2019/02/23 – CP Midtown

After my mishap in the Humber ravine two weeks ago, I’m going to take a break from river walking. Today I’ll be following Canadian Pacific’s mainline through Toronto, starting at the iconic North Toronto Station, and heading east. Let’s go.

The mainline abuts some houses, then crosses the Yellow Creek. Still gotta deal with icy conditions.

Out of the ravine, and along Ridge Drive. To a pedestrian bridge linking two neighbourhoods, and just missed a train.

Carstowe Road and its lands. Overused with road space, underused as parkland.

After a big detour via Heath on the north side, I meet up with the old right-of-way for Pottery Road. Takes you down what’s now a utility corridor to Bayview.

Along the north edge of Crother’s Woods to Laird. Zig-zagging through Leaside’s industrial area, hints at its railway past are obvious.

From Leaside into the West Don Valley, which the mainline spans with a very high level bridge, which was twinned in an interesting way.

Out of the West Don Valley through the Celestial site, where a proposed redevelopment of the site may formalize the connection with a former spur-turned-rail trail. Mainline continues over Don Mills Road, Don Valley Parkway, and the East Don River. Don Don Don.

After detouring through a side street and the back of a school, I reach the mainline at Lawrence, and then Victoria Park.

This curious area where Pharmacy crosses the mainline is what inspired today’s walk. I discovered these pairs of cul-de-sacs in the summer of 2010. A park continues on the east side. Then, after a few blocks, the Warden (former?) Hydro Corridor. Really needs a pedestrian crossing.

The mainline crosses the southeast corner of Ellesmere and Warden. There’s some “parkland” on the other side, but I think the railway got a little overzealous with fencing. The mainline continues northeast to Canadian Pacific’s yard in Agincourt, but my pursuit ends here.