Black Creek (Toronto)
| Black Creek | |
|---|---|
 Black Creek at Eglinton Avenue West | |
  Location of the mouth of the creek in Toronto | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Golden Horseshoe |
| Municipalities | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | retention basin |
| • location | Vaughan, Regional Municipality of York |
| • coordinates | 43°49′35″N 79°33′34″W / 43.82639°N 79.55944°W[2] |
| • elevation | 210 m (690 ft)[3] |
| Mouth | Humber River |
• location | Toronto |
• coordinates | 43°40′09″N 79°30′41″W / 43.66917°N 79.51139°W[1] |
• elevation | 89 m (292 ft)[3] |
| Basin size | 66 km2 (25 sq mi) |
Black Creek is a river in the Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. It flows from the city of Vaughan in the Regional Municipality of York to the Humber River in Toronto.[1][2][4] Black Creek is smaller than most of the waterways in the Greater Toronto Area.
Course
The creek begins in the
From Jane St. and Highway 401, the creek continues south in a concrete channel until Queens Drive. The creek is then mostly in a natural state as it flows through the Upwood and Westview Greenbelts, Trethewey Park East and Keelesdale Park, with segments of culvert where it passes under city streets. Beginning near Jane St. and Highway 401, the creek valley also provides the routing for the eponymous
The environmental health of Black Creek and its watershed has been an important issue in Toronto and the GTA for decades. The creek can be split into 3 general zones: source-Highway 407, Highway 407-Weston Road, and Weston Road-Humber River. From its source in Vaughan to approximately Highway 407, Black Creek runs primarily in drainage ditches through the sprawling Vaughan Business Park, an industrial area bounded by Rutherford Road to the north, CN MacMillan Yard to the east, Highway 7 to the south and Highway 400 to the west. Within the business park, it receives water from several other storm water retention ponds. Between Highway 407 and Weston Road, the creek is situated in a more natural, forested environment, albeit sharing the creek valley with Black Creek Drive. South of Weston Road continuing to the mouth of Black Creek at the Humber River, almost the entire length of the creek consists of concrete channels running through parkland and along residential streets. Black Creek is susceptible to chemical runoff from the 2 golf courses the creek passes within the city of Toronto as well as the industrial areas upstream in Vaughan. In addition, the highly channelized nature of the creek means that during times of heavy rain or snowmelt, the creek's lower reaches within Toronto as well as parts of the Humber River downstream become highly susceptible to flooding. [4][2][1] The channelized portions of the creek south of Weston Road have garnered the nickname "Toronto's LA River", in reference to the barren, concrete channel carrying the LA River through Los Angeles, California.
Downsview Park
An artificial man made storm water pond, Walkway Pond, flows out through an underground channel to Donwnsview Dells to Humber River via Black Creek.[5]
Lavender Creek
Lavender Creek's source is near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue West. It has long been buried from Fairbank Park to east of Weston Road and north-east of the Gunns Road intersection. It travels underground under Weston Road west through a culvert before re-emerging. From north of Gunns Road, the watercourse continues west to Symes Road and continues north, behind the homes on Hilldale Road to meet Black Creek south-west of Humber Boulevard and Alliance Avenue.[6]
August 2005 flooding
On August 19, 2005, Black Creek was the site of heavy flooding as a result of extremely heavy rains that afternoon. Its overflow destroyed a culvert on Finch Avenue.
Communities
- Lambton, Toronto - residential area in Toronto
- Mount Dennis, Toronto - light to medium industrial area - including former home to Kodak Canada and new Toronto Transit Commission bus garage
- Downsview, Toronto
- Edgeley, Vaughan - commercial and light industrial area
- Vellore, Vaughan - residential area
- Weston, Toronto - residential area
Attractions and protected areas
- York University, Toronto
- Oakdale Golf and Country Club, Toronto
- Beechwood Cemetery, Vaughan
- Weston-400 North Industrial Area, Vaughan
- North York Sheridan Mall, Toronto
- Lambton Golf and Country Club, Toronto
- Oakdale Golf & Country Club
- Chris Tonks Arena, Toronto
- Derrydowns Park
- Topcliffe Park
- Northwood Park
- Downsview Dells Park
- Chalkfarm Park
- Upwood Park
- Coronation Park
- Keelesdale Park
- Smythe Park
- Lambton Park
- Glen Scarlett Park
- Rockcliffe-Symthe Gulley
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Black Creek". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ a b c d e "Toporama (on-line map and search)". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ^ a b c d "Google Earth". Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 2014. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ "Downsview Park in Toronto is a massive urban park around an artificial lake".
- ^ Micallef, Shawn (2015-05-27). "Searching for the buried Lavender Creek". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2018-06-11.