Police Patrols in Crothers' Woods

Toronto Police patrol in Crothers' Woods

I was going through Crothers' Woods on Sunday when I heard the sound of motorized vehicles. My first thought was dirt bikes but when I came around a corner I was surprised to find these two gentlemen on ATVs. I chatted with them briefly and they were nice enough to let me take their photo. While I fully support the police's interest in patrolling trails in the Don, I think it would be more appropriate for them to travel by bicycle. Hopefully they will listen to reason.


Another police patrol, this time on the Belt Line trail at the foot of Mud Creek, Sept. 2005.

More Deer

If you want to see some great deer pictures, check out Beechwood Wetland Blog. I've seen them myself several times over the past couple of years, both living and dead but Marnie's encounter was up close and personal.

Before and After

Lower Don Valley, 1931


Lower Don Valley, 2009

I love before and after pictures. They can graphically portray places that have undergone some changes. Usually these changes are minor such as before and after a tree planting but sometimes you can do this over a longer span of time, if the pictures are available. There is an interesting blog that I follow called Toronto Before that shows archival photos from Toronto's past and places them beside a current photo. This is not so easy to do with the Don Valley since there are not that many photos available. Of the collections available there aren't that many interesting photos.

However, I did come across a photo of the Don Valley taken in 1931. The photographer was standing at the edge of the valley just south of Pottery Road looking west across the valley towards the Don Valley Brick Works. You can clearly see three chimneys labelled "DON" "VALLEY", and "BRICK". The fourth one reading "WORKS" is not in the camera shot.

The CN rail line is visible curving under the CP bridge which is still standing. A small road travels from the Brick Works to Todmorden Mills crossing the river at a single lane bridge.

The landscape in the foreground is quite remarkable. The time of year is not available but I am guessing sometime early in the year maybe March or April. The picture may portray an early spring flood since the river has overflowed its banks in a couple of places. It's hard to tell from a black and white photo but the valley looks like a blighted landscape. Only a few scraggly trees struggle to survive interspersed with mud flats and barren fields.


Unsuccessful attempt to duplicate same viewpoint as 1931 photo

Given this intriguing photo I tried to duplicate it. I attempted to stand in the same place as the original photographer but the view is blocked by a stand of trees which are now the top edge of the Todmorden Mills forest preserve.

The best I could do was to stand on Pottery Road where I could get an unobstructed view across the valley. Today's valley is much different than the one that existed 78 years ago. In the interim, the Don Valley Parkway was constructed. In this section the river was straightened into its current channel. The meandering section that flowed south of Todmorden Mills was cutoff. This now exists as an artificially created oxbow pond. Bayview Avenue was extended after WWII replacing the dirt road. The bridge in the old photo is still standing but is now only used to access a parking lot behind Todmorden Mills.

The mudflats beside the river have been replaced by a forest. Some of the trees are so big that you might think that the forest is much older but the evidence shows that this is a more recent addition.


The bridge from the 1931 photo that crossed the Don River. Today the bridge is isolated from the river. It is in very poor shape and is scheduled to be torn down as part of a refurbishment of facilities at Todmorden Mills that will take place in the next year or two.

Marsh Marigold

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), seen in Taylor Creek Park

Marsh Marigold is another early spring flowering plant. It is not classified as an ephemeral, since it is found in swampy ground rather than as forest understory. It likes damp conditions and can be found on the banks of small streams and in swampy ground. The flower has no petals. The showing yellow petals are actually sepals or modified leaves.

Marsh Marigold is quite a common plant and can be found everywhere in the northern hemisphere. However, there are many varieties. Until recently it was identified as separate species before studies showed that the plant is highly adaptable to local conditions.

According to Wetland Plants of Ontario, all parts of the plant contain toxic chemicals called helleborin and protoanemonin. These can cause mild skin irritation and in some severe cases heart palpitations. So it's OK to take photos but don't try to pick it.

Good Turnout for 1st Pedal the Don

Bikers passing by in Sunnybrook park

I participated in the the first ever Pedal the Don event on Sunday May 3. While Paddle the Don which was happening at the same time is into its 16 year, this is the first time someone has organized a bicycle event for the same day. By all accounts it was a success with over 50 riders and two roller bladers participating. Here are a few shots from the event. More pictures are available on the event website.


First rest stop in Wilket Creek park


Another rest stop by Beechwood Wetland

First Native of Spring

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). Note the ubiquitous Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata) sprouting beside it to the lower right.

Not really true since the Skunk Cabbage have come and gone but it is one of the showiest native flowering plants to appear this spring. Bloodroot belongs to the spring ephemeral category of plants, which means they appear for a short time on the forest floor before the trees above leaf out and block the sunlight. I have found that Bloodroot has one of the shortest flowering cycles of all the ephemerals, here one week, gone the next.

Bloodroot has some interesting characteristics, not the least of which is its seed dispersal method. This is performed by the exotic sounding scientific term, myrmecochory. To the non-scientist this just means dispersed by ants. The seeds have a fleshy appendage which the ants eat after taking them into their ant warren. Later on the seeds germinate and up comes a new Bloodroot plant.

For the next couple of weeks you can get out and enjoy some of the other spring ephemerals such as Trillium, Trout Lily, Virginia Waterleaf, and Wild Geranium.