Black Creekis ariverin theGolden Horseshoeregion ofOntario,Canada. It flows from the city ofVaughanin theRegional Municipality of Yorkto theHumber RiverinToronto.[1][2][4]Black Creek is smaller than most of the waterways in theGreater Toronto Area.
| Black Creek | |
|---|---|
 Black Creek atEglinton AvenueWest | |
  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″N79°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″N79°30′41″W/ 43.66917°N 79.51139°W[1] |
• elevation | 89 m (292 ft)[3] |
| Basin size | 66 km2(25 sq mi) |
Course
editThe creek begins in theVelloreneighbourhood of Vaughan at the outflow from aRetention basinjust north-west of the intersection ofWeston RoadandRutherford Road(Fossil Hill Pond) at an elevation of 210 metres (689 ft).[3]It flows southeast underHighway 400atLangstaff Roadand heads south along the side of the highway, before turning abruptly east near Pennsylvania Ave. and abruptly south again at Jane St. The creek continues south in the vicinity of Jane St., before passing underHighway 7,Highway 407and Steeles to reach Toronto at the eponymousBlack Creek Pioneer Villageopen-air historic museum. It passes the mainYork Universitycampus and heads into theDownsviewarea in a forested ravine. It continues south in a natural setting, passing in short culverts underneath Shoreham Drive,Finch Ave.West, Grandravine Drive andSheppard Ave.West, before turning to the west and arriving back at Jane St. south of Sheppard Ave. After crossing under Jane St., the creek passes throughOakdale Golf & Country Cluband Chalkfarm Park. At the southeast end of Chalkfarm Park, near Jane St. and Wilson Ave., the creek enters a concrete channel, continuing roughly south along Jane St. underHighway 401.[1][2][4]
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 eponymousBlack Creek Drive,which follows the creek south to pastEglinton AvenueWest toWeston Roadin the neighbourhood ofMount Dennis.South of Weston Road, Black Creek runs in a man-made concrete channel in the median of Humber Boulevard, continuing to the south of Alliance Avenue and throughLambton Golf Club,and reaches its mouth as a left tributary of the Humber River near Scarlett Road andDundas Street Westat an elevation of 89 metres (292 ft).[1][2][4][3]
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 inVaughanto approximatelyHighway 407,Black Creek runs primarily in drainage ditches through the sprawling Vaughan Business Park, an industrial area bounded byRutherford Roadto the north,CN MacMillan Yardto the east,Highway 7to the south andHighway 400to the west. Within the business park, it receives water from several other storm water retention ponds. BetweenHighway 407andWeston Road,the creek is situated in a more natural, forested environment, albeit sharing the creek valley withBlack Creek Drive.South ofWeston Roadcontinuing to the mouth of Black Creek at theHumber 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 theLA RiverthroughLos Angeles, California.
Downsview Park
editAn 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
editLavender 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
editOn August 19, 2005, Black Creek was the site of heavy flooding as a result ofextremely heavy rainsthat afternoon. Its overflow destroyed aculvertonFinch Avenue.
Communities
edit- Lambton, Toronto - residential area in Toronto
- Mount Dennis, Toronto - light to medium industrial area - including former home toKodakCanada and newToronto Transit Commissionbus garage
- Downsview, Toronto
- Edgeley, Vaughan - commercial and light industrial area
- Vellore, Vaughan - residential area
- Weston, Toronto - residential area
Attractions and protected areas
edit- 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
editReferences
edit- ^abcde"Black Creek".Geographical Names Data Base.Natural Resources Canada.Retrieved2020-08-07.
- ^abcde"Toporama (on-line map and search)".Atlas of Canada.Natural Resources Canada.Retrieved2010-08-29.
- ^abcd"Google Earth".Retrieved2020-08-08.
- ^abcd"Ontario Geonames GIS (on-line map and search)".Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.2014.Retrieved2020-08-07.
- ^"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.Retrieved2018-06-11.