The Don River commemorative plaque, 2023
File information | File dimensions | File size | Options |
Original JPG File | 8400 × 6515 pixels (54.73 MP) 71.1 cm × 55.2 cm @ 300 PPI |
8.5 MB | Restricted |
Low resolution print | 2000 × 1551 pixels (3.1 MP) 16.9 cm × 13.1 cm @ 300 PPI |
1.5 MB | Restricted |
Screen | 1032 × 800 pixels (0.83 MP) 8.7 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI |
344 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
10675
Access
Open
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2023
Historical Themes
Industrial Heritage, Parks and Natural Heritage, Post-war urban development
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
1900-1953, 1954-1998
Caption
The Don River commemorative plaque, 2023
Description
Booming industry and trade made Toronto rich in the early 20th century, but the environmental impact was severe, especially in the lower Don Valley. Tanneries, distilleries, slaughterhouses, and other industries dumped waste into the river, where it mixed with human excrement from open sewers. As a result, the lower Don Valley became a place people typically avoided. However, its many secluded places became a refuge for Toronto’s marginalized people. The privacy of the Don Valley also attracted criminal activity. The Brooks Bush Gang, known for robberies, was known to use the valley in the 19th century. Illegal taverns hosted cockfighting, gambling, and boxing. The lower Don River caught fire at least twice. Oil refineries at the mouth of the Don dumped flammable material into the water that ignited in 1931 and 1943. Garbage was also frequently dumped in the valley with impunity. Naturalist and author Charles Sauriol (1904–1995) led early efforts to protect the Don. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) took control of the city’s ravines after Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and began to remove homes and industries from flood-prone areas. Founded in 1989, the Task Force to Bring Back the Don planted trees and restored wetlands, resulting in the gradual return of fish and wildlife. Many individuals and organizations have since contributed to the rehabilitation of the Don River, including the creation of a new river mouth.