Lost River Walks

Lost Rivers respectfully acknowledges that we are on the traditional territory of many First Nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabek, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.  Toronto is also covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississauga and Chippewa bands.  Today, Toronto is a home and meeting place for Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We are grateful to be on this land – Chi Miigwetch, Kinanaskomitin, Nia:wen, Maarsi, Yaw^ko, Tiawenhk.

We highly recommend this 3.5 minute video for a deeper understanding:   
Land acknowledgements: uncovering an oral history of Tkaronto


Lost Rivers in the News!

Check out the CBC's incredible interactive story map where you can look for your own river:
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/features/2024/daylighting-rivers/

And this related coverage:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-429/clip/16055959 What On Earth with Laura Lynch on CBC Radio: Buried under cities, rivers are a climate wonder in waiting.

CBC-Radio science feature, Apr 11, 2024 1:50 PM EDT:
Toronto School uncovers buried stream, transforms its schoolyard

Mary Wiens interviews Lost Rivers' Helen Mills on CBC Radio Metro Morning. Click below to hear the episode.

Ways to Explore Toronto’s Lost Rivers
For Live Walks - go to the Planned Walks page
For Virtual Walks
You can explore the original lost creek guides from headwaters to mouth by using our online field guides.  These were created by Peter Hare and contain clickable maps that show where the water is now as well as the lost rivers.  Just click on one of the rivers on the Key map of central Toronto 

Virtual Self-guided Walks:
Explore the self-guided tours of Ashbridge’s Bay, Corktown Common, and Parkdale on the interactive maps below.


Check out our new web test maps for Lost Rivers and Rivers Rising!

Disappearing Rivers of Toronto and Ashbridges Bay Creeks

Your input is appreciated. Please contact us with comments.

These maps were developed as a pilot project for Geohistory/Géohistoire, the Canadian Historical GIS Partnership Development Project on behalf of  Lost Rivers. For more about the mapping project, see:
http://geohist.ca/2017/10/lost-rivers-pilot-project


Taddle Creek Self Guided Audio Tour

Anthropocene Immersion:
Unearthing Lost Taddle Creek
(web map)

Luminato logo

Commissioned by and produced in 2021
in association with
Luminato Festival Toronto  
for the Illuminating Ideas Series 

The archived audio and transcript are available here:
Audio     Transcript

Also, check out the Thirsty River Walks.

Or, try the original field guide style Lost River walks by clicking here. 

Key map of central Toronto

REFERENCES

Points of Interest

           

Streams

News, media, and interesting links can now be found on the WHATS NEW PAGE.

The objective of Lost River Walks is to encourage understanding of the city as a part of nature rather than apart from it, and to appreciate and cherish our heritage. Lost River Walks aims to create an appreciation of the city’s intimate connection to its water systems by tracing the courses of forgotten streams, by learning about our natural and built heritage and by sharing this information with others.

The Toronto Green Community started Lost River Walks to help us discover the fascinating world of the watershed beneath our feet. This site is the start of a field book on the lost streams of Toronto. Bits of our city’s history, both natural and built, are included. Those interested can take a virtual lost creeks walk, or better, use the information to take a self-guided tour. Come explore nature hidden under our city and along its ravines and byways.

Would you like to lead a Lost River Walk? We are looking for leaders. Contact us at The Streamwalker. We have developed some guidelines, useful for leaders, but which have information also useful for those walking on their own.

For more about “Lost River Walks,” how it started, philosophy, who we are, how to contact us, conventions used and acknowledgements, please see the Introduction.

“Lost River Walks” is a joint project of The Toronto Green Community, The Toronto Field Naturalists and community partners including Hike Ontario. Lost River Walks is an official Ontario Legacy Trail, and has been voted one of the 24 best walking programs / trail systems in the province.

Comments on the Lost River Walks web site should be sent by email to The Streamwalker.

© The copyright to the contents of this website is held by P.J. Hare and The Toronto Green Community. Permission to use information contained within may be obtained by emailing The Streamwalker.