Found Objects II: Crash the Diamond

Self-published novel: Crash the Diamond

One day this summer I was caught in a sudden downpour and sought shelter underneath a bridge. While waiting out the storm, I crawled onto a ledge to sit down and discovered a heap of books scattered on the ground. They were all copies of one book called Crash the Diamond: Free Democracy by Cheng Wan.

I picked one up and leafed through it. It appeared to be a self-published novel. It doesn't appear to have been edited as the language is quite atrocious. For example, the novel summary on the back cover reads:

The once newcomer, then new Canadian, Fox One had been stuggling (sic) for surviving while Kruel (CSIS agant) and Fantianlo (police) had been pressing him at the bottom of society.

I tried to read a page pages but gave up. The poorly written text makes it almost incomprehensible but it appears to be some sort of conspiracy suspense thriller. It's possible that it is a poor translation from Chinese but I couldn't make heads or tails of the story.

The publisher is listed as One Publisher in downtown Toronto. Their website lists a series of comic books and books on Chinese cuisine but this book is not to be found.


Books scattered about, free for the taking. But, alas, park staff has picked them all up and put them in the trash.

Found Object: Glass Bottle

Glass bottle with the words "F.W. Fitch Co. Ltd. Canada" etched in the glass

Doing work in the Don Valley means that you invariably come across all sorts of garbage. Most of it is the of the mundane sort such as plastic bags and water bottles, beer cans, and other discarded junk. But occasionally you come across something unusual. One such thing was a glass bottle with the writing embossed on the glass "F.W. Fitch Co. Ltd. Canada". It is unusual to find a glass bottle that has been made with the logo part of the actual glass bottle. Most labelling is painted on which wears away over time.

I picked this bottle up and rather than toss it in the recycling I took it home and cleaned it up. It didn't take much research to find out what it contained. F.W. Fitch was a maker of shampoos and hair tonics. I was unable to find any history of the company other than they were in business in the 1960s.

So why was the bottle in the Don Valley? It's possible that it was discarded in one of the many informal garbage dumps that can be found in our ravines. Another possibility is that it had an alcohol content and somebody might have drank from the bottle. I suppose I'll never know. I'll just add it to the list of curiosities one comes across in life. In this case another small story about the Don.

Elevated Wetlands

Elevated Wetlands

This summer I had the opportunity to work on the Elevated Wetlands. The company I have been working for this summer, Urban Forest Associates, has a maintenance contract with the city to service the equipment and take care of the pods.

Their position next to the Don Valley Parkway makes them very prominent. Of all the things in the Don they seem to evoke the most questions and comment. People wonder: what are those things? I have heard them described as giant teeth stuck in the ground, giant polar bears or strange grey elephants. In fact, the Elevated Wetlands are an art installation, created by an artist named Noel Harding. They were commissioned by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association and are made entirely from recycled plastics. In his words, "the Elevated Wetlands are a symbol of the interface between urban and wilderness forms". In one sense it is good that they get conversations going. It makes a good starting point when talking about other Don issues.


Schematic diagram of the Elevated Wetlands

Water is pumped from the Don River using solar power into the highest pod. It then flows through each pod, falls to the next one and then eventually drains out into a wetland at the base. There are three pods on each side of the Don Valley Parkway. Eventually the water flows back into the river. Whether it is much cleaner is hard to say since I don't believe it has ever been tested. However, two wetlands exist where none were before so that is definitely a bonus.


Water pours into base wetland. The wetland provides habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.

It turns out that the pumping equipment installed is quite finicky and breaks down regularly. Not only that but the some critical pieces are German made and parts have to be ordered from a company in Chicago. Another problem is that since the system is solar powered the water doesn't flow at night or during cloudy days. On the east side the solar panels are obscured by trees which don't get sun until about 10:30 AM.

One of the jobs to be done is weeding the pods. this requires clambering up a ladder to get into the pods. To get from one pod to the next you can climb up over the spout which can be a little precarious. This is additionally tricky because wasps like to nest in the crevices that line the walls of each pod.

I was under the impression that the pods were miniature wetlands, brimming with water and filled with aquatic plants. Upon climbing into the pods I was disappointed to find the surface is actually regular soil and the pods are not wetlands but miniature forests. They are really just glorified flower pots. From the ground the water looks like it is falling freely into each other from one to the other but in fact it falls into hidden buckets that route the water underground to the next one. There are drip lines that water the plants so that they are not totally isolated from the water system.


Spout above aimed at bucket below

Water pours from spout into a receiving bucket

The wetlands at the base are small but functioning. While we were weeding I noticed green frogs amongst the reeds. Cattails and and the invasive phragmites grass dominate the edge but there are also swamp milkweed, water plantain, and water lily.


Fellow worker, Laura, cleaning the solar panels in the upper pod

Hiking Series Finished

Last Sunday I led the last of my afternoon hikes. The format of these hikes was 3-4 hours along a distance of 10-12 km. Each hike started at 1 PM on a Sunday. All the hikes took place in the Don Valley or its tributary ravines. I had between 12 and 55 hikers for each hike. I think it was a successful format and I hope to do it again next year although I may rejig some of the routes.

The last hike was another successful outing with about 45 hikers. We hiked from Lawrence and Bayview (the Glendon College campus) to Pottery Road and Broadview. Personally I liked this hike the best because the paths lead through some of the best areas of the Don Valley. Here's a few photos (courtesy of Ken Peters) from the hike.


Hiking through a gully


A rest stop in Crothers' Woods. Ed Freeman (right) was a regular participant on the hikes


Passing through a wet patch on a slope. Note the cattails growing on either side of the path

One duty of hikers is to 'post' at path intersections to let others know which is the right way to go.

A view of some of the hikers as they make their way down a steep switchback trail in E.T. Seton Park.

If you are interested in seeing all 107 photos from the hike, send me a note and I will forward you the link.

Candy Floss Flower

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

I've seen this flower in a couple of places in the Don. This one I found growing at the Elevated Wetlands. A member of the milkweed family, it is usually found growing beside ponds, marshes or other wet areas.

I call it the candy floss flower because the scent reminds me of that sweet fragrance of candy floss which is one of the aromas from my childhood, a fond remembrance of our family's annual trek to the CNE in August. I was wondering about this particular scent and did some investigation. The active ingredient is linalool which is a naturally occurring chemical that is used in perfumes. One study found that inhaling linalool can reduce stress. That makes sense since it is a very pleasant aroma.

Not many studies have specifically studied this species but there are several references in studies of the milkweed family since this plant shares characteristics with similar plants in the genera such as Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Unless you are an asclepiadologist(!), such things as self-pollination success, pollen grain coherence, and sympatrically flowering systems won't interest you.

The one thing that most people will relate to is that the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) needs plants like this to survive. It feeds on the nectar, lays its eggs on the leaves, and the caterpillar feeds on the leaves. Since this species appears to be in decline it is important to leave this plant where you find it and take away only the memories of the fragrance.


Monarch Butterfly on a Swamp Milkweed at the Don Valley Brick Works (I wonder if it can smell the flower?)

Places in the Don

Can you tell me where this is?

This is the start of a semi-regular series of posts. I will post a picture from somewhere in the Don Valley and let you guess where it is. This one should be fairly easy as it is from a distinctive structure.