Straightening The Don, 1890

Photos by Alan L Brown - September 2006

With the Dundas Street East bridge in the distance, the Don River flows straight south. I took this photo standing on the north side of the west end of the Queen Street Bridge. There's a plaque on the east end of the bridge erected in 2003 by the Riverdale Historical Society which says:

Prior to 1890 the Don River meandered through an unspoiled valley and was popular for swimming, boating, fishing and skating.The straightened channel, known as the 'Don Improvement', was built to prevent flooding and permit shipping and railway access to downtown. Although for a short time pleasure boats cruised up the river to Winchester Street, industrial growth, and later the Don Valley Parkway, discouraged recreational use of the Don.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.658077 -79.353476

Related Toronto plaque pages
Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve
Betty Sutherland Trail

More Rivers and Waterways pages

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