DSCToronto
Superstar
Someone (@NorthernLight ??) might want to ask the PFR team - See https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...gies/taylor-massey-sub-watershed-master-plan/ The Plan talks about drainage improvements.
|
|
|
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
Northern Light
Superstar
PL1
Senior Member
They have paved the trail in the valley, and are just finishing paving the trail up the hill by the parking lot (they have the fence moved over so much to allow for said paving that I had to walk the Bike Share a bit).
View of the newly paved trail, and the copse of recently planted trees discussed above
View of the newly paved trail, and the copse of recently planted trees discussed above
Natika33
Active Member
Sorry no pic (it was getting dark), but trail near Stan Wadlow is open now.
6079 Smith W
New Member
I took a picture last week as I rode through. The stonework and woodwork and bridgework is quite lovely.
robmausser
Senior Member
Nothing better than biking on freshly paved asphalt.
PL1
Senior Member
So as someone (@Northern Light ?) suggested earlier, these newly planted trees (near the newly rebuilt area by the Haldon entrance to the park) aren't doing well. I'd estimate 20% look quite sick. I image the flooding of a couple of weeks ago doesn't help. Photos from this afternoon, from west to east.
Edit: as pointed out below, Northern Light said these are the wrong trees for the soil/drainage, not that they weren't already doing well. This is what happens when typing out a post in my local park while enjoying a beer from the farmers' market
Edit: as pointed out below, Northern Light said these are the wrong trees for the soil/drainage, not that they weren't already doing well. This is what happens when typing out a post in my local park while enjoying a beer from the farmers' market
Last edited:
Northern Light
Superstar
I don't know that I said they weren't doing well (pre-flood), but I said they wouldn't do well, because they are the wrong species to be planting for a low-lying floodplain.
What should have been planted was Silver Maple, not Sugar Maple; Balsam Poplar, White Birch, Trembling Aspen and Eastern White Cedar(there are a few) but the latter should be clustered together and not under the canopy of hardwoods, rather than Oaks and Basswoods.
This planting cost well into six figures.........sigh.
Last edited:
Northern Light
Superstar
The Bike Path east of Dawes Road has reopened, and the structural work on the creek banks appears to be substantially complete.
The project now awaits restoration plantings, and probably reconstruction of the small parking lot used as a staging area for the last 18 months.
Photos taken September 2nd, 2024:
The project now awaits restoration plantings, and probably reconstruction of the small parking lot used as a staging area for the last 18 months.
Photos taken September 2nd, 2024:
Last edited:
Mr.Tang
Active Member
Not sure where to post this - but I run along the bike paths in this area when I can (hidden gem in the city IMO). The Go Train tracks run parallel to and close to the Don River in some areas and I noticed that due to recent erosion, at some points the river banks are getting very close to the tracks (at one point literally to the train track fence). It is at a situation where I think there is real danger here. Does anyone know if this is on Go Transit's radar? I assume it must be as they are working in the area, but would hate to see something really bad happen.
Northern Light
Superstar
The general issue is on their radar, but the specific site you're seeing may have changed recently and its current condition may not.
You should report it to GO/Metrolinx.
Be as specific as possible about the location, how recent the issue is; and convey that you feel it should be urgently inspected. Include a photo if you can, but better to report it first if you don't have one.
For UT, I would post this, in the future, in the GO Construction thread.
GO Transit contact info:
Connect with GO
We want to hear from you. Contact us by phone, online, or in person.
www.gotransit.com
Phone the Call centre in this case. It will get attention faster that way.
Northern Light
Superstar
The area east of Dawes which saw extension reconstruction of the creek, the creekbanks, the bike trail and associated areas is now complete.
Photos as of November 2nd, 2024:
Notes: The adjacent small parking lot has been repaved and marked, but is not open as of yesterday as they were rebuilding the sidewalk in front, it should open this week.
The planting is problematic in several ways:
- Questionable Species Mix (Red Oak is not really low-land floodplain)
- Oaks planted in fall.
- Plant placement in regards to Cedars is not ideal (should be more tightly grouped with hardwoods kept further away)
- Stock is not the best quality I've seen
- The initial planting was terrible and some idiot came along and ripped 1/2 the plants out. They were put back in, and this time a bit better, with some mulch and the area fenced off........
But, nature will sort it out.........
Photos as of November 2nd, 2024:
Notes: The adjacent small parking lot has been repaved and marked, but is not open as of yesterday as they were rebuilding the sidewalk in front, it should open this week.
The planting is problematic in several ways:
- Questionable Species Mix (Red Oak is not really low-land floodplain)
- Oaks planted in fall.
- Plant placement in regards to Cedars is not ideal (should be more tightly grouped with hardwoods kept further away)
- Stock is not the best quality I've seen
- The initial planting was terrible and some idiot came along and ripped 1/2 the plants out. They were put back in, and this time a bit better, with some mulch and the area fenced off........
But, nature will sort it out.........
Natika33
Active Member
As @Northern Light predicted, the trees planted in the wet area below Stan Wadlow Park don't appear to be doing well. Most have zero signs of new growth. From yesterday:
There was some budding on a few (see photo #3), but mainly where the ground was dryer.
There was some budding on a few (see photo #3), but mainly where the ground was dryer.
Northern Light
Superstar
I walked through the 'restored' site east of Dawes on June 29th, 2025. Sigh......
This first pic may look somewhat lush.......but the design here (topographical) which was contrary to the Masterplan..... doesn't make sense.
Through the trees on the left, you'll see that the land, between the trail and the creek is mounded higher than the trail. (that's beyond dumb.....the water wants to go to the creek (lowest point, gravity wins) and you don't want water running along or over the trail. ...... now...this won't be an immediate problem this year, probably , maybe not next either....as on the right side of the image, they dug a swale to move the water to a culvert going under the trail and connecting to the creek.
But look at what's in the swale. Vegetation. Vegetation that will die every winter, allowing silt to form and be captured, which will steadily fill the swale and block the culvert, no one will clean until it does.
Meanwhile.....
They had a six or seven figure budget here, a mobilized crew, a restoration plan, and they were on site for over a year.....
And yet....in the photo below....right opposite the site, on the north side of the trail, you seen nothing but non-native, invasive species. The reeds aren't native and neither are those trees, all European Alder and non-native invasive.
The City actually previously cut European alder here, but it treated them with pesticide incorrectly and they regrew. (they waited too long after cutting)
The work here was quite destructive, involved lots of tree removals and earth moving, this would have been the perfect time to cost-effectively fix this, and to do so out of public sight as part of a messy project.
Whoops.
This first pic may look somewhat lush.......but the design here (topographical) which was contrary to the Masterplan..... doesn't make sense.
Through the trees on the left, you'll see that the land, between the trail and the creek is mounded higher than the trail. (that's beyond dumb.....the water wants to go to the creek (lowest point, gravity wins) and you don't want water running along or over the trail. ...... now...this won't be an immediate problem this year, probably , maybe not next either....as on the right side of the image, they dug a swale to move the water to a culvert going under the trail and connecting to the creek.
But look at what's in the swale. Vegetation. Vegetation that will die every winter, allowing silt to form and be captured, which will steadily fill the swale and block the culvert, no one will clean until it does.
Meanwhile.....
They had a six or seven figure budget here, a mobilized crew, a restoration plan, and they were on site for over a year.....
And yet....in the photo below....right opposite the site, on the north side of the trail, you seen nothing but non-native, invasive species. The reeds aren't native and neither are those trees, all European Alder and non-native invasive.
The City actually previously cut European alder here, but it treated them with pesticide incorrectly and they regrew. (they waited too long after cutting)
The work here was quite destructive, involved lots of tree removals and earth moving, this would have been the perfect time to cost-effectively fix this, and to do so out of public sight as part of a messy project.
Whoops.
Last edited:
DSCToronto
Superstar
PFR in their usual confused (and always much delayed) mess. Sad!