Old Don Mills bridge, a beautiful concrete rainbow arch bridge over the East Don. It carried traffic over the river until it was bypassed by the rerouted Don Mills Rd about 100meters to the south.

Looking north along the East Don river.

Chilling at the Falls with Garfield. The Wes Don waterfalls, well a weir technically. On the rerouted West Don as it flows to the Forks just West of the new Don Mills Rd.

The whirlpools of the West Don as it flows down to the Forks with the East Don just south of the weir.

Spring at the Forks of the Don.

Where the East & West Don meet under the Old Don Mills Bride.

Well before the 1960s, before the West Don was rerouted about 70meters south to accommodate the reconstruction of Don Mills Rd & DVP.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRamble #EastCoastKin #DonValley #ForksofTheDon

Looking north towards Yorkmills Rd

Looking south towards Lawrence Ave.

The Don River swells with anger

East Don flowing high and fast thru the Donalda Golf Course.

#DonValley #LoveTheRavines #RavineRamble #Toronto #parksTO

Looking over the valley

Different angle.

The Sauriol Cliff.

Probably the most dramatic vista in the Don Valley.

Overlooking the East Don River, the Richmond rail lines & new East Don trail.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRamble #DonValley #parksTO #RavineRamble

Current water levels in the pond in March 2026

Pond water levels in July 2025.

Some ponds are more affected by ground water fluctuation than others.

See below a the pond near Vic Park Ave which is purely feed by ground water and falls several feet every summer.

#RavineRamble #LoveTheRavines #TaylorCreek #Toronto #ParksTO

Pond no southside of Taylor Creek, westside of Dawes Rd.

Pond no northside of Taylor Creek, eastside of Dawes Rd.

Pond no northside of Taylor Creek, westside of Vic Park Ave.

Pond no southside of Taylor Creek, between Vic Park Ave and Dawes Rd.

The ponds of Dawes Rd.

On Taylor Creek between Dawes Rd & Vic Park Ave lies a series of manmade ponds and wetlands. All ground fed, they're a great place to watch nature reclaim the landscape.

Right now the ponds are full from snow melt

#RavineRamble #LoveTheRavines #TaylorCreek #Toronto #ParksTO

Common snowdrop.

First flowers in the Don Valley. The common snowdrop, originally from Europe and invasive. But the first signs of springs bloom.

#lovetheravines #DonValley #RavineRamble #springblom

Ellesmere - Scarborough Historical Society The community of Ellesmere was located at the crossroads of Kennedy Road and the 2nd Concession Road (Ellesmere Road). Many older citizens looking back to Scarborough's Sesquicentennial in 1946 may re...

Finally a resource on the area, from the Scarborough historical society.

There is more to delve into in this part of Scarborough, an entire lost community in fact, but that must be left for another time.

Today was about a creek and a bridge.

#lovetheravines #highlandcreek #ravineramble #TOhistory

1939 - red circle shows the location of Midland as it crosses the creek. This could very well be the same bridge as in the previous photo.

1954 - even almost 10 years post WW2 suburban and industrial expansion has not yet reached this part of midland ave. The Highland creek flows freely, but not for long.

1965 - the channelization of Highland Creek has begun, the creek east of Midland is now in concrete. The Midland Ave itself is now a proper two lane arterial road.

1985 - The current state of affairs is complete.. The creek east and west of Midland in encased in concrete, Midland Ave has been widened and the new bridge as seen before is in place. Furthermore the Scarborough RT has recently been complete and can be seen mirroring the creek on the south bank.

The aerial photos tell the story of industrialization and channelization.

From idle farm county at the corner of the community of Ellesmere to industrial post war suburban boom.

The roads got bigger and the creek got forgotten.

#lovetheravines #highlandcreek #ravineramble #TOhistory

An image of a boy fishing on the Highland Creek near Midland Ave in 1920-30s.

Highland Creek just east of Midland Ave in 2026 in a concrete channel.

Creek itself has changed much since then. It was wild once, flowing thru sparse farm lands of Scarborough until 1960s when all of ifs branches north of HwY401 were cast in concrete channels.

Below is an example of how its changed in 100 years

#lovetheravines #highlandcreek #ravineramble #TOhistory

Midland crossing Highland Creek in the 1920s on a small wooden bridge.

Current Midland bridge was built over the 1960s channalized creek in 1981. In the background the former Scarborough RT elevated station strutted the road.

Time for a short Pontist based #TOhistory moment.

Midland Ave has crossed West Highland Creek for over a hundred years. Today I was in the area and wanted to quick look at the historical progress.

The comparison is between 1920s and today, 2026.

#lovetheravines #highlandcreek #ravineramble

New bridge looking north.

New bridge looking south.

Last thing to see today was the new Prudential Dr. bridge over the Dorset branch, directly north of the new trail bridge.

This work closed down the road in 2023-24.

That's it for this short #RavineRamble.
Thanks for joining me.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #HighlandCreek #parksTO #EastCoastKin

Map of the highland creek watershed. Red circle is where the area in question is located.

1947 - aerial photos showing the abandoned channel of the creek in question yellow.

1965 - aerial photo showing the abandoned channel in yellow in relation to the rerouted creek directly east of it. Note in red a small unnamed creek that feeds into the creek in this area.

2024 - aerial view of the creek. In yellow the abandoned channel, now marshy and still containing water. In orange, Arsandco Pond, constructed in the early 2000s for storm water management.

Time for another #RavineRamble.

It is a short jaunt on a section of West Highland Creek, Dorset Branch to explore a short abandoned section of creek when it was rerouted during the 1960s.

Follow along, more details in Alt text.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #HighlandCreek #parksTO #EastCoastKin

A cofferdam being installed to shift the river further east.

The new narrower river channel being formed

Final note for today. Directly south of previous post, they're shifting the river to the east to make more more for the train tracks.

Years of erosion had come close to the tracks.

Thats it for today, thanks for joining this #RavineRamble

#LoveTheRavines #DonValley #DonRover #MudSeason

Donaconda climbing up to Beechwood Dr.

Another trail heading north from Beechwood drive.

As Donaconda climbs up to Beechwood Dr, we leave decay behind & enter the destruction & construction portion of this #RavineRamble

Time to go take a look at what is happening in the Don Valley when it comes to Ontario Line construction

#LoveTheRavines #DonValley #RavineRambler #DonRover #MudSeason

Standing on top of a hill looking south at the eventual outflow into Highland Creek.

The opening of the ponds outflow at the Highland Creek.

Finally we reach the end of this short meander.

Standing on top of the slight hill thru witch the outflow pipe flows under into the Highland Creek.

Thanks for joining in on this short #RavineRamble

That's it for today.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #HighlandCreek #parksTO #EastCoatKin

2020 - Recent aerial view of the sight with the U shaped meander left in the golf course. Note the two ponds now exist the area, fed by ground water and a possible small creek originating north of here.

1977 - Around this time the West Highland Creek was rerouted and channeled from it's previous course, which was also a series of channels that appear to be done for farming. In Red can be seen the new rerouting of the creek.

1965- At this time the meander was still a part of the West Highland Creek and it van be seen taking a sharp turn north, most of this seems to all been dug and straightened at some point in time. Few natural curves in the river flow.

1939 - earliest aerial photos of the area, all of this is farm land. The meander can be seen in yellow. Still lots of straight lines. The creek had been channeled in some way for over a hundred years.

Time for another #RavineRamble.

This time a short little jaunt to see a former part of West Highland Creek. One of the few pieces of the original riverbed left north of Highway 401, located in a golf course

Come and join along

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #HighlandCreek #parksTO #EastCoatKin

But at least the walls makes for an artistic space for local graffiti partitioners.

Less public utility and more of a public mural.

And with that we'll end this #RavineRamble.

Thanks for coming along.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Broken door.

Broken toilet.

One of the doors has been broken open allowing us a view inside...

I can't imagine how many decades this place has say idle.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Abandoned graffiti bathroom.

But before we end. We visit a abandoned public bathrooms.

In my entire life, I dont recall this 1 ever being opened. In fact it's often surrounded by growth

@shawnmicallef.bsky.social bathroom plight is real.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

O'Connor Dr crossing the Taylor Creek.

We're approach the end of this ramble..

The O'Connor bridge looms large over the ravine.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

About a dozen bat boxes dot the shoreline here.

Bat boxes have been installed along the redeveloped sections of the creek.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Bridge to cross to the south side.

Erosion control along the banks.

Doubling back to the the Taylor creek, we will cross to the southside of the creek.

Note all the recent slope and erosion control work that has been done.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Looking north up the Ferris ravine.

Looking down into the creek.

At about 600-700meter up the ravine, the slops are too steep and the bush too thick to continue on in snowshoes.

This is where we double back.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Human refuse litters the valley.

Best seat in the house...

Walking down the frozen Ferris creek.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Ferris creek bridge.

Bridge over the Ferris creek. Again, rusted bridge.

We're taking a short detour up the Ferris reach to see how far we can get.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Looking west down the Taylor Creek.

Looking west from the Ferris creek bridge.

The confluence of Taylor Creek & Ferris Creek.

This area has had massive work done recently to stabilize the banks and control erosion.

The tree cover was stripped bare, hence the wide open landscape.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Another rusted bridge.

Three of a kind, another rusted bridge.

This time at Notley Pl entrance into the ravine.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

Erosion control measures.

Massive erosion control boulders were installed in this section about a decade ago and some have already begun to shift.

The paved trail sits almost directly on top of them.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

The creek cuts into the trail on the northside of the ravine.

More erosion. The Creek has cut many deep gashes into its banks.

The snow makes it look deceiving.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble

The bridge at the Rexleigh Dr entrance

Another creek crossing, another rusted bridge. They will become common.

We're staying on the northside of the ravine.

#LoveTheRavines #RavineRambler #DonRover #parksTO #EastCoastKin #winterTO #RavineRamble