Good morning. Following some Speed River tributaries. Not sure if/how much they’re buried, but we’ll find out. Starting to trace the first from a wetland behind Woodland Park PS in Hespeler. Let’s go.
Nice trail system, but the lack of substantial rainfall this spring has left the wetlands and the forest pretty dry. No watercourse to be seen, only a stormwater pond has some standing water in it.
After a while, you start wondering if this is actually a ravine. But as you reach Queen Street and the Speed River, this outlet confirms it.
The Speed River, at the Hespeler Mill Pond. This exists in such a wide pond because of a dam downstream.
Brief stop through the central Hespeler Village, then south again to follow a second tributary. The outlet lives away from its historical spot, beside the dam.
Wasn’t too confident there was a watercourse to see, appeared to be an old remnant footbridge from long ago. But this suddenly appeared south of Forbes Street. Skinny, with tall banks of…stones? They look more like cement sand bags.
Across Rife Avenue, the channel now has more modern (and more terrible looking) gabion baskets. It continues alongside Strathcona Street until disappearing underground. No sign of it after that, it’s lost in a sea of houses. We continue along footpaths in the forest.
This footpath rises and falls, wedged between backyards. This is no ravine. Going to loop back and call it a day.
Date: April 25, 2020
Length: 5.6 km
Type: Riverine
Metroscapes 