2018/07/14 – Black Creek II

Good afternoon! I’ll be following the upper reaches of Black Creek today. Starting off in the concrete channel, but it doesn’t last long. Hop up to Chalkfarm Park, a nice trail emerges.

Great bridge providing a neighbourhood connection. But followed shortly by an interruption. Gotta go around because golf is a land hog.

After the significant diversion, you descend into Downsview Dells Park. It’s hot and steamy again, the summer rain is providing limited relief and a fantastic lushness to the ravine.

Drive-in picnic park style by Metro, much like Sunnybrook. Restoration work by TRCA underway on a Black Creek tributary. Black Creek itself continues to meander.

No crosswalk across Sheppard, which is insane. Metro picnic park continues for a bit, but eventually the trees close in, and the trail thickens.

Black Creek continues to meander, suffers from bermification though. Trail continues its meander as well, so no complaints.

Speaking of bermification, Finch Avenue had a major washout 13 years ago, as Black Creek was constricted. They made changes: a bigger culvert and a channel for flows if they overtop the road again. You’d think they would have just built a bridge. Looks good upstream though.

The ravine starts to get quieter, cars and picnics are drowned out, even air traffic to/from Pearson becomes a bit muffled. Lots of bird song, cardinals, woodpeckers, bluebirds, orioles; almost seeing every bird of the rainbow.

Interrupted again, this time by Black Creek Pioneer Village (the original site, not the subway station). I’d understand fencing off the area given the archaeological potential, but ironically access is controlled for a fee by the TRCA, governed by a board of white people from Toronto City Council.

Black Creek proceeds under CN’s main corridor, and through a hydro corridor. Snakes through Beechwood Cemetery before ducking under the 407 and into York Region.