lying but that, regionally are known to dip from 10 to perhaps ~O or 50 feet a mile in a general southwesterly direction. These rocks are sedir.,entclry in origin, having been forLled fron~ sedimenti3 deposited in bodies of sea water later to be consolidated into hard rock. The water bearing properties of the various types of rock constituting this sediwcntary succession var}'" greatly. In general, the shales, being fine-grained, are the poorest aquifers ....;hile the sandstones and limestones c:.re considerably better. No special study of the water in these rocks has been made, but they have been n~pped over much of south- western Ontario so that the distribution, thickness, and general physical characters of the several formations are ,. - 315 fairly v.;ell knovm. In the area bordering Lake Erie. the bedrock has been penetrated to various depths by ~ells drilled for oil ond gas and a study of these drilling records has yielded some general data regarding water. Thus it is that we know of occurrences of fresh water generally in the upper part of the bedrock; of sulphur water somewhat lower; and of salt water at still lower depths. Overlying the bedrock is the glacial drift. During the final stages of geological history great accun.ul- ations of ice formed at several centres in t~orthern Canada. Due to the pressure exerted by the ir:Jnense thickness of ice, the ice moved out in all directions from these centres, covering large areas with a continental ice sheet. As the ice advanced it picked up great quantities of loose rock ~hich it carried along and which was deposited when the ice finally retreated by melting. This material is unconsolidated and called glacial drift. Several advances and retreats of the ice sheet took place and each retreat left its accumulation of drift on the surface over which it passed. Thus, over most of southwestern Onte,rio the bedrock is covered with drift ranging in thicknesb frot, zero in parts of the Bruce Peninsula to cover 600 feet in the region north of Toronto. Generally, the drift consists of boulders and pebbles of various composition and size embedded in a matrix of clay to form a more or less impervious mass called boulcier clay. Intermingled with this and commonly in a r,.ost con:plex manner. and also lying above, below, and between successive till sheets are beds, lenses and pockets of waterlaid sand and gravel which form the chief water-bearing n.embers of the drift. Throughout the ~reater part of southwestern Ontario most of the ground water supplies are directly assoc- iated with the glacial drift. .- 316 2,. York Much was learned regarding the eeology of ground water in York County through the extensive survey conducted by J. F. Caley and H. \. Hainstock of the Canada Department of :'~ines in f'jarkham, \ihi techurch. Vaughn, King, and Scarborough townships in 1936-1~37. The general results achieved in this survey, particularly in the rural areas, still apply. In general, it was concluded that wells in the drift would be successful unle~;f.' they were too shallow and in till alone. -VJells into the bedrock any distance were found unsatisfactory because of the salty water produced. In most places wells sufficient for dOffiestic and etock use (20 to 30 head of stock) could he developed in the crift. Where shallow and in the till, they produced supplies sufficient only for domestic use. The water table w'as found to be within approximately 50 feet of the sur- face. Ravines or larger valleys were suggested as favourCihle places for well developn.ent. due to the relative nearness to the surface of the water tahle and to the possibility of porous and permeCible layers being present. Tests with a soil auger were suggested as means of determining the presence of water at shallow depths. Water-bearing sand and gravel deposits were found to be numerous near the bottorll of the drift. Flowing wells having their source in the Oak Ridge Interlobate Moraine were noted in the vicinity of ~khor;\berg and Aurora and in various other parts of the county. These conclusions by Caley and Hainstock are in agreeDent with what might be expected from the character of the mantle. Northward fron. the lake shore, according to Chapman and Putnam, there occur in successive belts the Iroquois Lake Plain, the Ontario Till Plain, the Peel l~ke Plain, and the Oak Ridge Interlobate Moraine. Beyond the last, to the north, are areas of Schomberg Lake Plain and Ground Noraine- Drumlins. The drift of any of these physiographic uni ts n~ay contain stratified deposits within or at the bottofu. The lake plains, particularly the Iroquois Lake Plain, may contain '" .317 beach deposits serving as reservoirs for ~round water. The occurence of springs and of good water supplies alon~ the old shore line of glacial Lake Iroquois has been noted by Coleman. The bedrock directl)' beneath the mantle of most of the county is Lorraine and Utica shale. The Trenton liffie- stone directly underlies an area touth of Lake Simcoe. These shales obviously are unlikely as a source of water. The lin~e" stone has greater possibilities, but is still not as good as the drift. Aurora, Hichmond Hill, Newmarket, \.'eston, !',:arkham, Stouffville, and r:ing depend upon subsurf~J.ce water supplies most of them from wells, and in addition there are Diany other wells for indurtries, golf courses, etc., which dr~w supplies from the drift and which have been put do\'tm within the last decade or so. The production from some of these newer wells is large, and suggests the presence of buried valleys containing deposits of sand and gravel. The deepest known well in the drift is one at Thornhill, stated to have r,one to a depth of 640 feet. It was reported that the water fror;, this well was salty. but nothing further regarding it was learned. Aurora \-laS reported to h::!ve between 9 and 14 wells in operation, of a maximum depth ,of 375 feet. The water is under head, and is believed to come from sand and gravel acquifers which have a higher elevation and are near the surface in the Oak liidge Interlobate Moraine area to the south. Newmarket has four wells with depths betHeen 146 and 290 feet. Three acquifers are reported in the deepest well and the one at the bottor~ is reported to supply most of the \"later. The mantle in this vicinity is stated to have a thickness of 305 feet. Farm wells as much as a mile away to the southeast of the well locations are said to have been affected by the installation of some of these Ne\~arket ~ells. There are several abandoned city wells and provision is being made for '" 318 the construction of additional wells. The Stouffville wells are shallow flowing wells north of the town. The firm of l'"argison and Babcock of Toronto, engineers for the county of York and for Stouffville, vJere stated to have made this installation. At the present time the communi ty is considerinp; the installation of a se,,;age system and ~~ll need an additional supply of water for this purpose. J.;,i th the drillinF of so many wells of large capacity and with the constantly expanding use of large quant- ities of ground water in this county, particularly near Toronto, it is evident that as complete knowledge as possible should be developed of the resource. The International Water Supply Compa.ny and others have records of the wells that have been drilled. It would seem advisable that the records be studied, the behaviour of the wells watched. and that additional data from wells now drilling or whi ch rr,ay be drilled in the future should be closely studied. As far as the rural areas are concerned, while there have been reports that the south part of Vaughn Township and the north part of York Township were lliuch affected in the 1944-45 drought, and to the point where water had to be hauled in n,any cases, the situation is not bel- ieved to demand close study at present. It may well be that there are places whence water cannot be secured from the drift, but it is thought that these areas will not prove extensive. 3. Peel From the information obtained in this county it is concluded that there is considerable variation in the ground- water conditions in the mantle. Some areas report great di~fic- ulty in obtaining satisfactory supplies from it, whereas ethers only a short distance away have no trouble at all. Toronto Gore Township seems to have been the area which experienced the most difficulty. This county also has a great variety of mantle materials. In succession from the south, there are areas of the Iroquois Lake Plain, the Ontario Till Plain, and the Peel Lake Plain. The northern part of the county in 1I1bion and - 319 Caledon townships has areas of glacial outwash materials of various sorts interspersed with Clay l-:oraines and Clay Plains. The Niagara escarpment crosses the northern townships, so that there the upper part of the bedrock is the Lockport dolomite. The rest of the county to the south is irr~ediately underlain by the shales stratigraphically below the 10 ck port. The presence of these sha.les and the fact t',hat they are often reached in drilling rural wells results in the bringing in of supplies of salty water. The reported extensive use of ponds in some areas and the great amount of hauling of water durin~ the lS44-45 droueht, is believed to be related in part to the dependance in many places upon shallow wells. Deepening, study of existing wells and records, and further exploration should help in secud.ng satisfactory ground- water supplies in I,lOst areas that have experienced shortages. This is indi~ated by the survey made in 1936 of Toronto Gore and Albion tovmships by J. FA Caley and H. W. Hainstock of the Canada Department of Mines. Brampton secures it5 supplies from wells a few miles north of town. These dra'll from outwash gravels.. The \Vater frow thesf' wells is reported to have sho'im an increase in hardness; if true it is a matter which may throw light upon the source of the water. It is also reported that subsidence has taken place at the well locations and at a nearby road- crossing since the wells were put into use. Bolton also has a supply obtained from subsurface sources. The well is 30~ feet deep, probably in mantle. The I>.alton airport has been supplied. from wells drilled by E. F.Hoberts of Brantford. This ..,,{ell record is probably available for sutdy, and should furnish use- ful information on the character of the drift. The collection of' additional data and inforn:ation on the wells in rural areas said to be poor in ground-water resources would seem to be a desirable step in this county. The problem, however. is not (;f irr:rp,~ia.te urgency. ,. 320 4. Simcoe Simcoe County, according to reports, has abundant ground-water resources. An ~rea east of Elmvale, and another the ndry lots" area north of Edgar, are reported to have exper- ienced some difficulty in the drought of 1944-45. which was not serious elsewhere in Simcoe County. The area north of Edgar is said to make wide use of cisterns. I.;uch deepening of well s is reported from the s01...ltheastern part of the county durinp; recent years, stated to be coincident with a falling water table and increasing demand brought about by extension of the livestock industry. The county has a wide variety of glacial deposits and many areas of shore deposits of glacial Lake Algonquin. The glacio-fluvial deposits and the gravel and sand shore-deposits constitute a favourable source of ground-water storage. Acc- ordiug to Chapman and Putnam, terraces between the ice front and the escarpment to the west were formed, particularly in valleys of the Mad, Pine and Nottawasaga rivers, and the material was later spread out in the vicinity of Allison and Camp Borden. An ~upland" area north-west of Lake Simcoe and within a few miles of the lake is reported to lack satisfactory ground-water resources, but it is believed that this is the result of the use of shallow wells only. The Niagara escarpment extends along the west side of the county 50 that the bedrock formations nearest the surface of most of the county in the agricultural areas to the east con- sist of the shale and limestone formations below the Lockport. There are no indications that these are ~ood in ~round-water resources. In keeping with the character of the mantle there are many springs and flowing wells in the county ar.d several co~nunities secure supplies frorr subsurface sources. Earrie has flowing wells, in sand and gravel, ranging from 128 to 132 feet in depth. The newest well, constructed by the International ~ater Supply Company, i~ the only one that can be drawn upon by ... ""': rt" \.r::... pur..pinf:, as it alene produccB Hater free fror:; silt under pumping conditions. Other larve flmdng 110115 in Barrie are those of the Barrie Tanning Corpany, Clark and Clark, the First (: ooper- ative Packers of Ontario, and the Lakevie~ Dairy, all in the lower part of town near the lake. They are up to 175 ft}et in depth. Elmvale has flowing wells in the eravel from a depth of 133 feet. A nearby flmo'inr; well has been consid ered as a source of supply for the area east of Elmvale -.,.;hich Ii.as exper- ienced short.age. r':any spri.ngs are reported in Nottswasaga 'I'ov,on- ship and there are flowing wells on Beeton Flats. The Isradford wells are 112 feet and the Tottenham wells 286 feet deep. Both are also reported to be in sand and gravel. Coldwater is sup?lied by springs, the water cOr'iing fro/[, a sand and ,=,;ravel terrace underla:i.n with impervious lake clays. The spring supply of Beeton is reported to have failed many years ago, and 1.ts rejuvenation presumably as a resul t of reforestation of the watershed, has beEm gi van "Tide recognition. 5. Dufferin This county apparently has no ground-water prob- ler;;s at present. It is thinly settled and much of it is non- agricultural land. Clay and Sand r>'~oraines of the Hoseshce r:oraine make up tho cou.ntry ahove the escarpment and for sone di~)tance west and also to sorrle extent east of the escarprcent. 'i'he easte~'n and southeastern narts of the county are particul- arly hilly and stony. The ground moraine of the western part of the county is poorly drai!led and clayey. The lirnestc~eB of the escarpnent constitute a good source of water for the eastern part. Sprines fron; the base of the escarpment are numercus. This county is hiGh il: elevation and many of t.he larger strea::.s have their headwat.ers here. Grand Valley on the nrand qiver, previously reported to have a town supply from subsurface waters, was found to have only private wells, notable however for their abundant supply. Those near the valley botton. or: the west side of the river are approxiIEately 60 to 70 feet deep and are flow:5.np, weLLS, the supply ., ",? ),-.- l;n;SUf'lCl bly cGr:-:ing fro:1 the bc'lrock. The local creclt' ry , hi.gher on the vqllFY side, ha~~ three ,fe:: Is ill) to 2dO feet i.n 'hOt/th, in the bedrock, in which the water rises to rlithin 40 feet of the surface. ()rangeville has a commlnity su~ply from developed springs west of the town, and the Canadian Pacific Hailroad has a supply said to be of a similar n~ture. The source of the water is unknown, but it is believed to come from the bed- rock. The community supply of Shelburne is frOM a well 120 feet deep, and 20 feet into the limestone. The water rises about 20 feet above the bedrock. Nearby !'iud Lake is reported to have a flow of water from the limestone. It is quite apparent ,that in this county, the Lockport and Guelph dolomites constitute a f;ood source of ~round wa t e r . Information on the resources of these limestones, gathered in this county, will contribute to an evaluation of these formations as water producers else'.ihere as well as in T)ufferin County. '" 323 C.Ii /:i. ;)Tl~It 'irL RIV L~R The River Humber seems to have gone unnamed until the French began to call it the "Riviere de Toronto" in the eighteenth century. This name was borrowed from the county farther north, around Lake Simcoe, to which the Humber "carrying place" led. The river continued to be called the Toronto River until its name was changed by Simcoe to the Humber. The Humber River drains 336.77 square miles on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The mouth of the river is less than a mile west of the City of Toronto, well within the area of Greater Toronto. The sources of the m...:.~ river and the Last Branch are both on the morainic ridge of hills which crosses the northern part of York County. The East Branch rises near Wilcox Lake, just east of Yonge Street, twenty-two miles north of Toronto. The 11ain Branch has its source near Mono ~Ulls t about twenty-nine miles west of ',vilcox Lake. The ',\'est Branch drains a large section of the fertile Peel Plain, rirawing its waters from a number of sources scattered along the edge of the moraine between the Village of Bolton and Claude, a crossroads hamlet eleven miles south of Mono Mills. The dest Branch joins the main river near Thistleto1;ln about nine miles from Lake Ont,lrio. The East Branch, after flowing westward for ten ~iles from its source, flows south for nearly the same distance before it joins the main river at doodbridge. At Kleinburg these two streams are less than half a mile apart, separated only by a high narrow ridge. The river drops over 1200 feet in the fifty-eight miles of its course. T-1ore than half of th:i,s fall occurs in the first eight miles. 'fhe Last Branch falls about 500 feet in the twenty-four and one half lniles between its source and its junction with t:--.e main stream, most of this fall taking place in the lHst eighteen miles. The lest Branch has a more 3;;J .~. HUMBER RIVER AND MAIN TRIBUTARIES SCALE: MILES I l~ 0 I 2 3 1-- 1 ii it !' j 1 j i I lr- -:c P 'l'Ir, ,rmr',i,!{i\"J,_, ""., !i 'I I: II " Lake , Marie t ,~ i L .1 A E o ^' T .J R I 0 ~ *' 325 i-'ra~ual fall, ~ropping about 560 feet in twenty-three miles. Summer Flow It is probable th,'lt the Hunber was a ~ ways sub- ject to ma r'<ed fluctuations of flow, though certainly not to the extent that is now the case. Somewhat exaggerated views of the change in the size of the river have been current until recently. 'The fact that thf? valley of the Humber formed part of an important route to Lake Huron led people to suppose that it was once navigab~e for canoes for a large part of its course, and there have even been stories of French ves~el'3 sailing past the site of deston. 1 There is no f~vidence, howevnr, t.ha t the Indians used the river bbove Lanbton, except when fishing, and the regu~ar landing places on the portage WAre at the Old ;:1111 and at the river's mouth. In 1806 the summer was so dry that logs could not be run on the Thames. Charles ;\ikin crossing the Pumber late in the summer of that year, notes t.hat the river "has its 2 banks very hi gh though the river is but smi'lll'I. Aikin seems to have forded the river 'it the Kings :;awm~.ll (the "Old :1ill") and though the river was never deep at that ~oint, it would seem to have been unusually low in 1806. ~e have stories of shortage of water for grinding and sa'w:Lng ill 1831 and definite complaints of recurring low flow in 1851. 3 ^ writer discussing the HUMber and Ltobicoke in that year says: "It is found throughout the nrovince, that as the country becomes cleared up, and drained, and the sun has power to act upon the l~nd, the body of water remaining in the sm::.ll streams is much diminished, particularly during the summer Months; :.J.nd we were told by a resident on the Humber, that sometimes, during a riry season, he can scar~ely gP.t water enough to turn a single run of stones." The idea that the loss of water was due to clearing the land had some force in Id51, 1,{hen the upper part of the watershed was well settled, but there was much less clearing before 1840 and very little in 1806. Nevertheless there has evidently been a great deal of shrinkage on sortle - I. The river was never navigable, even for large boats beyond the first rapid at the "GIrl ::'ill", The larger lake vessels took on the flour from the mills at the mouth fro;.; barges and snaIl vessels. 2. Ch;:Jrles Aikin; "Journey from Sandviich to York" 1806: Dnt. Hist. Soc. - (nape~s and Records Vol. 6) 3. Cruickshank: "H i.s tory of ,(;stan". 4. ,j. If. Smith: lie ,1 nada Past, :>resent and Future" 1$51. . 326 tributaries of the Humber in the past ninety years. There \Vere four mills on Black Creek in 1$5,- in York County, two in Vaughan and two on Duncan's Creek.l The problem of 10\-1 "tater is most noticeable on the west Branch. Trlis branch differs from the main river and the EO!3t Branch in drawing more of its water froM surface drainage, It often goes nearly or completely dry in 5ULllilcr \lhile theothcr branches usually have some water throughout their course. As most of the Hotershed lies close to the Toronto area, the problem of low flow in the HumberLs icportant, both form the point of view of health and of rec- reational facilities. Encroachments. Enroachments include any works of man Hhich are built on the natural flood channel of a river. These flood cha:me1s may not be used by the river for several years2 but at certnin intervals, due to excessive preCipitation and other factors. this suprlementary channel which it has created for itself will most certainly be flooded, because it must be re;:;.embered that flooding is a natural phenomenon of rive:cs, As early as 1541, \"lhen DeSoto came up the iJ.d.ssissippi, he recorded "floods to the height of the treetops for miles back of the river." Encroachments on the flood plain of the Humber other than bridges Bnd their approaches, are 1iml. tad to 'till(; or three points where towns and villages grew up beside the river. In Ontari'J J early settlements ".lere often founu near tho ;,;treams. Hamlets frequently grew up near a mill or around an inn. ~lillers and innkeepers were usually also merchants and the inns ',,'ere post offices and relay stati..);;s for post horses. Blac;~sliiIi ths, wheelwrights, saddlers and harness makers were attracted to the posting stati~ns and the nucleus of a town was for~ed. 1. Unwin's map of York Township, 1851(?} and Tremaine's map of York County, 1860. 2. This perhap:) explains hOH the village of \',eston C".LUC: to be built on the flats in the 1820's. - . 327 The inns were usually built at important crossroads anrl the rigid system of land surveying sometimes placed the~'e inter- sections in the valley bottoms. The problem of encroachr~Jents has been pertin- ently summed up by s U. S. Army Lngineer as follows: "Tlhen we ar~honest with ourselves and. get down to the bottom of the flood problem, about 90 per cent of perennial flood damage is a result of man's darnn foolishness in building his roads, railroads, factories, houses, farms and whatnot on land that plainly belonged to the river. t;hen he built there, the evidence that the river had used that land for flood purposE~s was plainly visible, and when that evidence is there you can be darn sure the river will again flood that land. It would be much si~pler and more economical to retire from human occupancy than use these perennially flooded river bottoms and give them back to the river for flood purposes." This is an arresting statement, but of course, impracticable where settlement has advanced to the extent of millions of rtollsrs in real estate. It does, hm./ever, set forth clearly the relationship between flooding and encroach- ments. There have been fewer encroachments on the flood plain of the Humber than is the case with many other rivers. Because through ['luch of its course the river runs in deep, rather narrow valleys the flood plain itself is limited to small areas of meadow in the valley floor. Owing to the difficulties of access, these meadows were little built upon. The original village of ,'eeton (Farr' s i:ills) was built on the low ground during the dry years of the early 1820's but after it was swe?t away in 1850 the site was left almost vacant and is now completely so. Parts of the villages of ;oodbridge and Bolton were exposed to flooding but apart from these the encroachment on the river bed was limited to mills and other commercial buildings. The bridges on the river often ag~ravated the floods by causing jams of ice and debris, but this is much less the case now than formerly. Since Toronto has spread to the Humber there has been SOMe buildin[ on the valley floor, particularly in the Black Creek area, along Scarlett's Road and near * 328 Thistletown. This is likely to increase as time goes on unless restrictions are introduced to control it. Ifl large portion of the valley of the Humber is limited to recreational uses this problem wi'l be less serious. .. 329 G j !~Tt.R FLOODS ()i~ IH!'.. HUMBER There can be lit+,le ctoubt that the Hu:^;ber, like all the river s and creeks of L;-outhe :-n -Ontario, has risen in flood under certain climatic conditions throughout its history as a river. To the early inhabitants of the region the spring and autumn freshets were an inevitable phenomenon and brought with them advantages as well as inconveniences. The yearly enrichment of the meadows of "flats" made it possible to grow corn on them year after year, so that villages near the river could remain on the same site for long periods, instead of , having to be shifted at short intervals, when the fields around them became exhausted. The muddy flood waters might sometimes spoil the salmon fishingl and the freshets would make the fords impassable without a cclnoe, but the high water permitted the running of the many rapids, which usually made navigation of the Humber, above the "Old Hill", too laborious to be worth attempting. The "flash" floods which occurred in summer and early fall were another matter. This type of flood was possibly less frequest and less severe be.f:. ore the forests had been cleared on most of the watershed. However, such sudden spates did occur in early days, destroy- ing the crops of corn on the flats and sometimes surprising the Indians in their encarnpments.2 On the whole, the Humber floods caused little inconvenience to the Indians, missionaries, fur-traders and soldiers, who were the only inhabitants of the "Toronto" region until the coming of the British colonists in 1792. The fact that no references to floocting on the Humber have been found in the records of the French Regime, cannot be taken 1. See below; the floods of laOl. On his second visit to the Thames in 1794 Governor Simcoe took advantage of the fresh- et to make the trip from near '''oonatocl: to Detroit by canoe, instead of on foot and in sleighs as on the first journey in 1793. 2. See below; the flood of 1804. .. . 330 I as indicating that the river never rose until the British had build mill dams across it. Heferences to flood damage occur within a few years of the building of the first sawmill on the Humber, when there had been no change in the conditions on the watershed. 1793 - H322 In 1798, when the King's Sawmill had been running for only five years, there is a reference to the nrisquen to the frame from the spring floods as one of the 1 This factors to be allowed for in tendering for the lease. seems to imply regular flooding and indicates that the Humber, like the Thames,2 had risen frequently during the 1790'5. From that time on the millers on the Humber are found to be in constant trouble with their mill dams. There was a marked shortage of salmon on the market at York in the spring of 1801. The Mississaugas of the Credit told the t;overnment agents sent to investigate that this was Hin consequence of the great floods; that they were prevented from taking any salmon as the waters were thereby rendered so thick and muddy that they could not see the fish.u3 As the Mississaugas fished all the streams from York to the "Head of the Lakeu, this condition must have applied to all alike and not to the Credit alone. Lvidently a considerable amount of erosion had taken place. That some erosion accom- panied the regular freshets is implied in the statement, found in most accounts of Upper Canada between 1800 and 1$35, that the meadows of the Credit, Etobicoke and Humber were yearly enriched by the uoverflowingslt of those rivers. 1. See Lizars, "The Valley of the Humberu, p. 72. The mill was in bad repair. It stood close under the west bank, somewhat nearer the dam than was the case a few years later. 2. For floods on the Thames at this time see David leisber- fer's Diary of the >Toravian mission at Fairfield-on-Thames quoted in the Thames Valley Report, 1946.) 3. Dom. Bureau of Archives, Upper Canada Sundries, June 6, 1801. One Benjamin Gilbert, a trader at the Credit, was sue- pect€(l of buying up the Indians' catch to sell in the States. This was actually the case, but the catch had only amounted to twelve fish. In 1800 he had got 180 bbls. from the Indians, "anrt had dried and smoked upwards of six hundrud salmon - the most of which he sent to the Genesee Country." Apparently there were plenty for York i as well in that year. . ., 331 Three years later there was another severe freshet on the Don and Hu~ber. This flood of September, 1804 is the first of the Humber 1'1000 S to be reported in a ne1t:s- paper. It is also the first of a number of autumn floods, caused by heavy rains and doing even more damage than the spring freshetb. JI,~ usual much less is said in the repcrt about the Humber than about the Credit and the Don, but as the pas- sage is interas~ing in itself it is quoted in full. "Upper Canada Gazette - The Oracle - Sept. 15, 1804. We understand that the late heavy rains have done material damage to the roads in different parts of the country in so much as to render them in some places t~tally i~passable by sweepin~ away the causeways and bridges. At thp Credit the wa~er sUddenly rose to such a height as entirely to overflow the ground occupied by the Indians as an encampment, for the purpose of fishing; carrying away all before it. The Indians in the greatest consternation narrowly escaped in the night with their lives after having lost their canoes, arms and other prop- erty . Considerable damage has also been sustained by individuals in many places, in loss of corn, hay, etc. and particularly at and near the River Don in the breaking of mill dams. We are informed that the Humber mills are entirely destroyed." The flood on the Humber was probably as severe as on the other streams, but the damage was not 85 great aa had been supposed. On September 22nd, 1804, the Gazette had to correct its first report. "The Oracle, Saturday, September 22, 1804. In our last week's paper, under the Oracle, we mentioned the Humber Mills as being destroyed. vie are now i happy to have it in our power to contradict that report and to inform the public that they have sustained little i or no injury by the late floodse" . ,..-- .. 332 If, as seems most likely, the King's Sawmill is the mill referred to, it may have come off lightly owing to the way in which its dam vias constructed. The dam closed the western channel near the present stone bridge, but left the eastern unobstructed so that much of the flood waters could pass by that channel without endang:ering the dam. This flood may have cut up the island bet'deen the millrace and the west channel, as on the plan of 1811 only some small sand banks are shown there. However the island re-appears on the survey of 1835. By that time the sawi.lill had been moved 1 somewhat farther down the race. Between 1804 and 1815 there are various indir- ect references to the effects of floods on the Humber. Bridges were frequently damaged and the millers were in constant trouble with their dams. Willi~m Cooper's dam was broken about 1819 or 1820, probably not for the first time, as Cooper went to a good deal of trouble to get power for his mills without rebuilding the dam. He was advised by "Millwrights and others who are Judges" that if he could get lot 9 Con. C in the King's Mill reserve, he would do better to move his mills there. He accordingly petitioned for a grant of this lot in la22, stating in his petition that "as soon as his millstt began to be profitable, unfortunately for your petit- ioner, the Dambwas cut away by which your petitioner is al- most ruined - lately he has been at considerable expense by endevouring to bring the water to his Mills without a Damb, but he is persuaded to desist as they say it will not answer the purpose. n Cooper's petition was not granted and he had to be content with rebuilding his "Damb", probably above the old one as the survey of 1834 shows a long race leading to the mills. 1. See maps of the King's Hill fleserve in the chapter on Land Settlement. As Countryman's Sawmill near the sight of dcston had been burned not later than 1803 and Jilliam i Cooper says he built his mills in 1806 without any mention i i of an earlier sawmill, it was probably the r:ing's Saw- mill which escaped the flood of 1$04. 2. Petition of William Cooper, U~per Canada Sundries, Dominion Bureau of Archives, Ottawa. This Petition is not dated, but is endorsed 1822, without day or month. The lot in question was purchased in 1834 by ThomaB Fisher, who built t,he ~1ilhiOod :'~ills on :1_t in 1835. There WaS probably a flood in 1$19, which may hdve been the one which cut away Cooper's "Dnmbt1. .. 333 1$23 - 1859 Thomas Fisher had trouble with floods, both during his occupancy of the King's 1ill and after he had sold these mills to ',:illiam Ga~1ble and moved to Millwood ;,Tills. Garrtble and other millers also had difficulties though the prolonged droughts of 1824-29 nay have givGn them some relief from freshets. The "Anerican ~)cnmill Dam", specially designed to resist floods, "T:iS introduced about this time, but it proved unable to stand up against the Humber at its worst. No very severe floorls can have occ~lrred on the Humber in the 1820's, howE.~ver , for "8 village of about nine dwelling houses" had been built between Farr' B millrace and the riv2r by 1825. This first village of )cston would hardly have been built on the flats, if they were swept by ice every slJring. ()nce establishecl the 'Tillage continued to grow during the thirties, but the inhabitant.s are said to have been "in constant trouble from the floods". (1) A break- water of boulders, the line of which could still be traced in 1937, was buj_l t in an at tempt to ward off the ice. A flash freshet in the summer of 1831, following a drought which had caused a water shortage, is nentioned ( 1 ) in an anecdote of Porter's sawmill, on the east bank below,la :swor'th' S (Fare'S) :alls. There was a bad flood in the spring of 1842 which damaged the village on the flats at Jeston. (1,2) There were now nineteen buildings besides the mill. nany of them stores or workshops as well as dwellings. By this time there were a number of Mills and bridges on the river GO that much more property was exposed than had been the case. The freshet in 1850 was even more severe and is the first to be recorded in detail. The Toronto Globe for April 6th reported that the damage on the Humber was "very Great'l. "The brirlge over the river of the Albion Plank Road has been carried away, but the "ridge in t,:~e village of ',weston still stood at 1. Cruickshank and Nason; History of ,jest-on , 1837. 2. History of the County of vork. .. 334 the last accounts. We have no intelligence from anywhere higher up. On Dundas Street the river made two passages of great width across the road, one on each side of the bridge. The bridge was standing at the last accounts and may now be considered safe. The dam of kr. Howland's Mill vms ~artly carried away and the nill suffered ~reat injury. Mr. Gamble's mill-darn is entirely gone and the store-house of this gentleman on the flat has been flooded so as to damage 2000 barrels of flour another store-house lower down near the bay is said to have been carried off altogether. kl'. Howland's loss is stated at i:l ,000. ftIr. Gamble's Ll.500." This account only tel.ls part of the story. The bridge at Wadsworth Mill at Weston was destroyed and the flats swept nearly clean of buildings except for the mill itself. Stores, houses and workshops were all destroyed, only the stone chimney of the cooper's shop being left to mark the spot where the viliage had stood. '.&.'he inhabitants escaped with their lives, though at least one man had to swim for it, leading his horse to which his wife and two children were Clinging.l Nearly every dam on the river was carried away wholly or in part. The water was up twenty feet at Lambton to make the washouts on either side of the bridge~ Probably considerable sections of the "flat8~ were washed away, 8S W8S usually the case in severe freshets. These changes in the river's course sometimes caused lawsuits over property boundaries, for the Humber formed the "front" of a number of lots in Etobicoke and York Townships. A property owner might find that ten or fifteen acres of his land was now cut off from him by a new channel and being claimed by his neighbour on the opposite bank. The spring freshet of 1857 caused widespread damage in Canada West. The Humber rose like the other rivers but as there were now few dwellings exposed, the damage was i chiefly to milldams and bridges. The Globe reported on History of Weston 1837. .J 1. Cruickshank and Nason; .. 335 February 17th, "The Humber was much swollen yesterday afternoon. The crush of ice carried away Scarlett's Bridge and also the bridge over the west branch of the Humber between Weston and this to~~. In consequence of this latter casualty the Albion Stage had to proceed almost as high up the river 1 as Pine Grove in order to effect a crossing". Evidently most of the bridges on the lower part of the watershed had been damaged sufficiently to make them dangerous. A freshet on the streams in the Toronto region is reported in the Globe on March 21, 1859, but the only damage mentioned was to the track of the Northern Railway. H~60 - 1879 During the 'sixties floods continued to occur at frequent intervals. The freshets on the Humber attracted less public attention than those elsewhere, as there was now no town of any size exposed to flooding on a spectacular scale. Weston was by this ti~e well above the flood level. Some parts of Bolton and Woodbridge were exposed to annoy- ing but not dangerous damage. The interruption of traffic became less frequent as the railway bridges were usually so strongly built that only a very severe flood could damage them and the road bridges had also been made higher and stron- ger. The river continued to burst milldams from time to time and some mills are reported to have closed down after floods in the late sixties. Lawsuits involving floods were also fairly common at this period. In one case the spring flood broke the Wadsworth's dam and washed the logs collected there for the spring sawing down to Somerville's pond. Som- erville claiffied them as "treasure trove" and the Wadsworths 1. As this report is not dated from Thistletown, it is hard ! to be sure which bridge the writer meant. However, if the Albion Stage, which normally crossed the main Humber about a mile above Wadsworth's Mills, had to go as far north as Pine Grove, it seems likely that a number of bridges were damaged. ..-- ~ .. 336 1 In the case of only recovered them after a suit in court. "Graham vs. Bro"m", tried at the Peel Assizes in April le62, "the main question seemed to be what was to be consid- ered as high water mark of the Humber". Brown's deed giving hin: "two rods beyond high water mark", and his Counsel argued that this includes the ground "covered by the Spring and fall freshets. The Court supported Graham's contention that "the word 'high water mark' was only intended to apply to the ordinary flow of the river." Graham was given a shilling as damages. There would seem to have been a considerable dif- ference between the two "high water marks"~ Although rew of these freshets were considered to be worth reporting in the newspapers, they usually involved a good deal of floodin~. A photograph of Wadsworth's mill at Weston, taken just after the spring flood of 1870 had passed, shows what might occur in a not very exceptional freshet. The site of the first village of Weston is covered with piled up cakes of ice, although the river is already almost back to its normal level. A second picture, taken in the summer of the same year, makes the extent of the flood still more evident. Several mill dams were damaged by this flood and it may have been one of the reasons for closing the Wadsworth sawrr:ill, which was swept away by a much more severe flood in September 1878. The 1878 flood was one of the most sudden and destructive in the records of the Humber. It "las caused by 8. heavy rainstrom which had moved up from the Gulf of 1.1exico causing floods and other damage through the central states and west central Ontario. The rain began on September tenth but was moderate until the evening of the twelfth. 1. Cruickshank and Nason; History of Weston, 1937. 2. Toronto Weekly Globe, April 23rd, 1862. The property was in Vaughan Township, but the exact location is hot given. Probably it had formed part of the W.R. Graham Estate in the seventh Concession, which contained 1500 acres in 1860. (Lots 14 - 20 & ~ of 21). John Brown Jr. o~ned the east Half of lot 13 in 1860. The sawmill on lot 16 Con. VII may have been involved. There ware two mills above Kleinberg on the main river adjacent to land owned by Vim. Graham, but there is no record of any Brown in connection with these mills. See Tremain~'s Map of York County, 1860. -.,... * "~"~r-f "," ,~ ~. : ~___'4_ ,,__.~_~,,~___ _".'-." _,__ -' -.. .Jridbe on do. "'7 'H'i.-,a"' ,,", r" d\ rid K.. '_~"bHW,j i,c~' ,.<,,)0 Ll be 0' ..'_. "_ ~-.. ~, ."~ -~" .... .,..~ I>' ~ -~..' It '" ~(-~ ,.' :~'M k.' 'i~. . '" - "..c,"'f.l'\.e' ... ~ i Flooded ..ar,et .lurd:;n s ~.-. o'iJtlJ ,,,:[l.B t (l f .. '.llJc.'C rica ,~olf Club. ~'.a.in 1,iver April ) t~i'l 1-);"? . .. 338 Heavy rain continued all night and until noon of the thirteenth. By mornin~ the rivers were in flood, the flats overflowed and dams and bridges were beginning to go. Later in the day the Globe received a report from Weston that the rain had lasted fourteen hours. "The country is flooded in many places, especially in the flats and many bridges have been swept away by the risin~ of the creeks. The fine iron bridge on the Grand Trunk Railway at Black Creek, about half a mile "Test of Carlton, /Save way and fell about nine ,,' clock this morning, about an hour after the passin~ of the morning train... The hridGe on the hip.;hway at this point was also carried off, and the country for half a mile round completely submerged. The Toronto, Grey and Bruce trains were also stopped, but beyond the earth being washed from the rails in many places, no accident of moment has befallen any of the bridges." The millers suffered severely all along the ri ver . "The millda.ms of Mr. Lehman of Laskey and Mr. Stokes of King Creek burst and their bridges on the concession lines in this neip!;hbourhood are very much damaged." The same story might be told of most of the mills on the river. Nearly all suffered to some extent and some dams were not rebuilt. Thes e were mostly on the lower watershed where sawmilling was slack- ening off. In the case of some grist mills, stearn power was installed or the building was turned to other uses. The Fisher dam below Lambton was washed away and not replaced, and the mill building beca~e e woollen factory. vJadsworth 's sawmill which had not been used since 1$70, was completely washed away. The farmlands on the flats naturally suffered more from this autumn flood than from the sprinp.; freshets which were always expected and did little damage to crops. Traffic on the railways and roads could not be resumed fully until the 16th of September. By Saturday noon (Sept. 14th) the Great \';'estern and the Toronto and Nipissing ! Railways had got their lines repaired sufficiently to run one or two trains each way. The Toronto, Grey and Bruce did 339 not succeed in repairing its line till the 16th. I, pparently the damage on this line was r;reatest above 'if,eston, for the Grand Trunk, ''those line was closed by the collapse of the Black Creek Bridge, were able to use the Toronto, Grey and Bruce trains on the 14th to carry their passengers as far as Weston. On the 16th they were busily addinF- a third line to the narrow r;aur-e tracks of the Toronto Grey and Bruce so as to be able to use their own trains over this part of the line. 1880 - 1909 The spring floods occurred with monotonous regularity during the 1880's. The river rose very high in ~[arch Igel, but did no damage that was considered worth repor- ting in detail~ A heavy fall of rain late in February, 1883 caused a rush of water do~m the Humber which was expected to lessen nthe danger of a disastrous freshet in spring." Dis- astrous freshets in spring were expected and prepared for, but two sharp floods in August were nIore unusual. On Sunday August 5th, 1882 after a five-hour thunderstorm. the flooded ri vel" burst Thompson's dam at "Vaughan liills'! above Woodbridge. The rush of water washed out the approach to "the Vaughan Road Company's Bridge by the Abell \,'orks" (Woodbridge), so as to stop traffic for several days. "The bridge itself is not damaged, and will be passable for teams ere this letter appears in print." The flood also damaged Howntree's mill (at R.iver Bend). "The rise of the river was very rapid, and what was a clear, trickling stream at noon, was a rushing, muddy torrent at night.... ,,2 On Tuesday, August 12th there was another storm on the uplands in Albion. At Woodbridge there was only a sprinkling of rain, "ho....Tever the river increased in volume so rapidly as to afford us sufficient evidence of a great do~~pour farther back. Over on the Sth and 10th concessions 1. At any rate near Woodbridge. Brampton Conservator. ]V,arch 25, laal. 2. Brampton Conservator, August 18th, la8? -'-"'--'- - .. 340 west some culverts and bridges were damaged and sheaves of grain were floated for some distance."l The kind of inconvenience which the villagers suffer almost every spring is illustrated by a report from Bolton published in the Bra~pton Conservator on ~arch 14, la84. "the recent falls of snow have occasioned some anxiety concerning the spring freshets, from which we usually suffer considerably in the way of disarrangement of village property, as sidewalks, fences and the filling in of ditches. People are beginning to empty their cellars to make room for the liberal supply of water which the melting of the 'beautiful' will likely produce." The inhabitants of Bolton were justif- ied in their foresight, for, on P,arch 24th and 25th, 'lrain... caused the already swollen Humber to rise still hieher. PA.rt of the Vaughan Road Con;pany' s new break\'Jater was \flashed away,"2 (at Woodbridge). Lehman's dam at King Creek is said to have been destroyed by a flood on I.'iay 23rd, 1889 - the day of the catastrophe at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The storms which caused the Johnsto~m flood, caused floods in several parts of Ontario, but the flood on the Humber is not mentioned in the reports of damage throughout the province. Nor is any mention of flooding on the Humber to be found in the accounts of the storm of June 5-6th, 1890, which caused floods in many parts of Ontario; but a bridge in Woodbridge had to be repaired or rebuilt in the sumler of 1890 and another re- built the next year, which suggests that flood dWiage had occurred~ These are probably only a few of the freshets which took place between 1880 and l8se, but on the whole the Humber Watershed seems to have suffered rather less than other parts of the continent in the eighties. In the 16Sv's I 1. Brampton Conservator; August 18th, 1882. 2. Brampton Conservator; Varch 25th, lSE4 - Report from v;oodbrid~e . 3. Weston Tin-es; ~;ept. 12th, 18S0 and Dec. 3rd, 1891. -_.~'-'- --~ ..- .. \ .-, ~ ,-- '~.u._.,' ,...--c.,". - - ..,..,,' t'..... .<~ ,;,\.,-..' ..:-" 'W ..~~.~'~_ r. _.~._~.'_-_ .-...' Tl'le I ~ur;lber i!1, F'lood April 191+7 ~,~, ~..' ... - -"-" ..-~._""~~ .,~...,~-"...'..._- \\ "-- ~ , The ,~est liranch auove filist.let..GWll April 5,1947 . ........ .. 342 floods were less frequent and less severe on the whole in Southern Ontario; and this was the case on the Humber as well. The usual rise in the river occurred when the snows melted, but, during these years this was seldom great enough to call for much comment. There were however two floods in 1893. one in 1",ay and one in December, both of which did some damage. "The heavy rain on Tueeday (May 14th, 1893) has caused a great flood over the Black Creek, washing away brid~es and doing considerable damage. The bridge over the Humber is also flooded."l Heavy rain on Christmas Day caused floods on several streams and did some damage on the Humber. At Woodbridge the temporary bridge, "below where the iron bridge is being built near Abell's shop" was washed away and it was still being rebuilt on January 4th, 1894, so that traffic on the highway (now No. 27) was interrupted for about a fortnip;ht~ The Humber is mentioned among the streams which flooded in the disastrous spring of 1898, but the more spectacular floods on other rivers monopolized public attention and no details were reported of the Humber. After the beginning of the new century, floods increased in frequency in Southern Ontario, but for a time the freshets on the Humber continued to attract little notice except locally. Several severe freshets occurred before 1910; those of 1907 and 1909 are remembered as major floods. The flood of 1909 was thought to be the "worst in the memory of this generation." (1937)~ It washed out practically all the remaining dams on the river, among them the Wadsworth dam at Weston. 1910 - 1932 As motor traffic began to increase, however, the Humber began to get a share of the attention which had ! , 1. Weston Times, l'''ay 18, 1893. There is no indication of which "bridge over the Humber" is referred to. 2. Weston Times, Dec. 28th, 1893 and Jan. 4th, 1894. The bridge was being built by the County which had just taken over from the Vaughan Road Company. The "black road" to Pine Hill was considered unsafe in icy weather. 3. Cruickshank and Nason; History of V!eston, 1937. .. 343 hitherto been concentrated on the Don. The flood at Bolton on April 7th, 1912 is reported at some length in the Toronto Globe on the 8th. "Though the Humber cleared itself of ice with a rush on Friday night, carrying a $2,000 launch, o~~ed by Mr. Jame~ Wood, city tax collector, into the lake, also a candy store, the damage did not end then. At Bolton yesterday it overflowed its banks and carried the upper works of w. Dick's and A.A. McFall's dams and three bridges. It flooded the east end of the town, and about 30 houses are surrounded by water. The ice jam diverted the course of water out across the lumber yards of W. G. Dick........... Blasting operations were carried on all day yesterday in an effort to break the jam. As a result the water is gradually receding." The spring break-up on the Humber was now watched for with interest and some anxiety. Reports of the freshet appear even when little damage occurs (1914 and 1920). Damage from ice was evidently considered the chief hazard, although most of the bridges were now strong enough to resist a good deal of pressure. The changing conditions on the lower part of the watershed were making even the less severe freshets an increasing annoyance. More property was exposed to flooding and repairs to the improved roads were increasingly costly. New residents in the Humber villages were surprised and indignant to find themselves isolated for a day in half- flooded houses, with ice and debris drifting threateningly past. Motor engines were easily stalled by the wet and motorists might be forced to abandon their cars where a horse-drawn vehicle could pass safely, if it kept to the road. There was an ice jam at the Wallace dam at Woodbridge in March 1922, which had to be dynamited to clear it, but the dam "resisted the attempts of the Humber to dislodge it" and no serious flooding is mentioned~ On 1. Globe, ~~rch 8th. 1922. "",i/II6F: .-'-_.,....-"'~,....... ...---'. '-' -~._,_._.._- - . .. r- " l " ( " j { \ "' ; 'n'. ~..._.<'" .:;,:.~:~~.~ or ~T' ,-. ..~..Nt .......'..... \ / ~rubbG5 \.,'~;; <:~. ~.. 0:....., [' in,,~ ,1. (; \J \,i ~),: 1)L;.;,::' .. ~t...~.1. \...~ - .-' -~.- \ L00~ \ ~;\)J~t ~ .. c:) P',' [..il":' V~;.( " , C;"..; .;.:'" ~::'. '~.l C ~~"\ ". t....., t.o<..5.L.l.)' Ghar; 1 r ~ ~-.::: 1.......;- .....ld:;: \._; ,~. ,,;; ?' . <.ill is 1. r ~ ':,' eOl"~t,~ i'~l ' ... '"' ".lol- . .l.. /)u. .' " ~.,..-.' - _._-_.....~-- " -:r~' '_ '. ......<l'u.k ' , -"'~~'~;~~-4:':':i;:':'~ -- ""'- ............- 1- .;'~ , ;~~.~(. " ; ~'~:,.,.' . , "'\~~ -...... \ ,. , ,',,"" , <", ". j , I " 1 \ .. ^.._~..--- --. i.lnc G ,1,'Jrl " . ~:: ~~ t.. ,)!" ,.~ , ) C~ ", \ ," "Lver .....:.;:. \..,.\.. ........ ,J,.. . ~ 1(;. }C;. ;',- " :)~il )\..:'\ , 'l. )47 ~ ) ~'..~ _ '0) E . '. ",,\:,,': r} r)(),;,~ ;:~ (1 ~j ." ; '}. \~ S .P' ;a... · . ':A- v ~ .. 345 March 20th, 1925, however, a storm described as a hurricane brought on a heavy flood. Trucks were stalled near Weston and ~ the drivers had to be rescued. A truckload of hogs was swept into the river and only six were saved. "At Woodbridge the Hloober River covored the lower end of the village with about two feet of water during the day..... Large pieces of ice, trees, and lumber of all sort~ were carried through this sect- ion of the village by the flood, which reached about 175 yards from the normal river banks.1f The foundations of the tannery were damaged by ice and about 20 houses nearby had their cellars and ground floors flooded. The dam at Elder Mills was destroyed by this flood and not rebuilt. There were considerable freshets in 1926 and 192a. Ice jams were formed behind bridges and the flats strewn with cakes of ice. The damage was not heavy in these freshets, however. In February, (20th - 22nd) 1930 the papers reported the "Worst Situation in Years on Humber, Etobicoke and Credit." Flooding was general and the damage to roads and buildings considerable, especially from the undermining of the river banks in some places. The most spectacular event of the flood was the marooning of "Victor Sallis, an engineer" who was caught in the flood of the West Branch as he was driving from Toronto. The car stalled as he was crossing the flooded area on Grubbe's flat, below Thistletown and was washed off the road. Sallis managed to grasp the branch of a tree and after considerable difficulty was able to climb into the tree, out of reach of the flood. A little later "the water had risen four feet over the level of the road....and the bridge was submerged also. The car had now entirely disappeared and an area extending one mile on either side of the bridge was under water. Sallis remained stranded through most of the i night, until the life-saving crew arrived from Sunnyside at ! 2.15 a.m., with their motor launch on a truck. "The tree on which Sallis was stranded at this time was fully 150 feet "<.- ,.......,. _.~..; ^ ') T 6 ..J (1. ' from the widened bcnks of t\'H,~ riv'r ;'HHi thp' flood W!f' becomint; ",,'Orse. tI "Hundreds of inhabit:d'1tf' .'f :.re keepini!: cHI all-ni,^ht v ig iI, E'() f::. ri'"'llS W:1S the 0 ituntion.1T C:[ February 21st, t. ',~ situatiaH 'NUS It reoorted under COljtrol rfter n.ight and L~ay ~f toil and wo rry. itl ~//,/ ,,' l.240 - 1947 As the decAde A,dv;,nced the number of floods increased both in t.hE'! 3tatef..j and Gan:3da. In 1934 the spring v flood on the Humb'3r overflowed th,~ ~agle "venue bridge at 1,'Jeston and interrupted traffic for ~jOr:t(; hours. An ice jam form'Jd behind ''Jad~,worth' s bridg.3 and threntened some small houses on the flcts. The jar.J. was ciynamited and little damage was done here or ~lBewhere . 1936 was a year of bad v floods in ::astojrn North America but it was surpassed by 1937. However, 'the Humb'9r f1oodo in 1937 cimsed less dama~e than many othsrs in Gnt~rio. On March 11th, 1936 a heavy rainfall prod- v uced a flood which isolated thirteen houses at Joodbridge maroon~ iug about fifty people. Black Cre~k flooded heavily aad some hous'JS \ferH also surrounded in'this area, the inhabitants being W[;rl13d to vacate them. A young mnn who rashly ven- tured out in a canoe, lower down the river was nearly dro' 'Nd. He WulS r<.:scu::;:d vwith ..;reat d.lffic'J.lty from an island to which he had strug;led throUish the ice anJ. :nude In the January ,,' flood ~f 1937, the breakin~ of a dam at Bolton freed an ice jam and allowed the backed up water to run off. The damage was not considered h38VY. 'rheru was flooding fit Woodbridge and traffi\.: on thi3 ,,-eston-'vioOlibrid e road was held up on the night of the fourteenth and into the n.;xt morning (presumably at Grubb's flat.) Ifhere were bad washouts on several roads. The floods in April, 1937 were not serious east of Hamilton. An ice jam had to be dyncwited at Woodbridge on February 5th, V 1938 to ward off a flood which was threatening the mill and milldam. In Murch 1939. there was only 8 slight flood on the ,,' 1 Humber. ~- 1. Sea Toronto Globe and Mail for these floods. ~ -) .-: l _J 3 '17 In all these floods in the 1930's there w~s noodin?, on thE) west briJnch d:'10 usuAlly;.} fairly widespre<:ld overflow on "Grub;,' s Flats" where this branch joi ns the main river. This section dOE-)5 not fir,;ure very often in accounts of floods. before 1925, but th is (,;8 nnot be Que to the fa ct that no flooding occurred. It seems likely, howGv~r, that the floodini~ of Grubb's Flats has become more serious in recent years. The sprin: freshets oJ the last ten yeHrs have often been very ~ avy t but they (lid not compnre in destruct- iveness 'With those on other Ont:rio riv3rs and on the whole they no not seem to have been among the worst of the Humber floods. The details of these floods are very sim- ilar to those of th e 1930' s. Flooding took place in the same areas to about t1te same degree. The spring flood of . 1942 was very he,:vy and conditions on Grubb's Flats and else- where ~iere much the s:,'11e as in 193oJ. Ice jams caused local floods (~t Woodbridge on Ja.nuc:.ry 5th, 19h5 and families had ~' again to be rescued in boats. There W?S a sudden flood on Black Creek at the sarna time. In 1945 flood gauges w~re established on the -~r:;e .e.eo.ks Humber and a hydro~jraph sho\'lin,; flood' i~Rtt!l in 1946 9 7' lZ) The flood and 1 4. will be foune: in L.ht,pter of this report. of Apr 11 5th, uth, 19h 7 W',,_8 the hi ~he:.;t of the three spring flc:ods. There were practically tW{) floods on March 7th and I'larch 9th, 1946, the river fallin,,~ considorably on ['larch c1th. /'ftt1 The flood o~ Narch Z5th^w L; the lec12,t severe. l~;<< - vf the two s umrner floods in , that of June Jrd Wi.,S hardly a "flash" flood. Thcl seal:,on had been wet all over the Province and in the United ~tates and several Ontario river'S wert.: ;,lre'idy at flood height. The Humber 1s describad : as "steadily rising" on the 2nd. Th~re was already some flooding ,:.;;t tt'oodbrid,;e but as thore wa", no ice to make - .. 1. See illustration in this chapter. , 2, rcJ({Dw;rHJ ra~e 37(). ..--- . -^-, ~ ;;. I ,) rl-l' 8 I "- :t jams, it 'VI!:,:e. not so ~re;:lt. 8F- wns common in sprin;r. B:l-;n- ways {[ere t\~en cov.:::red with about (1 foot of water in 8QlW~ places and the flood ws not yet at its crest. An unoff'lcial eAt- i~ate placed the riFe of wRter at l~ inches per hour. The July 2gth flood rose more quiCkly. but not 50 hi:;h. rrhis \<ras more of a "flash" flood for th(~re had been a spell of hot dry weather earlier in July. All thef:e rC;lcent floods did Borne local carnage, increased in the case of the spring froshets by the presence of ice, but they do not rltnk ~..monf: t he most severe floods "n the Humber. This list doeR not pretend to include all the heavy freshets which have occurred on this river or to give complete descriptions of 811 the floods included in it. It is, however. su!'ficiont to (~i va ~ome idea of the character of the Humber freshets, som(;~ notion of the extent of the damage, and to Sllg,'Ie~t the conditi0ns which produce floods in this area. the Extent of Flood Damas~e in the Past It is clear from this account of some of the past floods o~ th~ Humber that flood dama~e has been, on the whole, a less s rious problem than vias i.he case on some Cnt;;rio rivers. Though the river h2s ahv;;iYs overflowed its banKS at frequent interv&ls and heavy floods have taken place from time to time, the formation of the valleys liuited. the effects to comparatively small areas. Until recently the re was no lar,";8 town or city on the river t:i.nd aft0r 1850 only pa. ts of two villages were much exposed to floOdlng~ Very little 8sric- i ultur~l lane was exposed. li',Jrm buildings rarely had to be built on low ground, so that t he spring floods caused le S8 trouble than WbS the case elsewhere~ It was alwEjYs the sudd en summer "spate" that was disastrous to fanners as well as 1 townsmen. 1. Bolton & ~oodbridge- probably Pine Grove was blso some- what exposed to flooding. 2. A8, for example, on the Lower Thames er the ...iOllth Nation. i - ,. ?"^fi ff) l. 0 d' J ~J ~ft1ile t he river ".;a s the sourCld of pO'wer for' a great number of small inuustries, much property was necess- arily expos~d to flood damage. This is, however, one of the risks incidental to water-milling. Until a short time ago it W<iS impo8sible t,o build a dam which could resist the worst floods nor can mi 11 buildLn~c;s and Si:n,'mill yards be placed above flood level. Damag;e to mills W;jS often heavy on the Humber, but. this is no lonr~eI' a serious problem. The interruption of ~orrjmu.nications was a constant sourCe of expense and temporary inconvenience. This was partly overcome for a t,irM; by builuing better brid.'jElv, but it was r~vived by the increased usu of motor vehicles. . which concentrated traffic ill a fCfi paved highways and !..,rent ly increased its volume. Kotor traffic, by accelerat in'~ the spreo~ of the built-up area. has also led to new encroachments on the flood plains. Unle ss Eome measure 5 :;ire taken to check these forms of flood u8mage, they are likely to increase in the future. The Humber floods have always eaten away the banks of the ri vor and c.ut up the floo<.l meadows. Probably this form of erosion b13came more SeV('lre after 1870 all the forest disoppe~H'ed more rapidly every year and the speed cmd destructivene[,s of the freshets 2teadi i y incr€ased. In the lons run this form of flood dama::;e is probably as costly as any, thoup;h it seldom attractb much attention unless a roau or building is threatened or property bounu',ries disturbed. }:.yen property pI:;; ced we 11 above the hi'-jhent floods may suffer from t.he underminin:,; of the bank&. I \ I The~ffect on Floods of Deforestation and Drainage 1 .1 i It cannot reasonably be said that floods on i ,\ , the Humber have increaseu appreciably in number since the final clearing of the forests, nor does it appear th&t the volume .: I oJ run-off and the consequent height of the floods ~iS much less than at pre~ent. When the first rdcorded floods on the Humb~r t.,)ok (Jlai;;o, the,co had bu<::n no clearing at allover , i ! .. ...., 't - fl> - i '1 ,~ . ' ". ~ ~ t' by far the gr,,;:lter part of the flstt::rs:H::d. Details of these early f~oods are extremely scanty, but, since severa floods of unusual hei€:ht occurred on othe c ri vcrs in this part of America at the same period ana under similar conditions, there i8 no reason to suppose that they never happened on the 1 Even in 1830 there was hardly enough cleared land Humb,:}r. on the watershed to have much effect on flood conditions. Lumbering was still selective and more trees were left 2 Most of the cutover areas were standing than were cut. allowed to return to bush. Cnly a few farms had as much as fifty acres cleF:red and settlements were still separated by long stretches of forest. i.n the 1; tor sixties it was still the common practice to leave about thirty acres of a hundred- acre farm in woodlot and these woodlots were seldom pastured at that time. Yet heavy freshets often occurred in the fifties and sixties and the flood of 1850, one of the worst on record, WGS probably only one oj severa.l severe floodJ. Nevertheless, a chanGe WoS Gradually taking place 1.n the character of the freshets, though this did not Cat S6 much COlTlUlBnt until rbout 1(;<~O, when the destruction of woodlands had increased in speed and thoroughness. It was partly due to the dr'aining of 6w(..mps and wet breas as well as to the cuttin:c; of the forests. 3wsmps and "swales" were very numerous a t the time of the first surveys and drainac:;e of a kind began in the e~,r1y period of settlement and beceme stead- ily moro efficient and extensive. By 1851 millers were blaming the frequent water shortages on the draining of swamps and ; the cutting of trees. Farm dra.inage, clean-cutting and the i , pasturing of cutover woodlots all becume more general after I 1 1875 anJ it be'':;,:l to be remarked that freshets were becoming l ~ 3 .< , 1. The Thames rose about twenty feet at Moraviantown in ~~rch 1792, October 1 795. and March 1798 and there were unusual floods on th3 Mohawk during the Revolutionary War. The watersheds of both tjhesE: rivers were still mostly forest when floods occurred. 2. See ChaptGr (Section 4) of this report - "Mills" 3. Further rese<;rch mi ~ht produce as long a list 01' severe floods on the Humber in the V550's as on th<: Thames, t-loira and other rivers. T"'" n-I/J , -" ~ -, ~. · -.i.. roo 1"8 nums rOll ~ , cut s.;V,jrc floods wl:r,~ occurr:Ln ~ in unusual numbors allover the Il..:"'therr. ::8:t;:Lt.~:', ~re b(~tween 1$$0 and 1890, DO that thosf.; in Ont"rio ca,nnot .e attributed solely to local conditions. Between l$?O and 1900 the number of floods was actual~_y le5:'; than in any docade since 1$50. lw1easur.::s of flood control began to be discussed and. the building of largo dams to rel~ulat:e the run-off WPS propof1ed. ~,"'illiam Houston, writin~ to the Toronto Globe on lI.arch 14th, 1$9~ condemns the u~e 01 large dams on the ground - reasonable enou~h at that time - that "no dam can be m~de so strong that it is not liable to be swept f.;way" so that large dams might d n ha th 'f! 1 "That 5pri~lg freshets are more o more. rm an gooa . disastrous now than they w re long [;(:;0 is the common and pres- umably correct testimony of the ola~r inhabitants.~ He describes lOW the swamps and m rshes acted as flspon,ges" to retain the water' and the "natural obetacles" in the strE!amS as small dams to retard the freshet. "The.freshet which now rushes throueh ~dth Jestnlctive energy in a few hours was then spread over many days.... de cannot restore the m~rs;1es and swamps...., but we can replace the miniature dams..... If we cannot effectually check the fre' het by a f'~w large dams.... we i,;an GO so by !IE ans of <-i numbe:~ of smaller ones in lesser ~tr\:;am6. These woulli help the summer drouthl!, which are more dreaded by the f:'~rmer than the sprin,g; freshets. tf He recommends this treatment for the lIplateau" from which flow the "Humber, Credit.... Nottawasaga, Beaver...., Saugeen. Maitland...., 1'hames and Grand" and suggests the planting of trees alon ' the watercou r5e~ and at source areas. "The a.ried j , up watercourses visible everywhere throu/).) the country are I 1 due to the waLt of forest shade and some of the original .I t ~ character mi -;ht easily be restoreo. to t.h~ smaller streDms by means of dam construction and the plantin~; of trees. ,,2 The 1. The Johnstown disaster (lSS9) h2d been caused by the burst- ing of a large oam, which hed been allowed to get out of repair. Not so very long 2igO a similar disaster happened in California. 2. The writer of the letter WBe presvmably Prof. William Houston. , .- --- _":"~,.. ':;,J~ '.~- ""..:.. ',.' ...-.-._' ',:;'.:.;.__;~_.'-...:.~.....' . -~. *", .,....... .. I 'l. ~.rI. ;- ,.~ ~. f) ./ ',' . ~ ...d unfortunate conditions, 50 clearly d,..::::::::rlbed in tbis IP;ttor, are at least ',s f'revalent now a~ t'~ey ,.;r!,~re sixty years a,,;o cnd. there can be no doubt that if so:r~e of the me:'sures uropoeed had been carried out in l139f.3 tl18 nec:d for conservation on the Humber vlatershed would be sOl,1ewhat less p res sing today. The CBuses of Floods on the Humber In the letter just quoted the writer speaks only of spring freshets and speaks of t~ese as caused by melting snow. \~bile the quantity of snow still unmelted plays a large part in swelling the streams, very few noods in Southern Ontario are caused simply by the melting of the snow as a result of high temperf tures: - no matter hoW' large t11e accumu- lation or how sudden t he thaw. In almost every case the thaw h&s been accClmrianied by rain, more or 1 ess heavy Bnd prolonge:d. Icy or frozenc:round often contributes to increase the speed of run-off and the height of the flood., but some of tht.: worst spring floods have cOILe after the snow has melted and the ground thawed out. Ice, frost and snow all play their parts, how.:::ver, and a r~cord spring rainfall will not always produce a record flood. The two heaviest rainfalls on any single day in March or April, recorded at 'l'oronto since 1841, were 2.35 inches on April 3rd, 1850 and 1.72 inches on ~~rch' 19th, l8g1. The noon on April 4th 1$50, W.';lS one of the worst on record, but :ilany floods more Gevere than that of V1fir'ch lSB1, have followed rainfalls of less than 1.72 inches. Rain accomDanied by a sudden rise in temperature - as was the case 1n 1850 - will naturally helve more effect than \\lIen . the weather remains c'lmparatlvely cold. The mel tin~:; 0 f snow caused by warm fi_ne '(:eather alone rarely seems to cause a 1 destructive flood over a whole vlUtershed. When floods occur betwet'm Nay and November, i ! ice, frost and snow are not present. "Flash" noods are often found to follow the Jays of highest recorded rainfall 1. TributDry st,rearns SOIHltimes rise very high in fine warm I we2ther, when hea~ snow is present and ice jams may cause local floods under any conditione. ,,' ..... ..'~ ... ~.~ r:" ~J , d ", r.ot. 't"' :'0 r:.t 0 , but t:liGls not l'\':.'r1.aLly tl!<: c;;ce. '.8 1. ()Ldol~l'~ts u aud "hurric ion _ ,:c. '! 1-';; oft.un v' rj 10;.;;\1 -::1 t!l<d.r effects (d}d h:3avy rain on the uplcmJs \ViII rdh:(~ th,; Humber to flood heil2:ht \<omen thc:re is little or no rain on th8 lowc-r p.::.rt of the \1a t;: ~':=.h cd. ':his tcp:'ened in th'3~:q;e of the two flor:'c;'i in AU-;u5t 1(~82. Cn t n~ oth.'r han.1, ~herc W0~e apparently no floods after th(~ ~t(~ l"'r1S en Octob(:r 6th 18,,+9. and. Nov~)mb0r 2nd 1361, ;:jlt.hou;h he vy rainfall vws .l.'ccorded at Toronto on both those (Ltes.l The S3vere ami vdclespr8ad storms on December 3rJ. 1-373, Ausust l,th Ib1d auu June 6th le')O causdd little or no flooding on th-J :iumb\;r, although all thrduwere followed by heavj floods in many F::.rts of the Province &nd the first two c0l'tdinly pas::oeJ. ov~r the Humoer ~~CtterSilEHl and . , 2 l some damage WaS done tHere. Of the two days of heaviest rainfall since 1~41 - September 12, 1d7$ and July 28, 1897 - the first produced one of the worst floods on the Humber and Etobicoke, whiL~ there is no ~ention of flooding in connection with the second, although the damaee to crops is reported in ) The rainfall wa~) hefjvy on the watershed in both data il. storms and if it was in the same proportion to that r8corded in Toronto in each ca se, the 1897 storm should have produced a greater run-off than that of ~:;eptember 12th, 1878. The difference in t'1,; .'H"1)l:.nt of flooding may have been due to 1 differences in rainfall, but it ~jS very probably uue in a great degree to differences in the stRte of the river and its tribut~;rie~ . Th(~re are .indications t.hat the early summer of 1897 seems to have been at lea st normally dry in Peel ~ounty 1. 3.16 inches on Oct. 6, 1849 and 3.13 inches on Nov. 2nd 1861. The st ill heavier rainfall of Sept .14, 1843 (3.45") m8.Y easily have produced a he.,vy flood without any record of it bein~ found. After 1848 this is le83 likely to be the case. 2. The storm of' 1<173 was 8 "hurricane" and. the damag,~ in the area ~\S Chiefly caused bi the wind. The heavy rain of Aug. 4,1878 (3.45" at Toronto) did some damage ~o crops and may have caused some slight f'loodirlf,. but a b'c,rn struck by lightning ;;t King ~re,k is the only damage actually r~ported from the Hurnb,:;r ,at,:;rsheG. The figures for 1843, 18J+9, 1861 an\'; /.u:. 4t,h. Id7~~ Wdro publlshed in the Toronto Glob==, Au.~. 5th, 1378. 3. The re port fro::! 13rampton of crof' damage in Peel County implies that the farmJrs were gla d to see rain, €I van though the storr.l did SOllie dama~~e to oat 5 e t c. There is no mention of floods on the Humber or Etobicoke. The flood of 187e was reported at great l~ngth. 'T:' .--- ."_ .~_ .';:'_L':';'~"" "_..__ ..:.,. ..'.:.....,--"'"' ' . --- - .' c.~~ -~~_1!'SIl'~;" ""-'- '.;.' -.- -'-- .. ~) ~l ,,, ;; :35~ and the stre,;iTl'S W8r~'" r'r()b,~'':lly ,t n,)rr~1:l1 f',u'nmer flow. Durin[-r, ,~,u'Sust B"1Cl th8 br:'s:i.nni.:'1:; of ~:,:'ptcm')er 1873 th'~re h:3(J been ::,om~ h'.;3VY f,"\lls of rai,: ~nd 1:',1-,,0 strG,~~TS W2re probably runnin'~ fairly full by ~:;i:'pt.3mber ~th. Und~r these conditions the slightly lees run-off of J0pte~her 12th, 1~71 could produce a much 1 hi~her flood th8n the greater run-0f~ of July 27th, 1$97. T:ce condition rnoF,t likely t.o produce freshets i . . acco"ipanied by !neltins snow or fallin.~ upon frozen _ s ra J. n , or 5~turated ground. RAin is ~ less important factor in spring Dnd winter fr~sh~ts. thou;h it is AlMost Rlways fml00 to h~w'3 preceded seriouR floods in these se~~ons. In Aummer and early autunn freshets are often the result of excep~tonally heavy rainfalls f(lllowin~ "no or two days of rain E;uff1.cient to C,nl.f3e sntur1ti..on. But', t-,hef.h> rwlnfaJ.ls (~I=' not usually produce except- ionally heavy f10ods, unl0. <;5 thpr(~ hi' s b':!en enough 1"3 infall in t,he previ0us w',~ek$ to keHO A fR.Lrly ~ood flow in the streuns~ Under these condi.tirms .'c~ fe'v ~1"'J!"S of' nxc(~ptionally he?vy rain m;'y produce'l mora destructive flood than when ,~ greeter rainfall is Rpr(!,Or' OVI,;'I' ;; l()!'~:,r ~').:'rind, ~s i~ not unusual in the late sprin~ or ~all. Thf! ref 0::": stat ion of ;'5 much of t',!-w w~-lt,,~rRh8d as :'.s rJ,?~tmably 1)oC;sib1.=-l'~nd ~hd buildinj of flol'>cl d~'JnH wilt do muchto rl)~)t()r9 t'hes(J checks on th~ force of t"e floods and to ::lak,) the latttJr much less c:es":ructive. Such conS'H'V:tt t ,"). m~8 sures a rE~ '"ort" carryin; out fro::! the p r;int of viel'J of flood '~"lt rol alOilG. .q part fro:! the othur be'vdi ts ~'ihich could ~enuJ.t to th{~ w::3terS1ed. On the other hand, flood lOBs on the Humber has been comparatively unimportant 1n the past because the flood plain of the river ha~ bee:m little built upon. If residential bu ilding is allowed to encroach on the low ground the uanger to life and property will be greatly increased and the measuree -- - 1. See Chapter of this Report for 3 aiscuesion of the run-orfs which mi;ht bl3 expected i'rom the rainfalls of 1878 and 1897. 2. Un July 10th. 18$) th3 Thames was very swollen, but the 10th and 11th were fine and by evenin~; of the 10th the river had fallen considerably. The most disastrous of the floods at Lond~)n followcw a few hours of very heavy rain on the night of the 11th-12th. , 't < '\ ,;.t, ') C'- I.' !.: ,.l of flood prot:..:ction nE~cess,:.;ry "...111 '.E! fr';uch more costly tnan is the saSE: at j're sent. . .~- .~.-. --~--- .------ -.- ,'-. _ . ~_c.... --:0<-;.....----:....; _'.~____.._~";'" .'. ....."':'_,_.: .__.,......::~. - c_..'..._._:'~~i-;'. . ~-l-"".".:.~;-!.'-.'''''''',.'f' tl]i<>J1Il;o'ilio.idl-. .. B -I 356 CliAPT;~H Tit;:, I\.~C.i3LL;." ..;,I.i ILj 0CLUTIUN Water control has been practised for centuries throu~hout the world. Irrigation and drainage were attempted early in history ~':llile water supply was a highly developed science in early Rome. Waterpower Glade its appearance later, first in the f'Jr::1 of cr1.4de waterwheels supplying ~rist and flour uills, Uwn developiuL rapidly until today we see wac;- nificent power da,as impouildiut, huge man-made lakes and supply- ing power suffich:nt to ;,ieet the needs of our hibnly industrial- ized cities. llood control played a minor role in nistory, perhaps because the necessity fIJr it was not great. Land was plentiful enou[,h so l.hat the "fell defined flood plains were avoided by settlers arid little dtlmCt,;e rlas done by seasonal floods. But in the last century mall has stripped thl~ watersheds of their natural &ro~th, has cultivated the fields and, worst of all, has encroached upon the flood plains, buildinC his cities (it the mouths of rivers and cultivatinc, the fertile floors of the lO'.vlands. For the advantage of this encroachment men must pay by designing expensive flood control works. .l<'ortunately, cOllservgtionists are advocating measures that will tend to correct this situation. In the past the common idea of flood control was the construction of a large dam above the city that was to be protected. This served as pro- tection but did little to correct the situation causinb ex- cessive floods. 1111e trena to-day is towards the retention of flood waters on the headwaters of the river by a large number of siiluller dans, ralLbinb in size from the moderate size structure and reservoir dOH!l throuGh crude darns in gullies on farmland to the simple furrow of contour ploui:;hinc;. Reforest- ation and rlantin~ in strategic locations will add to the eff- ect of these dams in slO\'fing down the water as it makes its way to the river so that more ~ill be used to r~charge the ground\tater and l)rovide needed water for the roots of vesetation. "'.....-. .. ',,'" ......~,~ '.___"C_ '._ __. _____ ___ -,,_ ".- ".- -- ~ ---....--.--- _--4"-'.-__ ""a ~"""":;--''' - '~~- S - :2__ 3-~ <- - t,jl A plan such as this will prevent erosion and silting in the rivers as well as reducing floods by the equalization of flow throughout the year. There are two divergent vieds, therefore, on the value and use of run-off. The luan interested in waterpower desires large amounts of run-off, and his control measures aim at providing constant flow throuohout the year at its maximum value. On the other hand, he who is interested in conservation desires the control of run-off at its origin on the fields and slopes of the watershed to give the maximum opportunity for infiltration into the soil, replenishment of the ground water and prevention of erosion. Flood control is closely allied to the conser- vationist's views. floods are caused by rapid run-off and will be reduced by measures taken at the headwaters to slow down the destructive torrents of eroding rainwater which dig gullies into the fertile soil of the draina&e basin. Both factions recoIIL.'Uended the building of dams and storage reservoirs to carry out their purposes, but here the similarity ends. The waterpower desi6ner would choose a site which would give him a lar6e drop in head plus a big stor- age reservoir, usually requiring a lar~e, high dam. Prob- ably only one or two of these structures would be contemplated on a river of averabe size. The lake would be used to maintain a constant flow through the turbines at all times, storing water during floods and reducing the lake level somewhat during periods of low flow. The elevation of the reservoir level would be maintained within close limits at all times because power is dependent on the depth of water on the turbines. Thu8 it would happen that durinb a bad flood the reservoir would be filled quickly, and the lart,;e flood voluw.es would proceed Wl- diminished to the lower reaches of the river. The flood control and conservation interests would recommend a large number of smaller dams on sites chosen .,,~--~, - ',';'-'- .-....-... . ----- .",;' - .,,-~. ......--.-. -'-.- '- -_..........'--- --'.....;... ,--;'.-,-"........~. - - '~'''--~-' _.-""~ . "-- ''':'::..-......... - '" 3-3 ') r- 'l ,J '. Ii. not becau~JC of PCy,,r(ll' p"s3ibil:LLi,;s but beca~l~~e th2Y wOiAld 6ive tIle maxi:11.E1 E.d:J'ec~~1.1J :lJ.e~;~, ,c'.t nLd.lul CO~3t. Thus the riv8r the.t would SllPi)()X'L only :pe or two r\Ower dams mi;;h t contain perhaps ten slJalLt'r' ua:1l3 spr:::ad widely 0 VGl' the ura ina.~,e basin. '1'lles;.; s .loller la,~;~s ~vuJ.ld be e.,lptic:d durinG p3ri:)ds of lo,'/' natur;,l fluvl S I.) t!le:t t ttwy ~'lo.Jld LapO'..md the llJaxb11.lf.1 ar.l0llrlt of floodwattH"s thl1;::; ofCerin.;; the :aax::.mum protection. It my be seen that the two types of river develop:n.enL sys i~en:.; descr:t ~)ed ar.3 t he extremes servin,s dif- ferent purpo~ws. There a~e 3Gveral inter~edi3te schemes cOUlblning e o;ae of th(~ fen tu~e.s of each and depending for their desirability 011 the rld.tllre of the stream. ~nerc the river condillons ar0 such thLt a lar6e flow volu~e is available with no extre~e flow sta~es, flood control is of minor ~~portancG and, if considerable drops in elevation OCeilI', power dalJS Hlay be feasible. These would be sinble purpos8 d&.115 "tna vwuld ta ve controlled outlets or spillways to maLltain the deaired head on the turbines at all ti;'les. vihOti the river is subjected to severe suasonal floods but lO'.J flow in t.iw Sllr;:.;,er is not a problem ar.d pO~ler pJ'oduc tion uneconomic.:! I, snaller r8tardation basins or d17 du:us s urve tLl3 sin~le I"lrpose of flood protection. They are so operated tbn.t no Hater is in stora~e at the approach of the flood season. They impound water to their full capacity during the 1'1oo~1, relE:as illg it 8 S {Hickly as possi ole in prsparution f0r the next emergency. Rivers which are subject to severe seasonal floods anc:/.rhidJ 3.ppr!Jad~ the dry st;1;;;,e in sum;ner need c~ntrol desic;ned to reduce floods dnc; increase the summ.er flow. This re_iltlres a dual pllrpose dam wit!1 controlled outlets, cup:J..ble of impourli:l ing 'dater durin6 floods and ro leasiag it gradually during periods of lo~ flow. lhese d.al:lS r;mst tJu larger than the previous type ful' the same anount of flood protection because of the possibility that floods :aay occur before the reservoir is completely empty. .- ,"-' '~.---, - .,.~-, ,..-....... - .- - ----.~ ' ,-,-."-.-'- -- _.. .- ~- "";;;:T-" .. o.f' . 3r:!l I . , iHh::ll Ui~ s t-ora<~~ reseL'vuir is of sufficient capaci L~ \, lId L i v noeo .LIe VI;;lL' t)e lowbred oelow a certain elev- at,ion a pt;l'r:ldlh"Ill.. lUl\e is form(~u ,d.icb l:Lay have recreational value. In this 'flay .aoed cUHtrol, low flow aUGmentaLion and cOfiserv,ql.,ion Iilay be cowbined vlitn a redl a c1dition t.o the natural bebuty of the cou.HYiuni ty. In "'outhern Ontario WJ!ere small recr'J,-.d...ioHal l<.J.J:.o,~s are rare "Lills plan has breat attract- ion, ann, . .' ~ j)ellw'ooJ J..lBKe on Lhe Jrand li.iver is an J.iloe6C. , example of Wild t.- is possiule in this area. Tne ~''''';'':'Sk.i.llf:,UiH project in ('hio with a total drainage oasin of G,OGO s~. wiles with fourtetHl reservoirs is an outst.andin6 eXCil.Olple of an area whe.ce permanent recrea- tional laKes are C orabined with floud cOIltrol storc:1ge. In respect to conservdtion it it:. to be e:nph- asi~ec..l tlu:..t la.i~6e stora6e reservoirs are not as effective in prevent.inc; erosion aud depletion of natural resources as the at.her cOHtrol measures on tiw headwat.ers mentioned previ ously. IL ::;ilOUld l.:e L.!H~ purpose of flood control specialists to concentrate on che retention of precipitation on the d raina,,,,e visin firs (" l!vi t,h large dams seco Idary, in strategic loca'..:..ioilS (,0 protect cities aud ValllaU.le land from themos!" ex-l,r~iile cOilJltioi.ls. . Inuividudl dams and ~heir laKes depend for their d esi6Il duel c lwrac ~eristics on the particular job tlley nave La do. rr}li;~ , in tu.cn, uepeudti on tiLe condi t.ions of the river on lIfhlcli tiley a~'e located. I , a60 CHAP1'ER ) Sr-L4LL DAl\I$ An increase in population 011 a watershed is often accompanied by inteIlsive cultivcttion of the land, re- moval of fores t c over and enc rOBe lJ~iien t on the river valley. The result of this tolay be seen on practically every water- shed 1n Southern Ontario. The wat~l~ table lowers, as indic- ated by fallin6 woll levels; in sU~ner the river is nearly dry or stagnant; in sprin6 flash floods of great magnitude cause extensive dama6e to property and sometimes loss of life. Most of the time there is too little water, but for a few days there is a great excess. Is it too late to find i:I. r~medy for this sit- uation? The ~uestion has been answered in several water- sheds in thti United States and is in the process of being answered in Ontario. Conservation laeasures carefully planned and properly carried out will control the rampa~ing floods and stop the continued deterioration of water conditIons on a watershed. WIHHl trees and vegetation are removed from a drainaLe basin and t,ho land intensi vely plou~hed and cultivated, raInfall and meltinc:; SIlOW can find its way quickly into gull- ies and valleys and thence into the river channel. There 1s nothin~ to hold back this water until it can soak into the groWld and find its way to the water tabli:;!. An intensive stonn under these conditions must result in a rapid increase in the volwae of water reaching the streams. The more denuded the land and the steeper the slope the more rapid is the rise in river discharge. The remedy would appear to lie in the prev- ention of suclirapid run-off from the slopes into the streams. Any method of dOin" tLis, no m;ltter how cheap or insignific- ant it might appear, is an instrument of conservation and flood control. SOlJe of these methods are: (1) Heforestation and strategic planting. _..-......-.",... .._-.-' -~.. '. ~ ~ .. --.-. -- _~_.~ -.-0.-,.... __._._..,_ _'_.".." '.:.'---. -;',,':;..:"'i..;.-:. "'--~._.., .. 'J " oc ~ """'- :J 61 (2) Contour plouLhing. (3) Small conserv~ltion dams. {4} Large dams. The subject of reforestation and strategic plantin6 has been covered in another section of this report. By placin6 obstacles in thf1 way of the water and making the ground more permeable, this method causes the retention of water where it does the most good - on the high landa of the watershed. Contour ploughin~ has been discussed elsewhere as well. Essentially each furrow at right an(.:;les to the natural path of the water acts as a small dam, slowing down the water as it rushes towards the river valley and allowing it to soak into the earth. By small dams we mean those that can be built cheaply by individuals or srrmll groups. These dams may be located in erosion gullies or in small streams near the head- waters and play an important part in any flood control and conservation scheme. The cheapest and c rudest of these consist of logs, brush and rocks piled in the channel and anchored to prevent removal during floods. Other more elaborate structures may be built of timber weighted down with rock or of compacted earth with provision made for spilling water durin~ a flood. Several typical cross-sections are shown in figure . Note the importance of making the dam heavy enough so that it won't be swept away, and in the case of the earth type, the necessity of prevent- ing flow over the top of the earth. The two larger drawings show more expensive dams designed to impound water to a dept.h of ten feet. As shown the earth dam with concrete spillway would cost about "10,000., while the all concrete one would cost slightly more. If a rock foundation is available or if the lenbth or height of the dam may be reduced, the cost would be considerably less. It should be noted that these . - ~ 3~3 362 are typical designs, and before they are used in any specific location should be checked by a competent engineer. Such structures as these may be used to impound water in the spring and let it out gradually during the swmaer to augment the low normal flow. Ponds created by these dams nlay be used for livestock watering or recreational purposes. Large dams are expensive and have their place only on larger ri verB where flood damage is very costly. '",'hey serve the SRme pu~poses as the smaller ones, but to a greater extent. The provision on the Humber Watershed or numerous small, cheap dams and S orae larger dams of the type shown would provide breat benefits to all within ita boundaries. }'loodinc; would be reduced considerably while s~~er flow would be increased materially, and the ground water level would rise. Willen this is dOlle in conjunction with other control measures on the high lands of the watershed, a new era of well-beinb will commence for the plant life, wild- life and people of the Humber Watershed. i (;, .:; ~ . LI NDSl>V CREEK" ~~ ~ -~ ~ ~~ """'I DAMS AND STORAGE BASINS SCALE : MILES 1 1/2 0 I 2 3 [-11III .. L FIG :3 '" I ~ Lake 1 Marie L l~ I A INS - L A K E ON T A R I 0 ... __.'_'..0-_______ " _--....,_...',.-........~_,,____~u._.__.. ,. _...~.,.,....o 1 1 1 1 i ! 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I ., I ! r I i i ) 'u" - CENTRE ILLE CREEK - . ' --+ I w I 0 ~ -, >. c( I >- ~ ~ .J >. ..r:. s:. c 0 Ot .I: ~ ~ :r: .~ .- c _ oS:. .I: :r: .- 0 .- u .~ 0 0 ... J: 0 m D::~ 10 en 0 0 0 CJ) :.. ID 10 Z Z '- I - 6 ~. c CD .0 C - Z I o 0 :>> I . -0 '<<I) _ C o 0 I z .- ct '0 I 'E o c 0 "- ,:) ... -o~ c E c 0 '- - J: -0::= 0 c E .......,.. c c c J: . U -- - 51 WA -- H~MBE 44- 46 , I -- I ' 49 50 i! .~ I . ... ,... .... ,"" . : I I '1 \ \1 I -~j CI '0 0 ..... C "0 0 c:2 1300 -".. -~.- ...~ .. .. cid ~ ~ ...... >- 0 ~ ~ 0' :r -1200- m 0 z It 00 - c 0 0"0 C · o 0 20 oci tOOO s ~ ...... 900-. c 8 '0: ~:! c Cii6 OJ; u - 800 -- ~~ ~ I) CD.. c c ~ ~ ~~ o 0 00 c c ~ ~ o 0 00 100 +-- 600 500 400- I 54 55 56 57 58 .ER LE\lEL PROFI LE ~~ RIVER a MAIN TRIBUTARIES :. Scal.~: Hor. I Mile to I Inch _+ _ _Om _ ___J Ver. -lOO Ft. to I Inch ' I 1 i O...loped frCJ!n' Inch to the Mil. Topographical Sh..h L-~. ; F.G.H-2 365 CHAPTER HYDRAULICS 1. The River and its Branches ! The watershed area with the riveF and its many small tributaries is shown in Figure H-l. In general. the run- off from the watershed is from the valleys drained by the three main branches of the river, namely the ~~in, East and ~est branches. The ~~in Branch rises in the north-west of the watershed and flows down through the centre of the area. It is well supplied with small tributaries which fan out over the entire area drained. The 1,"ain Branch is joined at Vloodbridge by the East Branch, which drains a narrow eastern wing of the watershed. The West Branch joins the main streaD, two mil_es above Weston. Black Creek is a small tributary lower dotm the watershed and joins the main stream from the east at a point two miles below Weston. River Gradient The River gradient is shown in Figure H-2. There ,. are many rapids throughout the course of all three branches. The following table will serve to indicate the average gradients. TABLE H-l Branch and Reach Gradient Feet per Per Cent Mile Main Branch from headwaters to the Peel-Simcoe County Line 53.75 1.01 Y~in Branch from the Peel-Simcoe County Line to Lake Ontario 13.68 0.26 West Branch 21.74 0.41 East Branch 19.04 0.36 Black Creek 25.42 0.48 ; . . ~- - --_.~-.. -- ------- ".~-------.--~ 366 The banks of the river are in general well defined with slopes direct to the river or, where there are flats, steep slopes of 10 to 12 feet to the flats and thence from the flats to the summit. At the areas examined for possihle damsites the height from summit to the bed of the river varies from 22 feet at Thistletown and 35 feet at Claireville to 60 feet and over at places above Kleinburg. These measurements were taken at points of constriction in the valleys and in the main represent the summit or table land above the river. From these narrow points, the valleys generally widen into low-lying flats and it is in some of these flats that the river overflows its banks in times of flood. 2. Floods and Low Flows , The Humber River, like most of the rivers of Southern Ontario, experiences its times of flood flow when the surging torrents rush down sweeping all before them, including good rich topsoil. At other times, mainly during the summer, the flow of the river reaches such a low point that many of the branches practically dry up. Floods occur mainly during either the spring or after heavy rains in the summer. The cause of floods is the rapid run-off of precipitation or melting snow due to the steep river gradients and the quick drainage into all branches of the river. When heavy rains occur with snow on the ground in the late spring, floods generally result. This condition is often further aggravated by ice flows and ice jams and also by the sudden release of water from millsite dams. In the case of the Humber River, the lack of natural storage consisting of lakes, swamps and extensive forest cover, coupled with steep gradients, tends to cause rapid rates of run-off. Just as the river rages at times of heavy precip- itation, 80 it dies to a trickle in time of drought. The lack of adequate summer flow on a river becomes even more intolerable as the population of an area increases and the consequent stream . . . --- . 367 pollution becomes more apparent. The comprehensive conservat- ion scheme should not only envisage the control of the raging river in flood but as well the retention of some of the water over the entire year to nourish the land and enable the people to secure maximum enjoyment from the valley. The devastation that can be caused by an uncon- trolled river in times of flood is as well known as is the parched, foul appearance of the same stagnant stream in sunooer. Such conditions are becominG too common because many of the streams in Southern Ontario have reached this stage in their lives. Older residents recall days when the rivers ran deep and cool in summer through shady banks. It is very probable that such streams were "naturally" regulated by an abundance of forest cover, swamps, ponds, fallen trees across narrows, and other natural checks, not forgetting the formerly unoccupied flood plains ",hi ch, even in those days, were periodically claimed by the streams in flood. There is little use pinin~ for the return of the conditions that prevailed in those far-off days, since the land cannot all he given back to trees and swamps and the damage that has been done is done, in many cases beyond immediate recovery. However, the situation is not hopeless. !'.odern methods consisting of the construction of small check dams and larger flood control dams when coupled with other proven con- servation practices such as improved farming methods and forest planting on suitable lands, can return a rive~ valley to at least a modern counterpart of the lush and fertile days of the pioneer. An example of what can be accomplished in river control can be seen in the Trent Valley System in Ontario. There, to be sure, the purpose for control was transportation. Neverthe- less, the Kawartha Lake System now presents a series of beautiful lakes and river, fully regulated, experiencing little if any flood damage and supplying the entire countryside with water, drainage, recreation and game. One need only compare the _._-"~.~---- 368 situation at the City of Peterborough on the Otonabee River with that of London, Ontario on the Thames River. Peterborough obtains its domestic water supply from the river tlhich flows through it clear and full during the entire year. London could not possibly take its water from the turbid Thames in summer and must rely upon wells drilled to tap underground supplies. i I I i A regulated river is usually a river alive. An unregulated river ) tends to be a sick river during most of the year, surging into t, j , r:1 " angry li~e in spring to tear at the countryside in a fever of I p power, only to subside again to a puny stream when the fever subsides. Ii tl I Ii 3. Stream Flow Records \1 ~, Flood water conservation studies in the Humber j:l; ~j !!" ~~: are greatly hampered by the lack of adequate stream flow rec- Ii! Iii. t:' ords. Previous to 1945 there was no recorded information regarding the quantity of water flowing in the Humber River. In 1945 with a view to the investigation required in this report, a gauging station was set up at Weston by the Dominion 'Alater and Power Bureau at the request of the Ontario Department of Planning and Developnlent. Dince that time daily gauge readings have been secured as well as more extensive readings during times of flOOd. There is no method of obtaining an estimate of the flows to be expected in a river which can compare for rel- iability with actual stream gaugings secured over a long period of years. Such flow records should extend OV~r fifteen to twenty-five years or more if they are to yield records which can be relied upon to cover the entire range of flood magnit- I Very large floods usually occur at intervals separated if; udes. (' , ; .1 by many years. Should records for only a few years be relied ;~ :;i I. ,.~ , it~ upon, it is more than likely that such records might not include . ,~, the larger floods. It should therefore be clear that the flow records of three years available for the Humber River cannot form the sole basis for an estimate of flood flows to be expected. ! . 369 4. Maximum Floods to be Expected When flow records of sufficient duration are not available it becomes necessary to make an estirroate by more approximate means. Formulas have been devised to make such estimates, but since they cannot take into account all of the characteristics of a particular watershed, results obtained from their use are always of questionable value. Another method of arriving at a figure for flood flows is to make a comparison with other watersheds for which records are available. Such records, for example, are available for the Credit and the lV,oira Rivers and from these and a consideration of other factors, a maximum flood flow of 33 cubic feet per second per square mile of drainage area was estimated for the Etobicoke Creek. Although the Etobic- oke and the Humber Watersheds are not entirely similar, it is probable that an estimate of 33 c.f.s. per square mile for the Humber might be taken as the maximum flood flow to be expected over a lon~ period of years. On this basis the maximum flood flow for the entire watershed (3336.77 sq. miles) would he 11113 cubic feet per second. In order to check further the above flood flow estimate, the following deduction making use of rainfall records was carried through. Rainfall records are available for Toronto dating from 1841, a period of 106 years. The estimate has been confined to floods which might occur during heavy sumater rains. Some consideration was given to spring freshets but due to the variables of snow cover, temperature, rainfall etc., it was not possible to make a reliable estimate. From the records of sum- mer rainfall during the 106 years of record, two storms were out- standing. These were on September l2th, 1878 and July 28th, 1897. Both storms were of twenty-four hours duration and in both cases it had rained a sufficient amount the previous day to satur- ate the ground. The conditions might be assumed to have been thus suitable to yield maximum flood run-off from the land. -"" .~-"--"'~----~.~".--'lO------"~ ----" "-------.-----.------~-~"-.-~ --~ 370 Since the spring of 1946 (the first spring in which stream flow measurements were made) there have been five high dis- charGes recorded in the Humber -",hich might be called floods of gre~ter or lesser degrqe. The days in which these high flows occured were ~Arch 7th, 1946, ~arch 25th, 1947, April 5th, 1947, June 2nd, 1947 and July 27th, 1947. The hydrographs for these floods are shown in Figure H-). The highest peak for the fi va floods was that of .June 2, 1947 wi th a r:onttnuous rainfall of 1.99 inches on that day. On the previous day there had been a continuous rainfall of 0.79 inches, whir;h l'leant that the ground ~ms ~lell saturated. From actual stream flow measurerr.ents, it I is estir'ated that t.he storm of June 2, 1947 caused a run-off of 17.64 c.f.~.per square mile. On July 27, 1897 the rainfall for the day was 3.8$ inches and the preceding day a rainfall of 0.30 inches saturated the grolmd. The two floods in July 1897 and June 2, 1947 "fare similar in nature, differing chiefly in magnitude since hoth were summer flash floods caused by heavy rainfall. From the known records and hydror,raph for the June 1947 flood there- fore, an estimated hydrograph for the 1897 flood was dra~m by increasine the ordinates of the 1947 hydrographs hy the ratio (i:~~) of the two rainfalls. The hydrograph is shown in Fig- ure H-J. This computation would meen that a rainfall similar to that of July 1897 (:3 .gg inche~ in t1ffenty-four hours) should cause a run-off of 34.35 cubic feet per second per square mile or a maxi.mum flm'l at the '"eston gB.uge of lC,38l cubic feet per second. It is assumed in this calculation thet the storm in l8S7 was not a local one but covered most of the ~ffitershed. This seems to be a fair assumption since the rain 'Was a continuous one not only for the twenty-four hours of maxinn.UI" fainfall but also for a full day previously. Therefore, the largest flood which might be l'xpected during a heavy swmner rain ~ight be estimated to be lO,361 c.f.s. at Weston or equivalent to a run- off of 34.35 c.r.s. per square mile. This figure COIlJpareS very closely with that of 33 c.f.s. per square mile estimated for the Etobicoke. i , .' to 000 FL~ 9000 G6I - ---- ott.d 1V.lopt eo&& ---- - .vvv " C. I 0 U . . .. . .. t..- vvvv - - . . ... u .a :I - .. ..,vvv c 4150 C.,... - ~ 4.10 C 0 4370 C.'.S. J ~ ~ - - I ....vvv /- ---- - ..,v...... -I . u .. ---- ---- - " +000 \ / - / U / ~ ......1 f / o ' ... 02 101 1", 11) 0 1 I~: ID ... ~ .- ENDED _ "';;'Cj ,.., I.., I ID I - N _ _ ~ _ 1_ I . - rii' -. - 0 I 01' '0 'IDI... '" 0 ':'!!i ..' z -,,, I I j ,... t , , I ~ 1 t 1 . -' \ .'- 1--"- t ,. _-C:.:o 0 I 0 , ~ ~ 0 0':' ~ ~! 0 ~ ... - - ~cn BEGAN ' 00' _..~ ':"_, , , .. ~ lID.. ~ C'" ' · ~. -,.' I, ':r ",,';''' ...0 ~s - - - ' -.. .;;;. -y = ..- .~l...; '-...,. .....~. ol.,.l.;...+-j_.~--.__._~--,--- . -- ~ 'II! - !;! TOTAL 01 0 _'.-1-1""- . ,.-0 .- .- o! - .- 0.. ~ Uz ~.. .0: . o~~ _ : oj ~~~t? .; _ ._ \ .1 c? C-'" I 0 .~t- 0 \ 0 0 c;'" ""- , '.' I, 1- I lit lit . ~ SNOW i '0 I : \ I 0' ~ .- 0' c CL ' ,,' I 1 " .... , . ~ '.. ..: ! 0 I'" t..! t -' :' . t , I ~ ... . "AIN 01 0 -1.-1- "'10 : !.-iO .- to- I I I.. ~ o 0 0 : 0 0 0 "10 ' I', I I 10 C it DATE I 2 3 4 5 . 7 . . ;10 II 12 13 14 15 1117 II tT .. Ie 20i2t 2223lt4'~i MARCtlt-1946 ",ARCH -I~ '1 f\ .......- ,~ ~. I ~ , I [~ "'; .... ~., '~or ~ ~ ... ~, I i ~." , , j q 1 j ; .' I- . , . FLOdo HY~ROGRAPHS I GAUGe ON MAIN 8 ANCiH A.T- WESTON I~ - __"ott.d from Dominion Wot.r a pow., Bureau r.cordl I I ,v.loped for Maximum inlt.n.. ralnfalll Ilnce 114. , ,I FIG,: H-3 I '( /). ." J" 1/ , I I ---i /" (..." /,-_ ;...__ ...} I?" . ,>" ~/'" .( ._.J(.I J' ... I ,',.. ~_. ..,. .-".. .-,/... I I I I I I I I I ---i I \ 1 , I I I ~ I . fYl ."c' *' .... ",1 nilo C.F.', ~I.. 5110 e.F.S. ~~~!!o t'.I!:. -y ~e.F.s. U:! CRITICAL FLOW 41nn r.~.S. -, , 1 , I I ..,1 I I ...,li I I , I i-- I J I I ., I I i... ",.i I I I .' , r t I , , \ I t , I , ~ \ I l' I ~ I ;~ l ~ " ~J' , ~ , ~ I IT t ~ , , I t t Il~ ~ --' In 0 0 ~ 0 0 ~ - j 0 I 0 ~l 0 I I \ I I In . <.? III III 0 0 . 0 .. ' 0 !! ~ ~ !! aD .. III i 01 .. .. I I -f .. - - - I 0 I In 0 0 ~ S 0 0 I oni 0 If) 0 III .. 0 0 0 .. i !' .. .. If) III ... . 0 t: . N . If) I i 0' ;; aD ~ ...;; - : + t I -J .. - "!I"i~~!~ ''0 - o ill --- --- ~ ~. i~ --+- .:- :--=- -- r:- 1If '-"' ~. ;;: .. , . .. III ~ - ~ I 0 I- ~ ~ ~ ... 0 0 c .' . . ;0 o 0 0 0 o I 01-: 0 0 0 000 - 0 t 1.(iIIli 01 Ol! -: ... I I i I I o 0 - I j ;.... ~*i I~ .. ... to o III 1 - .. - CII,t~ - aD ~ 01 ~I'" ... III - 01 ... .. ici . . ...; i ~ I ... .. 0 ... If) t- ~ ~ t- o 0 0 '0 o 0 0 0 o .; 0 0 - 0 rT ~II 2' 30 2 ! 4! I . Tit. 10 II 12 II II I 2 114 I . 1 I 2& 21 &7:211 tt 3011 . t 10 ,..:,~ . iAPRIL-I947 JUN~ -1947' JULY-1947 SEPT .. ; : I it " . . .i'I,. :'iI:ii ~'1 371 10381 C.FS tOOOO . , 9535 C.F.S. I I , I I 9000 I I I I I I I I I It I I I' I , I' I , I I I , I I I I I I 8000 I , I , I , 1 , I , I I I I I I I I I , I , I I I I I I I I 1000 I I ." , I I I I I r I I I 0 I I I ~ , I I , , I I , I , ~ t I 000- g I I ' I c:r I , t n , t t I - I I . , I . , I - I t 5000 'a , , . ., I I t I .. , 1 . I , n I I I 0 t I , ~ Q. I 4000 I I , I I , I I I I I I I I I I I , I I I I I I 3000 I , I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I , I I \ 2000 I , I \ I , I \ I I \ I I \ I , \ I I I I \ I I \ I fOOO I \ " I \ , , \ \ , \ \ I \ , \ , , , I , , , , , .... , --' .. -- ---- "---- 0 I 0 i I ENDED .. I , I 1 .. . ~ . - \ I i " I \ - t t :a ! 0 I 0 -1'1 0 ' i 0 I BEGAN z() 0 I 0' i:a - ~-to Glorllll~ .; t - -i TOTAL x= O! ~ ~ \-- 40 It) .iOIOl' _t?~t~ ~:ci.c?,.. i I o It) .1 -t- 1 -t I I I~i~ 0 I i \ i \ SNOW z I i i - . .. . 1 I I 1- ~ "': ~ Co! ~ I I i "AIN o 0 0 II) I I . . 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 t 3 4 SEPTE~BER -1878 JULY - 1897 DATE ~ 372 The reader will naturally ask, what of the spring f.loods? It is felt that the flood of 10,381 c.f.s. estimated above will be as large as any to be expected during a spring freshet for the following reasons. The two greatest daily rainfalls occuring during I'.arch and April since 184l were l.72 inches on March 19, 1881 and 2.35 inches on April 3, 1850. The required depth of snow in conjunction with the rain to give a flood equal to that caused by 3.88 inches of rain (as above for July le97) would be in it.arch (3.88 - 1.72 - 2.16 inches of rain)l 21.6 inches of snow and April (3.88 - 2.35 = 1.53) 15.3 inches of snow. f>now cover of this depth in late winter or early spring over the Humber Watershed and at the same time followed by rain of sumr::er intensity, may be possible but is believed to be highly improbable. 5. The Hydraulic Field Survey In order to collect the necessary infonnation upon which to base the recommendations in this report, a field survey of the Humber River Valley was carried out in the early summer of 1946. It should be noted that in many of its details the survey had of necessity to be in the nature of a pre- liminary investigation. Further work will have to be carried out if and when detailed works are undertaken. In the survey a checked line of levels, based upon bench marks of the Geodetic Survey of Canada was carried along the roads following the river and bench marks were established. The survey indicated that certain reservoirs were desirable to prevent floods and assist in general conservation schemes. The locations and extent of these reservoirs is dis- cussed later in the report. At each propo~ed damsite area (except "NashVille") a 'reference line' was posted, the posts referenced and the astronomic bearing of the line determined, in crder that a later projected line may be located on the ground. A stadia survey was then made of each damsite area and from the damsite 1. The convertinF'; factor used by the li,eteorologi cal Offi CEt is 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of rain. .. "> 373 area, a stadia mean H.l traverse was carried upstream to the head of the reservoir. The field parties were supplies with vertical aerial photographs of the watershed and a sufficient number of points were identified on the photographs, with their locations, to prepare plans with 20 foot intervals (interpolated to lO foot intervals with the aid of the photographs) by means of a contour finder. 6. Dams The hydraulic conservation measures therefore, will consist of the construction of dams and their resulting reservoirs at strategic points. These daffis will be of two general types, little dams of simple construction wich might be built by individual fanners to create ponds or sn:all lakes and low dams to provide storage reservoirs for flood control. No big dams similar to the Fergus Darn on the Grand River or the Fanshawe, recommended on the Thames are planned for the Humber. (a) Small Dams It is unfortunate that very little thought has been given in past decades to the effect of intensive land cultivation, reduction of forest cover, unnecessary draining of swamps, overgrazing of pasture lands and improper methods of cultivation upon the ability of a river valley to remain prod- uctive. In addition, encroachments upon the stream bed have tended to intensify flood tendencies. ~hen trees are removed, swamps drained and land brought under cultivation, rainfall and melting snow tend to be channeled more directly into the rivers. Unfortunately, in many cases, valuable top soil finds its way into the river and goes down with the raging floods. The remedy for this situation goes rir:ht back to the farmer in the form of contour ploughing, strip cropping, proper grazing practices and the use of farrruands only for those purposes for which they are best suited. Coupled with these modern conservation practices are the use of small dams. By small dams are meant those such as shown in figure H-4 which can be built by an individual farmer or small - > I . . ! l1J _ " t -_. _..__. -------....--- -" -_._- -- -_.~ - .__._--_.._.__..__.._----~_.- ---. ---..----- ._------_.__.__._._-~ --- ---"-- ~='~. ~~. = ~ _..cc- _.- -- --- ~. ~ ~ -= ~- -.- ---;/ = = -.-. - - ,- .~. : PU\NI\ i~' .+-t.- ',~: "~ ~'~D "''<0 ~ r. .........'<10 "'0&t!.~....f.R. l p,,""...., .' .~ .~ n.' " ./ ./ ",.(!I, "...~ ~'~~;j~~~ ~ I ,~':z~~~~;'~}i >;/-"B.;2) '''n ~ "U... y./p ( . ....=,"r~ /'- v." " .~~, '". / +~ ~ , . .. - , .:. I .. " .' 'i..A~ ~ID ,..... ....-Q(~L ......tr..) :5 T'QU<"ruRf. ","1__l..EC) ","'l''f>... Q~ -- F::)Q, \v\:\c...1-4"T TYPICAL OMAL - s -.---------,---. -,,------------- ~- - -- -- _._--- - - - -- -'-'-'-- --- ---- - - - ---- - --.'.. . ...~, ",J >, /-^ - ~TT-.T r---r:-~r-7/",,:~yr;7--TT"::'~v~,7-':T'~:"{ ~'~r-r-1.,~: ~-.y..-T~~~~~?'>7':-rT:~)~,. ... \ ........, ~ LMPO,<~","'T \\lAHk Mu~' NE.VE.R DVE-RiO\.-' T,,"~ C)AM "".:>,,,e "kOVI~,O"" F='OR 5EP.:>,o<.Arc S p, ....... 'loA" -- .- 8 -------- '---'----- ---~_._- ~."-_. ------ --- -- -. , 1 1,""-1/ -"..0-1>( , ~ f ~+ .!I --., - ,._-,.... -~ - ... i I r -~I-..- --- ..--.. --..__.-- ..------ ----.- i -~-~~ _. .---.--.-. - ~-_.- I I I I ; I I I i I , ... ~-... '-.A' 1\E: l-..&....:\..-)"') -" r,:) i I - ~~(~,;. .. '("",,'T"~ I I L OA M -5 SCALE. I \MC~ ;:: 2 Ft.E. T 'S - '~~ FIG H-4 I Dv~"'T "jLO>-'f.- \\1 ,"'-' (oR'"", I & '~ I Q~ 0_. ~~ 10", , 6 "'~~ .., :> e- r.., .... S..... .....,. 0 . .-.:: ....., - ". ~ ,- '-">-", ~""... v '" i '~ " I " . ~ ~ -<-'\:. - ~ I \ ( ~ ~~..- .~ l'T' -.: "\ ..... ,.. r - -.:- ~ ..... r ,.. ..,- ~ ....- r r r "' -'-.,' .' .... ~ " ,..- ..( " CLEAN ~uRF"c.cE 0"" 8R.~H . L '('..AVE ~ E- TC LAY f'--1e:..rE...RlAL MO\~-'" '''1 4'''i LA'lE-R...., 4.....0 RO'-L OR P"C~ . HO"l.OUGH LY, 8 -.. '" '''<E. ,""PE\?J'OJ~ L ':",",f"~ ..,OIL "l c.:)RE-, COAI<-;'~ ~ ' '"'~'Jfl. . OW"-\'( D~ I',">.C E: C> --~-~_.~-~._._---- -.--.-- ~ - _. --'- ---.-.--.--------------' ._---_._------~.~~--~---_.- -----.--.- -~----t ... '1~ ~ ."'[ J ~ ~/ ~ . 375 group of individuals. These dams, built in erosion gullies or ',. in small streams near the headwaters, play an iplportant part in the conservation scheme. These little dams slow down the water, hold back water which finds its way into the water table, supply water during the whole year for stock, and generally add to the fertility and well being of the valley. In many regions of the United States these small ponds have provided the owner with a supply of f1 sh . The simplest type of Bn;all earth or timber dam may be built for an expenditure mainly of labour since the materials are those readily at hand on most farms. Larger dams such as those shown in figures H-5 and H-6 would cost from $g,OOO to $12,000 and would be a project requiring the co-operat- ion of an entire corr~unity. It is felt that the Humber River Valley would benefit greatly through t he construction of several small con- servQtion dams. A start could be made by construction a few of different sizes and types to prove their worth. (b) Low Dams In addition to many little dams a few larger flood dams will be necessary to briny, the Humber under control. In order to determine the amount of flood storage required it is necessary to decide what is desirable in this regard. +t has been deemed advisable to determine the maximum river flow at ~!eston which can be accorrmoddted and not have the river overflow its banks at points where it usually floods. The determination of this maxi.mum flow, which we might call a critical, flow, above which flooding sets in, must be an approximate estimate due to the lack of long term flow records. To do this it W~iS necessary to determine the exact times when the river began to flood the lowest of the places subject to flooding, or in other words, the earliest of the times when the river began to overflow the bank~ of the various flooded areas. The Weston gauge reading, correcting the reading for the distance to the ~auge, determined the so-called dritical flow. The times at which flooding began were obtained from residents of three flooded areas as follows: I l c';' I {; - ..- , - liS' _.. ~- - --- -- -------,,----- -----.--- -- ~ ------------------- -- _ 0 - ---- -~ ---- I . I , .----... - Ie ! ---J ---- - ,-=--1 -----~--.- -~--- I--'-:_-=--- o-~m 120 I l I I I I , I - ------------- ---- - I I- - ___ -- -, --I 1___- _ I __ -'"'" - I I I I I I I I z:. I I I I I I -- ----I 1---- ---I t---- I I I II I r ~ir ~ .~ L.__ PLAN r ~z.' r,'-j - \ if I \ I \ I I \ -:,.. \\ / I I . ~ / I ,~\ / -~ I . \ / C' \ / I I l _ ~~--:::.: - I ---1 f----j-I--r-- ---- ---------------;-,--t- , I I I I I I I __.J L___I_...L_ L ---__ ____ _ _ ___ _ _--1_ L...L. t;: lEVATION '.....1i"'__"""'" \ , I , ! - ~- --- -------- r I I I I i ---J lo ... .---J ! I I . I 1- ,Ie I [ ART 1:1 DAM AND CONCRETE. SPILL\VAY SeAL-I,;: i ""1. = I FT. . QUANTITIES: N ~ E A~TH '. ,10 Cu. YD~. I CONC~ETE. : 181 c.u. Y1:)5. ReiN, COr<<REIE : 240 Cu '<05 GRAV'E.L, FOUMOATION A~~U""EO. SPIu..\VAI( CAPACITY (L06~ 1M) '500 c.,.", FIG.H-5 ~ ~fiP . . a . ; I 1'1.' .j... 30' ..., .... - "'I...' ~-- ---j I 5HEi;T 5EC.TION I PII.II1Cio ~ . ~it- , , , i I.. ~,; ~ ") 'I "'I :( ! / CONCRET[ DAM GRAVITY TYPE Sea Ie: ~' = I - 0" FOUNDATION -......... -Sand < C,rdvc::l L..E:N GTH of DAM ~ lOa Ft. HEAD TO CRESl -= '0 ~t. DesIgned to serve as e\thel" an ovey-floyv s e. c.. t- ion or non-overFlow ~ec.hoYl with a central Spl \l v-.rd 'j . c.:l pacl t 'j of cerltya \ s~il\\N a':) with stot> 10'3 '5 OUI ~ water up to c(e~1 0\= dam =. 38.5 c.~. 5. Cafl. ot eye\: ~\ovv C'(€5t ~ Ii vane5 '<'Ylth head.. Q:: 26 b h .}z w hen~. Q I~ dI5cha'<<2:,e "'" c.~s. ;\ i! I c'(est le\'\st'h ' I head above c~es'. if b IS ~ h is w 1...~Y1dud'" hd.s '3CLte d t up stvecnn end. Thi5 It w\\1 0\'\ \ 'j bt:.> opened to drd,\1'1 reservo,"'" , i ! fl If r !' I'i, I -1 ;\ -4 ' ~-i --~ _._"-"~ i I IQO' I ~'v- - ~ I 1 . ,. QUANTlTI ES : Vol. o~ COY1cyete::. .3\0 cu ~d5' Vol. o~ e:x:.cavat \0\'1 ~ 7:>0 c.u. 'ids. i I ! I Y,e.vv of: ddYYl \1'1. place Sc.ale.: \1(( ~20 ~t.-Oin . FIG. H-6 st~ lOS .s.\ot I , , I! -0 f -~ ~ .~ 'i....... ~6' Ii .,rt. -(I! I ~ ?A- Sheet p,hn$ 1~20 . or to rock. -- -".-it~-~ ~_t --- v'l.JV" ----- ---.---- .....1 ! " . 378 Area No.1: The flats near Thistleto',m at the confluence of the main and west hranches. A photograph at this location is shown. Area No.2: A market gardening area in the West Branch southerly frolil the ~)ummerlea Golf Club and bordering on the Weston Claireville Road~ Area No. 3 : The flats at the Pine Point Golf Club near the northerly limits of Weston. Assuming that the above areas are typical flood areas, the lowest flow causing floods determines t.he so-called t ccitical flow' <> It is believed that if floods are prevented at the above points they will not occur at other points on the river.. A reliable time was obtained at area No.1, namely 11.30 ft..};., for the time when the river started to overflow its banks in the April 5th 1947 flash flood. At area No.2, the time was not so definite; the resident there stating that all floods began to come up over his field at about noon. In area No.3 the time was definite. The resident, the caretaker of the golf club, said that for the flash flood of June 7, 1947 the water began to come over the flats at 5 P.~., as he was returning home from work. Making an estimate of the probable stream veloc- ity and taking into account the distance to the Weston gauge, the Weston gauge readings corresponding to the 'critical flows' at the various flood areas are estimated to be:- Area No.1 - 4128 C.f.B. for the flood of April 5, 1947 " " 2 - 4564 c.f.s. " ,t " "lV~rch 9. 1946 " " 2 - 3885 c.f.s. n " n " f.t;arch?5, 1947 n " 2 - 4173 c.f.s. " " n " April ;, 1947 " " 2 - 4376 c.f.s. " " " " June 2, 1947 " " 2 - 5010 c.r.s. " " " ,~ July 28, 1947 " " 3 - 5212 c.f.s. " " " " June 2, 1947 The flows at No. 2 area are not in close agree- ment probably due to the rather indefinite tlm~ of 'noon' given as the time of the start of f10cding in all caseso It may be noted that there is a close agreement between areas 1 and 2 for the April 5. 1947 flood. The 4128 c.r.s. flc~ of area No. 1 can be relied upon, the tirr;e having been obtained ;:'y 379 an official of this department who resides within view of the area. It would appear from the above, therefore, that a flow in the neighbourhood of 4100 c.f.s. would be a reasonable value of the 'critical flow' at the Veston gauge. This means that a flow above 4100 ~.f.6. would indicate flooding at areas upstream from Weston. ry Storap;e Required I & Theoretically, according to the above argument, in order to prevent all flooding in the Humber, i.t. would be necessary to provide storage of surficient capacity to keep the river flow at Weston at 4100 c.f.s. or lower, at all times. The amount of this storage is computed by using the information shown in Figure H-3 for the developed hydrograph of th~ July 28, l$97 flood. If a horizontal line be drawn across the curve at 4100 c. f .5. the flow is shown to be a hove 1.,.100 c.f. s. for a period of 2.l5 days~ The entire flow in excess of 4100 c.f.s. for this period of 2.15 days must be absorbed by storage. This flow represents a storage of 13,389 acre feet. That is, in order to prevent flooding in a storm of such m.s.gni tude that it Inight occur once in one hundred years (1841 to 1947 = 106 years of record), l3,389 acre feet of storage would be required. A survey of the valley indicated that the follow- ing reservoirs, shown of Figure H-l are feasible: Reservoirs On the West Branch Claireville Lindsay Creek Stanley )/,ills On the Middle Branch Nashville Cedar Mills On the East Branch Kleinburg 8. Y~ximum Dischar~e from Reservoirs The uncontrolled area between vJeston and the above reservoirs would be 58.69 square Iliiles. AssUDiing a flood of 34.35 c.f.s. per square mile (the estimated maximum as stated in Section 4 above) this would mean a flow of 2016 c.f.s. fro~ the 586S square miles. Thus the reservoirs should only " 380 be permitted to spill 4100 - 2016 - 2084 c.f.s. TABLE H-2 RESERVOIR DRAINAGE AREAS Square Miles West Branch - Nashville #- 2 66.33 Claireville 36.49 Lindsay Creek 9.79 Stanley ~ti.lls 20.05 66.33 Middle Branch- Nashville # 5A 105.39 Nashville 43.29 Cedar ~\ill s 62.10 105.39 East Branch - Kleinburg 59.46 5~; .46 Total Area 231.18 231.18 Proportioning the discharge of 20S4 c.f.s. according to areas, the maximum permissible discharge fron) each dam during high flow periods is shown in the Table H-3, below. TABLE H-3 Discharge c.f.s. Discharge c.f.s. Each Branch Each Dam viest Branch - Claireville 598 Claireville 328 Lindsay Creek S8 Stanley l\~ills 182 598 Middle Branch- Nashville 950 Nashville 560 Cedar ~:ills ~ -,5 East Branch - Kleinburg 536 Kleinburg 536 2084 2084 9. Reservoir Stora~e The stora~e that would be required at the ~ different damsites has been apportioned according to drainage areas and is shown listed in Table H-4. The height and length of dams is shown for the required maximum storage of 13,389 acre feet is shown as well as dams for lesser amounts of storage, namely dams 35 feet high, 30 feet high and sufficient to contain the mean flood of April 5. 1947. Dams 35 feet in height would provide storage for 2.63 inches of rain in 24 hours over previously saturated ground. The records show that the greatest rain for a single day within the last six years was 2.66 inches and occurred in September, 1945. () z (j) r n ;:Ii\ fT1}> ~ Z r ~ ::u c1 r 0 (j) z 0 P '"'1 rr1 ~ ~ }:.. I r (j) - UJ (j) l> Z ;U < ", p::U r1 rr1 r CD - -< -< fT1 ;J] :::0 U) c $: ~ o:S () < ::tJ r fT1 ~;U r - 0 (j) r r fTl r J] (j) r rTJ fT1 ""T'I <J> ;;:c:: AJ W l.u w r\) _ rv )>c.JJ ~ Ul """ Ul (Jl - Ul - () 6 0 0 (/) ~ \J) 0 en 6" w ...,..,-' Z ""T'I U> W 'I --J - (1)1 C (1 J;>AJ -+ LC ro rl ,.....,. __ __~_~~ ____..________ ___ ',JI (J1 OJ 6' 0'\ 'l Ul =D lJ' [T1 Z fT1 W l'\) f\) 0 ~ 7\) :;:: 0 III - fY\ 6) U1 0 (:J) U1 .. nl --1> C. :TJ - )10' ., <:::: r __ --r- ~_______ p ~ 0 U1 0> 6'1 (f) --..j Ul 0 () -l 1> (JJ 'J ()1 I.n (!) U1 c: Q, - -< -i In W (J) - 0 .b 3--<:-rt 0 fTl z1> U1 0 -...J - r\) 0 ~ z )> : Ul ..b w-- ~ ~ --w ;0 '0'" o CP (J) W \J\ 0 Height of Dorn (j) c.J'I 0 ~ - r0 6 feet ~ :::0 ~ "'\I ""-J 6"..to lJ1 'lC'l r :0 o I\) W ~ I'\) 0\ Ill~O~ -+:::0 N rv - W d:l -.J 1\1 lJ'l ~LO T) -< .......-+ -+- .... ~ 0 ~o U> - ro - 6' f\) UJ ~(J) 6..1> o 0 u> to -.J U1 l.O ("\ 0- ~ ~ CJ) (Xl 0 0 .., 0 (j) o 0 00 000 "'0 1>-' :-+ l.!) D It) ~':::o U1 01 6'l If'> '\l U1 ;0 [l) r'1 (]'I =? m w I\) I\) ~ [\) - 0 r 18 0 6' c.n 0 g lJ1 .J:>. ~-:.~ r1 ~C ., < w g_ - ~ U1 2.:::0 VI ()) 6"l fj\"", lJ\ 0 n -l""TI rr1 ..... 6) lJ1 CD 0 0.., - ~ - P"9'I 0 lJ'7 ~ 0 U1~ 3 -=>Ill 0 fT' 0 o '". ~ (J.l Ul ~ Z fTI 0- "- -1 " CD l/l ~ w 1> w ~ c..u I"'l Height of'Dam 0 :r -t "" :: U'l (Jl UI . n feet !::o I ---- Q ~ W 6'''''' 0'\ tv 1n-1 "n r I " lI) ~ - ...., l'fI t,p. ~ ~ 0/1) r 171 - 0 0 f\) U1 ~ III ~u3 0 -+ 1 ~O U1 '"" _ ~(f) ~O w If' l)J ...., N OJ .,f:l. ,,, I'\) m )/ -+ 0 (j) t.) W tn 0 lJ1 W lY (\ 0 0 ~ 0\ o:U 0 0;0 0 W;u,,;3 )> gO }> }> ~ -+-lO '7 (") y III ~ 0 () U1 0 ()) 6' ~ 6) 'J U1 Z ;U [JJ rr1 (j) -, C OJ ~ N 0 ~ [\)() ~~" r 1Jl::O ($'II lJl aI CD V'l ~I ", 0-- r1 W ~:::o , ~ 0 - p ~z lJl CD If' (J\....., UI Oo~ -l " ~C) 6) U1 U1 W 'J UI O-;,Ill 0 I'TI r I (1) VI 0 00 VI ~ 3 '" Z fT1 cO -1- -l;,Z "TO ~ g) ~ U> l.t.) w H~iqht of Dam I ~ rrl o 0 0 feet - ~ C) ~ Ul In 0') <5" c..u c.n ,., () r I Z ~ ,~ " , 0 " O '"' 0 W ~ 0'\ "(b,,::r 0 (X) 0 N I\) -.J -+l/l ~ ~:y en j\) <.J W /'\J - _)>(1) -< N T\) ~ 0 lJl I.D ('\ d ~ ~ o ~ (J) ro (Jl l\l I\) .., r - ~~ 0 :::0 I'b 0 CJ> o U1 CO (j'r (J\""-J Ul ;:0 0 OJ fTI 0 Q) (JJ I'\) N 0 ~ I"Il :<...., ~ r -1) ~ Ul 0 <Xl (}1 ~ ~ Q... f"l1)> r ~ rrl lJ1 CO (f\ 0" '-.J Ul 0 () -1 ~ (j)(j) (1l ~ W N 0'\ ~ 00' -- <;> Y) ~ 0\ 0 - 3 ~ ~ 0 r rrl U1 l\) 0 W 6 U1 -+- Z U1 :::0 N I'\) - - H f' " ~ ~ ~ CP 1J1 ~ e'9M 0 Dam - Ul NOW 6 (]I feo.t ~ 5 U> U1 ~ w I'\) ~ ""TIC) r ..... 0 W N U) Y) tTl - ~~~~ 0 ..., 0 0 0 - L11 -+ ~ '3t (j) l t~ .t. 1>' 382 The storage available for different heights of dams are shown in Figure H-7, H-8, H-9, H-10, ~-ll, H-12. On these figures are also shown cross-sections of the valley at the dam sites. lO. Summer Flow and Recreational Lake Storag,:e wben a reservoir is used for flood control only, it is emptied as soon as possible and remains empty ready to receive other flood waters. With the required flood control capacity of the reservoir known, for reasons of economy the height of the dam is designed for that capacity only. These dams are known as "dry" or "retardation" dams which automatically control the rate of release of flood waters within safe limits. If the reservoir is to be used for another purpose as vlell such as a permanent lake, obviously the capacity or volw;ie of the lake desired must be additional to the flood control capacity, in other words the height of the dam increased 50 as to provide for the capacities of both flood control and the permanent lake. Such a reservoir i.8 called a dual purpose reservoir and is prov- ided with a "Regulated dam", that is a dam with control gates. Similarly if the reservoir is to contain a capacity for summer flow the height of the dam would have to be further increased. It would not however, be advisable to use the Nashville Reservoir also for summer flow purposes for the following reasons: l (a) With such a small permanent lake the fluctuations in water level would kill vegetation and spoil the beach. /, i (b) When increasing the height of a dam the increase is actually added at the bottom and hot the top, the diverging lines of the dam extending downward, greatly increasing the cost. :- For summer flow in the middle branch therefore it is recommended that another reservoir be chosen upstream from I Nashville. Cedar .f.,ills Reservoir near the headwaters would be a good choice. In addition to its storage advantages for s~~~er flow, being fed by the many cold permanent trout streams at the ~i I; head waters, if provided with a lake with a minimum water level there would not only be possibilities for fishermen but if the water discharged were taken from the bottom of the lake it would ~, r f ~ ~." ,'''' STORAGE - thousands of acre-feet 0 I 2 :3 4 570 I 560 . I I ...- - .... U I U - I ~ / z 550~ / 0 ~J<J'/ - ~ <l ./' > /' W - -J ../ /' UJ /" /' 540 . /. 0:: ,/ W ,/ ~ / <l / ~ / I I I ! 530 I I , 1524.01 BED OF STRE.AM 520 : I I I I 0 I 2 :3 4 ARE A-hundreds of acr.s Storage approximate only- determined from 1000 feet to I inch contour II , plan prepared from aerial photographs usin9 Abrams Contour Finder HUMBER VALLEY I ' I 1 ' ~ STORAGE a AREA CURVES : i No.2 BASIN .CLAIREVILLE" TP.., of TORONTO GORE a ETOBICOKE i SCALES: AS SHOWN \ ! . I FIG. H-7 I } t . ' ,. I I ! , ') r STORAGE IN THOUSANDS OF ACRE FEfT I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 -' ,., O..'tl~_~t.A ,'< l ~~ --.---- G / ~' '!>~O"~/ .+ " ~ ~~ ~~-~- ~ ,,;~ ~1~ ,." ,<. . / Q~~ ~- -------- ./ .<1'''' .-""",,-/ ."t / ./ t.>, / / lED OF litIV!" ------- I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 II 10 II 12 13 AREA IN HUNDREDS OF ACRES StoroQt approI,moh only, havlflQ bt~n det,rmlned by (] 1000ff to thl 'nct't confour pIon _hTen *0' prepared by Ult'"Q Abrams Contour-flnd.r HUMBER VALLEY SURVEY STORAGE AND AREA CURVES NO.5A "NASHVILLE" RESERVOIR JEOARTMENT JF PL ANN ~G A~O DEvELOPMENT C(,NSERVATIO~ BRAN(.H FIG. H-8 ! . ~ ", ,. STORAGE - thou.and. of acre-feet 0 I 2 3 4 , 6 7 890 880 .. ./ -- --- --- ./ ------------- ~~/ . ~ ~~~/ . ~~ ./ ':l~9. / 870 / / / ~ / ~ . u / .. // I ./ z 860 / / 0 / / - ~ .- c I > // w .J /1 w 8'0 // a:: I / w 1;/ .- c ~ il 840 I / I; ! f I 830 I 8Z!l.O! BED OF RIVER 820 0 I 2 3 4 , 6 7 AREA - hundr.d. of ocr.. StoraQe approximate only - determined from 1000 feet to 1 inch contour plan prepared from aerial photOQraphs usinQ Abrams Contour Finder HUMBER VALLEY STORAGE 8 AREA CURVES No.7 BASIN .CEDAR MILLS" TOWNSHIP of ALBION SCALES: AS SHOWN FIG. H-9 j H } > f~ ~-:' STORAGE IN THOUSANDS OF ACRE FEET I 2 3 4 ~ 6 7 8 9 10 / / / / /, ~~ ~c.~ / <c,~ O~// c;"\/// .~ /// // -~ . - , / of RIVE~ ! --- I 2 :5 4 ~ 6 7 8 9 10 AREA IN HUNDREDS OF ACRES SIoroQ' appro xi mote only, hovlnQ been d.lermlned by 0 1000 ft 10 Ihe Inch conlour plan which wos prepared by uS1nQ Abrams Contour-finder HUMBER VALLEY SURVEY STORAGE AND AREA CURVES No. 16 II KLEINBURGII RESERVOIR (PROPOSED) DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CONSERVATION BRA~CH FIG. H-IO ~ : " '~q'-' STORAGe - thou.ondl of acr,-fe,t 0 I t J 4 6.0 , / I I I I I f I f --- ...."""" I r f ! ~ I 19& T I - I . I . - I I I I Z ..,..^ ! o -- ! - ... c( > U.I .J tl U.I 71& a::: U.I ... c( ~ 160 I 760 74~.O BED OF F IVER 14e 0 I * 3 . ; AREA - hundr.d. of Gelf" I Storao_ approximate only - determi~d from 978 ifeet to I inch contour plan prepared from' aerial photog aphs using 4broms' Contou~ Finder ~ - ----_._---- -. _._ _. .L........ _ - - -. ,- HUMBER VALLEY STORAGE a AREA CURVES No.19 BAS I N "LINDSAY CREEK" TOWNSHIP of ALBION ~ SCALES I AS SHOWN J FIG. H-II ~ '~Hn ! STORAGE - thou .land. of acre"'..t I I ( - &-- .w..... ~ ~~ V lul ~'f1'/ 0:::/ ~"/ - --- C{I -.-- UiJV 1 / I I - I I . I . / - I -~- / / ill w-...... 0 / - I ~ I C > I &&I /, i ..J &&I 0:: i;3{) I &&I I ~ i c ~ I --- l j v~v I 8tii 610.0! BED OF DIVER C> I 2 3 4 AREA-hundred. of ocr.. Storaoe approximate only- determined fram 1018 feet to I inch contour plan prepored from <1erial photographs using Abrams Contour Finder HUMBER' VALLEY STORAGE 8 AREA CURVES No,21 BASIN "STANLEY MILLS" TOWNSHIP of TORONTO GORE SCALES: AS SHOWN FIG. H-12 \ ' ',1 1 'i , I 389 be cold and the temperature of the flow of the river throughout its course would be lowered to some extent, thereby benefitting the resorts and residents located thereon. The data shown in Table H-4 is for- flood control dams only reservcirs of which would be e~ptied as soon as poseible after the floods began to subside. The conserV'.:;tj.on picture would not be complete however unless one or more res- ervoirs were used to hold back some water to produce increased summer flow. It is felt that the proposed Nashville Reservoir would be an excellent site for a permanent lake and flood control with another reservoir farther upstream for both sml~er flow and flood control. Careful regulation of lake levels would provide recreational facilities of a type now almost non-existent in the Humber Valley. Considering Nashville as provided with a permanent lake with a minimum water level elevation of 650 the dam would be g feet higher than one required for flood control only, and the extra storage required or amount of water in the lake would be 1909 acre feet. Such a lake would be approxirLHtely 1.85 miles long and have a maximum width of l/3 of a mile and a depth at the dam of 30 feet. The top of the dam would be at elevation 663 or a height of 43 feet with a maximum of 3$ feet of water at the dam and 5 feet of freeboard. There is a choice of two sites for the Nashville dam. The lower site would be more economical as regards cost of dam and would yield more storage, whereas the upper site would require no road diversions to be made and would permit the area between the sites, one of the most desirable in the watershed, to be used as a natural park. The storage available for different heights of dams are shown in Figures H-7, H-B, H-9, H-10, H-ll, H-l2, the damsite profiles of Claireville and Cedar Mills H-14B and H-15B and the damsite areas of the same H-14A and H-15A respectively. ! .. , / '-, '\ / ''',,: '\. ',- I ,-. J / , / / / ( / , .- ./ / , / tb 0 oA... ~ v / 'c-, ,- ~" ---- - "- ;;~~--==- ...... 0 " v __'_--,"--".,,"',c..~........ .___ ?C}'o ~-- ~ .. ---~ / / / ~ ' \ , "- ->'"' ~~., " .,- <0 t)~ o~ ~... v "~ ~ "- o. ~. ~, + 0' v . . i , I \', '1 \ i\ / ' ~\ / // ~~ ~fY , / Ij/ ~\O I ''0 ~'~ l // ,/ ~ + '{\' \ l II ' 07-' \ / \ \..., \ I xf 1\ //G ' \ o. / \ /' /::/ .// / l Ii ,..~ ..~- /. ~ \ .. .----~::.~-\- / ~ \ /':;.." . ",.. " "I. r., - ,,"1lI~~'" ~ .,l r ~~.... ,,\ " , '.,- O~ '/ '+ " t' I \~ ---- . l, ~~ ' \ \ 0\) \ ~ '\/ ~I ) ~ /" ' ,/ '. )) ',\ I lY t' 'V (I ' / l ,,', .. ~ /) i \ ", . l/"--.._ ,,-/ . ~,i i~"5~'" '" I X/I '" l '/ ~ . ) ,'" // , / , I N + . \ ~ 1)1 , , . \ ~ :, ~~ , . \~ \..0' & .~ ~c. ~.,Cl"~~~ / ~~ /- ~Y' I, 1 / \\-;' \, "'0. / :~// ctl. .' . ----------'~- 0' ~ ~,... ~ ~\\-d'~ \..0' '=> ~ ~---- (1'. \ \' . \ ~ \ 0' A ~\- . \.. \ \ \ ~,- -z. ~ y. \ I." , , , , 1 . \ " II II \\ \-.~ \\ \ ' \\ \ ~ .~" , . '.\ - -~~, ~..- .._v. if C}<.') I / / .~ " '. .~...,~\ ')\ \ (\ [" ",t-\ I \ ( , ~~"51) ) , \ \ /'i1 ) '.'v ?~ '. ~"" ~ V)L,! (~ , , ~~V\i ," .\~ (0 ~"\ ~ I~ 0" h' ' v ~.. l f?' .~ 1"- ~ / ~ ~ ' 11, , " i 0' ":>. , +~ c} r V I I ); I ~ c} V ~ c} V Co I ~: , 'j) CV I 0" I Co V ~ 'J", '/ / ~' 0 v .,' '~ ~.~ '. '~ ' ~ HUMBER VALLEY ~.~~ PLAN ofPREUMINARY CONTOUR SURVEY of .. '0, 'I' .)t:. C.'e No.2 BASIN .CLAIREVILLE. .~/to4- .. TP'I of TORONTO 60RE a ETOBICOKE G'~ ~ .~ Plan prepared usinq Abrams' contour finder and aerial .,c~~ / .photooraphs. Interm.diat.' horizontal and vertical ~" control by Stadia Mean H.1. with basic l.v.1 control. ')", SCALE 1030 FEET TO I INCH, . " / CONTOUR INTERVALS 10 FEET. /! ~" DATUM MEAN SEA LEVEL 6.S.C. .._--"--'- Co - n ~ ;~ '/ :+- \ \) , , - i . '~. \ \ ) I \ ~ . i ~" / / / + : "0 'f, OJ,. I ~ f 1'\' /, ',,', I '.' /',// . ~ /~ / " '-,''',- / ' ,j ./ ( )-,.. ~ . " '-. 'X / ,X, / /". / '~ ~ / / '" 0-<'" / / / V / ~' '. / 0 v / / // " ~ ~ , 0-<'" ,~ 'V ~' .s> /; / ',' / '..'1' ;, /'~ / ':,' , {If / / ~, . ,'- OA.... / / V , / , ,'. '" = r . ::+ ~::,:~: !: ~, ~.- ..8 r r,r.. .~~ . . /', ::.3 I '- - Ii ~ ,I 'Z- I \ ~) \ ... .", , . \ \,.0' \ ,'-, ~ ...... ''l~\JG~'''~ ___1:',~ E.,06\CO~t 1 .0 /', " \,.0\ 40 .. \ .. j ~ --->- ~ " , , \,.0\ ~9 \\ () 0 .~ -z. - " L , ., , / '\/ \,.0\ ~e /~ '~ , I " \,.01 ?>1 I " ! /x, \1 \, ------- // \ - , "'"', / , ~~ ~O~;6 / / / / '" /'^.'? I / / 0 ~ ' / (C'\ . ../ "'_//~ . 00 / ,/'~ ~~ /' 0 (\ ~ / ~ G>~ ~O~;~ 0" / 0<" ~ 'V (C'\ ------ / ------/---- - " / .~ / '. ~ // 0" // V /// / / FIG.H-/4 / \ ~ ') , .~ '-, ~ l -- - , N - , I 300 400 ~OO 600 HUMBER VALLEY PROFI LE of TENTATIVE DAM SITE No.2 BASIN .CLAIREVILLE- Tp.. of TORONTO GORE a ETOBICOKE SCALES: HOR. 100 FEET TO \ INCH 100 200 VERT. \0 FEET TO I INCH FI G. H-14B r' ~ ~ '/;:. I / . ! ",,' .~ " ~ ,.~ i f" ,J '" '" 'I' I\, /hl '\: " " () 'k V // / \ /l " III ~~" , I II !'>' I ' , (0 ." t 0" .~ I I I\, I I A" () .~ , V -""',', I i I I I I I; I\,~ 'f;, ",. - v /. " " ,>, ' ,f' / () ~ --..: o / '''-' , V , , "'- "- '" "-, '., , '0- + '." "0 " . I ~ " /\ of,., () I ./ / V i I i J ' \.-. r' 0.1 ,/ J n \ (I \ / ( ,) ,--V' -- - '0'- I( '-i toO lj -. I ----... / ..., ,j ---/ / &,0 / . / - -~ ( / / l ~,' ^" I ",-" rl -: ~~ I " . ,I I ' . '~~ / I , , ' ~' I ~ ',." ,'. ~o / \ / \ / "0 t/ ~ '~' , /f,., '/' ., " ) / / I I / , / I' >\ -4T '~ 7 ~l: c g ~ - i / J. ~/ / v 4l"1 / // 1// /J / t~ / I~' i "-.'" < r , , " , ' ~ ,I' " C '~\, Ii' 0 A. \~\' / "~~ , " '~// \, ' ,\ / '-" , /~ ~ v I ~ ' " , " j^, / "', . , I ' I /'" I ~~ I ~ ~ _&b4' ~ 8,0 /,- I /'J ~"- I tI, tI, ~ C) '" \ ~ " ~, '~I " , " , '~, I I '~ ", __ .....4 ':. HUMIER VALLEY ~, PLAN of PRELIMINARY CONTOUR SURVEY of I I "'> No. 7 8 A SIN It CEO ARM ILL S II ,> <, TOWNSHIP of ALBION , "" I "<, Plan prepared usinQ Abrams' contour finder and ae rial ' photola)rophs, Intermediate irlorizontal and vettical control by Stadia Mean H.!. with basic level control. ' ;! , SCALE: 1000 FEET TO I INCH. ,.' CONTOUR INTERVALS 10 FEET. ..~ .>\' FIG. H-15 DATUM: MEAN SEA LEVEL G.S,C, , ..'.1.' 1 - ..."...--. ...- ': H ' / / " A --".- ~ ! , .. , 600 700 800 900 r HUMBER VALLEY l DEVELOPED PROFILE of TENTATIVE DAMSlTE No. 7 BASIN .CEDAR MILL S · I TOWNSHIP of ALBION SCALES HOR. 100 FEET TO I INCH 0 100 200 300 400 ~OO YER 10 FEET TO I INCH j. FIG. H-15B ! i ! . 1 i _... - .... - 6~ f~ l' \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ,\ \ , , , , " \ '> , "- , , "- , \ , , " \ , , " , \ " , " , , '^' . '. " , .', .<. " "." \~,>. . ." . i:-+-1', , "'-. '. ..... \ \\ .', \ '.v "". \ . ~~~, \\. \ \.,. \ \ r :~ \ \\ -'"'..,..:, /./ ~,.. .' \ ,. ... . \ \ \ c , \ <' \ \ ..... - ./ \ \ - .~- /' ,~~ \ , 9...... ~ I ., .) ~ ,..a~ " .., ~..~ / ~~~ ;" .., '" I J HUMBER VA L LEY TOPOGRAPHY of DAMSITE AREA No.2 BASIN .CLAIREVILLE. TP'I of TORONTO GORE a ETOBICOKE Plan prepared from Itadla lune, of area June 1946 SCALE 200 FEET TO I INCH CONTOUR INTERVALS 5 FEET FIG.H-14A .to ',. 1 " \ ...... ........ ""l'o \ ". '\ 11'-.,- ,I.; "- f, b" .. ;- I ~ . , \ . ~ /' \", ~., , , \ , ~._--. -,- . '='-d I ,~ ': T ..;Jr ~ j' .. , Q '. ',< ' ,,'1-'1 '01 ~ e.. / __ . . /" // .....- I " ~ .I, \ #. WItt , \ , ,,\ / ! \, - -. "4 " 4~., \ '-"~ "..,., , ~- , / 'y "" A,... \ \ 6 .. .. 41 , / / / \ , / I \ T$ '\ .. " ..' \ -Soh '" .. i os '. t::::: ~ "~4- 113S '\. I -..... 10 ;-. . ~ /;:. 4 : / eS' . "t , .., 88" j .-10' # ~'.I<~'\ , ~ ,.') \,..~ \ ' ~'", ~ \ \ ~"'.,;;." I \ A..' , ..,~.. <1';. ....r ~ ~ l . ~. \ ~ - ~. \ # ,.............'Ull::; \ ,...g ':' ",. \ ~ "1-' \ \ I ----- HUMBER VALLEY TOPOGRAPHY of DAMSITE AREA No.7 BASIN .CEDAR MILLS" TOWNSHI P of ALBION l" "'P'''' ,,,. ",';, ..~.,,, "" ....,. 1946 SCALE 200 FEET TO I INCH CONTOUR INTERVALS IS FEET FIG. H-15A i .\ -.." - .--- . - --- _. 396 11. Proposals and Costs The construction of at least six flood control and conservation dams is recommended, three of which could be started in the near future and in the following order Nashville, Claireville and Cedar l',ills. It is realized that the const- ruction of all of the proposed dams could only be undertaken as a long range progr~ie. This is true of all conservation schemes. It has taken one hundred and fifty years to bring the watershed to its present condition, consequently it will take many years to restore the natural conditions which have been lost. However, a start should b~ made by the const~uction of two or three dams as mentioned above, Small dams are also I recorr~ended as part of the conservation scheme, coupled with forest planting and correct farming methods. The cost of the Nashville dry dam is estimated to be $402,956. ; l , . 397 CHAPTER WILDLIFE There are two objectives in planning for wildlife in Southern Ontario. The first is to retain for the average citizen the opportunity to see and enjoy the varied forms of birds, mammals and other wildlife indigenous to the region concerned, "in the greatest possible variety. The second is to retain for the average citizen the opportunity to hunt and fish, within the law, in an attractive environment, and, where possible, to trap fur for profit. These objectives must be adapted so that they have no adverse effect on farming practices. An abundance of songbirds, game, fur-bearing animals and other ~~ldlife will, in fact, make a farm more valuable and farm life more enjoyable. They help to protect crops against insect f pests and add to the beauty of the farm itself. The control of harmful species and the maintenance of all other animal . i populations at a desirable level through the provision of a ! good habitat is a natural branch of good land management. ~~ny other techniques of wildlife management are significant, such as the introduction of new species where needed, and restrict- ions of the daily and seasonal kills. But for the purposes of this report the basic assumption is made that the provision of suitable habitats is at present the chief problem in the management of wildlife on the Humber Watershed. , . ! In a rapid survey of all fish and wildlife over so large an area it is obviously impossible to cover in detail the ffiany types of habitat scattered over some 600 square miles. , , Moreover a beginning has only recently been made on the i basic research on game environments in agricultural Southern j Ontario. The techniques of stream surveys are at present I ; farther advanced. In the present survey the chief detailed I work carried out was therefore the stream biology and the t I environrr-ent for fish. The report includes a more general j , ! survey of the historical background, an inventory of the ~ ! , I " ~ ; -, . - ----.. 398 species and notes on the more significant typee, and a general summary of recommendations ".'hich can be made for irnprover.:ents. The ranges of the land animals of Canada are limited by the climate, latitude, geology, topography and alt- itude and by the resulting vegetation. Those recorded from the Hmfiber Watershed are a mixture of northern and southern snecies . with ranges which overlap in this area from two of the major life zones of North America. The most recent description of these zones is that of Lee R. Dice~ who refers to the more northern as the Canadian Biotic Province, and to the more southern as the Carolinian Biotic Province. The modifying influence of :;:,ake Ontario on the land for a few miles north allows a more southern vegetation and life zone to occur in the lower parts of the Humber Watershed than would otherwise be there. The overlapping range in the watershed of the cottontail from the south and the porcupine, a more northern species, is a typical example of the transitional character of the fauna. 1. Former Conditions The dense forests which covered the watershed at the time of settlement have already been described in the section of this report devoted to forestry. It is common belief that there were very great numbers of wildlife in such forests before ; the white man came. It is unlikely that this is true of more than i a few species such as the Passenger Pigeon and the Black (or Grey) J Squirrel. It appears more probable that the country supported a maximum of game and the larger forms of wildlife some twenty years ! after settlement. At that time the many forest edges, where cleared fields and both open and closed ungrazed woods offered a wide variety of food and shelter, supported a flourishing popula- tion of game, fur and other wild animal life. Gradually the cutt- ; : ing of the reffiainder of the forest and the extensive trapping and I hunting reduced the wildlife population, while the lowering water I , table cut off the flow from m~ny springs, ending the fish life in ~ ~ the streams they fed. , Some examples may indicate the generc.ll situation. The beaver lance corrmon t was listed as "Very rare" in le30~ 1. Lee R. Dice, "'The Biotic Provinces of North America", Ann Arbor, r~iichigan, 1943. 2. Dr. Anthony Gapper, "Zoological Journal of London" V. . - .. ~- -I ~) , ) GENERALIZED ABUNDANCE CHART FOR SOME MAMMALS AND BIRDS OF THE HUMBER WATERSHED 1840 -1947 (H... Te,ms ADyMont ,Common [Ie Ar. R.lati.... To r,.,. IndiVidual SP'CI'~) ,~~~- ~ . ~~GSf~E,,"G!" .~ sr4RL ... ~-.......-----, fl.lolOPE ...., ....."H Of\.. ~ ~ E: ,.: ~ 'i( -- ..... r E . ~A . E: -, . ~1J~~~_c a,. .:'HIJ ecB......E \-""'_'_c. -- co rTo"trAIL .;, COT?C"'~""L ..+~ ~ -.o~"r, ~j l'. . "_. ~ __ .. ~ "..."1'[0 4 ~ G"OUSE - ~ ,~~/;jJ / ";, Y-, \" ft-,,:i / '. \ CQrr'J"t7,a l ......./ -", .~.......... .----~"'.f.OL[O DEE' ;/ . "II IT [ .fA', ED '*Il J '" ~ltf" ~ --; DEE_ i \ .....'>- t ~- I + ---+----""---------._--~-- --- . 840 1860 1880 1900 1':J20 1940 1947 i I i ! i , . i -- -..,-.-..- 400 It was seen again in the watershed as late as 1884, but was not reported again until recently. The f-a:rten was re corded as f!Cmr.- mon till about 1850" by Dr. 3rodie~ The last Canada Lynx re- corded in the watershed was listed as "Shot in lE'e)", west of ~ ..L The last recorded Black Bear was shot close to the Aurora. 2 Wolves were apparently common in the water- watershed in lage. shed in 1800. 1 Joseph Willcocks wrote in that year/ "Therevras great depredation committed the night before last by a flock of wolves that came into the town. One man lost seventeen sheep." The passenger Pigeon formerly nested in large numbers in the watershed. "Several hundred" were noted in a beech wood near Laobton~ This species, whose vast flocks astounded the early settlers in ~orth America, was still present in great numbers in 1860, declined steadily until 1880 and very rapidly thereafter. Thirteen were reported as seen in High Park, Toronto, in la96~ There are no later reports of the Passenger Pigeon in the watershed. The extinction of this species came from the clearing of land and intensive market shooting and trapping. The ~~ld Turkey was never a con~on species in the , watershed. John Fothergill reported in l828, "I find a fel'l wild turkeys were hunted near York upon the Hmr;ber a few winters ago. : \ This is farther to~ards the east than any others I have met with."5 The White-tailed Deer was noted as "extremely plentiful" , . near the mouth of the Humber in 1760~ Deer were very com- mon at the time of settlement and did considerable damage to i ; crops. Hunting pressure graduQlly forced them northward. Two other species of spectacular interest to the . : : 1. J. H. Fleming, "Natural History of the Toronto Hegion", i Toronto, 191). . i 2. L. L. Snyder and E.B.S. Logier, "A Faunal Survey of King Township, Ontario", contributions of the Royal Ontario Museum, I #3, 1930. I 3. w. R. Riddell, "Life of John Graves Simcoe," Toronto 1927. , 4. Margaret H. Mitchell, "The Passenger Pigeon in Ontario", j Royal Ontario Museum of ZOOlO~Y Publication 1933. : 5. Diary of Charles Fothergill 1 28. ; 6. "Journal of Major Rogers, 1760", quoted in "Toronto during the French Regi~e" by P. J. Robinson, Toronto 1933. ,~,--, ~h_"_4"~ _'J _..... _ _ ._-, -'_ ~,,_ ~ ,..~ -_......"""-'.-... 401 early pioneers were the Timber Rattlesnake aud the smaller Y~ssassauga Rattlesnake. The range of both of these species formerly extended into the Humber ~Natershed. The smaller 1 Massassauga Rattlesnake was the more common of the two. The Humber River was once famous as a salmon stream. The Honourable D. VI. Smyth wrote in 1799 "The Hwuber abounds in fish, especially salmon.n2 At one time land was frequently paid for in salmon. "Fish were caught, salted barrelled and sent down the St. La'tJrence and the proceeds applied to the purchase~~ Spearing by torchlight was the usual method of ca~ching salmon. The large numbers of salmon may be gauged from a S'Gatement of Paul Kane, "In my boyish days I have seen as many as a hundred light-jacks gliding , about the Bay of Toronto. and have joined in the sport.n4 An "Act for the Preservation of Salmon" was passed in 1807 allowing the taking of them by spear or hook and line, but not by net. In 1820 the Committee of the House of Assembly, in one of its earliest attempts at conservation, recommended that "mill dams may be erected with an inclined plane, on the plan of one foot rise to four feet of space, over which the , fish may pass up and rafts do~~. without obstruction." This recommendation did not become law, and in lS51 it was recorded that "Large quantities of fish have been taken in (the Humber) j i before the erection of so many mills forced them to seek other I spawning grounds.,,5 I By the seventies very rew salmon were being caught and the last date ~iven for the occurrence of salmon in Lake Ontario is 1895. I There is little mention of other species of fish in the early literature of the Humber, but there can be no ! I doubt that speckled trout were con~on in the upper watershed I I 1. C. W. Nash "Check List of the Vertebrates of Ontario" I I TOl"onto J. 905. 2. Report of the Surveyor General, 1799. 3. K. M. Lizars "The Valley of the Humber", Toronto 1913. 4. E. c. Gui~let "Pioneer Life in the County of York", Toronto. 1946. 5. w. H. Smith nCanada, Past, Present and Future", Toronto 1851. +._--~ ,- .. ~ -. -, ~.,--,_._~ ''''-'' .....'" 402 and both small and large-mouthed bass in the warmer sections. Since many of the early records do not specify the exact geographic location of observations, it is not pos- sible to establish with certainty all the speCies of mammals which were present in the watershed at the time of early white settlement, but which are no longer to be found in the area. However, the watershed was within the range of all the follow- ing mammals for which there are no recent records: y-.Jol verine, Otter, Timber Wolf, Cougar, Canada Lynx, Bay Lynx, Beaver, Wapiti, Black Bear, Marten, and Fisher. Of these the Otter, Timber Wolf and Bay Lynx may still occur rarely. Of all these species the only one which could be considered to have a possible place in an area of mixed farms and woodlots is the Otter,and this only with a stricter control of trapping than is now possible. The Otter can still remain in small numbers in rivers which drain farming country. I The gradual change of environment for wildlife in the watershed from pioneer times to the present can perhaps best be illustrated by the history of thE:' :';;obwhi te or Quail. This was a species of more southern range. The original dense forests of Southern Ontario were not a favourable site for the Bobwhite. Charles Fothergill writing in 1831 recorded that "About thirty years ago the quail was not known in Canada. I , , , i Now it abounds in the upper proVince."l At that time, 1831, ; the land was newly cleared. The many forest edges, and brushy fences provided excellent cover around the ! rich pastures, corn fields and orchards where the birds fed. Other game, such as the Ruffed Grouse, was abundant and there were comparatively few hunters. The Bobwhite : therefore became numerous in the watershed, except in the ! , , northern sector where the snow is deep and the winter more I severe. The peak of population was probably reached about , I le40. At this time the swamps in the southern part of the ; I watershed were rapidly being drained and the woodlots cut down. ~. , 1. Charles Fothergill, Unpublished Diary le33, in Royal Ontc~rio . l-luseum of Zoology, Toronto.. I I i .,--".._"~"~" ~ '. ~''''''--' ~"""'---"""-" ~.....~ _....:... -"",.,,,~';'..'--... - -'~. - - -- 403 The available cover was reduced and at the same time the number of market hunters greatly increased since Quail were much in demand and easy to shoot. The result was inevitable. Over- shooting rapidly reduced the population. The Bobwhite was 1 It persisted for many years declining in numbers by 1853. in small numbers. Dr. McKay2 reported one covey in 1905 close to the watershed. Later reports in 1910 and more recent ones are probably those of birds imported and released by the Ontario Provincial Government. while most species of game and fur were stead- ily dimihishing in numbers in the watershed, such open country species as the Red Fox, Skunk and Cottontail were increasing. The last named had come in from the west, reaching the water- shed during the seventies. These increases of course, did little to offset the general decline in the variety and abundance of wildlife. John Bagwell) of Lot 14, Concession IV of Chinguacousy Township wrote in 1819, "Plenty of deer and j partridges, wild geese and ducks, pigeons, snipes and woodcocks in profusion, free to anyone that likes to shoot themt" Such was the happy state of affairs for the pioneers. i 2. Inventory of Present SP~~ (a) Mammals ! t In view of the short time available for survey of the watershed it was not possible to make a complete col- lection including all the smaller mammals. The only area close to Toronto in which intensive collection or recording of the higher forms of animal life has taken place is the Township of King4 in which the high percentage of swamp and bog areas has greatly affected the animal life to be found there. The list of 38 mammals which follows is therefore in part a hypothetical one based on the fact that the Humber Watershed is well within the range of the species listed, and taking into consideration the limited physiographic conditions i.n the wuter- shed. 1. Hon. G. W. Allan, Canadian Journal, lB53, Vol. 1. 2. Dr. J. ~;. I/icKay, quoted in "From Humming Bird to Eagle" by G. vi. Perkins Bull. - S. J. t-.,cLeod, Toronto 1936, 3. John Bagwell "The Bagwell Letters" in Toronto Archives. 4. L. L. Snyder and E.B.S. Logier, "A Faunal Investigation of King Township, York County, Ontario", "Contribution" 3. ., "---~',....--- ~- ~.., - ~- "--'_'___"-'7 - ",..-- 404 Hairy-tailed r-lole Parascalops breweri (Bachman) Star-nosed Mole Condylura cristata (Linn.) Cinereous Shrew Sorex cinereus Kerr Smoky Shrew Sorex fumeus Miller Pygmy Shrew Microsorex hoyi (Baird) Mole Shrew Blarina Brevicauda (Sey) Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte) Long-eared Bat ~yotis Keinii (Merriam) Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris Noctivagans (LeConte) Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois) Red Bat Lasiurus borealis (~uller) Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus (Beauvois) Ermine Mustela erminea Linn. Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata Lichenstein l/iink Mustela vison Schreber Skunk !'<;ephitis mephitis (Schreber) Red Fox Vulpes fulva (Desmarest) Brush VIolf Canis latrans Say \'!oodchuck Marmota monax (Linn.) Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus (Linn.) Red Squirrel Tamiasciuriu5 hudsonius (erxleben) Black or Grey Squirrel Sciurius carolinensis Gmelin Eastern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans (Linn.) I. Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw) Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner) ~~ite-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus (Raffinesque) Cooper's Lemming Mouse Synaptomys coo peri Baird rJ,eadow Iviouse Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord) Muskrat Ondatra zibethica (Linn.) House Rat (Introduced) Rattus norvegicus (Erxleben) House Mouse (Introduced) fi:US It.usculus Linn. ~.eadow Jumping f.'louse Zapus hudsonius (iin~ermann) Woodland Jumping Mouse Napeozapus insignia (~iller) Porcupine Erethyzon dorsatum (Linn.) Varying Hare Lepus americanus Erxleben European Hare Lepus europaeus Pallas Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus (Allen) vfuite-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus (Boddaert) ; I 1 , . I \ ! , : . ., ~, . '. ~ . t I I , \ ! i , - -- - +. "-~.~...-~~ ..,-.--- , .--~ ~':r"..-----_._---'~"-~ ..;;7_ ~ ~O5 (b) Birds No less than 325 species of birds have. been recorded within a thirty mile radius of the centre of the City of Toronto. In the Humber ~;atershed al one, 264 spec ies have been observed. This repres~nts a greater varibty of bird life than ~ould be found in most areas of Southern Ontario. Of this total at least three species can no longer be found in the watershed. These are the extinct Passenger Pigeon, The Wild Turkey and the BObwhite. Less than half of the present species breed in the watershed, the majority being either passing migrants, winter visitors or occasional summer visitors such as the American Egret and Little Blue Heron. The following list includes all those birds for which there are definite records on the Humber Watershed. i' It does not include extinct birds or birds extinct in the watershed. A few ad(litioIlS.l birds undoubtedly visit the watershed occasionally although they do not appear to have been recorded. For instance, the American ~~ret and the Blue-winged Warbler have both been seen in Hir;h Park, Toronto. It is also probS.ble that some specimens of the Grey Partridge have been seen in the watershed. The arrangement and the exact names in the list are from Taverner'. "Birds of l.;anada" " , (1934) . The list has been checked by ~tr. James L. Baillie, ornithologist of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology. , , :~ i Common Loon Baldpate Red-throated Loon Shoveller Red-necked Grebe Groen-winged Teal i Horned Grebe Blue-winged Teal Pied-billed Grebe Pintail Gannet \'1ood Duck Double-crested Cormorant Redhead ; Great Blue Heron Ring-necked Duck , (Little Blue Heron) Canvas-back Green Heron Greater Scaup Duck : Black-crowned Night HBron Lesser Scaup Duck ' ! I Least Bittern Common Golden-eye ;rt American Bittern Huffle-head .vhistling Swan Old-squaw I Canada Goose "ihite-winged Scoter t Common Brant Surf Seater . I Snow Goose American Scoter I Blue Goose Ruddy Duck ~ Mallard Duck Hooded Merganser Black Duck Common Merganser Gadwall Red-breasted Merganser European Widgeon Turkey Vulture -., . C' ..--_ -'.-.""-~ .- '~'.""'~"",.,-_.'__ _ 'Y'__"__~' _ ~"_"_____'__.~.~," ~- '1 ~O6 American Goshawk Rock Dove Sharp-shinned Hawk f.'lourning Dove Cooper's Hawk Yellow-billed ~uckoo Red-tailed Hawk Black-billed Luckoo Red-shouldered Hawk American Barn Owl Broad-winged Hawk American-Screech Owl Common rough-le<;.ged Hawk GnHlt Horned Owl Bald Eagle Snowy Owl M8rsh Hawk Ba rred Owl Osprey American Long-eared Owl Peregrine Falcon Short-eared Owl American Sparrow Hawk Acadian Owl Pic;eon Hawk Whir.noor-will Ruffed Grouse. Nighthawk Common Pheasant Chimney Swift King Rail Ruby-throated Hummingbird V;rginia Rail Belted Kingfisher Sora Rail Yellow-shafted Flicker Yellow Rail Pileated Woodpecker Black Rail Red-headed Woodpecker Common Gallinule Yellow-bellied Sapsuoker American Coot Hairy Woodpecker Piping Plover Downy Woodpecker Semipalmated Plover Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker Killdeer Plover Eastern Kingbird American Golden Plover Crested Flycatcher Black-bellied Plover Eastern Phoebe C0180n Turnstone Yellow-bellied Flycatcher American Woodcock Traill'. Flycatcher Wilson's Snipe Least Flycatcher Hudsonian Curlew Eastern Wood Pew.. Upland Plover Olive-sided Flyoatcher Spotted Sandpiper Horned Lark Solitary Sandpiper Tree Swallow Willet Bank Swallow Greater Yellow-legs American Rou~;h-winged Swallow Lesser Yellow-legs Barn Swallow Knot Cliff Swallow Eastern Purple Sandpiper Purple Martin Pectoral Sandpiper Canada Jay White-rumped Sandpiper Blue Jay Baird's Sandpiper American Crow Least Sandpiper Black-capped Chickadee , ' Dunlin Brown-headed Chickadee Dowitcher Tufted Titmouse i Stilt Sandpiper White-breasted Nuthatch ! l Semipalmated Sandpiper Red-breasted Nuthatch ~ I Western Sandpiper Brown Creeper Sanderling House Wren Red Phalarope Winter Wren Wilson's Phalarope Carolina Wren ~ . I I Northern Phalarope Long-billed Marsh Wren Parasitic Jaeger Short-billed Marsh Wren Glaucous Gull Mockingbird Iceland Gull Catbird ICumlien's Gull Brown Thrasher Great Black-backed Gull Wood Thrush Herring Gull American Robin Ring-billed Gull Hermit 'I'hrush .( Laughing Gull Olive-backed Thrush Bonaparte'. Gull Grey-cheeked Thrush Little Gull Wilson's Thrush I Kittiwake Red-breasted Bluebird , Forater'. Tern Blue-grey Gnatcatcher r Common Tern Golden-crowned Kinglet \ Caspla n Tern Huby-crowned Kinglet , Black Tern American Pipit Thick-billed Murre ~edar Waxwing . -_.- """'-....-."'-.-.- .?"if) ~O7 Northern Shrike Slate-colourod Junco Common Shrike Red-backed Junco Common StEL'lins Tree Sparrow Bell's Vireo ~hlpping Sparrow Yellow-throated Vireo Field Sparrow i Solitary Vireo ~'hite-crowned Sparrow Red-eyed Vireo White-throated Sparrow Philadelphia Vireo fox Sparrow Warbling Vireo Lincoln' e Sparrow Black and ~'fult e Warbler Baird's Sparrow Golden-winged Warbler Lapland Longspur Tennessee Warbler ~ong [:parrow Orange-crowned Warbler Swamp Sparrow Nashville Warbler Snow Bunting Parula itlareler Yellow '#Jarbler r:::'gnolia viarbler Gape P~y Warbler Black-throa ted Blue Tvarbler Myrtle v-larbler Black-throated Green Warbler Cerulean Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Black-polled Warbler Pine ~~e.rbler Prairie Warbler Palm Warbler Oven-bird Northern Water-Thrush Louisiana Water-Thrush Connecticut Warbler Mourning "warbler Maryland Yellow-throat American Chat Hooded Warbler Black-capped Warbler Canada Warbler American Redstart English Sparrow I Bobolink ~ Eastern Meadowlark I Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole . i Rusty Blackbird i ! i Crow Blackbird Cowbird Scarlet Tanager Summer Tanager Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak , Indigo Bunting i Evening Grosbeak Common Purple Finch Pine Grol bea.k Redpolled Linnet Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Red Crossbill White-winged Crossbill Ea stern Towhee Lark Bunting Savannah Sparrow Gras8hopper Sparrow Sharp-tailed Sparrow Vesper Sparrow , Lark Sparrow . ":I ... tJ ~ ~on (c) Amphibians <md. Reptiles The following list includes fifteen species of amphibians ana thirteen of r~ptiles, all known to oc~ur Humber:lJatcrshed. The list has been checked by E. B. S. Logier Royal Ont~rio Museum of Zoology. MudPUPkY Necturus maculosus (Rafinesque) Common Green ewt Triturus viridescens (Rafinesque) Common Jefferson's Salamander Ambyztoma jeffersonianum (Green) Gom.l'1lon Spott8d Salamander Ambystoma mu.cul<~ turn (Shaw) Rare Red-backed Salamander Plcthodon cinereus (Green) Abundl:1nt American Toad Dufo americBnus Holbrook Abundant Swamp Tree Frog PSdudllcrls trls,"~riata (Wied) (.;ommon Spring Peeper Hyla CruC:l.f0I' (,..:1eo) Comrnon Tree Toad Hyla versicolor (La Conte) ";onunon Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana Shaw Common Green Frog Rana clamitans Latreille Common Leopard Frog Rena pipiens Schreber Abundant Pickerel Frog r...a.na palustris Le Uonte .,.; ommon Mink Fro g Rana septentrionalis Baird Rare Wood Frog Rana sylvatica Le Conte l.iommon Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatum (Merriam) Rare Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon contortrix (Linne) One Recorct Smooth Green Snake Opheodrys v~rnalis (Harlan) Rare Milk Snake Lampropeltls triangulum (Lacepede) Gommon Iorthem Water Snake Matrix sipedon (Linne) Rare De Kay's Snake Store ria dekayi (Holbrook) Rare hd-bellied Snake Storeria oc~ipito-maculata (Storer) Rare i Ribbon Snake Thamnophis suaritus (Linne) Rare Garter Snake Thamnophis slrtalie (Linne) Abundant :Snapping Turtle ~helydra serpentina (Linne) Gommon , I Wood Turtle Clemmys insculpta (Le Conte) Rar~ Blanding' 8 Turtle Emys blandingli (Holbrook) Rar ~st~rn Painted Turtle Chrysdmys bellii marginata Agassia Abundant 1. Seen in High Park in 1907 2. Founu in Black Creek , I I J. StatuE of Present Species , i In reviewing the prt~sent status of wildlife in i the watershed, one basic assumption 1s mnde. This assumption i is that any drea of a~;ricultural or wooded land in Southern i Ontario should produce both an annual crop of game and fur and a permanent population of the more interesting forma of \ ; wildlif e. It may be seen by reference to the Woodlands map (pa.:;6 ) and to the Physiographic map (pa(:-e ) that , C> ; the watershed may be divided broadly into three areas: the : industrial snd re8id~ntial aru4, wIth some market gardens, I I surrounding Toronto; the rich farm lands of the till plains; and , ~ the marginal fDrmin~ land on the interlobate moraine. Through all three dreas the Humber River and its branches flow, greatly influencin~j the wildlife ranc;e, since wtth few exceptions the - - --~ _______.___.____________._._._."__..._.__~,_ __.___.____-..,.~=___=-:.--,...~-_--:-:- " ~ ~ ~J__ ~- """"" ~~_ f 1 \ ~~/ ' ~ .tt~ ~ --~ . + -. '/." ~ ~ ~~ ~ , . ~2 GAME RANGE LEGEND A . B , C PHEASANT RANGE AND QUALITY (Baled on Climate and Land UII e) A GOOD B FAIR C MARGINAL = = PHEASANT RANGE BOUNDARIES p~~ UPLAND GAME RANGE b,,~,~~ (Based on Cover and Food for Ruffed Grouse) _ GAME PRESERVE .... MEADOW MOUSE POPULATION sn IOIE$ SCALE: MILES .. .J. ........... , '/2 0 I 2 :3 1_.... I ~f t - " '+.'_ >~r~: -_..~ _._- ---" 1 ! 1 IES ~l ~. ) LAKE ONTARIO :> . ! v ~10 satisfactory wildl.ife cov,~r is now conce:mtrated along thE: banks and bottom lands of the riv~r and stream valleys. The chief exceptions to this rule Eiro the lands surrounding kettle ponds and some wooded or abandoned hills close to the headwbters. The t<::rm wildlif\), as used here, includes on..LY the undomesticated vectebrate cmima!s. The chief, though not all, r'.::quirements for existence of these animals are cover, food and wat e.!' . ThebE> rec1Uirements vary f."'!;reatly with each species. The Ring-necked Ph'Jlu:ant for f.,xample, t hrlves in cultivated lands with long ,gra~;se8, bru.shy fences and some trees. The Ruffed Grouse requir~s uneven aged woods with access to cedar or willow swamps. The range of the Heu Fox overlaps both these cover types. The v.:,rieCi. requirements of difJerent species have until recently received little attention in wild- life management. The methods actually used in attempting to ',):":tl with the decline of game and other wildlife since early settlement have bden the traditional ones of Iiestr1.ctions on Shooting, Predator Control, the 5~tting up of Reservations, and Artificial StOCking. None of these methods had much chance of success without the provision of a proper habitat for the species concerned. The control of the habitat or environment is thus a more important pArt of wildlife management than direct ! . , control of the animal itself. Hence the most important ma.nage- ment tool 1s veg~tation. I (a) Ga.me and Fu~ No 0arne bird species existed in significant ; numbers for hunting in th.a watershtld in 1946. This f'act is not i in doubt, although no exact census of [;ame birds has be.~n mi:lde. (1) Ring-necked Pheasant: The pheasant is now considered the only important game bird in agricultural ~ Southern Ontario. The species has been introduced into Ont2rlo many times sinc~ the first attempts in 189a. Intensive I I pheasant rearing was begun in 1922. E;gs were given out in that I ~ year and later live birds Also. Since 1937 only live birds have been given out. In the Humber Wvtcrshed the pheasant 1. Rln;-necked Ph'.;;BS&..nts Investigations in Ontario 19~.6, ~. H. D. Clark0 and H. Braffette, It"'iah 8.nd Wildlife Service . Circular, Depel'tment of Lands and For'2sts, Ontario, 1946. . . . . __ __n~....._;,~' ,_ . .__. - ....__ ___~.__ ,._.,._ _. _m___ 3 -0 ~ll reaches the margin of the ranGe in \^lhich it can li ve and breed successfully. No accurate census of the population of birds in the watersh~d haE been mEde. The nearest approach to a census, the Toronto Brodie ~lub's ~hristmas Bird ~ensus, made annually, does not give a. proper picture of pheasant abundance, since deep snow such as was present during the census of 1945, drives the birds from natural feeding grounds to the vicinity of houses and barns whdre artificial feed is available, and where the birds are too easily seen and counted. The Fish c?noiVildlife Se:cvice of the Department of Lands and Forests of Ontario is at pre~:ent c;.:rrying out an extensive study of pheas2nt range &ndthe critical factors limiting it. From this study and from 2.:eneral observc:.tion certain facts are already ~lear. The best phe(;isant land 18 cultivated rich a'-;ricultural lanriwith woodlots end bnlshy Cover. But pluasante do not survivo in ,.,reas W;h~r,~ snow frequently lies deep enough to Cover seed beRring plants. The watershed may be divided into three areas, labelled A, Band C on the Game Ranse map, (page409) . These ! areas approximate those shown on a more general map in the '!-; report of ~larke and Braffette~ j The total average snowfall differs little in different parts of the watershed, but much ; . i more remains on the ground in the northern sector than near i ; , i : : Lake Ontario. The low proportion of cultivated land in the . ~ ~ ! northern sector also militates a:ainst phea~ant success. The southern sector may be considered as good potential pheasant 1 ; ~ ' range and the northern as marginal, with the central sector as fair ran':,e. Because of its proximity to Toronto no shooting ! is allowed in the southern sector, but there 1s normally a considerable ille3al kill in this area. The phe0sant population, . , ,[' i never high in the watershed, has fallen off markedly since I 1943. This is a part of a gene~al falling off in pheasant I ! abundance throu;hout most of its ran:,e in eastern North Aml::lrica. i -- A- 1. Ring-necked Pheasants Investigation in Ontario 1946. C.H.D. Clarke anc~ R. Braffette, j'ish and Iv ildlife Survice Circular, Department. of Lands and FOrl.?bts, Ontorio, 1946. , 1//2 .~ CONTROL OF HUNtiNG LEGEND I: I > ~ ALL SHOOTING PROHIBITED rrr:::rn CONTROLLED BY TOWNSHIP RE( AND PROVINCiAL GAME LAWS lATIONS ~ CONTROLLED ONLY BY PROVINC GAME LAWS. L .. CROWN GAME PRESERVES (No Huntino or Trappino.l SCALE I MILES I 1/2 0 1 2 3 .- - 1 f' ~ LAKE "\ MARIE ~\\ ~ ! ING " 4TlPNS TO c. ~ r L ilK! 0'\ '.J'1/0 ~]1 For this shorta:e most sportSTnl:n blame predators, particularly foxes, raccoons and sknnri.s. The fallacy of this argument can be seen from the fact that on Palee Island, one of the best pheas- ant ranges in North America, a parallel shortage occurred "in spite of the absence of foxes, skunks, raccoons and other native mammalian predator8"~ Since the watershed boundary does not follow township, concession or lot boundaries, exact figures are not available for the number of pheasants distributed in thf::l w~-;ter- shed in 1946 and 1947. Control of hunting 1s exercised in three ways in the watershed as shown on map,page.412. In the southern area on this map, comprising the townships of Etob- icoke, North York and York in addi tLm to greater Toronto, , the discharging of firearms is prohibited. This area includes ; , some of the best pheasant range in tlh~ watershed and the best from the point of view of climate. I~ost of the other townships over the watershed require that B township license be bought for the shooting; of pheasants or rabbits, in addition to the gun license required by the Province. Prior to the 1946 shoot a Game Bag Census Card was distributed.. RetUITl of the caras was voluntary, ana on the basie of the returns it was estimated that the hunters basged ; an avera~e of one bird e8ch during the two day shoot. More than three thousand township licenses were sold in York Jounty J alone. Sire e voluntBry returns are usually sent in by the more I l efficient hunters anu oft~n overestimate the kill, it may be f ; , presumed the ficure of one bird per hunter i8 high. In 1947 about 6,000 birds were distributed in York and Peel ~ountie8, i and again the bag was estimated to have been very low. ~onsld- erable doubt has been car.t by ~lark~ and Braffette on the value ~ of the releases of pheasants 8ven when, as in 1947, a modified , form of "Gentle Release" W~s used, allowing the birds some I I artificial protection for the early period after r~lea5e. It I \ is felt that pheasant mana,.:;ement should be based on the wild : crop. and that all relea se:3 in (:;rea s containing wild birds --- l. C. H. D. Clarke Bnd R. Braffette. Ontario Department of Lands and Fori~sts Bulletin on Phear:ant InveAltigations, 1946. J ~ /) ~l(~ should be regardea as supplementary. The pheasant situation in the watershed may be summarized 8S follows. The climat8 inhibits success of wild pheasants in th~~ u?por pert of the watershed. The aho:'tage of wild birds in the southern sectors is due to occasional deep snows and covering food patches, to clear farming, to some un- known disease factor, and to the amount of poaching which 1s inevitable ne~r Toronto. Shortage of released birds may be due in part to predators such as the fox which was a bundant in 1945 but which may be less common now due to the scarcity of its normal food, the meadow mouse. Another factor was probably the southward movement of a great many of the pheasants out of the areas in which they were released and into the areas which provide the most f:uitable sit es which happen to be further lDuth t nearer the lake, and in protected areas. Thus many of the birds released in or close to Narkham Township undoubtedly drifted down to Etobicoke Township and North York TownShip, whore shooting ia prohibited. (ii) Ruffed Grouse: The Game Range Map, page 409 showlS the possible Ruffed Grous'.) Irange in the watershed. 'hinter I I reed and coniferous COver are short in the southern sector, ; " i i and it is improbable that there are any grouse 1n the wat~r- i shed .outh of Noodbridge. }lorth of Kleinburg the species is . I , .1 not uncommon in dense woods. There is no evidence to indlc- , ate that t he population is regularly cyc11c in the comparatively reduced and sparse habi ta.t available. In one area six nests of good grouse range were noted in twenty acres and in another area two nests in ten acr~5 of woodJ. , . Three reports indicate the grouse is more i ; t numerous than it was in 1945. No other information i8 at present. I I available. The last open season on Ruffed Grouse in the ~ater- ~ \ shed occurred in 1941. It is probable that illegal shooting prevents any large scale increase. .-- l. Dr. M. Fallis' personal notes. ~..,'- 3' I" ~15 (iil) Other Game Birds: The Woodcock is still recorded at intervals in migrution in the w3tershed but very few rema in to nest. There is little hope of its dver becoming common in the area. The same remarks apply also to the Wilson's Snipe. The Grey or Hungarian Partridge has been introduced in or near the wdtershed, with little success. With the lowering of the ground water level affecting both str(~ams and ponds, nesting and feeding sites for ducks have steadily deteriorated. There are ten large kettle ponds of more than five acres each, and a laree number of smaller ones, scattered over the northern sector of the watershed. Most of these, because of interference by cattle or man. no longer attract resting ducks. Most kettle ponds are too deep except along the shore line to provide much duck food for either nesting or migrating ducks. The main mig- ration flights in Bny case either follow the Lake Huron Shore ... or cross the watershed with the minimum delay. Two marshes provide first rate duck food and nesting lites. These are Gibson Lake in Albion Township and the series of marshes along ,l.- the Humber River from its mouth to the Dundas Highway. No ! shooting is allowed in either of these areas, and moat of the ; I . I , larger kettle pon~s are posted against public shooting. The I i Humber laver itself is subject to so much variation in level ~ , I that its value for ducks is negligible. To put the matter ' I shortly, in its present condition the watershed provides very ; i little duck shooting. (iv) Game 1-1anllnals and Fur: Since the uppe rend of the watershed tends to be he.svily wooded and has satisfact- ory cover, stretching westerly to thli! liOoded Sia.gara escarpment , I , I and northerly to the Holland Marsh, it is inevitable that the I White-tailed Deer will visit that part of the watershed in i ~ summer, but the species has no valid place in the rich agric- j ultural 'lande covering most of the watershed. It is not considered Common enough to allow an open season. The ~1~ European Hare or Jackrabbit continues to hold its own in ~pite of occasional winter driv(~s in which thousand acre sections are combed to remove every rabbit. The Cottontail suJfers from the lack of v<<>odlots in the southern part of the watp.r- shed, but remains common in spite of heavy hunting pressure. The ned Fox was abundant in 1945 and 1946 according to several reports. Its population may be expected to f:)11 by the summer of 1949 since most species of mice, its staple diet, are at a low ebb in numbers. Little, if any, of the watershed provides a habitat for the Varying Hare. Mink and Raccoon are probably more common than most people would credit, along the permanent branches of the Humber and close to the kettle ponds. Their tracks may usually be seen in the mud of the river bank from 1fhodbridge north. The Skunk was abundant in 1947 and would probably withstand considerably more trapping than at present takes place. The lwluskrat is a species about which general statements ere apt to be misleading, since little 1s definitely known about its life history, populationa, or requirements in the habitat available in the Humber Watershed. It i8 certainly distributed throughout the permanent waters of the watershed whereve;~ aquatic plants are available. It 1s probable that except where strict control of trapping is maintained, the I muskrats have been severely ovcrtrHppeJ in the last three years, while the value 0 f the fur ha s been so high. lo1uskra t 8 on rivers such as the Humber are not easy to census, since the ; , fluctuating water levels force many of them to burrow sloping tunnels in the steep banks of the river instead of spending , ; the wintar and sprin.; in their houses in the marshes. The JDBr~hes on the Hwnbbr near its mouth have ~ ; provided and should provide "one oi' the best rat grounds in Southern Ontario~ I Competition is heavy amongst t rappers, and I. ! there has always been a considerable illegal kill. Two of ~ 1 the many trappers who have worked this area took 745 muskrats 1. Statement of Lt. Col. Fraser of Port Hope. _.~._--" - -- -? . / (. 3 . I~ ~18 from this stretch of riv~r marsh 1n 1923 and aver&~ed sbout 500 rats per annum from 1924 to 1930. The area includes about 90 &cres of marsh. Two of the marshes nsC:.:.l' the mouth of the river were examined in the spring of 19h7. Both had water of suit- able depth (15 to 30 inches) and both had &bundant food supplies such as Cat-tail (Typha ap.), Bulrush (Scirpu3 acutue and 5cir- pus valldus), Duckweeds (Lemns sp.) and Pondweeds (Potamogeton sp . ) . OnE) of the L1arshes wes rendered almost. completely use- less for muskrats since it vms covered "lith ~" of waste oil which enters at one corner of the m;:'rsh. In the other marsh a careful examination with field ~lasses from a high bank revealed only one muskrat house. Most of the present population is th~Tefore using bank burrows. The sewage which comes down the Humber from Black Greek has little effect on the muskrats. Two independent estimates of the rats taken in approximately 90 acres of marsh agreed that about 200 rats per annum are caugh t . This is poor but close trapping for the population present. very ~ew being left as stock for the following year. i It leems that th(~ marsh, which should, under good management. produce at least 600 rats per annum, is seriously depleted due to severe trapping. In the more southerly marsh. near the . , ~ Humber mouth, no increase can be expected unless the ~il now . , ; l being emptied th8re is disposed of in some other way. \ While it has been the practice i,n the past to ( rate areas for muskrats accordin,s to the density of a few plant s. pc; rticula rly ';Ht-tail (Typha ap.), recent investigations indicate that the rats show little food preference and will use whatever is the most availabla succulent aquatic plant, and no plant will be taken in proportion greater than its . relative abundance in the marsh concerned. Therefore, 5iven i a supply of any of a wide range of aquatics, food will not I ' ! be a critical factor. It is more pro~,ble that wide fluc- i tuations in depth which destroy the young and incidentally tend to eliminate food supplies. and, in time of high fur values, . 1 ~20 t ~ ~ r l I 'I ~ Q en CD .; c: Q. I'- 0 ~ .,; 1'-0 .. ID .~ ,,; q-~ ...J ~ en'"' 0- 0 -0 It) ~ Z 0 I- 0 0 N "ti . """ '"' '" ]: I- 'Iii 0 (; 0 Q CD () '"- ,." c: ,.; . 0 ~ '" .. .c. o - .... 0 0 C) ~ N -0 i () o!!. (.) c c: o - lIJ ...J "0 - .... .c. 0 Z :'!:. >- · N - '" 0 -I c: - o 0 :.;: .,., I:L 2 0- c: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 <I .!!t= ~ 0 0 0 CD I'- Il) on """ If) N - a: 0...0 '..un dDJJ. 'p.< 001 .0 JaqwnN IO~OJ. .0 ~ua:lJad "010 t- c: . o .. ; 0 .. - , lIJ vi . U ~ "0 0 o ... .... (/) c: 0 0... 0 ~ CD 0 ; ~ ~ ~.~ 0 '" .. 0- en c:~0- c: _ 0 2 .. "0 ... 0... c: I- _E'O \Xl J ! ::1 ~ 0 ~ - 0 "0 e -a c .; 0 u 0 0 I'- - .. - .~ ; ~~1Il 0 I I I 0- Ut 0 1Il1-0 ... .. I <I w <l 0 l- ll) c i lIJ - I- ::t: (00 .:i ! ~iiil- q- ,,; 0- j 2 0... <l W It) ~ III ::t: ~ en~ I- -0 -t:i i 0 ,.. I'- """ 0 I - ,"I .. Q ';;; c: 0 ,." 0 CD ; .c. u N 0 (.) - 0 ~ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q 0 'J CD I'- Il) It) """ If) N . 'null dOJl 'p.< 001 .0 JeqwnN ID~Ol .0 ~ua:lJ'd , I . , I I .~ I . i ~.-- ",--:~-,-- 'j . -,. "'" ~ 2-t species may incn:!aS8 tremenc~ou!dy within fJ sin.cIa year. They are so-called "cyclic" 5p~cieE. The. popllL:\tione Boem to reach their maxiITlf., every four or five YE'ars. 'I'lH:'Y then fall rapidly only to build up f~ain. The fluctuations may be very local in character, hi.'~11 in one arc ;:; and. JoW' i.n another. The Deer Meuse is considered capable of radlcally affectin€: forest or woodlot r'f}production from seed provided that a peak of its population if, reached at the time when the sprouting of foref>t tree seeds iu Jls~"\ded. The l'le8dow ~,1oul'e at its peak dccimate~; both softwood and hardwood p18ntations and. orchards by girdlin; the stem. It a1eo does con~iderable unnoticed c.arnage to grain crops. ~~inc>3 considerAble areas are being recommended for refore stut ion ln the watershed in the Fore stry sGcti':n of this report, it is important, to consider what effect the r.leadow House might h."v~ on this work. A 5 ingle ex,~mple will indicate the l.langer. On one farm in the watershed, Con. VII Lot 3 of King Township , some 60,000 trees were planted in 1939 and 1939. Of thez.:,e 60,OOOtrc.:es it 15 estimated that about 45,000 or 75.:~ were killed by the Meadow Mouse during the winters of 1942-43 and 1944-45, chiefly in the latter winter. Much of this area h~d to be replanted, some of it twice. Vlhen it is remember'Jd that the Meadow Mous~ also attacks all kinds . , of cereals and forass crope, as wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, tha seed in the ground, the youn~ shoot, the i corn , standing crop and the harvest in the shock, besidGs pastur.Js amI fruit trees, the neceBsity for its control becomes clear~ , I One authority bclli:;vcls that thel'e is a rei;ular four year cycle ; in the population of this species in New York State~ thus , ".. 1920, 1924, 1928, 19J2, l?lS. The p0aks 1n Northern Ohio are recorded as 1929, 1932, 1935, 1 j3$. 3 Comparatively little I . is knO\'m of the cycles of .!:l.bul.1dcmce in this species in ; , OntariJ. The returns on the state and change of the Meadow 1 i ; , Mouse population since 1937 received in questionnaires circulated ! ~ l. Charles Elton "Voles, Mice and Lemmings", Oxford 1942. 2. W. J. Hamilton "Field Mouse and Habbit Control in New York Orchards", ~ornell Extension Service Bulletin # 33g. 3. B. P. Bole "Th~ quadrat method of studying small ma~nal populations", Science Publications of C1~veland ~lseum of latural History # 4. 111>----.:'11 - --=--'4~-':~~" -.-.-.-..--. _.'-~---~-1 ~ ~ , 1 I'J? 1'. i." \.,/ by the ('.oyal Ontt;rio r1;S('Um of 20010Gy show no si:,ns of a widespread population cycl\3 in Southc:rn Ontario. (Th~se r~t~rns &re ba~€d 00 general observations unsubstantiated by live or dead trapping.) The four year cycles may th~rcfore be of local 5 ignificBnc e onl:,:, as they a re affected by so many variables such as depth of snow, diseuEe, predator abundance, food supply and weather. ~any reports agree that the Meadow Mouse reached a high peak in popule::. +:.1 on in the watershed in the fall &nd winter of 1944-45. Since that time it has not been abundant. Three meaeures are certainly needed in the proper management of the species. Fundamental research on th~ life cycle, habits, and annual turn~ver of population 1s essential. A simplo method of providins an accurate index of abundance or scarcity is the second n~ed, so that peaks in th~ population may b~ forecasted. The third requirement is t he establishing of cheap and efficient methods of preventing mouse injury. It ! ; must be remembered that within the pariod of growth of trees to l5 or 21) years of a,';e th'Jre is t i.:ne for three or four cycles or pp.aks of abundance to occur. The scarcity of mice in low years of the cycle makes collection of a statistical I sample very difficult. For forec83ting a peak of population i~ advance the actual abundance per acre need not be known , it j an efficient ini ox of YOtlr-to-yaar abundance can be computed from the catch in fitrai;ht lines of traps or by any oth'3J.' method. A standard trapping rn~)thod was set up in Ontario in 1947 to make 8.11 records of small mammals trapped comparable. Durin::: thd surv':~y in 1946 1!113veral methods of i trapping were trie d and tk: I' :sults fror.:l those lintlti set in the manner now considered standard were compared with a small , ., \ number of lines set out at or near the same areas in 1947. The 1 results are shown on Fig. . Thdre was not enough infor- . I mation to inuicate any trend in the population with certainty , ., , i as between the two years, but Fig. goes far towards substantiating the conclusions reached from more general observations throu;hout the water~hed. The conclusion is that both the lIieadow House <:Jnd the Deer JJ10USf~ 'dare sparsely but r~enerally o.istributed through the ,t/8t,,::n,hed, being absent from many ar88S but holding on in scattered pockets of the bost ha bitat. There is therefore, no probability of a peak in the cycle of either species at least until the fall of 1948. The control of mouse populations must be achieved by one of four methods: removal of shelter; treating the land or trees with repellents; enclosing trees with mech- anical protectors; or by killing the mice. On blow sands and light sandy loams the grasses do not .e,row high enough to shelter mice. The problem is serious only where tall grasses can grow amongst the trees. ~lean cultivation is very expensive since it has to be repeated frequently and mice when abundant repopulate a cultivat8d area with extraordinary rapidity. \ k .'. Deterrents are at present limited to two kindS, ~ ~dth Ii creosote base and those with a lime-sulphur base. The first are injurious to youn; s88dlings and the second requir~ ren- ewing s8veral timos in a winter. Mechanical protectors such as wire netting.re only practical for scattered individual trees. The obvious solution therefore appears to be poisons. , Experiments h8ve ell ready been made with D.D.T. Chronic tox- . ! I icity occur~' in meadow mice and deer mice only when fed diets . , containin3 D.D.T in excess of l~ . i From a comparison of I , i ! mice m:~ rked and rele;:, sed in an d.rea treated with D.D. T. and in I a check area, it appears unlikely that spraying of D.D.T is i ; ! 2 the answer to the problem. Wooden poison st~tions or drain tiles baiteJ with an oats-strychnine-baking soda mixture are 'i effective for very small plantations but expensive. , The role of predators in keeping down injurious species is not fully understood. Mice form the staple diet . of most of the hawk. and owla. The Snowy Owl invades the I watershed irrehularly in the fall, sometimes in considerable I, I numb0rs. F~amilwtion of hundreds of its "pellets" by the j i Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology has shown that over 90~ of .- , 1. Don R. Coburn and Ray Treichler "Experiments on To..xicity of D.D.T. to WilJlife", Journal of Wildlife Management Vol. 10 If J. 2. Luc ll1c F. Stickel "Field Studies of s P:>ro 1 ,:..myscus popu - stion in an area treated with D.D. T." Journal of vlildllfe Mnnn~Qm~n~ Vnl In ~ ~ 3" .,...J (. 2 ,'.: its food consists of loieadow tHe (; arw D(~er lwiice. The available evidence from food and life studies of the hawks indicates that the only sp8cies which take a high percentage of poultry or large game birds are the Goshawk, the Cooper's Hawk and occasionally the Marsh Hawkl. Of these the Goshawk is rare even in migration. Although poultry farmers are probably justified in destroying the Cooper' e Hawk and the Marsh Hawk, the average farm8r will benefit by allowing all hawks to feed on the mice in his fields. The complete solution of the problem of injury to plantations from mice probably r,;:quires: 1. An accurate forecasting of the peaks in mouse cycles through research and census work. 2. Clean cultivation of plsnted areas prior to the winter of a mouse population peak. 3. An .immediate and concentrated programme of experiments on the toxicity of mice ana other animals to sprayed or scatterud poisons. 4. A similar proGramme of experiments with sprayable deterrents. 5. Education of the public to t he role of hawks and owls I as mouse predators.. . , (c) Species of Sp.octa.cular Interest ~ i I The Humber Watershed 18 an area of agricultural . ~ and wooded land lying vary close to a vast urban population. 't i Because of this fact, the sportsmen and professional hunter! and trappers make up a very small proportion of those who visit the watershed. To the grent &rmy of average citizens - , casual obs~rvation8 of the l~rger and more spectacular forms of wildlife provide great interest. Ihey also provide relax- ~ ation from the tension ana n0rvous excitement of city life The more interestimj ard8S are discussed in B I and work. i . separate section. Some of the more mtdresting speciel! merit , , special attention here. -- _.- - 1. L. L. Snyder "The Hawks and Owls of Ontario" Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology Handbook 1932. l'o;t ie:ipOl't.unt 18 \'rh:- ,.hitt;-tuilud Deer. whIch JlU:iy b~ seen !:lover- i SU:~L~..lC tJlon th~j \'l/()()Jt;'u pa.rts of thi.:1 rld.S,~ northwuiJt ol Y.it..: ~;llU ~ n t'i.: wi .ider 6:cti ;'2 Wttut of i;al;:r.r:::lve. t:ost of thB~.l\.' t:tte::r' 'iIi]q\.u(' outt:.id'i;\ tb'} ~bt~csh~d olth8r in thu ce~ar swamps ed;:n;; the Holl.... nu ~:.'~rr,h or in the WOOdS of the ;";re:d- it fUV..0I' Valley. It is to b(: hop~d th&it~ thtlY wi 11 always b(l allowed to c'Jnt inui: in small numbe.rt1 in tht~ watol'shud. -.J~Hlet 8. re a gr.,:.'<t rbrlty in the wat~r8hed. r:':e Bald ,..;,,;le hilt; bt;:!tn ('.:corJeu E'.!V,,'~":id. tin:tH \Jut the Goluen ;: r~lC:.l only once. 'Old fool... of r h9~;..' D:., 1';1\:1 b ifj largoly ciilrrion 1'1 eh or liv in;; [ish 0 flit tlt: Cr.};:Wi:.! l.'c1-!-:1 val U~, Gnd thtl birds iQ.rC- pr'ot- ~ct6jd by law, but 13~.'v'jnll MVIJ Oij>.:n t;;bot in thu ll:.i./l.It if::,. Yl.~Qr&. No thinkln,; J.X: ['e;0n woult. uif)turb one 0 f the~i:f ma.~.n1rlclJnt birds. '~hp T1.rk tty Vulture and the Osprey fir" se..;O only In ml';r:..t1on h!1J t.he ,..nowl (lwl conan to th~ watt'r8h~ti only in wintlJr. ,,()f;t of tho) l.,.r!"";~J.' and r.10rt~ epectaculsl' birds ~ th.=tt nc st in t1h~ ....;:t;;'rsh~H. ap} now }JJ:"'lt';2nt 1n Vt:ry smnll nWLb'.;1'8. : Yet they 1nt,cr... f' tJotll tho fipon.aman l;nll the general public mol'~ than do the ernalh.:.c blnia. Unhi~s cot ini toly provL;d to be iUi!1L- .f1Jl they ahoulli L<.: p"irticu lQI'ly \mcoul"mp;~d in tho W&t'd r8h.~d. ! ! Th~y in-...;luu,"': am()iJ.~lit othvr(, th,; followin[~ splJciir1s: I . , ;r- h."n H~r.S'Jl- J'Jst 01' trlu .modsu lake!i and ponds support Iii I , ! p':~ir. i t'" '''''ic'.~''Jif I" .,) i~OIHH'Lll Y di otributcd and not UnCOl1il'.on. ~ ol..~ \.- ;. ~ ~.w :,L........<_......:,~...::....'~..::. ~i.lCk ':<.:rn- On., c'")lonJ', in ttv) roa r[JhefJ ".t thd Humbcl' mouth. f>liick J~ t, br-,:cdlng:popuL.. t .ton 01' about 150 va irs 1. dstiul'::t.tJd, oxclu81ve of thoa~: ~t thu m.:irsh.,s of the Humber mouth. Or(;~t...Bol:ned OWt- Thti COI:ll!!on€'st owl pr,~t~t.mt. Of the . BstlInated 75 pa.1rfJ. R numbtJr dr''- shot <Annually. , P.l1~attl~Q2..t.!e.!..~..!!!:..=. This IlfH:.lcius is confiw'!(J to i. ft:w f.ll"i:oba of hClivy hardwod fon~~t. 1'h~rtf .sre 1 probci bly not mor\-t than 15 pairs in the w.;.t'.irvhed. . : 4. fmprovin;: thG f;~l'l.r; _for :;.11dlt!~ , .It i5 not practlc:d in thIe rtlpOl't to r~Conmt:nd t t ; specific Improv;J..,ent{. for tdld,l1.f~ for individual [art15 1n the I i Humbcrl.:.:.t'L~.ce~wd . ....uch u proj~Jct t#)ulo 1 nvolvo det.~l11t:}d cx.amlnat ion b'3y')n,; the SCOP? 0' the prCbsnt survey. 'riflo poInts , __r." ..--, -...-... ---4>--~ - 1. The abov(j 'J:;til~:,,,,ter. ~;;e (;~H;uc~d fro:', :'i:::ur(;s suprl.i.ad by !(. v. 'C8;;;~k~' fut' i<:'ln;lmins"l1p. :l, .... ~ show!... b~ rr~;id;j clH&H' bofore <'lfl}r , ;.~nvr.nl t"1..'cot'tr1endat1ons c(~n I.)fJ D'Ulde. 1'h~1 .flrr;t, is Unt m.06t. <>f loll',j l,'''!nd of t.h~ WI:it~lrslJH(: shows thH norr'191 eliminntion of C()V'.~' 10,' ',JLL(jllfo that i:s to be expect"h.i on ;~ood 80i1s ..{h~).c'J Llt....nl;ilvt~ mix.9d farminr: i~'1 pr,H.:tisod wi thout p rot ccti:m of woo,,;lota or f trl.~al1l sources from;r6~in2;. The !I('!con, ~ is t ha t th.:.! onl.y .ft. enjf, u,h tch can bo improvad for wild-- life 8~'U t hOfH:l ~~h.,ru th'l:.' .C~t'w:,;;r ot.' lunuowner 1. inttn"CBttlid hlm.slt)lf in ..Joiw; eo. L.any j'""r:noars f7l.tty 'dlf:.h to lmprov(1 luna for wl1<.Ulf~ 'witt) ap.i.'l.rt frOl'tl ttny ~,1VtmUe t.hey may reoeive from .,s:ame or fur: other!' m.ay uo so b'iJcuus<J thtJY know thNt 81nco p1on~Qr times, Bnd partlcullH"ly ne(:n' lar,:e clt1ee, t he supply of :;&.1'110 ha.e neV6:~ yet CXCtH.:ctod t.hi-3 <l6111,~nd e:md i!$ not likely eVdr to ;jO so, anJ. th~1"C io no l"t;~d~On why G. fHI'l':ld' should not ruc\i1ve remunor- ation to cOV'Jl" hi" costs 01' wild1.1ftt improvoment work. (a) ...:oodlands .. '1't1\: C!11min,\t ion of~r'a" int~ of woodlott\ would. be tho most u 5~~ful sin .-:li' mfHHlure in improv1n;; thti wildl iIe unvlroll- me nt . La t":t;-sc&.lQ re! fJ rc st;.. t.hn pL,ne <'H'~ 1 ncludli}d in the Forost.ry roport. In youn." plantl.l.t l'mf>, up to about tbe t<.lnth Yfmr from ploilnt.in.:, the ~nt lr~J plfmt~d aroa is v#,Alusblts for wild- lif(i:. But large blocks of coniferous treus will, at lua~t aftHr ! the twelfth year from planting, havi: 11ttlG or no untJlir:~rowth ; and wi 11, '" pf.). rt i'rom tilt;! 1 r ed3bl5, bd entiraly stdrl1e f,;-; far as I I "",. i upland game ana I!ioet fOllrl8 0 f 'l'iil.;.llif e "-ro concel"'nod. ! l",e chie1'lmprovements to b.l uxtx!ct<::d WU.llhl;trtdo:r.~t coma fr\'")m~ood. manage~nt of th,a f'irm woo'-.tlot. ~electlve cutting lh both Bound for".;' try pructice ~nd roou plennJn;; for wilulifd. I,and - (),W'iners who hbV~J wooGlotf! 1:1 which t hn c {'own cCi.nopj' h!;iS closed ov.;;r consi'~i:!"..blo dr(:lls, tAna who wish to produce 8. prop~)l' i;1nviroll- i1I.unt fOJ" ;..;lLil "ii',:. will. finG that rele~E6 cut~in~b, ~11a "b in ;;8 , to stimulc,te sprout ';r.;y...th, thlnnin:,8 and Jalling tlmb2r for sale ,i will ir;~prl)ve r;.th'];l' th.an rutal'<J the carrying c{lp.nc1ty for I I wildl1fi'~ . ~~hi;~l'tl holiow tr'~(."5t uz\::let.::. for 1umo\.::r', c.lr"J using " I 1 up tha wooulot l:P'~';;d, t.h~y Cf,U bo .\~lrdled r.tht:.[, than fell\Hl end will thon continu~~ to providfl dens for r~ccoon8. equi.t"....'cla and oth~r v~.lu&b18 or int'.H'{~8tin6 r:ptCii;t:. ~onst ructlon of -.....;;.;;==--~_..- - .--.- -.----:;::-.::;;---==---- - --'-'--- " ~ 0", t ,l;'~ , ,: The disappearance of the old weedy fencerow is a vital factor in tht~ gradual extinction of game and other wildlife in the 'watershed. ~ ' "r-' -~,,~ n',.,_ ,.., { . . , I . 1 , f " " ~ i , , ,. " . --.->------- -_.....-. " ~ . The tendency r,owards modern "cl.ean fa rming II . ., Two of the fences at this field COrl'Wf' have , i been removed. The t,,"o rema in ini::; one~:' a.re cleareu of all shrub growth or ot.ber wild- i life cover. -.-- -- ~_.---------~- -~-- 10(' i! " . J "'-, ~ " 'j - ", I'~ " ,,,;)rW ' , '-- I ~f \'f(, ~\ , , BEFORE IMPROVEMENT "! . . < I , i :: j. " . . t AFTER IMPROVEMENT EROSION CONTROL CAN PROVIDE , " GAME COVER 1 . . J j \ -- - -, , " / I "~"'." , bruah pil!?f: fr'ofl: cuttln l;' L~ r(:co;c;":;nc,},..l .....it.re r.';r..btt:: .:]/. r' ~:~ Ci i: ,. i rd 0 , L W.l 0 r th t'l;'f ~,u~h :. j'lHh pll,:~ ;';.T fer,.: I:..h;,'1u.; U,l;;' nr)rroiil.l f:pacjn;;. (b) Cultlv&tion ;rh~tlce' \ -....- ..-~--.._-_......~- -.---'*..---- 1<11 'Zoo~ f~;r!lJ,in~ pre ctlc€s ~'Ihich rn.3ke :it rLor<:~ luxuri&nt v~eet&tlon ~ill improv;; t. h~ f; r'lt tHlV iro nr1'l{:nt for wildlife. f~>,-t epecl~;l rrE.;tlce~ v;111 ,~:iv.t~ mnre t:p111cific Lcncflt s. ~. trtr-c rop 'in, , c: l'lf.cr'lb t~(i ~: 1 5 (;'",h.;: l'f.; 1 p t hit.' r,~' po r't . if of p8rticu:~r v~lu~ Ginct:, by th1.T menta; no (jxtt;ln~j1vn ,;rf~a is dGmJd~~c of CO\! , r ,. ton,.! f :!J;., by harv~;~',t in:;. ~.od I'll t \;;r &trip~, e'tth'"r r:ibov~j 'oIJatf,r Glv€reton tl,;'rrac~)e or U:liHHi t'8 u:lcrg~f1Cy Wet tir;ofl yp. pro'l;l(~o t;rm.."tl lGtl(H. snc. n\tstini: cov't!r for..l1dl ift~. ~ov(:;)r crOl-l(J tluch i.;~; tht,1 clovere p1"ov1t1'1;; ;:; [wh- itst .end food for ",11<.:11fn in [jrfUiH:. thut woul... othlf,rwiso bd barr+)n JUl'inc; thH wintor nnnthb. Th<i.l tlllminat10n of: bl"Ushy fencerows is now the ntle JA'1th~r th&n t.h(:, eXCc1ption on ~outhl!i1rn OntDr:i.o [0.rms. r;'hOfk1 ~mo ~Ir!:i ! ntcI'('f~t~i) in 'A'llullfe improvelmmt will flnu t.h;.~t t!)t'l tnclt.sion of t'. ftlw 1'it;'l<1 bound- lir'l h~l'1gun on the f.u'm wi.ll mOGfjratu thi.l offHct of ~",lnlJ.'::l on crops, S'C1rve he travol lam~~ and COVUI' for wilulifu, line.:. ha.r- bor 1nrc:;e nUmbOl'E'. of s;:m;;blrc:s '..-:hL;h control insect pe",ts. The most efficient wlndbr';'J!\ke for 9)"posud fields will include both ti'f,HHS tmd )( ro'" of sbr1.l be, :; ~ +:.he shrubs $oli:cted should ! pr'ovlde a vhl'le ty of fru:i. t a tor food. (c) Food And ';OV1'H' P.~\..ch-ce bo. .-..-,...__ _~..______ _"'--'\<iI.___ Fiala corn\~:!'s ore fru.~\~~mtly b"\l.rr~n of crops. Iny fdnce crossin:, tboreftH'e !htch .:.;mbraces th"" cornern of Jour fit.:lcis may b~, nlsG'Jlnto w haven for ~~r'ourv~ n~stin~ species by plant inf; !1 ftr)w t.r~.:H.H'i I.mu sht'\.l.ba ftHl~l protect1nf~ the.s,l. It ., 16 important to ria such ..Jr"i;J/:L& of ul5dlecH.l Ne~d8 by \;I~o.roin~~ them out wi th ~lth()r b 'rry bU8~ltlf.l, plu.'1l Uiick...ta and sweat clover or th.J nor'tl~l climax typu of opl:jn vttgotation which 1s blueGrass. ;jincii:, th<:3 phl.::as~nt, <a.t let..st. c~mn()t hopv to ~ur'livi) eov"Jru wlnter~ in CHOIl\. of ~ouUwcn vnt"rlo ~'iithm~t, 8 food supply .addition.':!1 to the uEual <lifjt. OJ eeede of ra :;wt.t~d 't, ; 3 -71 i:HlJ oth....r' 10\; pllrud..a. t hoe 1.2 W:1O .\11 Llh to prot..::ct t hit:: v~~'.:.h..:i(~e ~hould provicu f0")J I1i:-.itchuf.'. ~,hol't cows of stand~ug cor'n or cO.."'n in shoGkti f:lh<1u1d bu l~ft c10;;:.\\: "\.,0 good cov.:tr. 1e1lo\. corn Is tht,! !,^lQI'\J U t':>uful :.YP'j becau:..;.(; oJ ita hl;;;h 'lit anln "1\ It contont. Hue:" .cjhtl~:t. 8i..')ytwsnB ":ld ,l.:i,:...,!)ijse l:illet ",:.:-;;:: .,.160 rQoOj:.I.J,.Judf1d. li.:.SllSvd rolls of :,m~\.: WiI"O 113ft at thlJ ad~~e8 of WQ()dl.l'inda prov iJ~ VO!~y ucct)pt~Jb:L() C")V,H'. It naod h<:lrdly be tul1.d the. t. tmy \)5 ~)1 \1~"" I) r '~uJ 1 t d a r':&. 1 n .1hich';1"Ou.pa of t1.Vergrolm tr0€J8 .:1;";0, plantae is of vHlud · 0 wlldllfo. .Pi,;" . shows 1) sin:ple t..:-cat.;::o:.,;mt of <:l t.:.tpical farm in th~ Humt1\~r ./at",r1had to ir:'\i.H'OV2 i~., for wilJl1ftJ. (rl) l:O!E!L~~"~__..~:!:J:~~~!E..!. Tne i u.portancc of ..1 at~: r to w-lldl1fa is of ton for6ottf!n . ~~6t farms h~vo ~t lQ~at ana low spot ~hurd a small -1!lOount of work \dth il (,COOP \~ill provide a dam anu H pond to provide l'lt)ltiUi!, Cil.nd fet~d1n.-:t site;:; for wat~r and IDllrsh birds. If pos8ibl;~ ponds for wildli:i.t should b~j tJupo.rata from t.h06iJ for cattle. .nd~r' oUrhl w1110-."I cut~in';5 pUBhod in U..e ground around such a h0110\1 will r~piuly prov1(le wildlife covur. New water ~rf;llU5 w~ll r:lpidly bo 1nvadoil by aquatic plant:;:, but adJit.ional spacies may h:....V'3 t.o be introiluced. No duck food studleG huv(i be:cn 2~de in ;,;,outhcrn Onturio. ',~'11d tUce may be lntrod l.1ced but tlIln:.:t..t; it i ~ nut .. ~'.' ;jdnptad to widd VlJ. t'idtions in W&t<;H" levul tl. bod in..;; o:t~n 6t~;r il.' 1. n f luctu&. tin~ watlJ rrt. it cannot be con5id~rod ~~ cal~oin to Sticcuod. '1'hlJ followln~ species 'l'ihh:h mr-:.'J b~ ;;"c11y obts iT'Ll arc recommdnded tlS c~('tl,in to 1.;9 v~lu.ible c:uck food-u. ...c.. ~ none of them oc~ur 1n ponde or shallows with ~:ood cov.:~r for d~cks they $hould bo introduced. Sa ,,";0 rond WOIt~ d IPDt.mol.ton pectIn.tue L.) ~l;l spirl~-le&V6d .,'ondwl/jed Pot~lIaOi;oton }H:H'fo11atu8 L.) iilld Millet bchinochloa "nJegalli (L) dcauv) Japnnli:t88 ~illfit (6chinochloa frumontaclia {Roxb.} Link) li'11d ~elery (Val11ener1a sp1ralls L.) Knotwticd (Polygonum ptiDJ1sylvanicum l..) , ;jlDQrtwded f f.'/Jtr'onum mu~lonberfli (~1a1:sn.' ;;iatta) Bulru6h ~c ;t~US amer canU8 ers. Bulrush (~)c1.r'pue acutus (.Muhl.) Str~am8 and ponds in the w4terahed with relat- Ivl;)ly etable depth. of 1e inche~ to 36 inches of "later may be 1mprovod for m\.lt~krat6 by plant1nl~ ~nttoil. (Typha sp.) for I. ,;.~ - "";'1:> .;'". '.- ..' 4. . ." - -~ - -~ i;-;;"~"~'-'- ~""""-"'';;''-;'''''-:;:'--'-~'.'i:' -'~-"-"....-:,;. ~ .-} ~ SU'iJ1PJt' l:d1d "t.....int..:t' f')Od ::'H.!. 8tH:} t.'l~ "n~. tl'".; ;U:':""O '~J.:i!1 Fl ow~~riT.1&: "' l 'I31.~t,j:1t'd6 lln:he'Ll,::tup y..) r('l,~,;,:'j HJ::; food. .. ".Ill.) ,{h'''l""f.; thi.-' prllnlH'Y ,'Ij:'lu1r'lt1ent In f.l propostid pond or p,.md. l'l:.;r(""',~~ti:nt 10 t';o ;)f'.xJuctlr.:>n of fish. "~ll.Y \,j,if- f.urent tr\J;,tm.mt ls in.::ie.:,t",l. 7:,: ch 1 t;; r nHH:.'lL~ch on :l.;:I;:H"~)VU- ;-,l.Jnt ~ to 1>. c:; .Jon,lz IH~e b;Jon:::::; 1''''1 d 0"1 t n f50uthdr'nln:J :(t"nnur cl ij~a:td5 tinJ t.h r:;::oru can:1ot b'2 ;..ppllclc1 ..ltthout (l\lel1..ricatlon to an::i!'''Hl lvv.i!l; i)le i;1.:r..st(1 '}f :":OUt.h'l:'""Tl Ont.1rlo, hut 80m#~ cl)/in i t.J C-:"C;J:"m ;)n-:: ~:1 t lnm Tn.';1) bo !J1ad":). .,..... #.r'rr. ".m,-J.s ,lr,~ of t'~~ kinds. The t1rst i:; the cool ."-Ion.i Wtt!1 ;jbi;1)'l;~nt .::n:Y;::f:!1 &'l~;ily 'rom continuous i.nflowing *'!.ttor 'lnJ "'lxi.i!.1.nl t;;-~~pli.'l' tur;j n..)v;~.::" aoove 7S0. 11'11:;,,; t YptJ 0 f pond 1~ be:.;"!;.. '-f.\.l&r'tad to t. )](: P~'O~11 ctlon of :'~p~cklf:d 11 'jIlt or Browl1 T rotH, f) nJ ls .;,tt'<cTJs::ed tn 1":,11.: s,.!ct1,,:,;) o~ this :"tJport. h~aded 'Blol.o:-;{ nn.J Flf.h of thtt :t1v',;r'. ThH t'F'cond tyro a of p':md :l. :5 the warm Wi',t:H' farm. pond. Th\'trc d r'l;J ~ ';~'I;;H-lt ,umr sm"ll kAttle:..~r low phlC.. on the CD tinS on the :~umb{lr ":Zlt~~rsned 'Which cO\lld bH easily tru;:de into o::cell~nt f::H"m fish pcnd.r.. In ~oner81 the tJ~etm~nt 1nvol vez th€ .:,)11o\i{ln:: t:rprovwm~:nt. 1. :. c.:i~,!": bh~)ul.' t.Hr. built wIth 3 J - 1 slope u!-H3tream snd 8 2 - 1 D 1 0 Pi;) i.: 0 wn c t ,,:,~ 0.m , {'nElurin;: (;, mlnlmu&r. depth or 10 f'~et OVdr r t. 1eH:t 25!~. 0;: t ~it\ pcn;d , to ';v0i<.: ~xce~::.lv:: wInter ! kill, probnbly the c_ ~t1CDl r&ctor in fish 9urvlv~1 in moot fl.lrm ponds. 2. /.n ',w!(,rE::>~n(,;y ~p1.1J~'R.r I!hould b,~ prov1dl!d. ). If f,;ucke..~~), Ci.r-)1 OJ:' ~')lrge nU.'1l~JOr5 of minnow" Ll"'Q elready pri! ~j~Z!nt in thl.' pon..:.\. '-t... if. ueuall.y btH;t to destl"oy 011 fi.nh In t he ~xmd. Hili t rLI.: t i "n t h rou ~~h the pond "J . .II ),~ i{otenone POWd"H' f..:t r, rsta of 1 lb. p~r 24,000 cu.. ft. of wator tn t.he pond BhoulJ b(' ('nou!rh to k 1.11 all fish in thlit pond. 4. It 15 Lometlma5 nacessar:.r to ellminRte '~x18tlng aquatic pl.nnt!.', by raking or handpulling. 5. Thora have been f~w t~(JetH m;jde in Ontflrio of the ''!- ...... ........ .. .; 'r erriclt1ncy of a ppli.c;ttiQnr, of ftH.til1zer (usually 8-(5-4) to Increa5~ thd crop of plan~ton. thf2 t.m~ IltJt' .'lUll.t 1. (; 1nvur- tobrc,te5. Thtl ,(e5et~rch nO'it b(~ln,~ ct'-irricd out In thIs 1,leId t"lill probatJl)r leat: to (>\oo} tC.a.tt,lon of fertilizer:.;; becomin-s more '?:en~ral. G. St,ockln'~ of fish i~ n<:tcesf;ary in mo~t pcndfS. If tl'"le fieh in thr.! ponJ h aye b~()n (H!titroy~~d. in thfS fall with f1ot- I~-mone t,llTJ ponu u~ay safely b-.: !:.tOCkZ1d in th~ succeedini.~ s rri ng. lllnrm ',o~ter p('nd~: nll~Y "IJ stocked to the b'i:,..t advltntn'~"! with a mb:tura of h;.r.::emouth~d best> (Huro ~>Cllroolde8) end hlu.~g111a (Lepomis macLroch i ~us) 1" t tJl (!! t'at'} of 100 bbStl p'~r Gcra limd lO<n hltJ0i:,il1fi JF;r ::cr~. (~ ) ;'.cv l~f..l bnti Plana ,"'<1"" ~ J A f't'.:.:r" C~ rt:;j~' 11y com~ 1 dcrln~~ t hI;) forElgo1.n~ ; poe51b1:.1tlee, th& fi..rn~r who 1e int€lrt~Btaa 1 n wl1(Ulf~~ should consult the local Fish and wildlife supervisor atati('l1&d &t lUchmonu Hill -.ho Ceil c-sri!f1t 1n flU;?: :I:l~.tin.,~ profltabl4:ll alter- ations in or ndn1.t:lonn to any ;:.1.08 ln~ld~. 5. r'ot~;n,!:.L:"l Wlldl tf~' ij'l.lfu~e /erN-I The double object of wildlife rafu~. &rc.e8 Is purt.lcularly sl,~n1flcRnt in l:i 'Wllterflhed adjoining a concen- tration of u8hrly . million pooplo. The watersh~d i. in~vit- ably heov11y hunt.~a nnd trapPEtd, and fipec1fic r~rw~e aroao t~ro i therefore ,:soential to Ii. continuous supply of ;~am<!' and fur. Refuge aroCts should &150 furnish a sufflcll'fnt habita.t fof' epoclo6 not e oU,':r,ht &ft..:r 'ditht.;un and trap. Too oft,en tho pl~nnlnG for fuch epaclee 1s left 1;0 l&trJ thtit the pitiful remnant of lnter(,sting spt1cios GrtHJually d.l~. out ;.nd J1s&pp- ~t.lr.. It i 6 not yet, too late for such plannln~ on the Humber watershed. H.efw~elS Rl"U 01 two k1.nds, the small ODes of two or three acret' Ol~ 1 ilt,b P rovid in~ only lmmeu1at~ .tia.f ~ty for the -----........:=:::::::.~~~~~~-.=>i'"'-. -- ,--~-",-..,.,.... -.-~- '" ",."--" 43-./ 1\ I , ~ POTENTIAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AREAS - ADJOINING NO NAIIE LAKE "'ARSH CRO~LANDS - I SLESWICK 41 IIIL ~ WOODS 2 GillSON 51 MIL !..- LAKE 3 PALGRAVE 34 MIL ~ WOODS 4 SCOTT 50 ifILl ~ LAKE 5 COVENTRY 29"'L, '~ HILLS . 1I0L TON WOODS 7 KLEINBURG WOODS II HACKETT LAKE 9 EAST IIRANCH IIIMILi~ PARK 10 IILUE CREEK 14"ILI~ ~ARK " SCARLETT I'D 5 1II1LI~ WOODS 12 HUMIIER 's MARSHES o MILl =-- SCALE MILES i 1/2 I I 0 I 2 3 t I .... - I I i 't' ~~ , " V_~~____'_ ( \ ~r ~ , ., Ie t ~ " ~., ~" ... it!' ii'. If ~ rtl' !!\'"'Q' .. J ^ ! ~.J ONTARIO :; . I , i ~.......- -J " ~.~~...-" .'-<i.--*r----~'-;-.-.:::;..::-~;'" "'....^,......w.."'q"""'.'-,.,'""_'';:..,. jl ~ ~'" ~35 hunt ad. Such a r<dl.l;;e should be on ev,'ry farm. The second type of refu:,;e, with which this section 1s concerned, is the large ona which is big enoui6h to repopulat e surroundin;J. .~ reas with wildl ire by the pressure of f3xpanding populntione. The tendency in the p.'1st has been for game preserves. in particular. to be too la rge. Thus whole townships have been 5f~t off as preserves in vtlich, apart from their edges, they have hud no function in repopulating the outsid8 areas. If the present tr,;~nd of population growth in Toronto continues it is probable that tan outer Green Belt will eventually be neoded and established, as discussed in the Recreation section of this report, a.nd it will include much of the escarpment 8nd the hL.,h ridge crossing the north of the watershed and fOllowing the river valley down to Lake Ont.ario. Of the 12 potential r~fu;e areas listed on the accompanying map, the first 10 fall within the area recorded by Putnam and others as the probable future Outer Green Belt, and one lies within the Imler Green Belt recommended by the Toronto City Plann in;; Bo; rd t s report for 1943. No a.tt.,ampt has been me-de to locate the exact boundaries of the areas markud on the map. They appear t~ be the most suitable areas but their boundaries would depend on the co-op.::.:ration that can be received from owners of the i different prop8r'ties involved. Some of the charaoteristics of l" these areas aru describ~d on th~~ chart accompanying thu Refuge Areas map. It may be notea for instance that five of these areas lie within ;Jource Areas recommended for public acquisition in the Forestry section of the report. Some other character- istics of the Refuge Areas may be briefly noted. Refuge forea ~ The Sleswick Woods provide exceptionally good Huffed f}rouse range, probably the best in the watershed. Refwz:e Area 2 . . Gibson Lake is unique in the watershed. It provid~s the only perfect example of plant 8uc~e2sion in a large .,~.. 3 .3/ ~36 marsh area from submerged aquatics through V&riOU8 6t&~a5 of floating species, r'~~ed swamp, sedg2 meadow, willows and poplars, to the final climax forest, and its fauna is simila.rly varied. Reforestation of the surroundinG land, planned in the Forestry section, will retard the present tendency of the lake gradually to dry up. This lake besides beine of general interest to the public and of special interest to naturali5ts, also can provide a nucleus of wild ducks and other game which may spread to other nearby smaller ponds in the neighbourhood. Refuge Area 12 The Humber marshes are already closed to shooting. The area is only listed here because several different plana have beon lID de for its future. It has been 'suggested in the past, and repeated in the planning report on the zoning of the Township of Etobicoke, that the marsh area should be partly dredged and partly filled in to straighten the river Humber and provide a regatta course. There is already ample space for such activities alon~ the entire 1ak~ shore inside the breakwater and at Toronto 131and. If the present marshes were partly filled in a buildin; progranune would certainly be started along the edges and much of the area which is listed as an 1 would be integral part of the Inner Green Belt of Toronto l sacrificed. The eight connected marshes which are shown and numbered on the accompanying photograph, now provide a rare feature so clos~ to a large population Centre. The river which winds through the marsh already provides boating faCilities. or the many species of bird. which Occur in the marshes there are twenty-seven different species which ~lould in all probability disappear from the immediate Toronto region if the Humber marshes were obliterated. Most of these are spectacular species. Some of them are extremely rare in Southern Ontario. A few may be 2 listed: - . --- 1. Report Toronto ~ity Planni~g Board, 1941 2. From recorda supplied by F. H. Emory, Toronto, 1947. -_._--------_.._~ ._-~_.-._-----._-_._- ---,._-~-.._-- , ')..... ~ . j I An ael~ia,l vi;;}?>' (.11 ,. ,:~,;.~ r' 5t~ (:J ~:~ ct 1... , ,;.{)-'1 t~';. L t ~f~ ~} U,). i t)t:~ I'll . '.f<- ..; J, ,;arsh ifl L~ "... -<>. . 1)1' (i t.l {.~;:.., ~.~ t . Il)UJ..;:(l \,1'(.1_ i- i3, ! Leu' X"y ,~, ..; L-.~~ 0 ~'-;-a r~sr~ ;/3 is r.L~; JI..) :~: L- va lu.t.,]~: '..': ~ . ~, '1 , Y' I'fl dUCKS, fiB c.i .. .r~ it 1.;- i (; 1 iid. c:~; a 1. .~ .r":~ L ~JpeL ;,\!'H t. ~_;~ T' 8r~CB .. i 1 '( ,r ~~. 0:," tor ;.~<<.r-sltes di-.l-, L prov ieit. {;; ~(C ~~ L -L, ~ l t: 'OCt ,', t...; i-<' ,'.dJS,c I'-:~i t. 'I , .~ '" .:'1 uc \.. Uflt in I () .~." ;'.'; - " ~ ::., .~ :;/ a :..' (: j~-' 1 U \/ ,',; -~ 3 . ..;rce ,_.J i C-: ~..o 'live ln, L~:.c ,~- .,,;~ '-,' .' l).,.:!,) l"\. :.) . \.>..; ~ '..;'; 2- ~ y ..... ~3B Pied-billed Grebe Great Bluu H~ron Great White Egr'.Jt Little Blue Heron Black-crowned NL;ht Heron LIJ&st Bittern American Bittern Gadwall 0hoveller Pintail Wood Duck Lesser Scaup Duck Hooded Merganeer King Hail Virginia liail Sora Hail Common Gallinule American Coot & Black Tern In addition ~ marshes have a wild and natural beauty. It is therefore recommended that any part of the marshes not already in public o'inerehip be acquired for the public, and that the wildlife in it should contlnue to receive protection. Trapping of muskrats in the marsh 1s dis- cussed elsewhere in this rapar t. Since the muskrats are cap- able of producing a sustainea yielu worth several thousand dol- lars per annum without apparent detriment to other wildlife, it appears reasonable to allow trapping of muskrats to continue, a procedure already followed in SOMe other provincial parka, but the annual catch would hava to be rigidly controlled. liosquitoes in the marsh have S ometirnes proved a , nuisance. Control by spraying 20~ D.D.T. at the rr,te of' 0.1 1 pound sprayed per acre, should eliminate these pests. This would have no appreciable effect on the rish population which would be planned for the area, nor on the muskrats. It i. very doubtful whether it would affect other wildlife, although aome of the smaller aquatic rorms such as Hemiptera and ~oleopt- era would be reduce~ aefu~. Are. ~ ~oventry Hills. This area is already marked as a SourCe Area and it is particularly suitable for demonstrations of Erosion Control, ~ontour Ploughing, Reforestation Methods , and Long Rotation Pastures. It WOuld therefore be reasonable i j i to make it also a wildlife refuge. It is within half a mile ~---- 1. A. D. Heas and G.G.Keener. 'Erf~ct of Airpl8ne Distributed D.D.T. Thermal Aerosols on Fish and Fish Food Organisms'. Journal of Wildlife Management Vol. II, January, 1947. . -- _.' -".-, -.- -,----..-.~_.~-.-._.---_._~. "'-'- -'-- ..,..._---'---....""',..,_.~--, (-?J~ ~39 of the Nzlghbourhood Work(~rs f'ssociation Camp and thorei'ore would be available for education in conservation to large numbers in summer. Refup.:e Area a Th8 Hackett Lake area is the best remaining example of a large boreal lake. Wood ducks still rest on its wooded shores. The Pileated Woodpecker is still to be found in the mature timber stands surrounding the lake, and deer frequent the I1'B reh in summer. This area is unique in that continuous recorde of the bird population. have been made Over a period of more than twenty ye are. Refuge Area 10. The Blue Greek Park ar<.::a has a permanent stream, a high percentage of tree COver of various types, and a small marsh and much pEsture land. It would be an ideal ref- uge ~rea in its present condition except for the fact that the stream 1s polluted with the discharge from a dye works much higher up the river. It must be pre.umed that control of the pollution will be enforced sooner or later. I 1 . 440 CHAPTER BIOLOGY AND }<'ISH OF THE RIVER The River The three chief branches of the Humber River are spoken of as the main, east and west branches, and are referred to on the accompanying map by the letters A, Band C respectively. i'f!8.in Branch The sources at the extreme northwestern part of the drainage area are at about 1)00 feet elevation along the slope of the Niagara escarpment which bulges eastward in this region. Glacial deposits of gravel overlie and are banked against the escarpment in this vicinity. The tributaries further east and entering the stream from the north have their sources at an elevation of about 900 feet in the gravel hills of the Interlobate Moraine. The sources from the escarpment remain permanent with a constant flow. Those from the moraine are quite different in that the upper parts of the tributaries dry up in summer and the permanent springs are lowered to about the $50 foot level. East Branch This branch has no tributaries on the escarp- ment, most of its sources being in the gravel hills of the 1 Interlobate moraine. Correlated with these facts the upper parts of all the tributaries are intermittent. flowing only ~~th the rapid spring run-off or in heavy rain, and the lower per- manent parts come from springs some distance down the tribut- aries. West Branch This branch has a few sources at about 950 feet in glacial deposits east of the escarpment but none from the escarpment itself. ].;ost of the tributaries drain flat land to the south of the moraine hills and are subject to drying up in late sumrr.er of dry seasons. Consequently the flow at its +ower end is greatly reduced at these times and has ceased entirely in two of the last six summers~ ~j <-j! ,. ) ~ 11 MIllS ~I~OO J__ '"A2!l ~ I '---""UI ~ A31. [{J7 ~ -A30 A44 ~ / . ~I-~& ~ Al2~ ~ A41~ ,A38 .. A5~ fA39 ~ ; " 00 A~lr r.~- . ~"'"-~ - t~ ,I~A37 . r . . /A35" ~ .;), , f.; Bl " .>: . ,. ~r.1' l' ~ if -II . ~t., . AlI- ,. 830 - ~ 83 t ~ ~ ;-B12 . ~ BII..... _ ...15 r-65 8/5 BI7 " . . ~" , ~llAMORE .d' ~, ...... ' ~\ ~ ~ B26 .~ , t~ .~. , ;;., .,~ 1" . ! " ~ .. , ~.\, -....... BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS -r ,- OF WATERCOURSES AND - FISH DISTRIBUTION i LEGEND rr ~ . A22 COLLECTION STATIONS - , DRIES UP COMPLETELY IN SUMMER J DRIES UP TO STANDING POOLS IN SUMMER .... Jo.a.... PERMANENT FLOW COLD IN SUMMER (SP. TROUT STREAMS) ~ f{,.;~}~:t,~ PERMANENT FLOW(UNFAVOURABLE FOR SP. TROUT IN SUMMER) , PERMANENT FLOW WARM IN SUMMER - POLLUTED WATER .. SPECKLED TROUT PRESENT ON 1946 SURVEY /600, CONTOURS, INTERVAL 300' , SCALE: MILES I.;. i-~ ': I 0 I 2 :3 ~. S [- - I ~ 1- t.. r } ; \Oi ... ~\. f.\, '.~..)'" ~! '-1/ , '~~ ,\ ~ tJ """29 ~ I I "31'" An! ~"" .... .,' :~ -"30;44 ",~~,: ,. . j~ ..~, ~\ " t 'i..... '.,...."43 ';' ~ ~ "l2A:'; "41. ... M~" ;::' 0 A5~ ,"31 . f"39", ,"40 "':.,*",). / ~\ , .... ~;,,, 15'" "~lr H ~1!"" , " _~f~ /"""A 37 ',i' ht l ro:.. -II , 830 - . _B13 83 I . ! l """" l ,B12 ~ ! "- BII' 8{5 '" '~ . ,,~l ~" I t -, TULLAMORE ~'" . '.' B2{ " ~\ ~ f ,. ...' ~. t~ ~ ~ ~) BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS - OF WATERCOURSES AND - FISH DISTRIBUTION ~ f ; ; LEGEND ~T . A22 COLLECTION STATIONS ~ 1 DRIES UP COMPLETELY IN SUMMER DRIES UP TO STANDING POOLS IN SUMMER ~ ~..... PERMANENT FLOW COLD IN SUMMER ISP. TROUT STREAMS) l ~,~~,,~- ;~}~~~ PERMANENT FLOW (UNFAVOURABLE FOR SP. TROUT IN SUMMER) - 1 PERMANENT FLOW WARM IN SUMMER ~ ~ - POLLUTED WATER A SPECKLED TROUT PRESENT ON 1946 SURVEY ........600'" CONTOURS, INTERVAL 300' l' SCALE: MILES r~~ I 0 I 2 3 ) 1__ --, f t,,_ ~'; I\,- ..~ :r}o ~ :', ii, ir:\ ~,. r ~ I j 1 \ 'i ~\ LAKE ~MAR/E i[i; Lft~ "" . 5- " f~ ~C3 .......C18 u. -.1 ': ~>" .,. i ,: . ~. 'il . ~,J:. AIl~- \,9 't. _C21 , - I I ji' . .-/ . ;"65 - - ,15 .--~---;:- li-~ ~'~-'L , t' I r -..... .,-. .... ~ " )1" ,t. . ~ RJ n" -',,- -,- / KE I L A , ~ RIO { ON T A / ,/ 442 Gradient A total drop of 1350 feet in sixty miles gives an average gradient in the main branch of about 22 feet per mile. The gradient is in general steeper in the upper parts. For example on the main branch the gradient is about 42 feet Dcr mile in the first twelve miles to Palgrave, 13.5 feet per mile from Palgrave to Bolton, 12.5 feet per mile from Bolton to Kleinburg and about the same fron, Kleinburg to the mouth. In the lower forty miles of its course the river exhibits numer- ous meanders and flows through a rather broad valley as com- pared with the section higher up. In some of the tributaries, particularly those of the main branch coming from the escarpment the gradient is very steep for short distances. The average gradient in the east branch from Wil- cocks lake to its junction with the main river near Yioodbridge, a di stance of about 26 miles, is about 20 feet per n,ile and that of the west branch to its junction with the main river at Thistletown. a distance of about 25 miles, is about 22 feet per mile. The steepness of the gradient is important as a factor determining the kind of bottom and the transportation of silt downstream. A section of the gradient is shown in the r~drau- lics section of the report to which reference should be made. Methods The river was visited during June and July of l<;46 at approximately 140 places, indicated by the serial numbers on the map. These places correspond generally to the crossing of the river by roads. Data concerning the surrounding country and the conditions in the water were reco~ded at each. together with further data on the weather conditions. The notes made on the surrounding country at each place included such topographical features as hills, plains, the dimensions of the valley, and records of erosion of the land either as sheet erosion of the hillsides, as cattle erosion or as bank erosion caused by the stream itself. A description of the tree cover including that of the banks was I?;ade to relate this . 443 data to the results of the forestry survey and forest cover as shown by the aerial and topographical maps. Characteristics of the stream itself were noted including rate and volume of flow, turbidity, temperature, type of bottom, amount of silt depositedt vegetation and cover for fish. At all stations which were not dried up at the time of the visit collections of l /\ \' ' the aquatic insects and other vertebrates were made from rapid and quieter water. From 93 of the stations collections of fish were made with seines, minnow traps and, in a few places, gill nets.. These collections were examined at a later timee On the basis of the aquatic insects the parts of the stream were classified according to the differently colourcd sections on the accompanying map. The blue sections indicate cold spring- fed parts to which the speckled trout were found to be confined in summer months at least. The groen sectionR are those in which there is more fluctuation in temperature and from which the speckled trout were absent during the period of the survey but probably are present in spring and fall. The continuous red indicates warm temperatures and permanent flow in summer. The intermittent red lines indicate parts which dry up to a condition of standing pools with no flow of water and t.he continuous brown parts those which were completely dried up J during midsurr~er in dry weather. The black indicates serious pollution. Here the oxyeen content of the water was so reduced as to eliminate or seriously affect the fish or other organisms which form their food. Temperatures At station A 19, (Elder's Mills) on the main stream, a record of maximum and minimum temperatures of the air and water was taken daily from June J to July 19 in 1946. From these the daily mean temperatures were calculated. These data which cover the time of maximum SUDmler hot weather, were used in comparing the temperatures in other parts of the river > i ~ > ' TEMPERATURE RELATIONS Of . MAIN 8RMJCH THROUGH STATIONS A2,A3,AII,AIB,AI9 AND A24 DJ- DIP QUE TO ADDITION OF TRI8UrAAI[S HAVING LOWE" MUIMUM TUIPERATURE (BE LOW PALG"'Y() 90.. .. """1"1.1", _...~ ~l"""~~'HU:E - -- --'-- --. . .,.0 0. .. M;X~~" "JU"lY" lROof T~ ;U:V 70;H *19~" .. .. ..~ .." _..~,_\J" T_~_"~~"04~(J"l .. ,." .0. . ..' -~lJ'tf. ~JJH TO JUNE 20 TM 19'" .." . " ~ J;)> - -- .. \.S_l,~,,-"~D !AJD~~!lt~- ~J~N_ . " [ ~ 10.--< : ~ ~ .,...f) ~ c.... .. .. ____ .. ...._ __........._____._ __ __.... __ ...__ <- MIMINU.. JULY 311tO TO JULY 10TH ,,..., 60. . . .. ,,' .... ..~t.~~lUfll~~~ll!t~__~~~~_ TO JUN,E 20TH 1946 0 .,. f . I . -- '.-- "I"l"'~~ ~~/ "'0-. t . .0. . n 0 , 10 t' .0 ., '0 " 40 ., '0 " 60 M'LES DOWN $TiIt[AM FRO.. SOURCE . :i . . . . . STATIONS STATIONS -. " t, to " .. - - - 'ALG'UV( ELDERS OLO MILLS MILL L1MI T OF SPECKLE 0 TlItOUl IN 'SUIiUI[R ! 446 as shown in the accompanying graph. In procuring data for this latter graph. three maximum and mimimmli thermometers were placed in the stream at different places for an interval of several days and the maxima and minima taken. P. mean temper- ature was taken as midway between the maximmn and minimmn and while not as accurate as a mean obtained by averaging daily . means as was done at A 19, it does however. fairly closely approximate that figure. On examining these graphs there is an evident gradual rise in the mean temperature downstream over the length of the river. The fluctuation in temperature between the minimum and maximum values increases do~mstream to a maximum at about A l2 and then decreases. This point of maximum fluctuation comes ne~r the lower end of small tributaries and wi!l vary in position depending on the distance from the source. shading, rate and volwne of flow for Rimilar meteor- ological conditions. Volume of Flow This subject is treated in detail in the Hyd- raulics report. but from the standpoint of the fish it is important to make a brief reference to the relative flows. The figures given here are rough estimations of the flow taken at a time in the summer when it was near a minimum. At this ; season the west branch contributes a negligible amount. at ti_es none, to the main stream. and the east branch 5 - 15 cubic feet per second. The flow in the main river in late summer of about 50 - 100 cubic feet per second at the mouth comes largely from the tributaries of the main branch. Of this about 15 cubic feet per second is the minimal flow at ?algrave and the Dlinimal flows of the other main tributaries taken at A 48, A 32 and A 61 were estimated at 5, 5, and 15 cubic feet per second, respectively. This shows that the west branch, thou~h draining a fairly large area of the river valley, has practically no flow in time of drought and the east branch has a dispropor- tionately low flow for the area drained as compared with the main branch. t .' 447 Pollution Pollution by sewage and othor chemical material was encountered during the survey, the main locations being the lower section of Black Creek, the part of the main river below t:l.e entrance of Black Creek, the lower part of the west branch at Thistletown and a section of the tributary west of Woodbridge receiving the affluent of the dye works. In the accompanying figures are plotted the changes in some factors which are significant from the stand- point of fish and other life for the last mentioned place. Fish were completely absent for a distance of ahout two miles below the mill. The pollution here would seem to be a combin- ation of organic pollution and some undetermined chemical pollution. Characteristics of this effluent which differ from the'usual cases of organic pollution and suggesting chemical pollution are firstly. the somewhat higher pH of the effluent than is usual in unpolluted parts of the river; and secondly, the low figure for free carbon dioxide as compared with that for places in which there is organic pollution alone. Another characteristic which though not a form of pollution in the ordinary sense can be extremely deleterious to the acquatic life including the fish is the initial high temperature of the water and the rapid cooling, which, as shown on the graph, i ! drops nearly l50C in the two miles below the effluent. In addition to the above, the purple colour and turbidity of the stream make it unsightly. The stream also has a foul odour. In Black Crflek at A $2 there was a depletion of oxygen to about 50% saturation at the time visited and this would be more serious at other times. This creek receives treated and sometimes untreated sewage from York Township. In the lower Humber there is Hvidence of continued effect of the pollution frolli Black Creek as determined by the characteristic pollution organisms present and the dearth of other forms. The pollution in the west branch was not suf- ficient to lower the oxygen below $0% saturation at the time \J ARIA. T ( 0 r t v IN I 30. TEMPERATURE . r ~) U . '" a: :> 20.. a ~ a: ~----- 0 '" CL .... 2 '" .Z {) .... '" :> ..J ... ... '" IO.~ 7 8 9 10 " MILES FROM SOURCE OF STREAM A A A A A 68 69 70 71 72 STATIONS . VARIATION z IN 0 ~ 100 < -------1 DISSOLVED ac :> I OXYGEN .... c I l/I ~ I z I ~ 50; ~I >- ~I )( I .-...{) 0 ~I I -' I ~I -0-- L --<>-~ 0-1-- ~ --- -r 7 8 9 10 " MILES FROM SOURCE OF STREAM .. A A A A A 68 69 70 71 72 STATIONS . VARIATION Z IN 52 ..J DISSOLVED ..J 100 2 CARBON "' '" DIOXIDE L l/I .... .... ac z c ~ '" !:. :> ..J N ... 0 ... u '" 0 ------- ---..-- ~---------- T--- ------T----- ---- ---- ----T-----,---- 7 8 9 10 " i MILES FROM SOURCE OF STREAM A A A A A 68 69 70 71 72 . STATIONS VARIATION IN ACIDITY . 8,0 I~~ I -------<>---.________ ~ :r ------- / .. 1,0 .... z '" :> t.oL ..J ... ... ... -----.-.--- 1 8 9 10 " MILES FROM SOURCE OF STREAM A A A A A 18 19 10 71 72 STATIONS POLLUTION PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WATER ALONG THREE MILES OF BLUE CREEK NEAR WOODBRIDGE ,~ 449 TABLE LIST OF FISHES OF THE HU~\BER RIVER 1/ AND SHOWING FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE . entre East ercen- estri- Branch Branch tage Oc- cted (R) & Main currence or Gen- , River eral . ( G ) Stations Collected 61 17 15 93 Alewife 1 1 1 R Bro~'ll trout 1 1 1 Eastern speckled trout 21 1 22 24 G Common white sucker 33 12 7 52 56 G Hog sucker 5 1 5 11 12 Creek Chub 40 l7 l2 69 74 G R1 ver Chub 7 5 12 13 "- Blacknose dace 35 12 S 55 59 G Longnose dace 6 1 7 7 Redbelly dace 8 1 9 10 R Redside dace 1 8 9 10 R Golden shiner 3 3 3 R Emerald shiner 1 1 1 R Rosyface shfner 2 2 4 4 R Common shiner 22 13 11 46 49 G Blackriose shiner 1 1 1 Fathead minnow 5 1 5 11 12 Bluntnose minnow lO 5 10 25 27 G Brown bullhead 4 4 4 Yellow perch 2 1 3 3 Johnny darter 11 7 5 23 25 R Rainbow darter 4 7 6 17 le R Fantail darter g 6 7 21 23 R Largemouth bass 1 1 1 R Pumpkin seed 4 2 6 6 Rock bass 5 2 g- 15 16 ~ Miller's thumb II 2 1 l4 l5 R Brook stickleback 7 4 2. 13 l4 Three-spined stickleback 1 1 1 R species 29 l7 17 29 #Arranged according to Dymond 1947 - 'A list of the freshwater fishes of Canada east of the Rocky Iv',ountains. Wi th Keys' (Misc. ., Pub. #1, Royal Ontario N,useum of Zoology, Toronto) . - .. . ! 4Ii:;---.~ 14-50 it was tested. The chief defect here is garbage and other unsightly refuse. Siltin~ In the extensive lower parts of the main branches there is much silt deposited, particularly in the quieter pools between rapids. The banks along these sections . are deposits of alluvial material which in times of flood is washed out in many places with continual eroding of the margins. ~;ost of the material which gives the water its extreme tur- bidity in flood times is supplies by this bank erosion. With the normal flow of the summer the water, except in the upper tributaries, has a somewhat milky appearance from a suspension of finely divided soil particles. This originates from sheet erosion of the glacial till in the upper parts of the watershed. This is particularly noticeable around the head- waters of the tributary stream in the vicinity of Coventry. This whitish suspended material settles on the stones even in the rapids and is dislodged when the flow is increased as after rain. Fish The fish occurring in the waters of the Humber watershed, and for which some angling is done, are eastern speckled trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkin seed, bluegill, corr~on white sucker, brown bullhead, yel- low perch and carp. Most of these are found in restricted localities and do not provide much fishing. This is partly because of the lack of suitably large bodies of water for the propagation of fish in numbers, or of large size. Probably the most important fish from the angler's point of view is . the speckled trout. The brown trout has been introduced in parts of the river and may become valuable as an angling fish. The speckled trout, as shown in the accompanying table, was taken at 24% of the stations examined and was found to be restricted to special parts of the stream. All the '51 headwater tributaries of the upper main branch have speckled trout whose distribution in Sill:~er was found to agree closely with those reaches marked in blue on the accompanying map. These upper tributaries, as described earlier, arise on the slopes of the Nia~ara escarpr.:ent and are spring-fed. One trib- utary of the nlain branch which arises, not from the cUe~ta but . from the moraine hills near Bolton, also contains speckled trout but with this exception they are absent fro~ tributaries of this type. Speckled trout were taken at one place only on the west branch, a source stream near the escarpment, and at none in the east branch. Parts of the river other than those where speckled trout were taker are subject to silting and turbid water particularly during floods. The largemouth bass was taken at Innes Lake in the river but not at other places~ though they occurred in so~e of the small isolated lakes, so may be considered unim- portant in the river in its present condition. The other bass species were also scarce and local. The suckers taken durin~ the survey were ~enerally distributed but small ip - ~- size. During the spring spawning run larger individuals are taken in numbers by net. The brown bullhead and yellow perch were also so scarce and local in occurrence as to make them unimportant. Carp occur in Eversley Lake where they were introduced about 1905. The other fish taken include many kinds of minnows, chub, dace and darters, not of importance for fish- ing but of indirect importance as potential food for other fish. These are listed in the accompanying table showing the number of places they were taken and the percentage these formed of the total of ninety-three places in the river where fish were cau~ht. The more frequently found are the following in de- creasing order of occurrence. 1. Creek chub 74% 2. Blacknose dace 59f, 3. Common white sucker 56% 4. Corrmon shiner 491 : 452 5. Bluntnose minnow 27% 6. Johnny darter 25% 7. Eastern speckled trout 24~~ s. Fantail darter 23% The first four species were found to have wide distribution being taken in practically all situations and . extending well up into the speckled trout section though not into the coldest water inhabited by the latter fish. The common whiner did not extend quite so far upstream as the others. The common white sucker shewed a distribution for the most al'Ong the parts of the streams indicated on the map as hcving more permanent flow. The latter fish was, however found in some of the lakes also. ~ore restricted were the darters which in this survey were found to he in the somewhat ~;armer sections of the river and in those parts having permanently flowing water with rapids. The speckled trout were confined te the colder clearwater sections and the bluntnese minnO'lri to warmer parts in which they seemed to be tolerant of the conditions in standing pools on the intermittently dry steam- lets. Of other species showing a restricted type of distribution the alewife, the three-spined stickleback and the emerald shiner were restricted to the mouth of the main river; the miller's thumb to the cold spring sources where frequently they were the only fish occurring with the speckled trout; the rosy face shiner to rapids of the lower warm sections; the redbelly dace to the highland boggy sections and son~e of the ponds. The redside dace has, as far as the records of the survey go, a peculiar distribution, being general in the east branch and in the adjacent Black creek branch of the main ri ver but absent froE, all parts of the west and main branches. Deficiencies in the River The survey indicates that there are four main zones in which the Jeficiencies, and therefore the measures which may be t~ken to offset then., are quite different. 453 These zones Cire (I) ttlC drainage of the tributaries having their origin in springs on the escarpment (the upper parts of the main branch) (2) the drainage of the tributaries aris- ing in the gravelly hills of the moraine deposits (parts of the main branch and the east branch) (3) the draina~e of the flatter or drumlin area mainly affecting the west branch and - (4) the lower section of the main river with wide valleys, alluvial bottoms Hnd a meanderinR course. All these areas have deficiencies when con- sidered from the fisheries an~le but they differ for each area. Some of these are as follows: (a) In the first area mentioned the volume of water is small in the individual tributaries and they do not support many of very large fish. . In some of the tributaries the water flows long dis- tances fully exposed to the sun, (e.g. along the section from A 4 to Palgrave) and their lower reaches consequently warm up. (b) The tributaries of the east branch and those of the main branch flowing from the gravelly hills of the mor- aine dry up in their upper parts during dry seasons, but remain permanently flowing from springs from about the 850 foot level. 7herefore, in addition to the deficiencies ref- erred to above in connection with the sources of the main branch on the escarpment, these tributaries suffer fror:; excessive silting during heavy rains and particularly during the spring run-off when their upper sections are in flood. Vii th one exception, all these tributaries are without speckled trout though the temperatures recorded in their spring-fed parts are suitable for this fish. (c) The west branch. draining the flatter de~uded farmla~dt presents a different problem than other parts and in its present condition is of little or no value for fish. There is but one spring source of significant capacity, that at B 20, where sorr;e speckled trout occur. Th e r emai ning tributary branches are subject to drying up and consequently the ".;hole branch has little water in it in the summer season. 454 In the sprint; or after heavy rains the west branch is r,i(Jre swollen thL'-i.n the other branches, and becomes extrerusly turbid with the load of silt which it carries. (d) The lower re&ches of the main branches, and the lower reaches of the main river also beco~e turbid during floods. 'l'he strong force of ~..ater, the erosive action . and jarfJIiing of ice, make control of bank er08iol1, the mai!' source of silting and turbidity in this section, a difficult matter, probably requiring engineering techniques to prevent the river from charging its course from year to year. (e) Pollution from the addition of sewage material or cher;,ical waste must be considered a deficiency frorr, the standpoint of fisheries in the present condition of the river and its surrounding land. ~ecommende.tions for Lodifying the 8tream Conditions for Fish There are four main areas in the river valley within each of which conditions governing the type of tribu- tary stream are quite similar. These areas may be referred to as the escarpment area, the interlobate moraine area, the area drained by the west branch and the area traversed by the valley of the lower reaches. 1. The Escarpment Area. The tributaries of the main branch arising on the slope of the escarpment are permanent, spring-fed and clear and all contain speckled trout in their present condition. Two modifications only are suggested to increase the number and size of this fish. (l) Trout ponds of approved type might be created, two or three acres in area and so located that a fair section of the tributary remains above each for natural spf;wning. Such ponds should not be constructed at the present time below the lower end of the section of the tributary coloured blue on the n;ap. Their sequence in any tributary and their llUmber should be careftdly planned having regard for the type of outflow from each and the amount of spawning v;ater remaining. (2 ) Parts of all these tributaries at present devoid of trees along the bank 455 should be planted with alder to prevent the excessive heating of the water. The sections of these tributaries suitable for speckled trout would thus be extended considerably do,,;nstream. 2. The Interlobate ~oraine area. The trib- utaries of the main branch flowing in from the north to the east of Bolton and all tributaries of the east branch belong in . this area. While these are permanent through the lower part of their length from about the $50 foot level, their upper parts dry up in dry seasons and in time of hebVY rain or spring flooding much silt is carried down from the upper sections, and the water is excessively turbid. Speckled trout are present in one part only, in the vicinity of A 60 and below. In general it may be said that these tributaries &re unsuitable for this fish in their present condition. Any ii.;provement w~ll depend on reforestation and improved agricultural prtC- tices designed to minimize the removal of silt from the top soil by rapid run-off. Reforesting would include the planting of the bank s with alders for shade to reduce the maxirr;um temperatures. 3. West Branch area. With the exception of one fed by a permanent sprin~ the tributaries in this area are subject to drying up in dry summers. The total flow at the mouth of the west branch is negligible or occasionally nil at such times. Conversely, this branch is subject to very rapid run-off of water in spring, with extreme flooding. The streams in this area are consequently valueless for fish in their present condition. Flood control reservoirs if suitably controlled may eventually give ponds into which some of the bass species might be introduced. 4. The waters of the lower sections of the vlest branch and of the main river itself are excessively turbid during spring floods, chiefly because the banks are being continually worn away. In the large impoundments proposed in the Hydraulics report, fish of value may find suitable con- ditions depending on the ~easure of control which is possible .,.;- .. --,.......' ~.~ ~- ..~ " . .__________....,""'__". . '_'.-,A '......,........~..'.A _,...,........"._....;.,\".,."...."_."....<"'"'..t\..,.~....""...,..,..,"'".....~,~t'~~,";_,._ .,.~. , A well prot.ected stream. The l''iain Humber above Palgrave. ,"_"., '_'-'".' u~_",...,...........,.,.____,__.__ -_..~_.... -'-- "-'.~ _.- A polluted and unprotected river. The Hain Humber at Scarlett Hoad. -;- .. --- -- - - 458 in maintaining suitable levels and reducing the turbidity of the water by controlling erosion throughout the length of the river. 5. Steps should be taken to control the in- troduction of sewage. industrial wastes and garbage into the Humber river because of their adverse effect on fish and wild- . life, their frequently unsightly appearance and foul odour as well as fron; the public health standpoint. . . I ~~. . ~. ...,., ~59 LAKES AND PONDS Ci,' THE WATBHSHED The lakes or ponds inel uded in this ropcrt LIay be placed in three classes, namely: (1) Glacial Kct\...les vii tHE; interlobate moraine forming the heit;ht of' land l>et~'i(;Hm tile HWaber u8sin and the draina6B slopes to the north. There are several of th~~~ lar~e Bnouih to be nailled OIl the ;aap includinG ~~ilcock5, i~ver,;)lt::y, Nancy (Hackett) lake::;, Lake l,la:cie, Loc!! i;;rne, l~elly) T .'w;npson, hennifick and Gihson lakes. All of thE~se i.i.re wi tho'.lt outlets during the dr)l season, but s ,)1llB of them drain into tip': riu,:llJ0r in the 8prin~ hi~h water. K.:::lly laku haB in its veGetation and fal..;.na many of t.he cuaracteristics of a !Joreal pond. TllOse of the 1 above located in hin~ TOAfiShip are report,ed on by l~layall (1')' . ;I 0). . (ii) ~'ball lakes in t,he co'u'se of the river havinr_~ permanIJr.t inlets dnd outl(~ts. Tna tifCJ of this type naued ar'e Scott (or Innes) and :tlid(;ett lak,,~s near l;aledon bd.[,t at tiH; base of the gravel hills buttre~sinb the N1a~Hra escarpment. (i11) Artific1.al ;:nill ponds fvrlaed by damming the river. The PalSrave po.nd is a Good E;xample of thes8. 'fhere are a llW:1Uer of such daHls on th~->. river, some now obsolete, others still pro viding heads of welt-ert! as ;:It ./oodo1'id6e, Klein- burg. Bolton and Pal~rave. Nancy (Hackett) Lake This pond is about (lIlB tLi:'u of a mile in lengt.h and a quarter of a ;nile at its widest poi!1t and lies in a valley or depreseion amonc; hills, wit'" an outlet into the Hu,~lber in sprirl,,:,~ only. The water at t.11!::~ tiia8 visited was rc1ativ~ly clear for thia type of pond, 5.;1all objects being di~it.it:,;uishaLle at six feet Delo.'/cr:e ~JUrracu. Th~ lake ifS parti~;i l1y surrounded by a cl8I1Ge belt of un(~ra .zed woodl(lt of deciduous trees vdth f'O,'/f pi!>".:;, la.rch anti cedar. There ara 10'.0[ \'l!i11o;il S';~<l,ap ':'OtW~', on th~ north ~_md ,,~<L:;t sides. ," 1. 1938, l"layall, K. N. The Na"Cural ~tesourccs of Kini;;. Township. Toronto. -"<-. ... --"- .._.-_. -._.~_..- ..--- ------- . --._--------- ~60 / FISH OF LAKES AND PONDS Of HUMBER DRAINAGE Loch EVer- Lake Nancy jfelly Innis Palt;rave Erne sley l';;ar ie (1Lc v;.- L,~rl.{; Lake Pond Lake ett) (lncorn- Lake plete) olllmon white sucker x x arp v .., reek chub x inescale 03 ce A euoclly dace x x oldeu srtirwr" x O!:1ilOn shiner x lackchin sLinRr x x x athead uinnow x x x rown bull hp~i.j x x X x .. ello.; perch x x x x ohnny darter x owa darter x x rijemouti, b., S8 x X X x .unpkin seed x x x x x lU8..Jl1 ;{ ock bc.l.sS x rook s tic klc<:....i.ck x depths o~.., Lakos 65 66 36 in f e G t 7 - ---- ,---- ! I The records for Lad. Erne, Lake tij,ari p c:nd Lvers ley lake I l'layall, The ilatural \leSOUi~CUS of .,in,~ TDH'ls~lip, T,)ronto, 193$. ',~T . - ~gl TEMPERATURE VARIATION WITH DEPTH IN NANCY LAKE AND KELLY LAKE 800 //////~ APPROX. THERMOCLINE JULY 23 1946 i 60"1 ... I A. ' ~ 5001 I . 40.~ I BOTTOM I 10' 20' 30' 40' 50' 60' 70' DEPTH IN FEET NANCY LAKE 80. 70., I ! ;;: I !... 60. .., II: :;:) .... C II: ... A. :I 50. ... .... 40. 30. 4'0' 0 10' 20' DEPTH IN FEET KELL Y LAKE "'~' ..v.. .. -------.- -----~--- ._~ ..-."....,..--- ",- ,- "Ii. -F __.:1..- , \ ,,' .n-ol ., ~} . .., ,~}c'r\ ,;t.i.l ., '~~ '~. ,_~ 1 n :< I ~ .i (,.t ~~ ~ "-'t ""'. \\'l7o -~ k$a~~u J ,;;;. 1_": plea..! \..~ J J ~,,,.. v' pcwd ji:. '\"-'" -\ ''; ~::; fJi~ly '~ \ie ~-.. 1..t . _L t ;-} ,zt 1 i..';i\ ~,,;.1 tL~ t t\iIl o. ...." -.I: :! ,~",,. 1\-..,1 "-:!~J.Dt( ~,'a t 5 ' . (~" c~" f . '\Il J,t' ~ (:1 .l~.., V U '~..! (,z ~<~ t :t Vl'jc~.j 1 ;A~' ~ 1.. 'tI'l i, ":~_ .~ ',. ~ , .. < ..:.0 n (;' ~~, ~A~";':': 1,;-'':;:_ ;:~,r;r:()w """ ..- ~ r~~.'ti ~ h<LU .L::.. ~ L ~\ ',"" J. ',\ '.;" ..y.. --,' ".-... '.~---"'.~ .- -.- -~ r I: .j61 ,- In the shallow littoral ~one a dense mass of Chara speeii:~s, Cera tophyllum and Utric1tlaria species covers the bottom. Yurther out the bottom is covered with a thick layer of detritus. ThreE: cross..section$ l;Jade with a soundine;; line indicnte th~t the bottom is :3 venly contoured and reac bas a depth of sixty-six Co Eicventy feet l1'.;;-':;Y' the middle. At Lhis poin t a seriGS ()f telrl erat 111'8S ,C! t dif f':;1'8n t depths was taken on .JHly 23, l)/Y6, and is sbo,m plotted ill the accompany ine; filure Aith a similar series taken on June 17, 1937 (i"laya11 193 in in t~H~ S(':':l~ pond. 'I'th: July seri~s shows a the~Joc1ine at a GreClter der:'Lh UiiUl tho June series, lea VLl~ a tau foot deep ~'larm epilimnion ,,'I. hov(~ i.uu:-; a thi rt,'C -f1 vc foot deep layer of cold l.yatE~r, the hypo1inmion, belo,l r h '-J thermocline. . ~ . 'f... '1'11':'. collr3cl.in(; of ri~}il, recorded in the table . for this la..e, was dOLe OVdf a period ,)f t;-iQ days by means of se1rd~, rniI1J10W trap, ~:;ill net8 of three different lneshes and by ant;l ing . Tbe larbemouth bass rang{~d up to a foot in length and. a nu.Llber ~;ere seen tJl1ouL,h only five were cau:.::;ht. The SlICKers rau....ed up to 15" in len""th alld the one p(~rch c au,sht \<(.::i.S abont a foot in len.;th. 'lbe sUJlfiLih ltli.!r'e all quite 8.aall. helly Lake 'rhis is another ket tlf',; L 3.1\.+-.: , auout an ei;;hth of a nile lone an_d half as,lide, lyiuL:.. ;'L:ion:;; i:;ravel hills. r/Io s t of its shores are .1Ooded, the SOU'Lll Lavint, a rnarsby zone about )0 f ect in Hidti. and ti,e rlor-th and west sJlOres flanked by a zone of floatifl:; 1;0._; l~;at. Itl 1. ;-1,:: 11 t. t i) r"'l1 ~one and extending around the lake in ~i (J.:_ll1d aLout t',JeI1t~,' fe,:~t 1,vide are water- lilies. The water of th3 l~ke wa~ -iui Ge turbid,-'/hen visited on J ul y 2(.) , 1946, "iith visibiliLy cr a ;)out one foot" and as cattle have access to it they LlD_Y ue i1lainly responsible for Lilt: turL id conei it ton. (1' lie botto,;j 5oundil<,b Lnhen in two axial linea runninG tI'1'~~ leu,"", t,h and ~fidth s: ,(;\lH:U an even Gontour with a maxir:1UmdeptL uf 35'6Tl recorded SOI:ie'f'lhat nearer t.he eastern th;,n wester:1 end. At ttlis point, a series of teil!.).1eratures were -<.~. .a.V" --' ~ ~fi~ taken at uiffer~nt depths ana these are plotted in the accom- panying fiLure. Kelly lalze ShOviS a shSlllo., epili:anion of warm water above the tHermocline as cOlt:pared with NafJ.cy lake. Tilis characteristic is dependent l&r~ely on its sUHll size a.-1Q shf;lt.er from wind, v;hich is knovm to be the main "<:.,t:T!CY in determin1 {ig the depth of the layer of ~"arm water at tlH: surface of lakes. This depth is a sitnificant factor in detenninin6 the suita- hi 1 it,y of the 10.1: e for fish. 'l'he fish taKeL at this 18kl:::: .::.re 1 isted in the tci.ble, tIle :nost not:ible feature bain6 Lhe "dJsence of several species taken in Nancy lake, suer as t i,,; perch and smc.llmouth bass awl purnpkin seed. 'J'he fh,h reprE'~'i;:1Lec. ar8 for the most part ones found in bOLaY lakes or ponds. Gibson Lake . This lai.:.e is aboul the same sb:.e as Nancy lake cc1d is sUI'rou.ndf~d b~T rdlls ~.yi t b SW8.Upy land to t he eastward. It, is .Jarshy with lit tIe open W'at..;~r ;:lakinG a suitable habitat for waterfovil, irlcludin~~ duckS. No c ollections::f fish dere wade here during t.he survey. Innes (Scott Lake) This la~e represent:.:; tlh:; second type found in th,~ "iatersT1cd, r:a ving a pl::;r,f::';nen t in let and out 1e t. Immediately around the eel thE; l.:.nd is flat but 1. (\(: surroundin,b country is in gen,;rd 1 hilly. j'L=:<:t vy dec idllOUS voods border the north and nc,rV,doli pert ;)f the Vle~)t. ~ides, teavLlb L'oe south side opeli and ~...tle U;;.t~3 'G ::;parsely 'JJooded. The water when visited on .July 22, l'" .' v'idS moder':t t.ely t urbiJ. A [,lOt- of a"iuatic plants j.j.i.) , . COin.es to the s'.lrfaee ovt:r' t.he shallow litt-oral zone. While no extenS.lllb saf'lflliong of fish was done, SOi:le of th.a la1'_ er S D(~cies werIJ )bs~r\red as listed in the table. "-' . One of the lar' ~:.out.r. hass ViaS sixtee.l inches lOHg and lar6er ir!dividuals were rG0ortad. Palirave Pond This is an artific:L:lL pnrld cr'~ated by a dani to ,;1 ve a nead of \'iater fOl~ rurwifl"" a ~,~I'i~,t nd.ll. 'fhis dam has ...., ... ----.- ~ 1 ~65 been in place ror r:~aHY Y~(.lrs arw cr':'.LV~b b. ni;il'rOVi sballo~.., pond half a nile long. ThH \m tor levr",J. is vari~Glc dependinL on the der.land of the mill, a factor dhtch i& si..;,nificant in this type of pona un0. not present in nal,ur::.:.l OUt;b. '!'he upper eud is ~"e 11 ';looded, the lov/er ;nore sparsely lJd.t tl~0 dhole shorelin.e is lined with low shrubs. Sowidiu6s &Ci.ve a l;kiximwu depth of six to seven feet alon:-., "iH.; old stred,l1 Gour~;c throu6h the pond, the rel.airlder beinL. in JeI1eral less t. he,n fi va feet deep. The stJ.allower pal't SUpr)orts a J)rol'llse ol'OWLI. of water lilies awl surfacir!b pot,amocetons so that the (lId streb..:. c l!annel was well ~~rKed out as the part from vIt-deb e,'lero":;:;nt a'i,uatic plants were atJsent. Later in the season (I1 0 V,;! ,,' (H;; r ) ~men the plan (.6 have lar6s1y dis~p~earec, this distinction is not evident. 'The but tom of U.d pond is soft. vii l,h a ,.,t::r:erOllS covering of << plant detri~us ~nd the w&ter is @oderately turbid. ~a;afJlillD ~Jf fish ~,....itb a seLie, ;ninnow t raps and ~11l nets over 3 period of t~o days (July 1) and 20) produced tht~ fish listed in the accompanying table, t hi:-} ,aore a bundan t t\pecies heing the com:llon white suc~er 3Ii0. u\(~ crueK shiner. In 5umraer there are no speckled trout in this pand but at. other seasons it is Fl'o),u:.'le t1j:i,t, this fish is pceS'dnt as it occur[) hic,r,('.:r up in the .ci',;(~!'. '.;" ._---~._- -- ~66 TJiBLE FISH I~RODUCTIONS INTO THf::...B.1Ll1B..G;R RJ.:.Yj;R 192; - 1947. ... .-- - Speckled 'I'rout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Fry Fin:;er- Year- Fin3er- Year- Finger- Year- Year lines lings lings lings lings lings -.. -----.- 1923 5,000 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1924 5,000 -0- -- -- -- -- -- 1925 2.000 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1926 5,000 -- -- -- ..- -- -- 1927 -- 1929 10.000 1,000 -- -- -- -- -- 1929 -- 3,000 -- -- -- -- -- 1930 -- -- 17,500 -- -- -- -- 1931 -- -- 1,500 -- -- -- -- 1932 -- -- 20,000 15,000 -- -- -- 1933 -- -- -- 10,000 -- -- -- 1934 -- -- -- 5,0(;0 -- -- -- 1')35 -- -- 6,000 -- 550 13.000 -- 1936 -- -- -- -- -- 20,000 200 1937 -- -- -- -- 3,000 5,000 -- 1938 -- -- 1,gOO -- 11,500 10,000 -- 1939 -- -- 2,100 -- 10,900 -- 1,500 1940 -- -- -- 10,0::;0 6.000 -- 1,200 . 1941 -- -- 1,500 -- 7,600 -- -- 1942 -- -- 1,000 -- l1,900 -- -- 19J}3 -- -- 8,500 -- J,3uO -- -- 194.4 -- -- 13,100 -- 4, 400 -- -- 1945 -- -- 10,500 -- 9.600 -- -- 1946 -- -- 4,900 -- 9.000 -- -- 1947 -- -- 5,200 -- 16,200 -- -- -- - f l - ,-,--- .---.~ - )'hM '; J , CHAPTElt GLNE1tAL corJSrDEH.A'rIGN~) 1. Recrt;atlon and I"l.Odern Li v in.:; r'he planning of recreational facilities in Ontario has in tbe past been cbiefly directed towards two ends: facilities such as parks and playe;rounds within the boundaries of cities and towr.s, and facil! ties for Ion,.:, and comparatively expensive vacations in wilderness reb10ns r(;llatively far fro..! tbe lndu.strtal and cbricultural areas of the province. The 6ruw1:16 conc8Iitration of the population in industrial are<.s has over-taxed ~he local facilities, wnile ti.t:; tL,e and cost involved in reachL:6 wildel'n6ss areas have prevented the averabe family or e;;r'o:J.p fro;! visi tir1~ fiu.ch arei.iS Ul0I'8 than on.ce or twice a year. . It is now well rclco~nized tl~~ a thiru type ot facility na::; been neglected, atil.lely the public area within a few :n:..les of ttle a~.;;ricul tural or urb,on worKer's hOlu6. '1'hi5 lack of' bood recreat,ional facilitie~ close to tiie cities has been a.n obstacle to tn~ l:mjoy.heut of heal thy out-of'-door acti vi ti~s and relaxation. This report has, thcI'cfol~e, two objectives. 'fhe first of t11~tW is to reco;J,aend the 1;.lpcove:;lHnt of existincZ~ publiq recrb&tion arGdS. Th(~ second is ,",0 n~co.l,'lend the aCIi uis} tion and dev\31opment, 0i de"" public recreat.ioll. a r;Jd~ .~,ulwside i-Le \...H1HS cl!id ci-c,ies it! thn Hum'.Jer ..a tt-n'si.ed. ;':::, tress l.as 'been, ':laid 011 (; el'tain of t,ne more eS:::jer~ t ial need::, and tlJree :)oints have been kBpC in vie,y: (I) 'j..'I;';.) r.::tainiIl:.., and protectiurl vi' llatural advantaC;ds. (2 ) 'lite develop.:1GJ, t. of aoe'lUa L.E. facilities in lllaximunl v<;.riety aVililaolc to 1:.111 people, no ,.aat tar what tneir aGe, 0CCUP;,' i~io(J or in co '.C .,.ay Le. (J) 'l'tle adjuot:;,c:ut. of r(-)crel:ottior. plans to any conservation .neasures en vislo,.ed by tLti prop'sad tlulllbar ,;atersh~d C:oIlse..r:v",," tion A uthori ty. "-~. .".f"". 1(;0 1: ',' U 2. Types of Kecreational Faciliti~s The types of recreation facilities co~nonly considered are as follows: l. Beaches for swlm-~llng 2. Beaches for cliildr~n 3. 130atlnb areas 4. r'ishlng areas and public wharfs 5. ;;':;.iiall picnic sit.es in parks 6. uoadside picnic sites 7. Group picnic L,rounds 8. Scenic drives 9. Indi vidual campin(;'~ areas 10. Group car..pinb area.s 11. 'l'rails i or hikiHE,:; 12. Nature trails 13. Public hWlting arei",5 14. ~Jinter SPOtts areas 15. ArboH', t~s 16. Youth Hostels2 17. Historic sites 18. Swim:ning hules Some of these facilities reiuire particular . attention t,o the IJ.ere aC'iuisi t,ion of tne necossary land. for example, tile; operation of public swirrt".irl/j, areb.S requires super- vision and SOLie control of pollution, fishinc; areas need often to be stoc~~edW'i.th fish, and l1istoric sites re-iuire the erectivn of markers or cairns. .'lany oi' those facilith~~, nay be co.:.blned in one "Irlul t. iple use ar'ean. fhey :uay also be illt-ec;rated in a broader plan f r tbe zonil"L of land for he':ll tL a nd recreation. The most advanced Ly Pi:, of t his zoninb of land on a larG.~ scale inval ves the sett.ing up of' ~reen Bel L:d. ThGse are areas surrounding a large urban district which are set apax"t and restricted to ~~riculture, for~slry and recreation. ;;)uch areas lay include bolf courses, airports, parks, ri vf;rs, lakes and play in:; ,~round6, in fact any suitable area which can be prevented fror:l sale for real estate' 1. An arboretum is a collection of living trees, includine; i:iS many native tree species of' the 1'(;.",,10n as poa._lble. Inter- eS1:.inc.;; eJlotic species are sor:.etiucs added. 2. The Canadian Youth Hostelsi.ssoc iat-ion is part of an inter- natlvnal lwn-profit organization. It organizes clean, well supervised sleepiIlb I.{uarters a\vay f.r-om urban a reas and avail- able for- a s;,.all fee, so that hikers, cyclists ano skiers may enjuy the open country "under 1.-heir own steam", and meet others of similar tastes in attract-lye and. wholesolae surround- in.....s. There is an i.dvisory I..,ouncil CO(J!posed of men aHd. wo;uen prominent in educ~tion. This or~ani~aLion does no~ cater t~ those who travel by car. --. ~. Ill.. . ---' L,.'.J " S l1hd: 'V i~; 1. C)l.~ or i[l-i1).~'.~ tr .[ll l)ur"")oSC s . ~~irlce Grc;t:-;ti Its L';,v,)lve "ju;).ici~lal ;;lar,.cirif'; Doards as ivell as Conservatio~l ~u.thorities and since the plannine of both ;;roups here overlaps, it ;:::,hOllld be done jOi!"ltly. Many cities in Europe and the United States have long since estahlished Greim Helts ( t l'lf' f' "'0 e ", . c' 1" Act~ .L ., \J.........'".. ...J..... v b '(' L .:;. ~ r''''l . ,,,1 ... '938) Jeca..,e aw...Il l~i"t:' a.dU ~r.. J., . The Plan:dng Boe..rd of the City of Toronto L1ChF.iE~d a long ranee plan for the establishine of such Green Belts i~ its master plan of 1943 and thus recognized the importance of such areas for the health and ha ppiness of all those living in or nEnr large urban centres. 3. Possibilities for Recreation on the Hwnber }t"'rorn the point of recreation facilities there are four ;,ain types of land in the Toronto region outsidE: the n,etropolitan area. These are the Lake Ontario shore, the . almost flat Peel Plain, the hilly moraine country to the north with its nUCJlerous swall lakes and ponds, and lastly the river valle/sa r Since available water and beaches are two of the chief rf'quireraults for a recreati.on area it [r.iEht be expected that Lake Ontario would have a major part in any recreation plan for the region. The lakeshore has, in fact, had surprisin;.;ly little influence on recreation in Southern Ontario. Its grpat attraction has b(~en offset by several overwrlellLinp.: disadvantai::es. Apart from Sun .yside Park and the Toronto Island, the shore is almost entirely built up or privately owned from ilear Oakville eastward to the Rouse River. It has very few shallow sandy beachE:s. The lahe is very frequently too cold for swirnrnin,; ar:.d also suffers from pollution in cany areas. AltllOUB;h there is clearly an ur;::;ent need for the acauisition of a few stretc~"'lCs of clean and sandy lake shore, such areas are limited and in any case could only supply the needs of a small proportion of the :'mblic. The plain constituting the fann land in the south- ern :part of thE? watershed tends to be flat and in no 'way spectacular. Interest is therefore focused on the river valley and on the hilly moraine to the north, as shown on LVlap . ...~.... h7.,) ( ~, ) The Hi ver Ve....' leys ,-. Of the thre(~ ['iain watercourses the ..kst branch ann its tributaries have very little flmV' in SUlmer and sometimes dry up completely. Apart from a fev( scatternci small picnic sites this part of the river cannot be considered as important for recreation planning. The main branch untl the east branch both iuclude two types of valley in their drainage baains. The upper parts of both branches and their tributaries include many na row "V~ shdped v;'Ooded valleys with 5teep slopes. ~;uch Clroas ere suitable for fishinG, camping and individual picnic sites but not for multiple recreation areas. The latter need more space in the valleys for the development of fAcilities such as swimming arecls, c.lrrllJing grounds, .)a:-'~i~c facIlities and l)laYLrounds. The lower parts of both the main and east branches . incl ude mimy areas suitcible for l.arge scale development as re- creation areas. The best of these lie in the valley of the main branch in the 28 miles of its course from the mouth to a point near Bolt,on, and in a similar valley of thE-: east, branch stretching six miles northwards from,joodbrirlge. In these areas the riv~r frequently meanders in flat valley-bottoms two to four hundred yards wide, with well wooded slopes rising steeply from the "flood plains" up to the a ricultural lands dbove. Some of these areas include flat terraces alJove the flood plains. Such terraces are very useful in valley park sites as they cannot be flooded anrl they also provide sites for level playing fields and for administration bUildings. The west branch (jlso runs through a wide and deep va lley extend ine three miles upstream from its junct ion '..vi th the main branch. This area is at present unimportant for re- creati~n planning because of the low minimum flow Cind the regular severe floods. This part of the river will be of value for recreation only if the recommendations in the Hydraulics section of the report for flood control and for increased suener flow are carried out. ..,~-. ..",.,..... -------..--'-- r/ 1/ ~o /" , . .--..-.....-. . .--.. . . . ~~ . /1 ) ~ / ) y I . /, c~ I ' >1 '" 'w '., ~ r", 7~" I ", ' \' ,~ ( ~"~,, ' " "\" / /:/ ~~ ':". ,.. ""I.:,,<r ....' ~'~/'~ ~ I ~J~ ../ ",)~ '~ . ' , ~ '~ I" ~ ~~/ "',"...,('. ,~~ l~ '"'----- /-.---'.... --, ,-/.- '",- /'--/ AREAS MOST SUITABLE FOR RURAL RECREATION MOST SUITABLE RECREATION AREAS Y///////A SCALE '" ILES I III 0 I 2 ] ~ -- , , , --l . . ,~ J -+ \\ : " I 't ~ I : - I 'I ' ~J! \ '-" ,. : , ",,-" \ ' ^ . ~ \. \ 1...\ "j 1 .~ . \00'''''''' r' . \' . ~ -{ . ," _,,' ,r'___ ,\" \---->' -- " ,~_ , ~ ) '.'; " If l '- __ L'~' i ~ '::'... / ,I ~,,\\, \ '7 ~ ~"A \'1 ' '-,'- "- \'i '~ ", 7~, \ \ ~ ~ s \ ~~ , , ':" \ '\, ': \~ . . LAKE ONTARIO <'J:t:-----:--'"' -to '.j: "._"jf' ",W ; H ~~ .. -----~...~... . -'.---- _._~_.- 472 (b) 'The ;;ortherr: Hills The nort.hern part of the ',,ratershed incJ,udes Llore than a hundreri square pliles of rolling land "lith r1any steep hills nn~1 several well-Hooded Vb = levs and ravines. The 'vihole . , area is dotted with "kettlell ponds, including seven "lith areas greater than twenty acres. Althoufh most of the streaMS in the northeast part of the ','latershed tend to dry up in summer, almost all of those rising in the northwest run permanently. The scenery of the whole northern sector of the watershed is very attractive and there al~e Many fine views from the highlands which rise to 1500 feet above sea level near Mono- ,.. 11 Several spectacular species of wilrilife such ~s the l~'l1. s . white-tcdle d deer and. the ruffed grouse may bl~ seen in th:ts area and both bro'..m and speck] ed trout may be taken in many of the streams. The chief value of this part of the watershed for recreation lies in its possibilities for scenic drives, small picnic sites, hiking, fis:1ir:g, huntinr, camping, nature trails and .-,tinter sports. Since many of the sandy lands and steep clay hills, formerly cultivated, are now in pasture or abandoned, there is particularly good terrain for skiing. ( c ) Inner and Outer Green Belts If'the planning of the region around Toronto is carried out with an eye to the future it may be expected that two Crt: en Belts, an inner and an outer, will eventually be set up. The plans for zoning an Inner Green Belt surrounding the city are already far advanced. Having been a.Ff,roved in t-Tinciple by the City Council of Toronto, the Inner Green Belt plan is now (.ay 1946) being c. nsidered by the inrtividu~l municipalities involved. The whole northern section of the watershed and the valley of the main branch of the river down to .>leston, together make up an area of land particularly suitable for inclusion in any i)rOposed rural Outer Green Belt surrounding the City of Toronto. This, of course, would not affect its value and use ,- I '~-' .Ill...y.... , """ ') ,'" I ( . . . . ----. ---- BRAMPTON ----- ---- - A K E 0 N TORONTO REG I ON SHOWI NG RELATION OF HUMBER WATERSHED TO P-ROPOSEO GREEN BELTS AN D METROPOLITAN AREA SCALE OF MILES , 0 , 10 -------------_.~.~:_:...::..:..::..-.,- ~ INNER GREEN BELT ~--~---- PROPOSED BOUNDARY OF GREATER TORONTO ~ OUTER GREEN BELT ~.-.-:-., HUMBER WATERSHED BOUNDARY L....:...._.....:....! GREEN BELTS BASED ON TORONTO C'TY PLANNING BOARD 1943 REPORT. , 474 as Hell nlClTldfeO di,ricu1t;_:ral :,,~)rl for(~st land. (d) La~es ann Ponds It, ;7dght~ b_ expected that the many lakes and pon\1s 'dhich not the northern part of the water'shed vlOuld be intensi vely used for rocreation but \11 tfi one exception the reverse is true. The exception is Wilcox Lake in which a smCill latch of shore along: a road-allowcHlce rernc:dns in public o\'merFhip. The follO\'dng list of lakes larger than five .:tcres sho~'is their present status. jiame O~mership Hecreation Status Acreafe "ilcox Lake ~ 0" l' 1:;.' . !pen ,it a fee 126 .l 'lJ i-'U )..LlC 'fOS:, Fri vate Closed (Summer Cottages) i-:vecsley Pond Private Closed 37 Lake ;iarie Private Closed 34 St. George i..ake Private Closed 25 Scott Lake (Innis Lake) Privat,e Open at a fee 21 Gibson take Pri V;:ite Closed 21 ~1algrave rand Pri va t.e Closed lS Hackett (;Jancy) Lake Pri v;"t,e Closed 13 Thompson Lake '-'rivate Closed 10 Loch ;.:.,rne (Bell's Lake) ?ri v;:; te Open at a fee 6 KeLy Lake ;:>rivate Closed 6 Total JI7 4. The Population Factor Since the Humber ~tershed is uuch larger than at hE~ cs in the immediate vicinity of Toronto, Cind since it has great natural ,.tdvantageg of scenery.md <.lccessibility, it must be Expected to provide ~ major share of the recreational facilj.ties for the population of the City of Taranti), the small tmms and the families of fctrr~jers on the wat,erRhed. Recrec.t:1. on plans too often ignore the needs of both the rural and sr:a 11 town populatjons, and emphasize only the provision of facilities for the large urban groups. It is in fact v\;st dS im,t'Jortant to provide facilities .,thich can be available daily to the local residents as it is to provide facilities for the army of urban workers seeking rest and relaxation at weekends. The facilities provi:ie(l and t,he 5}>CJ cing of recreation a reas must therefore be arran[ed with ample consideration for the needs of all those in the rural part of thE.' 'wiatershed. .. ~--~---_.~-- -_.~- - --.. ~ - N (".; 0 CD OS> 0 0 0 0 g 0 o g g 0 P P 0 0 o - - 0 0 0 0 0 00000 0 0 0 00000 0 000 iD '" .... I : I I --1 · ~--t-. I ,- I ..~ I ! I i ! I I , iD ~ . I .... , I , ! -+-~ - iD ~ I ~ i i I +-- -~- ~ iD '" .... ~ ----~ t', I N ! I "'U - "'" Z 0 t = ~~"'U .... -l c C : 0 r ,.,ZZ J> x -l Cl _ --' ITI 00 W--'(j) ~:rJ~ UJO-l - Z ~ r --.,j Z ~_ _ 1- OS> -. Cl -l "tJ I J> ~ "'0,., _0 --' I -l:rJ W---' I ~ ,., lJ) -..,J -l ITI ,.,r~ -00 I! ~,., I I ~ ~ ~ I ~ ~ i ~ I~----- ~ --- .... Cl 0 i iD ~ - . -. u. CD OS> 0 - N ~ 0 0 o g 0 g g 0 P P o - 0 - . 0 0 0 000 000 0 0 00000 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 >: ~ -~--- ~ ~..... ....- -: 1."76 - I~h€ present population of the i;w'bcr vatershed plus the netropol itan areB of Toronto is,'.;el1 over'} r:iillion people. To this yr,ust be added many thousand more ',vho come into the area during the sunmer from other i)arts of Canada and the United States. In 19L7 York and Peel Counties alone had more than 150,000 licensed passe'l.ger cars or a carrying capacity in cars alone of more than 450,000 persons. Obviously all these people do Hot or could not use tbe present or proposed recreational facilities on the Humber, but it ~s an ind5cation of how many more of our cit- izens might use the area for recreation if more f<':.lcilities were available. A. further indication of this is that on a Sunday afternoon 1,500 pe ~ple crowd into one seven-acre park, vlhich represents a density of ;::14 persons to the c\cre. I' , there is eVf?ry ind5.cation that the ",)reover, population of Toronto and some of the smaller to'.vns surrounding it will continue to E rO\i in the future as it has in the f;;ist. Therefore any f~\cilities p1.dnnerj to pr0vide ri:=crcc,tion for the present population may be eXtJected t:) require extension rather than curtailing for the anticipated incre)sed population, 8nrl are certainly not likely to be too large for future needs. .hatever is planned now should be an integral part of a plan of regional scope. For this reason it is considered good planning to ac';uire L:mds sonewhat larger then necessary for the immerliate needs, but to develo~ the recreation facilities within theM intensively only as the need arises. The most urgent n<:!f:d, both on this continent and in l.urope, has always been the necessity of acquiring enough attractive lands for the use of the public around large cities before private inrU viduals have aC1uired and im;~rovE~d all the attractive a rea s , raising the land cost to a prohibitive figure. It is not too late to do this on the Hur:~ber ,;atershed. IA.V... i 77 ....., C H l\]>'l' LR HLCRE!\ TION A1 F AC1 LIT1 i',~> ON THE 11 UHBt;R PICNIC GhCHiNDS 1. Brule":'a rk This name has been given to the lower reaches of the river south of Bloor ~)treet as a desiL~nat ion in this report. For many year:~ it has been used for canoeing and be>atint; and fr)rmerlyyfC}s a favourite ;?LiCe for picnicking on the water. In late yearf~ its v:'llue has been stressed as one of the fe''I'l re:(lain- int' marsh a 'eas neEir the city 'rJhen-; bj.rd life inc1 uding the Black 'fern and ,4mer::Lcan Coot can be observed. nore than once this stretch of the rivt;r has been recommew!ed iit re[atta course to bE knmm as Brul~ Lake 'i,hich \-mulct necessitate dredging and '/'Iidening incl udint, the cl(;aring out of the marsh area. Its chief interest at present is the bird life which is found there and a moderate aMount of canoeing. The ri ver at this section is (ieep enough for s "iITling but owing to pollution is not used with safety for this ~ur~ose. 1./:" "/arwood Park Thp park is 18 acres of undev~loped bottom land .Just north of Baby Point Hoad owned by the Tmmship of Y~rk. It is fairly h;ell ~'lOoded4ith paths {lnd is used chiefly for hiking and nature-~tudy. IB Lanbton Park This area is also ~n1/ued by the Tm','nsl1ip of York dnd. lies south of the L~lf'1bton Golf Course. It includes 20 acres of attractive picnic area. It is reached by V'lay of ...carlett H.oo. d. This park as \1/elJ. as l1uEvlOod Park lies within the Inner Green Belt planned for metropolitan Toronto. 2. Humber Valley Drive Park This park is located on the west bank of the HUl7lber ili ver, extending from Bloor ~treet northward almost to St. C ]air ,.venue. The land area consists of a narrow strip between the river and the high banks of th~; vuJ..ley and is traversed --"'.~".. 470 by a paved roadvlay. Ovmership and operation i~ in the hands of the City of Toronto. The south entrance is about ten cl:5_nutes walk from the street car line It .Jane amI BIDor. The river bottom here is made up predominantly of flat stones and gravel; summer flow is scanty. A cement wall about 80 yards in length has been built to prevent further bank erosion during the flood period and only at t,his i.)oint, where three or four pools have been scooped out by the vlfater as it flows over ct shale ledge, is the river deep enough for swimming. ~o part of the park i8 flat enough or extensive enough to provide an adequate play or sports field, the chief activities being sun bathing, swimming ,"'lad ing and pi cnicking. One refreshment booth und picnic tables, vvith a picnic ground attached, serves the whole park, a charge of 25; being made for each automobile w:tshing t~) use these facilities. The survey failed to reveal lavatories or a sup~ly of drinking water anywhere inthe park. Limited use is ~ade of this area on Saturdays "nd weekdays. The Greatest number of visitors use it on Sun<iay. The survey revealed an average of ?:)OO pea/)le using the area on Sunday ,iuring the thrt~e month summer period. In ! 1947 altogether 29,000 arluTts and Ij~, )(}.) chilrlrer sought t ~ t recreation here. t 3. Cruickshank Park I Cruickshank Park belongs to the town of ~eston. It is e1f'ht acres in size with four of the eight acres as yet undevelope~ dS a picnic ground. It extends for a quarter of a mile along the east bank of the HUr'lber Hiver, ~'iithin a third of a mile from the heart of the town. The river flows in shallows and rapids and is fairly clear and rarely floods the area even during Si)rinf freshets. IJo bu i leI ings of any kind are ,t)rovided. On the main picnic ~lite there are t',iQ stone fireplaces, one tap for drinking water and about a dozen picnic tables, a ].<1va tory and two incinerators. 4":"j ( .... Cruicj~shclrlk :'nrk '1'1'15 used by some 14 organiz- ::,tions for corn roasts ann weiner ro~sts in the SU~8er of 1947. 3uch organizations as the Y. . (; . it . , Boy ;:~couts, Girl Guides and many more, usei the facilities. The most frequent use of the park was marle by Girl Guide groups as a ~ay camp area. Fanily groups using the area are in the minority. S'Nimming is out of the quest.i.on because the riv\:-r is too shallow and is also polluted. Thf: various grollf;s mentionsrl cibove concentrate on sports, ganes ani campfire activities. 4. Delma Park ......'... This delightful park is situated on the west side of ,Tane Street one hCllf mile south of "ilson !~venue within easy access of the town of deston. It is owned and operated privately. The area comprises some six acres and is a well developed recreation3l area. It is divided into two parts by a pictu~esque little stream. Although this stream is used only for wading it is in itself a considerable scenic attraction. The chief recreational facility is a concrete swimninE pool with its tl,W change houses, four lavatories with ~ flush toilets and two showers. A softball diamond is provided for those \vishing More bctive sport. The south half of the park is provided with seven picnic tables for family groups, four benches and two 50-foot picnic tables for lar~e groups. The parkin[ lot keeps automobile traffic out of the actual park and a bicycle rack serves ~he same purpose. During the summer of 1947, ClFproxirnately 2000 a~ultB ann 4000 children used this park. 5. Riverbend Park ili verbend P:-trk, apl)roxif'JC1 tely 15 acres in extent, is on the east bank of the t'1ain Humber in York Township, Concession VII, Lot 38. The area is one mile \vest of the./oodbridge hiLhway wi th a f;ravel rOCid leading into it. 'The park is less than t-.;elve mi les frof:1 'Toronto and some two ant] a half miles south of - r- .. aJk ------- ------._- ----.--- -- -------- 4 ():) "oodbrilge ViJ.2.Hre. '.rrlE.~ .pa rk :/.:1::) forl'lerly operi:.t,;d LiS a pub.Lic recrE,ational arp3. Thoufl: it is still in private hanrls it is no longer operated as such. The park is enclosed on the west ani south by the river. A grove of largedilloW" trees offers sor;le shade where the grounds front on the river. Except for a four foot terrace in the north east corner. the whole area is flat. The grass cover has become overgrown and full of woeds. The east bank of the river is 10 feet to 20 feet high along most of its length and two separate Gud beaches. 35 yards in length are at the north and centre part of the area. Maximum depth of the stream is no more than six feet and the water is muddy and warm in summer. Sixteen snmner cottat;e~) overlook the park on the east but some are now occul)ied as permanent residences. it ijance ha 11. lunch stand, picnic tables and firep18ces were once set up here. Its attraction as a recrea- tional areCt ceased, as floods and pollution spoiled the beauty of the river. Thus recreational facilities are no longer operatect and buildings and equipnent d isapf-'{3ared. Visitors to this park numbered 600 adults and 300 children in 19L7, the activities being swir~ling, sunbathing and picnicking. Peoi,ile tended to concentrate C-lround the two beaches which gave access to the water and used their automobiles as dressing roo;ns. 6. Llfil Park bIn Park which is seven acres in size is located on Ho. 7 Highway where it crosses the Humber River at the southern outskirts of doodbridge Vi1la~e. It is approximately 15 miles from Toronto and six miles from Jest.on. It is owned by the Jood- bridge '"ar ~':enoriaJ. Fund and is operolted under lease by a ;;rivate opel'ator. The whole park is enclosed in a sl~rp bend of the river and the bigh i"lOoded side of t.he valley much restricts the playing area. A row of large ~illow trees extends along the ~vest find north side of the park, providing shade for the picnic grounds. In early spring and during heavy rain in summer, the area is sub""ect to flooding. , ,'~ ~ I ) J I !..../ - r "---. ~ ...:.,.... I I ~ 1"'(' t .: .,' "'1':'" '\i",I, "",<,- " ';,\ .. ~ '~lrn '\ \." ,.,~\,... .~..\ plc,nJ.c crOUJ.l'l n e l::.J:,' d GQQ bl.'id,i.:e .:, ,,,..~ q h:"l.l} U :['1;;0 ~~i ti;; but <c' !~\L! ! ~:. ;.cIl,',; 1.(jCiU r'co 1}1~ ,',i'/.; til'() ;J f.to. :(-~ t <<t . ";'::.:' ~1 c,rOl,,(~DC\ L'!tQ i t; ~:~. '1 ~_~ C Xl;'f; :.;.) . 'llJle t ~'.l 1~} 1,;.; ~j ..\.,'1:'0 too (} lOL;(: 1',;.~) .J' 'l.'lv,).'~:r.. ....., ." "' '4 -. .1",:T~ ~t:~~~~~;~ . - - J:-'1'}.,;' " -'", 4:... .,.-r, . :;.:-~:....' .....,::: ',/ "'". _ . . ' J. . .:: ... - '- .. '. ....., , > ~~-'--. . .. . ~ll: bt~l(: '.0 1t.. 1.1 tht ...Li..a' ~: :(.h'~ed, t(^? ()J.i :.\. (~..\li c (,' :r'OWHi, l)e \.,'-:rr" C.J..(;,.,\.:f:~ t~t~Cll I\t t !'\:.\-r' lt~}~l~ 1:(dl ~,\ J.:.~ Cf] ~, .:i ,Lj~t)G ~l\:" j .. lJ~'. The chief buildings are a combination lunch stand and dance hall and t~lO outside lHvatories in run dOv:n condition. Although s\dmning is a major feature of the park, no change houses are provided. The unimproved river provides swir-~ing for young and old. The "Iater at this point is [lbout five feet deep in midsummer. For those ~~o prefer deeper woter the mill pond just below the highway and outside the park is used. Some fifty picnic tables line the hank af the river but this arrangement offers little privacy to family groups or smaller parties. Space is a180 provided for softball, lacrosse and hockey in winter. Elm Park is patronized for the most part by local people and by picnickers from Veston and I.f.t. lJennis. Organized groups holding picnics here must book a reservation weeks in advance. Individuals and fardly groups use the / park mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. On a good Sunday lOCO to 1600 people use the area at one time. 7. Fundale Funde-de is approximately 47 acres in .size, is si tuated between the junction of the main Humber and the El'.st Branch, and located sixt€E:n Liles fran, Toronto a half Idle north of "Foodbridge. Like El~ Park, public transportation to it is provided by regular or chartered buses. The area has been in pri vate hands since 1939 e.nd has been operl?ted as a public picnic ground since that time. Fifteen cottages on the south east corner of the area, formerly used as sun~ler homes, are now occupied by permanent residents. 7he rather extensive playing area is bounded by the river on the south and east. On the north and west, p. t is backed by the steep partially wooded valley. Shade is provided by a number of willo\'f and maFIe trees. From the top of the valley bank on the west side of the pD,rk. a very exten~dYe view can be had over the ',\'hol€ countryside. However, no access ~rorr the park grounds to this obf:srvatian spot is pro'rided. ----------~..y... . , (} q ,1' ,. \ --'"""-"'" " , i -"" .t ," .~ ... f - "'-._,..-.'-. - i ;. r( i c a.1 "..C C ~'::.rle.s of1 t :,.i;:': ,'if; f'C r: jl'iCi,oi1 "-.# ..\ ~ Picnic ....round .. hoB .arlY f.iS 1 t t~~UO pl~op16 Cr~J'd~j inLo t ltis ':.~ ~ \/.;:_~Ii acre p 1'0 f)i::: r't y iL aI~ fJ. j~ L f~ .r'"Ji{)Oi-~ ,. __IA.~... U:1- The river ,,;inds th2~ou[;h the area entering on the north east and leavin[; in the south east corner. The lo'\', summer flow, especially in July and l\Ugust, exposes [rD.vEl bars and mud flats and in the last seven years fifteen feet of tr-e bank has been washed a'ltlCq hy freshets. The original barn on the property ha~ been converted into a dance hall and refreshment booth. Two outside lavatories are provided for public use, with the men's lavatory being used as a dressing rOOEl. An outdoor bOvlling court ....li th four 8.1leys VIas erected durin~ the surnmer 1947 near t:le p:=,rk ent!'ance and a small ter;ipo:cary dam was built on the bend of the ri vcr Hhich raises "the water sufficiently for swinlIl1ing purposes. Forty or fifty picnic tables are set up under the trees along the river bank and around tho playing field. ':later is obtained from a du?, well and hot water can be bOUf;ht at the refresrunent booth. Except on Sundays, the park is used by organized picnic groups, who book their reservations some weeks in advance. Family groups and individuals use the park mostly on ;'undays. The owner reports as many as laOe people using the n~ea on a Sunday afternoon. 8. BradshaW's This area is located on a farm in Vaughan Tovm- shi p , Concession VII, Lot 16. Access is by a grovel road, running east from the v;oodbridg;e highway. Entrance i~ zained through the farm on which the site is located. The location of the campsite is on the East 3ranch of the Hurr.cer River. The river flat at this point is covered for the ~ost part with willows and s~all shrubs with the odd large elm or maple tree. Thus no natural grass Flear- ing is available. The sides of the valley both behind and in front of the car.~p are well V'.'ooded. The stream runs fairly clear and shallow over a gravel bOttOLl '.fii th a maximum depU: of t;;o and a half feet. Two school organizations use this Eite annually for picnics - ao people in all - a~d an additional 25 Scouts camp in the area every year. 485 8A Taffy Hollow Park This park \'Jhich is near the little village of Laskay, in six acres in extent, about twenty miles fran, Toronto. Park users are for the most part local people. Taffy Hollow Park is operated by the family occupying the farm on which the grounds are located. The area is level land formerly used for farm purpo se s . The east branch of the Humber runs through the area but is shallow and narrow with a l".ravelly bottonj but the water is clear and cool. The park has a refreshment booth and an outdoor dancing floor. A flash flood early in the summer of 1 ~'4 7 ",;ashed out a small dam which had provided a small swinJf;ing hole. The area was used by some 240 adults and 120 children during the last summer season, The principal activities are picnicking; and square dancin~. No entrance charge is made; all profit comes fro~ the operhtion of the lunch stand and the open air dance floor. 9. Innis Lake Innis Lake, twenty-one acres in extent, is one mile east of Caledon East Villa~e and thirty-two miles from Toronto. The lake and surrounding land, which is operated as a recreational center, is owned privately. The lake is surrounded by cleared fields on all but the south-west side. A few maples and elms separate the cleared fields fro~ the lakeshore. Low land around the outlet on the north-east tends to be swampy. The water in the lake is cool and clean, since a cold permanent branch of the Humber River passes through it. Recreational facilities include a dance hall, q boat house, three cabins, twenty-two picnic tables and four row boats. The shoreline is too marshy to be of use as a beach. No special area is marked off as a sports field. The people visiting Innis Lake come mostly from Orangeville, Beeton and Caledon. In one summer season an average of 1300 adults and 600 children visit the area. The chief activities are dancing, 4$6 picnicking and fishing. Dances are held once a week during the summer. Innis Lake does not lie on a main traffic artery and few people living in the eastern or southern part of the watershed are aware of its existence. Hence it remains relatively unspoiled. It lies in rolling land amongst attract- ive scenery. 10. \'Jilcox Lake This kettle lake with its 124 acres, is the largest body of water in the Humber \fatershed. It is located one mile east of No. 11 highway, t~enty-one miles from the centre of Toronto. Inter-urban buses are available for public tran- sportation. The only part of the lake suitable for public recreation is on the south and east side. This end provides a half mile of sand and gravel beach suitable for swimming and wading. The rest of the lake frontage is in private hands. Of this half reile of beaCh, only 70C feet constituting the roadway is actually public beach. The remainder is taken up by five individuals each operating a section of the beach for commercialized recreation. The four parks operated as recreational areas are: Ash's Park 15 acres, Yaxley Park 300 acres, Blue Spruce Park 25 acres and X Park 1/8 acre. The public beach takes up three quarters of an acre north of the roadway. For people seeking recreation at Wilcox Lake the following facilities are available: one-half mile of sand or gravel beach, twenty rowboats, six canoes and eleven life- rafts, fifty-two picnic tables, three diving rafts, six change houses (only one supplying lockers), two water slides, three refreshment stands, two horseshoe pitches, two swings, twenty- three cabins and one dance hall. The principal activities are swimming, boating, sun-bathing and picniCking. The attraction of even a small body of water is demonstrated by the fact that 33,500 adults and 16,500 children crowd to this area in the I -.--.---- ,--- 487 summer season. This total does not include those having private cotta~es on the lake. All recreational facilities are severely taxed and are actually inadequate to handle such lCirge numbers. There are lODe cottages in the area located for the most part on the east side of the lake. These are occupied by approximately 300e people. These SURili1er residents add to the concentration of people. The roadway follows the beach closely for aln;ost a mile. People using the parks and beaches are subjected to the noise and dust of automobile traffic. No attempt has been made by the operators to provide parking lots or to control - automobile traffic on the parks themselves. GOLF COURSES 11. Lambton Lambton Golf Course suffers from spring and flash floods each season. Every spring the 6th, 7th, Cth, 5th and 14th greens are flooded. Flash floods later in the season are particularly annoying because they come in the middle of the playing season. The course has eighteen holes and a member- ship of 960. .. 12.. St. Georges St. Georges Golf Course occupies for the most part rolling country on the extreme west boundary of the water- shed and is not drained by any significant tributary of the river. It has eighteen holes and a nine hole Brule Course ~nd membership of 550. 13. 'ltleston v"eston Golf Course with 550 acres, is located north of the town about one half mile and borders on the main river. No damage from flooding has been reported here. The course has eighteen holes. 14. Pine Point Pine Point Golf Club with an area of 2g5 acres, offers .an eighteen hole course. A flash flood in July of 1947 washed out the thirty foot bridge which gives access to the property. The cost of replacing it ran close to $1,000. Twice - r 4$8 during the last playing season floods have inundated the 1st, 17th and 2nd greens. Part of the flood vfaters remained in the flats for two weeks. The membership here is 300 paying merrbers and 12,000 casual players. 15. ~ The Elms Golf and Country Club, 130 acres in extent, with la holes, has 250 feet fronting on the Humber River. Flood conditions constitute no problem at any time. The membership is 303 paying members and 15,000 casual players. 16. Summer lea Summerlea Golf and Country Club has an 18 hole course on 90 acres. Since 1920, the river has flooded badly three times. Each time ten acres of the course fronting tr.e river has been in~ndated. In the last fourteen years since 1933, the river has eaten away 50 feet of this property. Fifty feet of plank wall reinforced with stone has proved ineffective. A cement retaining wall, twenty feet long and ten feet high, was built in 1942; at the present ti~e its foundations are threatened by the action of the river. This course avera~es 1,000 players B week and 12,000 casual players during the ~eason. DUDE RANCHES 17. Diamond F. Ranch The Diamond F. Ranch occupies one hundred ~cres in Vaughan Township Concession VI, Lot 120. It is fifteen miles from the City of Toronto and one and a half miles north-ea~t of Pinegrove Village. The owner operates the ranch for the benefit of the public actively interested in riding. The farm includes the East Branch of the Humber which is well wooded and through which the bridle paths run. The buildings include a house which includes a dance hall, a barn and a refreshment booth. Thirty-three saddle horses are hired out by the hour. Riding d.uring the day may be followed by dancing at night. During the peak of the season as many as three hundred people come out to the ranch on a Sunday. An average of four thousand people visit here in the course of the surnmer season frorr, l' .ay to October. The Diamond F. makes no provision for overni~ht or week guests. ~,- . 489 .' "-'~~"--~---"'-'''''---1 i \ \ , 1 i ~ t f ( ~ i ~ ;;- } i' i ~ _...,....~.o..."r..,_.:-\._..._ ...~..,......."..,_~ .""'" "',....."._..,.. .,.."....~..wc>...'_..."'.....~. ".._,..,~..."".. .'....'._ ,...~-. -~..... .... "., ....~.. ", , -----.__,__~-~. "." .o<'~.~ >_'~_."'. _'. __~'_.____._._.______________________...,_________~.____.'_.__.__.,_.____ _.____ I 1 i , , I '" i ; ~ \ I i I , ! i i ! ! ! I ~ I f i , , I i 1 ! i ! I ! ! ( i ~ I ! , i I I ! ~' '.s'~ W'w.. .,; iL :!:rll. i.><' .l.-..~""'"..>1.~~\""""'~"""'O-,I....._"..."",.\;>.""u.__...._~~\<.k"'''''...~...,..'""...""-..o~""","".o.-----,.,.__-~_.<.___,~-._~._ ;...."..-;....">,,~...., ,"",',',_. t ~ The two dude ranches on the Hu.'ll.ber cater to as many as ;00 persons in a day. - ... h90 18. Circle M Ranch The Circle M Ranch, occupying 250 acres, is a mile north-west of Kleinburg Village. Access by auto to the area is via No. 27 Highway. The ranch is privately owned. Much of the ranch land includes the wooded borders of the Humber River and this adds greatly to the attractiveness of the ranch especially for riding. Ranch buildings and several barns are grouped close to a show ring or corral. The main lodge provides sleeping accon~odation for thirty guests. Besides the lodge there is a lunch counter and several cabins for hired hands. One hundred and ~hirty pal~minos and stock horses are kept for show and riding purposes. Hour riders are the most numerous with two hundred and sixty visiting the ranch in an average week during the summer. Bridle paths run through and sometimes outside the ranch land. The most popular rj.aes are those along the Humber. Besides day guests, the ranch is host to American visitors from as far south as Mexico. Other ranch activities include riding, rodeos and horse shows. In one season this ranch plays host to 4500 hour riders and guests. \VELFARE CM:iPS 19. Camp Westawanis Camp Westawanis for boys is located on six acres of land on a tributary of the "Jest Branch of the Humber River. The site is twelve miles from Toronto and two and ~ half miles north-west of Thistletown. The camp ground itself is located directly on the bank of the stream. One side of the site is backed by the well wooded side of the valley. Numerous large elms and maples on the camp site itself provide adequate shade. The view directly across the stream from the camp is obstructed by a stand of trees and willows. A swirr~ing pool is provided by a wooden dam six feet high extending from bank to bank but the ~ater tends to dry up toward the end of the suwmer. At best it flows warm and muddy. . ..~... ------------------- . 491 All buildings are set back from the stream with some units located on the side of the valley. These include a headquarters for the camp director, caretaker's and cook's cabins, eight sleeping cabins accommodating ten per cabin, a combined shower house and hobby room, a combined kitchen, dining room and recreation room and a small tuck shop. A s'lrdng and trapeze are provided in conjunction with the playinp, field. Private property surrounding the camp has meant restricting all activities to the camp grounds. This along with poor 5win~ing conditions may result in the site being abandoned. ~ith all activities confined to the camp site, the emphasis is on athletics, team games, handicrafts and campfires. Camp Westawanis, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto, provides a ten-day holiday for some 600 boys each summer season. 20. Tarmola Tarmola is owned by a Finnish Sports Organization and is operated by a private individual. It is 14 acres in extent, is located 12 miles from Toronto on the Humber River and is reached by car and regular bus service. The entrance to the cmnp is from the East, down the steep valley side. The open play area is contained in a wide bend of the river. The buildings provided are well constructe~ and placed to take maximum advantage of the valley side. These include an outdoor dancing pavilion, a lodge for serving IilCDls but no sleeping ~cconmlodation, a sports building for athl~tic equipment, four cabins accommodating seventy people, &nd t"o chemical lavatories. The main feature is a 300 metre circular track. A few picnic tables and benches are placed on the ~orth side of the area. This organization which has a membership of 300, ep.gages in athletic activities on Saturday afternoons and once, during the summer, a field meet is held at which various ath- letic competitions are featured, to which are invited visitors from other parts of the Province. P.nother eeG members n.adc up -'-- I p.\ ,~ I I _._._..._.,~ - ,. .'-..- ...-~ On thB ,main brc..rlcll -. ~(,. 't :,.:.vJa1)c)1~ B 've v)., Kleinburg tli~~l~O L4.1.icle 1...~e'~v floods ,1:-, ,,; O".....J.j.\..\-, J,,1 't 'i; l.~.; U ,~.w .L~,~ ~;.rlY;~~O,l.. - L .~ , '1' . ',.3.. _ ' , . . \k t ~J.~'. er.~ ~, ~,-, ,'.~ 11,,<' ~'~i.t~ c:r ~;OVCl'Ve flood- , -~ i.,1J.-....\.....: .l: L ( , C ..-, -:11.:':' ':' ,~ """ ~ ....v, ' , ....'"'":'"') l.. \l: ~.'.:'. i._,. .. ' j. .. . _",~,,_'~'_'~.~'-,------.. .----.----, .-.- &.,. ""', '. , .-.-. --_.~~-- - .- ~ -'-' .....--.,-. 'r _~ '_'~'~ Here the Fumber HiveI' curl\:;~ tround f'T\~:rJ".O laH tt ~::\i_.r.-;J.'_~i,:i ;'1 cc:D::.......,,\.:1~Lt t~ ",1 crdc ; tjll J .(-~: t~ 1. c: ,'~ .~ L . "1'L1Jz.. J. t "i , ~. ,i ',J.,; ~ .'\, _.j . , 'J i.: - :;'1.~ , ;.t 1)( {t:}(, (}.f 'v:' I ~- ~ ~_..i..- q> .(orE: l':,..,c,. tf e l,~~ :trll,lo;;,;,;; \i(,td..i_. J. c~p ~)ti prf;vsl.:t. the lH:irdr eI';:;:;.;ion 'l',:tll C,. L:; takint~ l)lD.ce. - r- 1.91 .. - of families and friends use the park on Saturdays and Sundays. All the people of this racial group live in or near Torento. 1\ children's camp is operated all during the summer for Finnish boys and girls from the City. Altogether some 50eO adults and child- ren visit Tarmola during one summer period. Ewimming and boating are prohibited by the lack of beach faciJ.ities and the shallow water. During each spring flood period the river erodes away the bank on the south side of the camp, which has forced the operator to decrease the size of the track. 21. Bolton Fresh Air Camp Bolton Camp, with its 340 acres of rollin,":, hilly land, occupies one of the most picturesque parts in the Ht..rnber 1/!'atershed. A tributary of the Coldstl'€3m runs clear and <':(,01 through the southern edge of the camp. This area is 2$ miles from the City of Toronto and is no more than a mile and a half from Bolton Village. Good access is provided by No. 50 hifhviay or by the county ro;-,d running between Nobleton and Bol tOri.. The buildings are placed to make up four differ- ent camp units, two for mothers with children, one for older ~irls and one for older boys. All buildings are well conctructed and maintained. Each unit is Flaced so as to take advantar,e of the uninterrupted view over the lawns and playing fields. Such recreational facilities as stone fireplaces, observation points, benches, swin~s and slides are providect. Trails, playing fields, playgrounds are such as to allow diverse group activities without undue crowding. The small streams interspersed through the Hrea are used for wading purpo.s~s only. Slrlirnn:ing is provided in three outdoor ~wimming pools. . Means is provided for engaging in nearly every type of healthy outdoor or indoor actiVity. Bolton Camp, under the auspices of the NeiCh- bourhood Workers Association in 1945, gave a holiday to 7,595 mothers and children. The total cost of the camp, divided by .____0____ _._~_ , q , ~\ ~ r { This is the 'lu.mber :.iver as it. is in i t~[j low::)r rGiJ.CljBS. '..;1 thin the propo;;,ed Innor Green Belt" : ____ _,~__o.____<ooo_o __ The Hurnb~:!lr River in the prof',.<)seu ~il~l(~r :~illf~ Par.k. 4()5 the number of children and mothers who received a twelve-day holiday, cane to $15.76 for each individual. To date, after 24 seasons of operntion, 114,092 children and mothers have enjoyed a twelve-day holiday at Bolton Camp. '!\ienty years ago, this site was practically bare of trees, Since that time, extensive tree planting and other conservation practices have made ti an extremely valuable rec- reational area. 22. St. Thomas Artaban Camp This camp for boys and girls is located on another tributary of the Coldstream. Access is via No. 50 highway to Bolton and three miles of gravel road. The camp is non-racial and non-denominational and is financed by St. Thomas' Church of Toronto through the "Friends of Camp Artaban." The site is on the east side of the narrow valley of the stream. A fann house at the entrance is used as a head- quarters and meals are served in a marquee erected in the yard of the farnl house. All sleeping accommodation is provided in tents, placed at the north end of the playing field. The original dam for swirnmin{; was made of logs and stones but was destroyed by flood in the spring of 1946. A new ce~,ent dam has taken its place. It provides for such water activities as swimming, divine, wading and a water slide. The water flowing into it is cool and clear, although considerable mud is stirred up by the swimmers using it. During the summer season, this camp provides a holiday for some 375 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 14. The chief activities are hiking, swimming and various sports such as softball, archery and soccer. The whole area is being improved by the planting of trees. So far 12,000 have been planteQ by the TOC-H Club. 23. Boy Scout Carnp This camp is situated on private pr0perty in Vaughan Township, Concession X, Lot 31, on the east branch of thl Humber. At this point the river meanders through a flat valley approximately a half mile wide. The bed of the streffiU is clay, '-4. IA.~'... ;'/)0 conseauently the swi~aing is poor. The ground on which the tents are pitched is flat and grassy but provides no space for a playing field. illovement is considerably restricted by the hawthorn and wild apple trees growing here and there on the site, which are also a menace to bare fEet. The three small cabins and cookhouse are in disrC'\air. Sleeping accOl:unodation was provided in six tents. The main activities are hiking, nature study and camp fires, Hiking parties are free to tramp through any privAte property in the near vicinity. The Camp is sponsored by a North York group of the Boy Scouts Association. Between July 19 and August 5, eighty-five boys use this campground. 23A St. Enoch's Camp This United Church Camp, 17 acres in extent, is located on the main Humber, some four miles west of Bolton Village. The river flat on which the camp is built tends to slope rather steeply from the edge of the water to the steep valley side. Consequently there is very little actual flat ground available. The valley side bounding the camp on the north is very steep but heavily wooded with cedars, poplars and elms. The top of the valley bank provides a wide view looking south and west, The river, marking the southern edge of the camp, runs clear and cool over a series of rapids. The buildings are necessarily constructed on the sloping grounri, and include; a central lounge with maximum capacity of twenty people, a dining hall seating fifty, five cabins each accommodating ten people and a cook's cabin. The majority of recreational activities take place inside the camp grounds. The lack of a flat playing field means an emphasis on such pastimes as group discussions, singing, and campfire gatherings. Wading rather than swimming is the chief water activity. Some volley ball aI~ soft ball are the more strenuous sports played. '"', .....y:... ,._~~-...,.--,.'" .<-7,-0~~'-::'''-" ::;.-_,.,,=:",....~__ 497 St. Enoch's Camp is owned and sponsored by the Peel County Religious Education Council. Every summer season 300 people, children and adults, between the ages of 9 and 25 enjoy a two week holiday here. All visitors are Church members from Peel and Dufferin Counties. The greater number come from rural homes in the Brampton and Orangeville area. 23B Lakeshore Y.M.C.A. Camp This site is on the west bank of the main Humber. The farm on which it is established is directly opposite what used to be Humberview Park in York Township. A fine stand of maples and elms shelters the camp. No cleared space is available for a playing field or sports area. Behind the camp on the west is the high wooded side of the valley. The site is us~d by small parties of 10 boys and 2 leaders as an overnight camp, 3 nights per week during July and August. Some 240 boys used this area on overnight camping expeditions in the summer season. TOURIST CA~1P 24. Bell's Lake The tourist camp at Bell's Lake (Loch Erne) is located on No. 27 highway two and a half miles directly north of Nobleton. This is the only still body of water to be seen on No. 27 highway, between the Queen Elizabeth liJay and the divide marking the edge of the Humber Watershed. The lake and its tour- ist facilities are in private hands. The lake which covers five acres. is bounded on the east side by cleared fields and on the west by the highway. The surface is some ten feet below the general level of the road. Willows growing along the west bank serve to partially screen it from the road. Buildings inclurle six cabins co~prising some fourteen single units; all but three of which are heated for winter use. The lodge contains a store. an office, kitchen. dining room and rlance hall. Two gas pumps and a boathouse with a dock and one boat complete the equipment. Electricity is used in all the buildings. ~..." ~98 ~. '....... .. h._".... , . _M_' . ._....... ". ...'''....'M~_...~_...~...,,,''~.,.',.. _,~_.~_~._,.>e.... '__~..4_'....M.. _ "........._..,..___....___________ i . I , I I I I I , \ , ~ f I iI' I j ! , i . I , "lI_..~~...""'____...,.............._\o-"'"'.__....""'""'_:'.......<._'_"'l.~,..._'.,,'""'._.'"'_""',...'__"'__"!.....,.....,.,....-n~ ,....--....~_,"'''"....~,_,.... . . 0.11 one tou.r1at o~ ensta 1n the waterS_4! .., Bell's .take, 8. five &On "ht ~ P0n.4" on Bo. 27 B1ghwQ_ ....,.____..............,_.,_..""'4'_.....-.-...._.___________..-.. - , , j 1 \i ~ , I I I I I I I I i I --....-------..,...._-_......__....-......._-p.......-......--....~-_..........._.._". --''"'....---~ .. --,..."..~.-.-..,~ I I DaM foz 1D.onaae4 sWIller t low. w1 th w1de I I i tl1a.otuatl0D.8 1n ater level, 40 not pl'O- I I Tide reefta'lOA areas. Thes. mud t lata I I an at "11woo48 Lake 1.11 the GJ'Wld .RiTeI'. I I I I I 1 1 I I I I I t 4 (~Cf , , The people stopping here are mostly American tourists on their \liaY to Northern Ontario. In the peak season, July anrl August, dozens seeking overnight acco~~odation have to be turned away. Last season 1,100 adults and 600 children were given accommodation. Chief recreational activities are boating, fishing and some swimming. The owner claims fifty carp are taken from the lake each season. During the winter, various organizations from Toronto rent the canp for dances on Saturday evenings. COTTAGE. SITLS The two most important cottage sites in the Humber ';:atershed are located at Vlilcox Lake and at Humbergrove, vlest of Bolton. One thousand cottages are used as summer res- idences at Wilcox and firty at Humbergrove. There are sixteen cottages at Riverbend Park, fifteen between Woodbridge and Pinegrove and seven at Fundale. This makes a total of 1,078 cottages in the watershed. Under conditions of the present housing shortaEe, most cottages in the watershed are being occupied as permanent residences. This makes it difficult to assess the place of cotta[e sites among the existing recreational facilities in the Humber area. All cottages designed for sur:uner residences are invariably located on a river, a stream or a lake. Cott.age sites 8nyvihere show a decrease i:1 real estate value in proportion to the decrease in scenic attractions surrounding them. This fact is evident in the watershed at Fund~le, Riverbend Park and at Wilcox Lake. At the first two, the increasing unattract- iveness of the river and the property fronting it has resulted in a decline in value of the cottage sites. The value of property at ';lilcox Lake has declined consinerably because of the crow:] ing together of cottages on small lots. A do\~ward trend in real estate values of property is a serious sign of future impoverishment in any community. It can be stopped or prevented by intelligent planning and action by the people of the community. 500 I'LC I\'-' I T tJTJA l1I ()I.,J From the foregoing c~talogue of facilities in the valley the present recreationHl use of the area is thrown into relief. The six picnic grounds listed, naI'lely Brule, Magwood Lambton, Humber Valley Drive, Cruickshank and Pelmo are ess- entially urban areas. ~lhile they serve their purpose in so far as their facilities permit, they are too close to the urban centres of the watershed to furnish that element of adventure which is provided by a short journey by car or bus to a more natural setting supplying woodland, stream and the open country- side. Two parks, namely Riverbend and Taffy Hollow, while . having potential value, are either neglected or BO small that their worth for large groups is grea~ly minimized. The two parks, namely Elm and Fundale, which approach the ideal requirements of a rural park referred to sometimes as a multiple use area, are so hopelessly crowded on weekends that the enjoyment of those seeking recreation is considerably lessened. The fact that 3,400 people crowd these properties on a good Sunday is surely an indication that more ann better planned parks of this type are required. A ~ The two lakes which still remain open in part to the public, and especially Wilcox Lake, are used to capacity, indicating again how people are attracted to a body of water, no matter how small, for their recreation. The Humber Valley is well supplied with golf courses. These are six in number which occupy 1,4UO acres of rolling terrain, much of which lies in the valley of the main river or its tributaries. Three of these courses may be con- sidered seQi-private and permit playing by the day, while the other three require full-time membership. The fact that approximately 40,,)00 people use these properties in a season is an indication of how the Humber Valley is sup~lying recreation of this sort. Riding is provided for by two ranches, and both are well patronized, the number of people enjoying this healthful sport being over a,OOO during the season. - ,...... i .*14.1"... l- ,.... "'i )'J.L l;lany churches, service clubs and welfare groups h~ve taken advanta7e of the scenic beauty of the hwnber to purchase permar..ent can;p sites. This phase of recreation is well taken care of and some of the camps are excellent in their fac- ilities. The seven c~np grounds used by these groups occupy some 600 acres on the ,"iatershed. Four thousand, nine hundred children and 700 adults used these areas during the 1947 swmner perioj. All caa~ps, wit.h one notable exception, use the .r.ain Humber River or its tributaries for all swimming and water activities. For some reason tourist camps have not developed in the valley and, a:-; indicated, only one at Bell's Lake is conducted at the present time. With the exception of Wilcox Lake cottaee sites have not been built up to any great degree, due no doubt to the lack of suitable available river fronta~e and lakes of suf- ficient size. On the other hand many private estates have been established, usually with river frontage or on the few kettle lakes which are at the north part of the watershed. . If the Humber Valley lacks anything to increase its value for recreation it is insufficient flow in the river during midsun~er. All present owners of properties, both private and those opened to the public, apprccia~e the value of trees. ~r'oodland is protected and reforestation is carried on, but land owners can do nothing individually about summer flow. Elsewhere in this report recommendations are offered which if carried out should increase the surr;;ner flow of the river, tnereby providing better and more swirnming facilities which at the present time are seriously lacking. . ..v.... '.;J; itLCH c, i\ '1'1 mJ ..1 'l' Ii T IS TICS /i.Cii.i.,,~ /\ i'"f~) :-'.i.--.OT)IJL l. Types of Land USE;d for Hecreation " Acres 70 :'ublic land c;llld lclnrls open.Jt a fee 1665 57 Eecreation Inno s with restricted m'mbership ')00 3() Private recrehtion areas ...1.ll 13 Total 2940 2. i,4:l1 ts and ChD.dren Osiny fLccreation Fuci1i ties, .June 1 - ~;eptember 1 , ~]ll ;\dults Chj.lrlren 'Iotal -"'- icnic [rounds 67, ;)00 63 'j(j<'" l)O,'JOO , ", ,) Sports ;~6,o()o --- 20,000 Dude ranches 8,000 --- b , :)00 Cotta., e sites 2 , (nO 1,000 3 , ()OO Tourist Ci'F1pS 1,200 600 1,6(JO ,':elfare camps 7)0 5,:)()O 5,700 Other facilities 4,:JUU 2,500 . 5'0 0, U Total l'Y"O" 72,lJO 181, \)00 '. 0, ',! V 3. 'fotal ;\rea and i,re.":\, for l':dcreation .. ,.cres ...,. thn-recreationa1 use (agriculture, ,.,., 093 forestry, tmms, roads, services) t~UO , :1resent recreational use 2,940 Proposed a1dition~1 recreational use 4,5;}Q Total 215,533 4. Visits t.o hecrecltion j,roas of Different ':"ypes in 1947 Persons ""ubIic areas or those open at <.i. fee 167,000 Recreation lands with restricted membership 12,000 Drivate recreation areas ") OJ'J J;.. . Total lLl,OOO - II""" .. _-va.. 5 .3 c r, ,. .l, ~;l~UPO;,)~,f) ELClUJ,TIC;',\T. Fr,CIJ 1'l'Tt,S 0;/ THL HU:lBLR 1. Eecreation 0references Until the 1(Hr7 survey no st<.l.tistic,':iJ :.nfor:~jation ~ ./as cwall.9ble concerninf the recre::~tian preferences of residents in the Hunbe i ,.atershed Hnd t. e Tc)rontc. area. The act1vjtj.(Js b ~. ~. are of course, ., . "..; t e'l b" .' 1 r t f' ~., ~ t'; 'H' , " . ",.;.,.' , \ ., par- ~.J.r.L, .' dld (;IC..!..,!.., ..l.l;;., urt dVCt...l.J..dl..,le, t ticularly t,he f.acil:.ty of trclTlsportat,ion. It; is an unfortunate \ r fact that those ',ilia lh ed recreation areas r:lOst, na -ely the ~\ ~. ! underprivileged, dre also t.he le'jst c:.!b},El to pay for trans- 1 ~'; portation anrt ~o not have cars. To sane ext,ent, therefore, a t. survev of present recreation activities is not necessarily ....,..~ .. f. I I r'. a correctiindication of the most Nanted facilities. ! I The survey ma1e clear two points. The first of t ~. these is that more thRn fifty ~er cent of those using recreation i ,j redS in the 'liEltershed alJparently preferred t.,D congrebate at beaches, and pi.cni.c p:rounds rather than to :ieek more intimate cont9ct with nature. This presentf-J the problen of grouping people in close but not crowded proxinity. It also shows the nFcessity of establishing in any proposed park a focus or service area &t ,rLich people mltura21y cO:lf;regate ,.Hid fro~1 .t.- which they can seek quiet areas if they \1ish to do so. . IJ The 5t,cond point clarified by the survey W2,S the order of l'reference of recreation types. ~),jin1inE and pic- nicl'ing vlere the most popular HctivitiHS. These were followed by golf, formal ~l nrl informal i:al"1eS, riding ani nature study. '.'0 ~tudy '.'IdS i1iilde of the intensity of !'i~:;hini;, hunting and '- ','linter sportn. The opportunities for these are now limited in th~; viDtershed awl the rt; is alr::ost no 0.' portllni t y f,Jr boating other them at the Humber Mouth. From stldies rwde by the Ntitional ~)ark ~Jervice of the Uniterl ::;ta tes , concerning the particilbtion of park users in different activ:it::'e~" the folJoding were lister\ ill order of popularity. - .. --A./A:a . · 501+ 1. Picnicking 2. S"vimming 3. Hiking 4. f-'ports and Games 5. Camping 6. Fishing 7. !lature Study $. Boating 9. Dancing 10. Riding The foregoing lists of preferences must be kept in mind in planning any specific improvements on the Humber Watershed. 2. Area Needed \\'hile the need for new public recreation areas in the watershed is evident both for iDn~ediate use and to pr&vent all the most suitable areas from being acquired or developed as private estates while the Toronto region is growing, tte exact area needed can only be roup;hly estimated. Using the r average of several previous estimates it is assumed that 1,000 people reauire ei~ht acres of easily accessible public parYland. I I On this basis the present requirements for those living I in the Toronto area would be little over 8,000 acres. Hecreat- t ion areas alreedy in existence in the City of Toronto and in the watershed amount to the following: City of Toronto Public Parks 2,30C acres Public Recreation Areas in the 1 Hur(lber '<Jetershed (not in Toronto) 1.661 acres Total 3.961 acres No estimate has been made of the total public recreation area available on the Don River Watershed. When allowance is made for additional recreation areas on the Don which appear to be much less than those on the Hurrlber, it is apparent that the total falls for short of the b,OOO acres needed for the present population of the Toronto area t \-li th no allO\l/ance for the norrnal increase 1. Private golf clubs not open to visitors are excluded from this est.imate. All recreation areas open daily to the pub- lic at a fee are included. ...,y-.. 505 in the population of Toronto which is forecasted in this report. The recommended Inner Green Belt amounts to 4,280 acres, but a part of this is already part of the city parks system and much of it is already devoted to recreation areas such as golf clubs. It may be expected that the Inner Green Belt will remove some of the stream from the overburdened city parks, but it is not likely that it will greatly affect the pressure on overcrowded areas well outside the city, such as \'iilcox Lake. As the programme of park development of the Inner Green Belt is effectuated and parts of the parks are more intensively -,,-- used, certain parks on the Humber will tend to be less in demand for intensive use and more in demand for such activities 85 camping, hiking, nature study, riding and fishing. On the whole they will be affected very little by the increase in city parks due to their natural characteristics. The most logical approach to the problem appears to be a programme of establishing several large scale well organ- ized and diversified multiple use areas and a number of small individual public picnic sites, and the acquiring of additional land which can be developed intensively or not, according to '*-- ~. , I.. the demand sho~n for the first facilities developed. A conservative estimate of the situation would indicate that at least 2000 8cres,of additional park space is needed immediately and that a further 2500 acres will be needed within the next fifteen years. 3. Accessibility '- While the location of railroad lines must be considered in planning large park sites, studies of present road traffic flow, are of little significance for two reasons. There is little doubt that the present road building programmes will make any records of traffic flow obsolete. Secondly, since the Humber \1atershed is entirely covered by a grid of roads, recreation areas need not be adjusted so that present - ,...- ~'" c-~- Ci t., \ \ \ J\.,. \~ -' (i) ORANGEVILlE Ii 0 [ L lEs 1t-- ./"" ~ / /f /0 / ~ I IllS ---- <l <l~ , 7 / / I / / / 8flAa.PTC -~ 'If. .-.!...II / /i.~ ~ ACCESSIBiliTY MAP SHOWING MILEAGE FROM LARGER CENTRES TO PROPOSED PARKS. ~ BUMP rOM SCALE MILES I 1/2 0 I 2 :3 r-_ _ I _..~- o AUR\'RA ORT A~ PAR K 0... . \, ~" \, 1l0~ . ~-f" .' ~.~~ \ .",,- \\ \y~ j< \ I ""0 I, + ' \ ~ ~.'.\ . LE'. I' . \ \ t --. \ '" --\ ifr " __ I .. I COVENtRY PAR' ~.......... '<>-' __ w<<'" -.....::. "- >>~~ \ :: ~ ""'~- \ I I ".. ~} 'I, ./ ' ~ .. .,,"/ '" " URG PARK /" I I - ... KL.:EI~~ ,fJ c-t- "'/v I:: ~" ..,O..,~ .... ., ~ Ii ~ M . 10 MILES . i I 0__ ___~ A ....0 ~oy "'7 / II / / / 8R,U'PTC IIf'$ - - '-,;:"If,t.. ~8 o 8RAMP rOM . -> 5U7 I 1 I t ~ traffic flod passes nea,r thc;Il. rihey should be ehosen for th,::ir I t I, ' natural advantages ani if they are well chosen, traffic '.iill I flo',/ to them and to\fflshifJ rOc..r:1s m~lY be improved accord inf:;ly. r The exception to this nIle is of course, the roadside .,ark which is n;;turril; y located on an important <Artery sueh as th€; new Barrie Highway. 4. Choice of Sites ~hile the general limitations as to sites for recreation areas have already been disc~ssedt a fe~ additional factors may be added. The factor of most significance limiting the recreational value of the river at present is pollution. The ..-_O~ " pa.rts of the river lYJOst severe ly polluted are: (a) The Main branch from Albion Park bridge (<:.I mile north of.saton to the river mouth. (b) Black Creek southwards from Trethewy Drive. (c) The Blue Creek from the point at ~ihich it passes a dye works near the ~oodbridge railroad station to its junction with the River Humber. This creek continuously carries pol~uted water into the main Humber River just above a community picnic grounrl., and helps to make the river unfit r'pr s,vimming at this point. ~- . '" (d) The West Branch from the Grubbe bridge on the .estcm- .Joodbridge road down to its mouth on the main riv?r. There is already ample legislation for the control of pollution in Ontario but the abuse of rivers in the province has always been great and the legislation is not normally enforced. .- In spite of various forms of pollution ~nd the unsightly appearance of the Humber Rivez; it was used by at least 15,000 people in 1947 for swimming. This points to the obvious ~ lack of good swimMing facilities in the region and to the need for abating pollution. It is not too late for action concerning the present pollution. For c.l river which pc~sses on the edge of a city of nearly a million people the Humber is still reoark- ably clean, since thore has been little industrial development - r . ~ :lOR ,- - . -----.- .'~._--.,....,-...' ........ ....... .....,~.~,...,. ,",-... ,-..,-~.,.. ,-, ", ,. '''--'~'''_'''''~r'~~_._._....._._.,..".,____ -~._.-_.~.- .,- "-- ...."-.---.-,-.- -- ,-- i , I ~ I \ I I I I I ! , ~ I f ! ! ! I , i I } , i I I .,.-''' ! ------ The Humber rift!" above the Soarlett Road bridge 18 polluted b,. the dUllp1.ng or 1.n4ustrlal waste al14 rubbish 1n an att:tt to divert the 1'1Ter from Its ohannel. 8 area 18 1nf'e8ted with rats. It lies 111 the proposed "Inner Green Belt". ,,........ _"..........,.........,..".,.~>..,,:.._'''',..;;....,~_.:...;...,...,..,.,.._~_...........__......,..:...........'''~-....,........"'"'..........."""""'."".....""'-""'_...~_,..........,.,'.........1.....';:'_....,,_..:l"""'~...."'.. "" .,......_ 'IJ. -- ... ;Ii:; ~ 'I i , I i I ,. i i 1 i _ . I , ~ ! I i i ! I i .1 I ~ ! 1 ~' \ I ! I t 1 ! , I ! , .l 1 '~ -- ..-.. ..--.... --,-_-",__""~,,,,,,,,_,,,_,,,,,,,_,,~,,,,,,,,,,__v__'_"~c.-'_~"""_~'_' ~.... ......."'....~......~.....__......'...._.. '~"" ."'._,~1~ __", .~ t J. saall 4aal. arUull7' 4eslgned to s1mula'te a ;~I {I 1 "-'al wa".l'tal1. proud.. a swiwnlng hole. 1 ... bpJ'OftS tlle ~1T.r tor t1sh1n8. t r ~ {, t, I: / f I !- .J 1 Ii 509 along its banks. The need is all the more urgent for enforcesent of existinr, legislation and for prevention of additional pollut- ion. Reservoirs constructed to increase SUl1;Ilter flo\. ,"'muld greatly help to reduce the dangers from pollution. If the present pollution cannot be cured in the near future, swimming facilities in parks fronting on polluted sections of the river should be restricted to artificial pools close to the river, located by a competent parks engineer. A minimum of expense is involved if the basin is scooped cut with a bulldozer and then lined with stones. A purifyinp.; machine through which the river water flows into the pool will remove .--.-.;~ both silt and pollution. In the smaller tributary streams the main pre- requisite is a clear permanent flow. Small da~s closed only in the summer, here form satisfactory swimming pools. Several of these dams are in operation in the watershed. These pools are necessarily small and unsuited to supply the needs of large nillfibers of people. ~any parts of the river valley are subject to bank erosion and deposition of silt in flood time, both of which tend to harm recreation areas. II very simple progranlll1e of plant- 4 ing stream banks with alders and willows will control bank eros- ion. The silt carried down by the river results chiefly from faulty farming practices. The improved techniques recommended in the land use and forestry sections of the report would greatly reduce the volume of silt carried in the water and improve both the land and water of recreation areas. The presence of large amounts of Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron) in areas otherwise suitable for parks, need not be considered as a serious problem. Poison Ivy control can be undertaken with a solution1 of 2-4-D. 5. Dams in Recreation PlanninJ:!: Four types of dam are of value to any recreation plan. The first is the small dam on a tributary stream, closed all sunrrner to provide a swirr~ing area to improve the stream - 1. ~jucce~:sful work has been done with a concentration of 1000 parts per million, of the ~ethyl Ester of 2-4dichlorophen- r-o---- _..~.....-.. ___..! _ _ _.1 ....1 ----- .. --~_._.~-,_....__ _. ~_"_'_^W",." ~ _ ,"_. _ --- ---. - ------- -----.-.--.,,-------- _ ..__w._________...._ i i 510 I J I I . ; L i , , I I , I , I I I i ---.,... ~ A ~l well 4..1IM4 ... to ,",lGe a .....s>>&.,c:. 1'h18 one 18 a' tM s",. .'. Camp 1A Al'D1oa ~hlp. , , , -,~ , '...... " "~....... .- .. ." ...--.-'''.....,---. , '---1 i .---------'----'-.-----,------------,-.-------.-.-,-.-.-----.,.-, -..'".. _._. m.._ __._. , _ _._____ __.,"- _] ! I J4':--~- I ! , , . j j' :....,. " .- '1 , J ~ " I . .1 I . . * ; i --r- 1 t ~ J .{ .~ j I 1 . I i ' ,...- , I ~_. - '" . ......_~........---....-..- ! ! I .A Yl.. ot 'he .-111 'whiGh will be 1'loo4e4 ~ l' .., the daa ......1oD.. aboft. ~. , I I f f I I-~ I ! - n. Ii .......,...... - .... .--- \ I 511 RECREATION EXISTING PROPOSED DAILY CAPACITY ONE MAN SYMBOL REPRESENTS 300 PEOPLE ~ """,IHlt"","""" . " """'Nt'"""Nt,tNt \ MULTIPLE USE AREAS II ! r """'Nt"""""H", [iJ i I Nt 1.-.,- . 10 PICNIC GROUNDS ~ ~ It f t , ROADSIDE PARKS 2 I I ~ Ht I I PICNIC SITES 15 II""' ~ 7 WELfARE CAMPS . It> .jt., t []] ..,,~ I TOURIST CAMPS """,Htt ~ 5 COTTAGE SITES I Nt"t ~ I i II GOLf COURSES "t [1] 2 DUDE RANCHES - j : i , I i . - w;- 4-4-12 ......--.-- t 1-) f ~' r 'l/ :n "^''.-_c,,:'" ~. 2 r ..-..'_. '~r" :"' ':---i '" I ~ _ ~ I .-~, ". ': .. , , I L _ , _...___..__.__J -, 28 I~ [0' ~ ! ! ' I i-J..I VIti': 1-=: 1-' 1 '----' L-._--.J _ r-x-l i /"'! ~ /6\! i<.A\~ l' ___.__i ~~.J - i 1;." ~ · ~'tt I ~""l" i <'! J;." " . · tff I ~~"" '; L_.., __.__ ____ '\ ,... - - -~ . .~ - 1 i !U .; .. \.~ 22 ( I ' OO~~rn I~ I l' ~ - {Y \ ~;'.) / ~ ~ ...... ~~ ~ tt 9 . /,~ /' , , I i ( I ( "";'i.j'~'~"~\ ' - t ,:!;,,!~:, ,;.'~.~':'J': ::':.': ,~:'" . \ .. 1 (f!fil THOMPSON ~KELLY L. , LAKE "-HACKEr. I.. LOCH LAKE I ERNE EJ~ (NANCl~ ) ( BEL L's ---- ) LAKE) t ~ 24 . I~ ~ , I ) --- IF . '" 5' I ~ 40 '- r NOBLETON 21 ~~~[I]rn '\-: ~ t'ftttittttttttt f') -.a (; , ..~ 18 ~' , - ~ ~[!] It _. .', ffiJr' ~ I - ,.'. '" I - ~ ~ ,- \ . LAir E - J AlARIE - 10 [}fj~8S @ """",,~ """"" . ,. (' - " - "; ,L .,;;.";.,.-......~ j '~ 1)9 , " ~! , I-~ I~ \1 M ~I.J ,~ i;; ~ttt ~,; )V y, \\d R~ .~ EXISTING FACILITIES :.~- fBS PICNIC GROUNDS DUDE RANCHE; Ii "" I, BRULE PARK. 17. DIAMOND "F" ~( ::;i' 2. HUMBER VALLEY DRIVE PARK lB. CIRCLE 11M" F 3. CRUICKSHANK PARK. WESTON ~ 4. PELMO PARK 5. RIVER VIEW PARK WELFARE CAM I' 6, ELM PARK ~Fi 7. FUNDALE 19, WESTOWANIS . 8. BRADSHAWS 20. TARMOLA 9. INNIS LAKE (SCOTT LAKE) 21. BOL TON FRESH AI 10. WILCOX LAKE (3 areas) 22. ST. THOMAS 23. BOY SCOUT CAMP Ie ~ GOLF COURSES I TOURIST CAMP II. LAMBTON 12. ST. GEORGES 24. BELL'S LAKE (LOCt 13. WESTON 14, PINE POINT 15. ELMS 16. SUMMERLEA --- '---"'-~-------~----- ---- -- _._,..~""~ ----------'---. .~ --. - " . ., '--- . - .~. jf: ~ If \ I~~ I' I ',.- .,~- ~ - (l- \,)V \.. ~: c REATI ON , o J:\ e", f""1 r'l S J- (-, F~e"'TES ,.{ \. k f'" " i e u .,:.:' -.' i ~ j " ; i.1 t....JI 'v..' \~ '_ . j., ,~I . L,~. , . ...... .~ - f1 - - ,gs , i i . j t L,E f- ~ - ~ "" ~ ; j ;. j f .. t,,,,, L.. ;) HE;! - ? ~, H ! V t.~ h H E "I~ ~.) f.. 1'4 r. :'.\ ~ - 6 E L D t:: N ~~ f t L ~ ~.i' R r\ v ~ - ~ f': ;~.i .U ;, ~ f'l~ G . i.:',. j v B - .... - .... t", .J. ,~ L t: \ (J :'.. ~,~ t'\ ~ ~ - PS ~ "J, i) (; r,; ,':;c :. j ~ - .'J \i ~_ to. h \ , 1 ~/ - - !. ~;, I M' Ai',. - '\ ~R C 'A~f? [j . 'i I ! , ,'..\. ~ tt AI i ;t; r:' \ I I [1 lMP I's \ , E R ti E ) , , t ' .,~ ,j : C I Mf! , : M. LOCI \ Of \ it , \ ,I I 1/2 ,i t ~ .'=- - .. " - \ '\ ," ,-,~-.. ~'- A ~ ~ i\ I ~ ) J ...... \ ~ KEY ==--- ~ ;-1 ;jJ ~ PICNIC TABI.ES ~ GAMES . , : ~ BOA T1NG r.'lF'SH'NG --='- ~. ~ SWIMMIl~G " ~ GOLF ~ CAMPING l~1 FIREPLACES I' ~ CABINS [jJ HIKING \ .-- ~ J NATURE STU(IY_.~ SKIING ~ TOBOGA",NING l~] SKA T1NG 0RlLiiNG em DANCING EACH M~IN SYMflOL REPRESENTS 100 PEOPLE ~N SfMBOLS REPI~ESENT TOTAL CAPACITY ~ RECREArlON AflEA AT ANY ONE TIME. SCALE' MILES , 0 I 2 :3 " ~----~ :1=--.,..",... J j --"'- I ! I I . 't \ \ \ rr .., I '" \ I I -------.7 '6 4 f; \ ~ 't, ~ 4 88 tt, ! . I 2 -- Cd ~~i...t-' , l__ "'Ml1t't [f]rnEJ~ f'm~"f' f" '--..--- :;13 for fis.lini: or t.o provide a far,i. pond. The second is the dry dail~ used only for flood cont.rol, which is important for the Drotection of recreation areas lower on the river hut does not provic~e a recreation area at the dam site. The tilir:J is the SWWher flow d&il which also improves recreation ar08S lower on the river L <t the hasin itself l.ormally has Ltr,;e Hludi'lats c;rs.d:.a1ly exposed during the sum.mer and is therefore not used as a recreation site. The fourth and most valuable dam for recre_:tion is tIle Inul ti nle purpose dam wrlich for;r,s'} }JendanELt lake and can also he w3C:d for flood control purposes by' raisit_;3 tIle ;/ 'lter level a fe'.:i feet. T1H? suita1ility or sue:, dar;is on tile i:W'iH:er atershed is discussed in the Hydraulics section of this report. ~~. ProDoscd Sites v. To overcome the present and :~;rowir1G shorta,;:e of recrc2tioiL areas ir: the water~-;t:ed two \~ell intErated fiter)S are ;,eeded. The fir~~t is trle i.:,::,ediate i::;nl(:mentin!.~ of tile Inner Green Helt Plan. The second is the initiation of a 1011; ranee plan. for the acquisition and development of Lwo kinds of recreat- ion a1'e;:::.s i:~ the rural part of the watershed; large scale ~,;ultiple Use Areas in which a large number of facilities can be combined in one property c6ntrolled by the Authority, and smaller individ- ual Fic, ic Sites and Roadside Parks in suitable arl;;[is. Six planned Multiple Use Areas are shown on the Recreation iviap and on individual drawings. They have a total acrecL;e of 4090 acres or l~% of the total acreage of land in the ~qtershcd. ;1o:1e of the;;: lies in land of the :lie,hest aciricultural value. Four of t~le six include slonea and flood plains of the main Hur;lber river. The other two lie in up- land areas of woods, lakes and steep hills where most of the land is of only marginal use for crops. Nearly eleven miles of river and stream and :::iowe t:,enty-fi vo acn~s of lake and :)ond surfac€1.re included in . . There are already anprox~Gately 1,000,000 LI1eS€ pan:s. 51; , I 1 \ I i 1 i ! i I i I . I I i i \ I I , ! I'lon1o table. and ~hes should be ot sturdJ" t'Uld ooe-plece des1f;n. The type ahOWJl h~re baa pleasing pro:pGrtlona and ls very Qany to mako. '- ~ . .'~, .-- "," . ~".o$... '>__ ~ ..0 "",,,,"',: ~~~-"'__""_'~ "A._~'_" ,..__.._..__'''-__........~ i I 1 / ; ; 1 , ! ~ 1 , , \ ) } , , I I , j 1 t r J , t , I I I 1 j ! . ~ ; , "f \ .......--.......____.....~''''''''''--._....--~.~-....... 1~b.re pOBst ble &aterlals available looall1 should be used tor. park 1mpr~.nts. fieratbe l1mestone bedzoock of the ~r 18 u.sed to provide simple ateps 1n k$691ng with the nntUJ:'..~l i:HU'toW1difl!,ih .-/ ,.r____ -1- :. .', '. I ----_..*--,-~~.... ~..-" _._~- This struoture provides both a dripking fountain . and a tap for water fOl;'",.9J)okll1g. The steps allow small children to reach the fo~~n. .\'- ~.- -..'-.- --.-,-- - ~'>~_.~~.._'""'.~~'-- I . -----~._- -----,- ----- _.-'. '" ~.- - ~~ -.-". - - A simple inoL'1era tor is an essential component of muoh used pionio grounds. 516 people living within a radius of twenty-five miles of all of therr. I It is not sup,gested that the Conservation Auth- ority should neceRsarily acquire and fully develop all these parks at once, but since there is clearly an urgent need for public recreation areas the Authority could select and develop several of then; immediately and consider the remainder in the light of experience with those already set up. Each park \'JOuld require the full time services of a supervisor. A central building would be needed v.rhich would provide administration space. Some provision for the selling of soft drinks and other sundries in the more crowded parts of a park either by concession or by the Authority itself, would certninly be needed. It is presumed that the Authority would establish a set of minimum standards which would have to be met by those operatinr, a concession. The sarr,e should apply to commercial operators of picnic r,rounds outside the parks. This would be in line with the act passed in 1948 establishing minimum standards for tourist camps and instituting regular inspection of them. River Bend Park (25 on map) The proposed River Bend Park includes 330 acres of the valley of the main Humber and its wooded slopes about one mile south of ~oodbridge as shown on the detailed drawing. Parts of the following lots are involved: Concession Lot Township A 3g-40 E,tobicoke VII 23-25 York VII 1-3 Vaughan The proposed park has at one side the main road from Toronto to Woodbridge. Its distance from the City of Toronto is 14 miles. The facilities in this park would be chiefly designed for day use by large numbers of people interested in picnicking, swimming, hiking and nature study and by overnight camping groups. ;)1 M .{ \ \\ \ \ \..o~ ~ \\ \~ '1 COU N TY OF" " ,I YORK ,I \1 I \..o~ t ,I ,I ,\ ',' \1 ,I " . . . . . " II 1\ -<;V ~ c. \'I1l.~%~- \ \lfl<I,l~-,.\, \\ fl< ~llICOj(.E, O~ 40 \\ CO~' E,iO \.. j\ ---~ CO~ \ ~~~- \ d I" " ..--------:~ . r; - . I N + If- ,.\', , '(O~ \III , E, ,.\', , CO~ ... IC,OIf- ... ... E."OllCO~ fl< ... .. PROPOSED RIVER BEND PARK LEGEND PARK BOUNDARY--- WOO D LA N D - _ -- _ h ~ ~ ~ R ~ ~ . j SCALE, FEET . zoo ..0 1000 I!lOD I l::......-..... I 4-4-6 ~ln "" I "-"-."",-.... . i ; -'-_._._'_._'----......._--~.,---_.~._,~..._,-_., --..." "'-"'.~-,_..~,. it. vIew in the propoaed lii Vel' .!jund I6..l'k{ -~ -'-.- V'~_. n.._ ~ ... . - - . ..-....-- - '.. "~"~-, ~._-- i i "--. ..---.---- - __ "0 -" .',. - - -~.. "' -', the flOOdplain of the Humber in t.r1f;; proposod ,Kel.iJl"bUJ,'g .fH1:".k prwhtet" l.l.tn't."J a t'lat, five t."Ol"'e .rleltl IH~itt. )-<I.t1 J:fJ;r' apor'ia>. 519 Facilities such as a picnic pavilion, dressing rooms, lunch stand, picnic units, lavatories and water supply, would focus on a large swirr~ing pool fronting the east branch of the river. Two controlled entrance gates would be located one each, at the north and south ends. The kettle pond at the north end, is within lCO yards of the Woodbridge paved road. At the present time it is used as a chemical and garbage dump. This pond is too small for water activities. The land about it should be planted in trees and shrubs. Trese would serve as a setting for four or five picnic units and a dozen benches facing the pool. L.et\'Jeen this pool and the Humber River is the high valley side. A master trailway would lead frorr. it to the intensive use area at the southern end. The trailway would follow a circular route and would be laid out to give as attractive views as possible. At various spots, picnic units would be set up for family ~roups or individuals who wish to picnic with a certain amount of privacy. Tree and shrub planting should be such as to strike a balance between sunshine and shade. Tree planting on and around the parking lots should be such as to provide extensive shade and to cut off the sight of cars from the park users. The south end of the park which constitutes the intensive use area simply acts as a screen or a filter through which the crowds move to reach any other part. The whole park could accommodate a maximum of 260C persons. Elder Mills Park (26 on map) This is an outstanding example of land perfectly suited to recreation planning. The proposed park includes 765 acres, parts of Lots 9-15 of Concession VII and VIII of Vau~han Township, York County. It extends for nearly two miles up the main Humber Valley' just above the Town of t,ioodbridge with an average width of about 500 yards. _,) -, ~J; CI I),IY. IX \)r~o-~~\)r ~o- ,s,so Ss 0 y ,. (J.. """ . ~ " \)r ~ '\:y1::Y , ~. \/'l. ,,\\.to . to \.ot.1' i. ! .." "..~:T-~ I i [ IUIL.Wn )00 ,1lI!tNI ,.. "'. ~ ~~ +,' ~" - ---- . ,,:,/ 110'/ ( ... ~-"'~j~(bIitJ .. - ~ --- -- - - / <:'0 .. 'J, // /0 'L~ (:y " $;J ~OO U. - \};-U;\S.. \J,- \J,- (:y::::V'" (}~IY- (j.\i.- ~CY \).r \;.- (). \y~}.. \1 CY \). \). ~ cf C)r G.- G.- '. ().. S,t(j \)." It. It- 1.:0 It... S"$ \i.- ll:. It. (j.~ -- -- It. \ \:y / '" - ~~V -- \),.'" - - \y, P4CIFIC <:'0 / '" 'J, ~ ,/ o "- " ,,' 0 " SECTION A-A. SCALES' HOR 400 FEET' I INCH \/ER, '00 FEET' I INCH I.:, "",,.,, ~, , ~ ,/~~~.- .~_ --All ~';"'J/ .!tK eOU.OARY .. - ------------- -. --- HUMBER RI VER --' i I t I SECTION 8-B, SOALES HOR 400 FEE T' I INCH VER 100FEET'1 INCH --~.~, ~ ' ~ UI'~ /--* .----- .------y-/- -----_______ / , .' ~ -,._- .OUlllQ,t'. ~':1~: PARY ROUNDARY 1:' HUMBER RIVER ROADWAY ..., Cf) . ~ / (}. \ il D- i Q ~.;(,;W: ~ <l Q. (}. (L tf- Q 0- 0.. V.Q; Q '." ' "", ,,' , .i'll-Q. "- "- · (l (Lie (l Q. il (l I Q.. (}.(}.Cl.(}./ Q(LI1Qo. l)..o.O-QO-Q.ll.o. o..ll-'l-ll- Q.. 0-0-0.0.. 0- Q.. (l..Q. (1.(). (La.. 0. 0... n..o. (l. Q.Cl.ll.0.. << " (l "-, Q. (l , "- Q. ~ Q. "- (l Q. ~ Q. (). (1.110..0.. ()..o..o CJ. D-(\;. (}.a..0- 0..Q. ", (- "'''- (l Q. Q.Q. _ ~. /' "- ,,-"- ,(l(l.Q..(l' . \)..(}. Q. 0- 0- , CI- Q...Q.( ~ 0- 0-0- (). 0- D- O- 0-0- ~<"s (). ,,-J 0- 0- \'" 'J ")'I"J " .l ',j. U. .:y U. (). C\ G- o.. C\.- (J,(J, (J, __ / .,..,0 - / 0- 'v Cf) , , ( I I 0....' 0 --+--.., I V 4,....... 0 ~ v JIt I ( I I ->::ii[t'ji,i;j!j l~ 80UNDARY ':;~;'r1i!! i1 :'fl: I iil!; " jii j"',' ;:;,'<' , "t, 'I' i i?i ,-:i /;-! ::; t j ELDER I WOODLAND -., - ,; I ! PAR~ 110UNuARY ,\ t),,' ~::~ :t . , 0: 11- ,L U. (L / ~ ~ ~~ \ (L (l.. ~ a.. (l. Q.., , \ ~~ 0- , ~0..(}...u.(L '~ Q . ()..o- a a: Q.. G.. ~ O-Q Q ().. CL u.: QU- O-.Q.. 0:. <L-Q..Q(l.. u.: 0.. Q Q (). n. Q..Q. ~ Q. t\. -0..0.. ().. CL Q.. Q a.. Q. Q. CL Q. ~ (l o-Cl.: 0.0-0- / ~ (l.Q(LQ CL CL ().. CLQ.G..Q Q (L (L ~ 0.. (L ~Q Q.. il-... (LO-QQ(}...Q..Q..U.Q..Q.o..Q.o..o..o..(L Q. 0.. 0. Q.. Q. Q.. 0.. Q.. 0.. (L 0.. 0.. 0.. 0.. a.. (),- Q..~ (LQ.Q.0.. ~ CLo..Q..o..~ ().. 0.. Q.. 0.- (),- \).. <J..a.. (LQ. t a.. 0..0.. 0- ().. r ()..\)..\)..a..a..o..o..o.-!to... a...rt \)..\).. a... a.. (La... ~ \)..(),- a.. I' J ~ 11; i: Ii a.. (). a.. 0. . , l tolio ""'0 16 ~o~ 00 ' 8/11. 'OGt- "'-'-.'., , 4t,(l' ... PROPOSED ELDER MILLS PARK ," ., (ConI1erOUI: t:" ~ ~ NO. - - . , - . - (DecIduous) C. ~ 2. ~ '- ~ ~ .+ ~ :t.. ::: - ~) 00 0 ..)0;) 72C ;080 .. ---- - ''>1 . ) '"' , I I ! " I '-'- _.~._.- --- -... - . '---<-''''--.- -- :n,ie 15 th,1t' i-'~;tl 'Ad'" lv'OI" 4$ ;;t itl! in 1t~ lo,iltH:' r(:~~iJ~l'). wi tftin the !"'ro~~;'h~O'",J lutuu. r..r\tan i ,~ 1 t . . - .-,--.. . i I I . "~''''- '->-~.~ '-, Th~UW\i~ fU..\t~f' 1n the propo~.d f:ld~r '111~()~rk . ~ 522 ~ooded and ~rassed slopes are interspersed and the bottomland is already park-lil;:e and open with (;.any fine large elms and other scattered trees. Although the park area is attractive as it stands, it could be improved in appearance with additional tree plantin~. 'V'est of the river the park boundary shown on the drawing, closely follows the top of the valley slope for much of its length and runs to the can6dian Pacific right-of- way for about half a mile. East of the river the valley slopes are irregular and much wooded. The sugpested eastern boundary might need some adjustment and the central pasture fal~l might be left outside the park boundaI~ without greatly upsetting the unity of the park. Three parking areas could be used one at the edge of hoodbridre, east of the river, one at the north-west corner of the park on No. 27 highway and a third well inside the park, reached by a road off the Eighth Concession Line in Lot 11. Eventually it ~ight be advisable to build a railroad siding where the railroad line edges the park. This park should provide facilities for swirrming, picniCking, sports, nature study and campinG. There are also several excellent hills for skiing. This park has a maximum capacity of 3.000 persons. Kleinburg Park (27 on map) This park of 635 acres, would extend fro~ Lot 30 Concession IX and X of Vaughan Township north~ards to Lot 5. Concession X of King Township. The river valley here is particularly attractive as it alternatively widens to half a mile wide and narrows to less than three hundred yards in two sectors of the park. The valley slopes are high and exception- ally well wooded. A large flat flood plain of nearly 10 acres allows an exceptional opportunity for flat playing fields. Entrance to this pbrk easily could be controlled at three places, from the west on the Bolton road from the county line on the north and on the east from 1127 Highway.. r:')0 , l ..o.tJD J~"'" ~DD i ,,' t ~, J ~ tD .. JJ' D:~.DDS~,g ~. D 4:."1 ================:===: "1" t."'>> ~\l' ,- ~ ;'~D [) #.....~ ~~~~;.o oj-i if' ,i'\~ .Jl ~' ~ !J' ~ ! ~\' ~ D) 0>' ~ J).o.o: . I CON XI f" ~ ;,;.... f .0 D.D -, ~ ~ :J.D.) lOT 35 :~ :~j) 'F_t4: tit' ~.\II~,'I/"" CON,tx ~~ ..0 j) j--' 'f... -~~ Jl "\"4 . ~ ~ Jl \. '. ~~ "1 4~"'1I' n,~. ) D ) D j J}j~:~;: 1; t ~D Jl D .D D 'r. .4~j ....1 ~j...j).f.J)ll~ ~ .S f"" ,.,""""""", ..~ ''-/.:: '" ~'~ .Jl j. -l...fJ .o.D . :tJl.a.fll ..~ D ~ 1.0 D, "'.I)J) '.I) j j D' D . .0 ~ J.OT 32 " " " " . " " " t,: CON X ....... 2 !tllfS TO HI~!)""Ar ~O ~~~ "" .o;;-/~ lOT 30 I '" PROPOSED PARK KLEINBURG LEGEND PARK BOUNDARY-- 1"DD'j- WOODLAND--- ---- t D SC A LE FEET 1500 1000 ~ 150 .00 , 0 , I , 4.4.10 524 It is recommended in the Hydraulics section of this report that a dam which would lie within the park should be built for flood control purposes and that this dam might serve to make a permanent artificial lake seven-eighths of a mile lon~. If this were done it would be necessary to clear the shore line up to eight feet above the proposed permanent lake level but as the full storage basin would not be used every year it could be kept in grass. A dry dam for flood con- trol in this area would, of course, spoil much of the natural beauty of the park site since part of the vegetation, particularly trees, covered by flood waters would inevitably suffer darEage. If the Authority should decide to build a dry dam at this location it would probably be unwise to locate a large park at the Kleinburg site. There would be excellent possibilities for fishing in the permanent lake. Large-mouthed bass and calico bass (or crappies), fish normally occurring in comparatively warm and weedy waters, could be introduced in the impounded waters. A few thousand fry or each of these two species would be released as soon as the permanent lake was filled and vegetation well established. In Ohio phenomenal success has resulted from similar plantings in such inpoundments. Such introduced fish could not be expected to reach legal size for catching for three or four years after planting. The growth of these fish should be followed to determine when an open season would be warranted. It is assumed that sufficient control of the catch would be exercised to allow management of the area on a sustained yield basis. Two locations of the Nashville dam site in the proposed park have been suggested. From the point of view of park planning, a permanent lake with a dam at the upper dam site would be preferable since the flat flood plain just above the 1 lower dam site is an exceptionally suitable area for a park entrance, parking area. sports field and group picnic grounds. ~ 525 f2' :::~ -,'" -'" ~ _.CO _~~fl ____--~ III ..../ C~~ I · ......61o,~OIV It-----------.J~I .",. 11, ""l..E - II C""'4 S '0 I r ':,- "9 ;1/ ~ I .~ II .,;; ~ ." Q"~ I' .--::::::::---- Q · Q . I lll' ,---.::~ Q~"Q I -----.:____.. ______ [a. a. a I llQtlltl --...-__.... Qa"a I t:. t a.. lL Q ~ ----.:-~----_______ Q ~'1 " I 0- l Q oL tJ Q a... il~ Q"G. Q. 'I ' Q f Q Ie Q L "" · . I a..~i.Q.<La..Q ,11 1* ..Ua.f.Q. ,_ I tQIi.~ilt · . Q,,"Q. - >-,,' jil. tQ t'Q _~ ~_ Q (LQ +- Q.i. I. 11 /1 /"-~t..u..Q..Qa....J...-a.. "Q.a.Q.Qk" I. I / i... Q. Q t 0. Q. 0..,'11/1 ~..", , I .. ~ Q. a. Q. 0. ' II I "."Qt. II >tQ(iQ,QQ.QQ.Q II /. " .. ." II .)...1 ~ 'i 'I ",,' ".Q.t If ;1 (07<0 'yifQQtQ I ""/ .~~ .~. I "'I lQQ~. I I Q." Q 1;' , t..t f Q. Q . I ' ~ . ' I - /1 .. II II II II II (07 'B I Q.a. Q. /1 .1 ~-f9.!:! II i! "." COtv---~ i 0. :2 Q t *h J :::::----_ Q(jt.o.o.; ':1 t,,_. ~ I ~..\II?QQl ~ ~ II ~Y/~ ":.%-?: Q c: ~ 'J. a. Q :J. ~'n\\~ ,.'/ . '" l" a l I ~'" <''''4:- ~ " Q. I "//. ~ at. ....0..1.0. " / a.\c )'1 / ; .t. f"/~ I 0 0'''; .3"~ Q"Q !l j I ~~~l I : .,,' :",'" t ~ '"' "'" "\ QQ .""l' \lQ {., \:t -<ooo~'-' f 0. a. .- ~ Q Q ~' Q Q Q~ ~ {-- (..,......J"",l" '" ~,. t 'it ,,," .. -l a Q ~\I'II/lI,_.~' a. Q Q. II. ~ 11 , ,;1> Q CL 0. Q.. . . Lo Uo. ilt.Q.Q.Q.t.O- r 19 : LQ Q ~ Q Q. 1lQ.c. D. t 0.11 ~ . __ t.. Q t: Q +.. Q. llQ.l Q. ~.,f: 0..- 0... Q II... a.. Q.. -t Q \: Q..Q 11...11 <\"" ~o..D..io..o....f::o...~Qo..-O-\_til.. +"0.. ---:1 t:-QQ~tL-t:LQ .: ( ~t.~.tcQ'l(l.tL~t' Co Or'8 o..QQ.Q(lQ.1:.Q. 1l...1lQ.a.QD.. I.J"'~ Qt .iLQ(lillo..a.Q , y (L Q.. t D.. t il.. Q 11 t 8, Or p , il.' l a. t a. (l . Q' C OiVrpCCI. ,,' tQ.Q.Q.~t. .t..!.. I1t~DoiV . ..";' Ii tQ~ Q. Q '_~.Jl.Q-~!:...- " . _ -t .-e~ · · · "'0 .. , ' ' 07'7 Q -l Q \ NO .." . \\, .. c~;-~>?~.. sr/;~'j4.(f"" a. \ . 41 - ,/,/...- ,'; " . " . J1(.' . >~:. ~,. BB~I.(~S !.._ ,','_ 0(70 ~o ~ : . co"'. ,It ~ . '. f2S!/ CftING~OiV v, \ I:J~ I 4COIJSr r CALEDO'N' PAR:fi ' LEG EN 0 PARK BOUNDARY. WOODLAND' t. Qt..'..'" SCALE FEET o 250 ~oo 1000 1500 ~~ .J 4.4.8 I 526 \Ii th a perma.nent lake of v-kd eh the level might fluctuate eip;ht feet, it might be nexessary to build a floati.ng dock rather than the usual type. It rdght be neces~ary to import sand for a suitable beach. The concession for operating boat rental is usually given to a local resident in this type of park. Facilities would be provided in the park for six types of activity, swimming, boating, picnicking, sports, camping and nature study. In addition bridle paths would be available since the park is located near a large dude ranch. The maximum capacity of this park is 3000 persons. Caledon Park (28 on map) This proposed park extends over 680 acres on the land surrounding Scott or Innis Lake ~nd Widgett Lake. The park area lies close to the village of Caledon East. It is six miles from Palgrave and twenty-five miles from Toronto. An improved road leads to the park from Provincial Highway No.9 at ~ono ~ills and from Toronto via ~alton Airport. Scott Lake extends over 21 acres. Widgett Lake is much smaller covering only five acres. Both lakes have decreased notably in size during the last twenty years, probably due to the partial draining of the swamps Y.fhich formerly bordered them. As described elsewhere in this report, Scott Lake is indifferently developed as a recreational area. If the area were acquired as a park it would serve a twofold pur- pose. Activities such as picnicking, camping, swin~ing and boating could be provided for along the south and west side of Scott Lake. \"idgett Lake and the surrounding woods, which are extensive, would provide excellent opportunities for the growing number of people whose hobby is nature study. Nature trails through this area would be of interest to both the casual and scientific observer. Since the available public fishing areas close to Toronto are so few and so small in area, it is almost impossible to prevent a public lake froffi being overfished. ~anagement of the fishing on such public lakes as Scott Lake on the basis of a sustained annual yield, would have to be strictly enforced. This park would have a maximum capacity of two thousand persons. ,. 527 . -" I" . " LOT '4 II II ,. .-;1 " . I, LOT 13 . I,' ; II I;'i " _~'.. "L ~ I' ., "OT'2 II I II CON VI 11.1 If , '~I-1W 'I . '~ ~ti 1/ .. I' --------. .D ---.J ~ :,.. \~ D} .- ----- I 'AILE TO II BOLTON... .'/ II \\~.D : l).c/) j)!J}~ ~. \\ . .. .!l!'J) '?h,,,. . '-;;' .f.LJn :t. 'lJ '1/1 . lI""..'II",,"t,'ufd: D ..oj D ':410 ", "'. >=.,.\llt/I""/~_ ! "'/I'~ " ~ . '\ 'l7i1'~/f, ",-, i- D ' "'1-""_ t j~D :;:""'I\'~f"" . %1'''IIII''''If' ~II/,,'II~ ,It;: .f- "~ eo ~/~. ..~ ,~~ff- ~ .oD~~.D j.o !/ aD D t '//1'1""1\\\ j- j)j- .1-1) 1-.Df; j .0 JI JI .f .D D 1J..o D.D D.D.D ~:" " :':;~-f- ''''~ 0 ~'/~'I.I/.J} ...D \ .11I1,1 ..lI~.D:J tl/,~, .!l,jJ..ll "'~ .DJJj) JJ ~ :"11" 'JJJ) JJ ~JJ j A.t , J-..o..ll .f ~.1J J) ..D j- J)~.D J) 1) .JlI..D 1) ...0 JJ ...D .!I JJ ..Il:lJ).D 1)J) J......n.J .J) JJ .:f -D..D.o..D.Jl j ~ .:l' :}oil,.'" \ , ~1'1"".II,_,i~IIIII' :'!: ~\ .,~.1J " ~ " \,,\\~ -,'\, ','I- ~,. CONVI ,."0 [) " ~,~ .' . .~ ~1I"''lj",.7. 'e'ON V ~ --I :?t1"''1I''\~ " ~ D j D ct II D . Jl ALBION TP .D D .D D D j. COUNTY OF PEEL ~ D J.o D j!).o.1.DDJrDJ "1l.o j}.n!J .J).D .D j" 11 j .D Jl .D 11 .0 D " D .D .. Jl j. ..D ~ .J 1f j Jl... "'.0 "'1) ]OJ) PROPOSED BOLTON PARK LEGEND PARK BOUNDARY--- WOODLAND..------ j-D j-~JJJJ'1- SCALE FEET 0 200 .00 1000 1500 "----' . ..; 4.4.7 . 5?~ #-'-01 ~~I Bolton Park (29 on map) This park is in Albion Township, Peel County and lies approximately one mile west of the town of Bolton. Its boundaries are shown on the accompanying drawing. Included are parts of Lots 11-14 in Concession VI. The total recommended area of parkland is 510 acres. Provincial Highway No. 50 leads to the park and it can also be reached across the county road fron. No. 27 Highwav at Nobleton. Bolton Station, on the Canadian _,f ., Pacific Railway, is one mile south of the park. Because of its distance from the more densely populated parts of the watershed, this park is particularly well suited to or~anized group camping. The Humber River meanders to such an extent in this part o~ its valley that every corner of the park is close to the river, which runs clear and cool, shalla",! and unpolluted throughout the park. Spring or flash floods present no problem. ',",:hile there are s~veral steep hills in the park, the wide river botton: offers ample space for campsltes and playing fields. The predominant trees are cedars. There are two ideal locations for group campsites, and swirrming activities at each would centre on pools created by small dams. This park would be well adapted to the placing of individual picnic sites with the usual tables and fireplaces, spaced well apart and far from the centre of group activities. Organizations interested in acquiring an area for recreational and conservation programmes could do 50 in the same manner as described for Coventry Park. Coventry Park (30 on map) This proposed park comprises 1070 acres, north- east of Bolton. Access by automobile is easy on High'll';ay No. 50 to Bolton and west from Nobleton on the county road. Trains arrive at Bolton, 3i miles away. This proposed park lies on the southern fringe of the interlobate moraine referred to in the Land Use section of the report, in which a detailed description of the area is r:?~ ,) ... . ~~ ~ III ~; LOT 10 LOT 13 LOT 12 ~. LOT II LOT 9 LOT8 " ~ OJ " ~ ~.o .oj. ,I " .ll SD.D I' 1 0.0.0 0 " ~' ~JlO j)~.o " " ..... l' .J D D j. " j- ,~~ ill.D.t> D ,J) " .o.Dj..JJ J.1) 1) lij..D :'1 f'1) j-. .t>JJ .Dj..D ~ II . 1:1'1" } D1J.DlI.f.o.D 1-D~.Dj. l~'tf ............. ,;/ ".l1f"I.o .t>j) j) 1J .D' .'\ j) ..D.ojo..j)r/1J;~j oD .D 1I "."f......,f?.D........ j r' 1) J)Jl .0 j ..liD i .. JJ ..0 .. j ~ 1) II ~..D .D .D oJ. j).D 1- .D J) .D,O.t>.DY ;"'1>""..-" ~ jJl.JIO~.n.Dj>'.t>D.D.D.D.~..D.oJl..ll;.Djj).oJ-'.o.j)jJJlD j-tJ J"~.oJjDDJl( ':/>",/r""",,/ .D.t>1)jlJlj{) ~j ~~j)/...o.Dj ~~ -- j) i~~~JDj)./I.D ~D J)D!jJlSJj j j JJ .J .. J.t> _ II D j j) 11 .I .0 1I!l.J: .1 :! J .!I j) ".0 j) .!l.Jl.ll J) j ..D..jJJ)...D~'~' J).DjIlj.D.D.JI.D~i).Dj)IiJ:.l"Jl .i.l3l- .1.J..J.~j.~1".D./J./-".DD1Dj.~ ! ..Dj).DJl3.DJ I 'O.D..oj!l.D....D.o~JJJ)j j J.l.! jJl.o...o.D..OJl.JIll..o j..JJ.fJ.~.DJJj)~~.lJ).JIJl ,',/} ~;.D.DJj.JI.:t~.Dj~!D.D':.D~ 1~.1J.3.:l-:: j-Jf -=t1.f .l.!.l.i ~jJ)JSJ'/":Djj)D z lJ.;t.D.o..o....D.o./J III ~.\J..~'\t.. ..llj)Jj)..D~j):t .t~..tj.1 jj.Jo::t.J. Jl.TlIj~j 0 ... .D .. 1) 1) 1- IJ .t ""(,,),V .:t...l J) J)..II.D j 1,-1--1- .1 j- f.1 j j.t j. .D .CI '" -D~j~~D-lj}Jl CON. X ~-.D~jil-'.o~.DJ)j).llj~~j. :t.:tllJ~~~lj) .i-+:t.:t~.f ~.t1l -' '" ..D .Jl j) ~ .Jlj~ J) JJ !J..D.D.Jj)!1ij- .f..+ j.1.llD 1- 0 " j ..D Jl -D j) .1-...D Jl .D.Jl.D j j..D .L.D -.f J. t J. j j- j jo .1 z 0 , ".D.:J...f!j)j-.Jl-Dl.ll j j J .1.111..0 ... II .0 J} J).J;..o .ll..o..D J).J..o ...1)-.1)...:! .J. jo .1.:t.t.tJ..o D '" ,I 1- ..0 .:! t.:t .t j. .D Jl '" " 1).11) j'1).o j11 11.1.111) 1J) .I -' ': CON,XI ... 1).I'j 1"I.I! j j.l j .D 1j),O 1)'1) j) ::I 'I ...Dj)J1j) jljl jj.J).J.Jl..o...1....Dj) 1)Jlj) -" ". ) 1J) j jj.f .D.Dij)j)' '" \' ,I j ..0 " "/(' .f 1) !!.I .f r--_ __ ." .:to ..! J) ~ " ~7Mllis ~~ . I,,} 1) '}. 1 J) j) j CON X o 1) D .0 .D · .. " TORONTO -. ., J).O/ ..0 D,o.",:. ~~:. .D Jl j:> tiJ.J " ."I<<'~ .tfJ.p!).D " " " " .0 j . D j. ""ll 1) }.'.D 'I 1J D J 1) t ' ~ LJ D 1J 1J J).II !J 0' il .J Joli /f)!Jf;~Df!J~..oj..o i) J..o (I 01 .0 D}SJJJ~ (/D~SJ!;fJ.IIJ)!J.D" >>..1.111 j ~ JJ D.o 0 ~,.~~ .f.J:J -Il 0 l..j/I/JI..I:f.oj)SJIJ..I.o11JD j >,;;t ~ il .II j 0 j. J J) ~ ~\,.~\\II,.}I.,) t j..D.D.o D D 1 .;~ D . j , ,.......' ~...IV~ oJ) .f 11.1).. j) II.nJ , . J) t .,,~ o J) i 1J1!lj SJ r/'" .D".o .D 1I j ..D j.,.!J .ilj 1J jJ .Q.. o j D .D .f 1) ..0 ,..D !l /) /J ..0 JJ..D j .lI. .)',.~I"'MII ,.Ilh....\I\I"'~w.~ 'G~~ '1) j 1)>> ".D!J.t.D f1l 1J .D 1J ...0 j.ll .D -1:. ,; 1J J) ..:f- .D j- 1J ~ .o.D .D j) 1 .D .t J1,. D jlJ)j .... '\ j-'JJ ..IIIJ.ll 1) j)..:tl) .J ..o..o.ll D.D.1.o.ll ~I ~\'r,.ll.. J):t-..D .!lJ).o 1J ."",J .JI.D 1I.ll..D j ..0 ~~: 0.1-.111) j).f j) .I 1) Dj) . "~~ i..7h""'1"".'}lt"~"""'''~''II,\f ..... .Dj)..IIll .D j ~ J) 1,0 j j) .j '-~ -"!J.JIJ) ""..0 "'I\'f,~t (' ,} D jl t .0 .f.o j) i ,; ED.o ... j. I) .11 I)IJ!) .f).D ...,j.iJ1J.lI~ - - - ~fJD -+ D ;...o.D:~llll1"l.ll~..o.o.D!l .J- 11 .J; .f) ..f ~ - ~ -- - - - .ll j) J. .. ". I '=E .0 .0 .D jJ 1- .0 1- 0 n -" I ~ -":JD.f J).r.D~ D.o ..0 ''!;.....<:-..It, D j) I. I. ~ f !J C J).D:t """~n, ,,,,~ 1) J) j 11 Jl l.~ ,,~r"~/lri j) il D.cO .,. ~,. t\~ j.D .D .JJ J1~.=t ~1 i/ to ~t t'D ,.,,~ -- I 11 P j) t t.lJ .D..o iJ D t, ",,,,~ .., "~I .f",,}}. i)..D!l .II t ~ ~ 1) D fl!f) II\' 'l . ~..&..,'.Ii:.~II",,'1 D.D j- :f ~ 0\.... "','/ 'I " \,/...I(fI'~/""k.~, " ,I " '-w I' " " " " " " " " " ,I " :II " I' ... ~....j>'.h~ ,,'I/I,'~~I~jJl,,~L\~, .~\,.,)/,.. COUNTY OF "'ORl< )Ul.f ': ~~..~...\II~.~ KING lP. 7 Il-LtIION lP. COUNT'\' OF PEEL PROPOSEO COVENTRY PARK L.EGEND PARK BOUNOARY. WOOD LAN 0.. - n --j ..t 'D iJ ~ j SCALE FEET 0 200 .00 1000 1500 I "----' - , .J 4-4-9 530 given. It should be repeated here that almost all of the area recommended as a park consists either of forests or of "marg- inal'! agricultural land such as sandy hills and eroded clay hills too steep for cultivation and with little or no topsoil remaining. A permanent stream runs through the park, known as f Cold Creek f . This creek and its tributaries flow through a network of beautiful steep-sided valleys running generally northeast to southwest. Part of this area is already recon~ended as an important stream source area. Part is also recorr~ended in the wildlife survey as a possible wildlife refuge. The cost of the land should be very low. The proposed park lies about twenty miles from Toronto. It would therefore not be subjected to such intensive day use,as some of the other proposed parks lying nearer Toronto. This would be an advantage, since the park is partic- ularly suitable for a wide variety of less intensive uses. It could of course, supply as many picnic sites as are found to be needed. Nuzlerous excellent camping sites could be developed in the park, both for organized welfare camps and for others who prefer a certain amount of privacy. The park could perform a valuable service in fostering education in conservation~ It is particularly well suited to nature study, having a large tract of unspoiled woodland with many rare and interestin~ plants. Its stream is one of the very few in the watershed east of Bolton that are suitable for speckled trout. Lastly its hills would provide excellent crosscountry Skiing. ~everal youth organizations in the city have expressed a desire to institute the various phases of conser- vation practices into their out-of-door activities. Such practices as building small dams, and planting trees would become part of their educational program. A program of this kind would prove valuable in teaching young people how to use and preserve the province's natural resources. There is an increased need by youth organiz- ations in small tOl-iTIS and villages and in the city for campsites ~ I'~ 1 , ' .,.,....' "I;''''',..'''~ ~ .... _" ",-""".". .._,.~ "I ., "'., _' ,.', .."'" .... .,_'. ..... .;.... ~.\O'r""",,,o,,,,'.>.u"".' -'C"."-" -......,.,;.-.. .,~....~...".;_ ~ ,.,"'.~ '. ,-.:.. , Ski Oountry This is severely eroded loam and sandy loam. lrees and grass can protect both the soil and the water. Grassed slopes facing northeast are most suitable for skiing bec~use they preserve snow when it is melted by the february sun. The shady side of exi.sting woodlots would make good ski trails. Close to Toronto, this country would be useful for beginners and those who have little opportunity to go farther afield. 1::)" :; "- easily accessible for week-ends. One youth organization in the city operates a "day Camp" pro~ram for boys during the slur.mer vacation. The pressing need for this program is a suitable campsite close enough to allow daily transportation hack and forth at small expense. Campers learn quickly to appreciate both the beauty of nature and the value of the natural resources of well- managed soil) waters, woods and wildlife. Campsites should be large enough to give a reasonable amount of privacy and ~eclus- ion. They should be varied enough to provide a wide variety of camping activity and opportunities to put conservation practices to work. The whole west side of the park offers such campsites. Immediate development of a campsite could taka place along the stream about half a mile upstream from where it crosses the Albion-King township line. At the same time the n~ed for reforestation and permanent grass is very evident, particularly on those farms in Lots 10 and 11 facing on the township Ilne separating J..lbion and F~ing. Conserviltion practices on this land would give groups an opportunity to study the best methods of restoring land to its best condj.tion. Organizations interested in this type of scheme should be given a long term lease by the Authority. The lease would permit the construction of buildings and recreational facilities. The terms of the lease would ensure the develop- ment of a conservation program. Government experts would co- operate with the Authority and the interested organization providing advice on all conservation projects, location and type of buildings and the planning and location of all rec- reational areas suggested for development. The usual buildings in this kind of park would include a ski lodge and sleeping cabins, These would be used in summer as well as for overnight, week-end or week campinr, by organized youth groups. Summer use would also require the building of two small dams on the small stream running north into the Cold Stream itself. The buildings themselves would be placed to overlook the swimming dams and the jump-off place 53J !!t regular placcf> along the master trailvlay observation points should be located to serve as objectives fer those using the trails. Such objectives in winter should be s~all winterized cabins. Their particular location would depend on the best scenic views available. ~;uch places '\IIOuld be used particularly by those people engaged in crosE,-country skiinp:. Such rest cabins and observation points 'Fould serve in suu~er and winter, skiers, hikers and nature study groups. Private individuals in this area are already striving to build up in the streams a supply of game fish. 'l'hi s whole [,rea, zoned as a park, would be under the control of the Authority. .Proper land use and stream management methods 101ould ensure preservation of fish and other forms of ",;ildlife. Eventually the whole park would become a wildlife refuge. It would appeal to those wishing active recreation und to those wishing to hike along a quiet trail or to fish the stream. Tn parts of this park agricultural land use and recreational land use need not be incomp&tible. Tho~c agric- ultural areas not directly interfering ,,11th park operation could be u.sed for fa!'Ining purposes so long as the methods of agriculture are based on sound conservation practice. In ",!inter an agreement between the farmer and the Authority might be reached to allow skiers certain rights-of- way over private land, if prevision were n;ade for gaps to be provided in fences \'lhere the right-of-way on the ski trails demanded it. The park mip;ht accommodate a maximum of 1000 persons. Roadside Parks There is a growing understanding of the need for 1 occasional small parks along the D:ain highways. The most natural location for such parks is the "Lookout" near a hilltop from which fine views over the surrounding country may be seen. Two such roadside parks are reconm;ended in the watershed. The new Toronto-Barrie Highway now un,der con- struction passes through the eastern side of the watershed. It 1. The Department of Highways of the Province of Ontario has already established 200 roadside parks. _.__._---_.._~-- ~---~----~.._---- :;~J; II t It:- It:~ ClIO CD,.., a. a. ILu't.Q.ll.Uj! u.il.Q.u. je I L JI AURORA a. QQ.Q.t.Q.Q. t. a. Ii Q. t Q 5 MILES 0.. .. Qo. I Q. il. LOT.21 ~ 0.10.. (0.1: a. LOT'20 { <l.a.a.. Q.ll.(L a.a. 1 ~ a. a ll. a.. il. Q.. Q. o..t. u.. a.Q.~A.Q. 1 a. tILQ 0. 0..0.. o..t ll. Il..a. II o..u.Q o.Q..Cl 0.. 1;0..0..0.0.1. Q.Q. o.a.u.1 0.. ll.t.Q.a. a. IL Q.ll.Q.il.o..t.Q. a.0..1Q.Il.Q.tll.ll. Q. i Q.. Cl Q. t. a. Q. t. a. 0.. a. 1090 t/j Il. +. Q.. a.. ll. a.. t.o. Q. II 0..1. Il.o..a.u. Il. iL Q.. t 0.. il. Q .l. n. 0. 0.. a. Q. t. Q. 0.1l.11 i A. 0.0.1:. Q. 0. 1l.Q. (l Cl a..Q.t.o..o..,a. (La.t. a. II Q. a..lLa.. o..(Lt.o..a.io.. ll.Q. a..a..Il.a..-tQ.. Q.a.a..Il.a.o.~a..ll.t i A- i. 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Q.. f.L LQ.4.iQ. tn....Q..o.. L ,IS a..1:. . I 0..Q.ll.. a.. 1 JL/l...lLJL tll.- Q..Q.. 1 JL II~ (I) 4. 1 j-J IAI .a.. ~ -J i ~ lL JL t.. A. C\J 'It .a.. 0.. f:. a... JL Q.. 11.110 lLt Q.. lL ~ Jl. .D..a..1:. Z A- Q.. f.L Q.. A-Iji PROPOSED PORTAGE PARK TORONTO-BARRIE HIGHWAY (TOWNSHIP of KING) LEG END HIGHWAY UNDER CONSTRUCTION... -- -- _. u --- --- WOODLANDS ... u, - -... - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - -- " JL -t 0- D.. t II A. PROPOSED PARK - ... - .. -_. --_..-\\\~~. WATERSHED 10UNDARY ..____..____P__._.H. -.... --_ ALTITUDE (FEET) - - - - .. q . d . - - 't 1185 LOOKOUT .. .- - - - - - - - - - @ SCALE: FEET 1000 SOO 0 1000 2000 3000 I , I I I I 535 if': r~~cor,l en'lHd ti"t, ;Hi t,rei:i of tdi iity-f~ve ~lcr8~' f-;},ould be 'jc'!';ired and deve:}optvl for the pub~.j.c <it t,:lE! !Joint ,,,here the hitho,vay ;)flSSC~~ over the to;; of the rirlge in Kin!::, '~'o'ymship, at Concession V, Lots 16 and 17. This location offers a fine view looking south and southwest. Since the volume of traffic on thts hifrn'/ay 'dill be very great, an intens';ve develo}JPlent of t-.he park would be justified. An open pavilion could be built, facing southwest, and equiiJped with fixed benches, tablesand a RElfe ?Ul) !)ly of pure 'rvnt er. Inconspicuous trash units could be pL'ced close to the tables. Toilet f~cilities would be placed close to the parking lot but out ~f sight amongst planted con- if e rs . The spot chosen for this park lies on or clDse to the 01-1 Indian port:-lge 'tlhich forMerly led throut~h the untouched forest from lake 3itlCOe .).nd the Holland fdver over the ridfe and down to the Humber Hiver near Toronto. ThiEl was an important t,nlde route from the north country and Ldkc Huron to Lake Clntlrio. It is ther'efore sugrested thi:.lt the park be called 'ortage P8rk ()l on map) and that a suitable cairn be erected describing this historic site. The accompanying drawing shows the exact location for this park. Thor~ is an excellent site for Q similar Road- side "drk near Sleswick at Lot 36, Albion Township on the road from Cale'ion ,;a st to : :ono 115 as shmin on rn;'l,p 32. There are exceptionally fine vie;l~ from this s.)ot which is close to 1510 feet above SFa level. The soil is p(~or and if the land is reforesterl, [reat C:ire shol;ld be ta ken to allo'd ,.;ide o,pening,s nr10ngst the plantations so that the vie',i './111 not be spoiled. Since this area is not on a heavily travelled route, its devel- o;:Jment 'rlo'ilri be on q r::or!est sc[,.iJe, but facil~ties for picnicking should be provided. :-'icn::c :-,ite8 It is recommended that small areas of from one to five acres be acquirect at each of tlle attractive yicnic sites which Fire listed below and stmm on the Hecreation Flap. Speed is essentL.l in .o;cquiring the sites for the public before they 536 ~H'(>,J c;u ired fc)r H'iv,,~te jnteC"f'sts. In mt)~~t of these j..:icnic ~ites no younf trees arc growinL u~ to take the place of the ;)re;::ent oln ones 'r/hen these ,iie. Plantings are therefore necessary. The other chi.ef re,.~uirel~',ent is that space for parking cars off thE:: roan 2.l11m"iutlce ~ut a'flay from the t;icnic sites should be arranged. Many of those small picnic sites are located ut old swimming holes. In such places, and at other unpolluted swimMing holes in the watershed the provision of a simple (living board an~ u notice stating normal depth of water would be advisable. PHOPOSED PICNIC SITES No. ("'\f ~"f TownshiD Conc6:.'sion Lot ..' >,ap , --- 33 {;iono VII 1 34 d.jala V I 36 .Ubion VI 30 35 Albion III 31 37 lilbion VI 26 38 ,\Ibion VI & VII 21 39 King VI & VIr 8 40 King VI & VII 3 41 Vaughan V 30 42 Vaughan VIII & IX 2" 'j 43 Vaughan VIII 20 44 Vaughan V'I ".1 15 j !!;~ 47 Ltobicoke A t mile south of Thistletolfln 46 Etobicoke I 1 miles west of J.histletown 45 Townline Toronto Gore and l"tobicoke, one-half mile ; South of Clairville I t 48 York IV Sheppard Avenue l ~;cenic )ri ves Scenic drives are :~n inportant part of recreation planning in the vicinity of large cities. There are several ro,.id s nO....l e x:istinc ~\{hich 'Woulri be a lb tural jJdrt of such drives ~' r''''''' .. \ f't t i H'.._ >~""'''",..- -y,-- . ~",...,.. '.-'''.''''',," .,.'.-.,.'. '.r -,.' Tlle " Gr"Ufi::>e" bridge Ucro&s the we:Jt br""O"l Q.O '. .t of too Humber at This tleto\m 1s an eY'EU!Ore. It is bOp3d thut t.he new 'b:e1(1~;Q .v111011 1~ to replaoe it "Jill be more in htU"m.on~r ~.i th the landn!'.n~pe. .. .,.._..........~...... ..",,". ""_.~"~'..,..-,.,. ~. , __._.c -- '.--.' :i. \"1811 de:Jl:::;raed hri~f"o C.:.;;J). ha.mo.r::t 7.,:;} f"'.i.J ~~:reotly 'u1 th 't... '''-..\_".'. ~ ~~ .,. :~H:r1'{AUj.(J in-go. ,J.....,_.D--k I 538 such as the river road south of the Lambton bridge, and No. 27 Hi?;hway in the vicinity of Kleinburg, but the improvement and maintenance of roads as scenic drives requires cooperative plan- ning on a large scale in areas larger than a single watershed. The follcwin~ organizations, at the least, would have to take part in any plan for scenic drives in the re~ion surrounding Toronto: The Ontario Department of Highways; the Toronto and York Road Commission; the Toronto and York Planninr, Board; Townships in the Toronto Region which have planning boards; and Conservation Authorities in each watershed. On the Humber vlater- shed public acquisition of land for the Inner Green Belt will provide the starting point for planning scenic drives. Tho west bank of the Humber from its mouth to Bloor Street bridge is a natural site for a scenic drive which should not be overlooked. I, ! ,