Category Archives: Hurricane Hazel

Exploring Toronto’s Aerial History: Raymore Park Before Hurricane Hazel

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In the City of Toronto Archives there are extensive aerial photos of the city taken between 1947 and 1992. They are black and white images but reasonably detailed. While researching Hurricane Hazel I was able to download an image of what is now Raymore Park to reveal the community that existed just over a year before Hurricane Hazel struck in October 1954. Colourizing and sharpening the photo makes it resemble today’s satellite images (details are unchanged but colours are arbitrary and not historically accurate) from Google and help appreciate the extent of community that existed back then. I have labelled relevant streets.

Raymore Drive extended into what is now the park, hugging the river’s edge before heading south and looping back onto Gilhaven Avenue.

Click to enlarge.

I was surprised at the size of the community with houses occupying much of the flood plain land and stretching a considerable way down Gilhaven Avenue (now the approximate location of the bike path). It looks as if it was an idyllic place to live – riverside dwellings but with city amenities. There was even a beach for the kids. Many of the homes were cottage style on blocks while some had full basements. Most are a lot smaller than our modern dwellings. The homes destroyed seem to have been along the river’s edge at the far right and lower edge of the peninsula. The people who died lived on this stretch of Raymore.

At the top of the image, on the other bank of the river, parts of the (now demolished) water filtration plant can be seen.

Below is a recent satellite image and I have adjusted the size and rotation to match that of the 1953 photo.

From Google. Click to enlarge.

The Bailey Bridge seen in the upper photo was put there in 1950 and both of the old abutments can be seen to this day. The current footbridge was installed in 2005.

Some of the homes along what is now the bike path were undamaged apart from flooded basements but authorities at the time elected to remove all homes in the flood plain leaving only Tilden Crescent intact. Raymore Drive was ended at Tilden and Gilhaven Avenue ceased to exist.

Very few of the buildings on surviving streets from 1953 exist today – I recognize the house that once stood at the east corner of Raymore and what is now Tilden, Westmount Gospel Chapel on Kingdom and some homes on Denison. Readers are welcome to add discoveries of their own.

Tree planting a success

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A large number of people gathered on the morning of Saturday June 10 to plant 325 native trees and shrubs in the wild area just south of the parking lot.

Shovels of all sizes at the ready.
An impressively large crowd attended.

The event organized by The Humber River Citizens’ Alliance and the City of Toronto was begun by a talk from Toronto historian Madeleine McDowell who gave an outline of the events of Hurricane Hazel which eventually prompted the establishment of conservation areas throughout the GTA.

Madeleine McDowell outlines the story of Hurricane Hazel and Raymore Park.

Anishnaabe Grandmother Waterkeeper Vivian Recollet spoke of the value of nature and the need to respect growing things.

Vivian Recollet talks about native traditions and respect for the land.

The event was well organized and the work went quickly.

Volunteers hard at work. From Toronto Forestry Twitter account.

As mentioned, a total of 325 trees and shrubs were planted and the recent rain will no doubt help considerably with their establishment.

Trees and shrubs in their new home along with lots of mulch. From Toronto Forestry Twitter account.

Raymore Park: changes over the years – Part 1.

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This year marks 30 years since I started coming to Raymore Park. During that time many changes have occurred, most of them reflecting adjustments in park philosophy and management.

1. Pesticides:

Herbicides were sprayed here – just north of the current off-leash area. October 2000.

Back in 1993, park staff would spray grassy areas with herbicide in order to keep weeds down and in particular, poison ivy. They used Roundup (Glyphosate) which is pretty potent. Caution notices were placed on the grass informing people that weedkiller had been sprayed but these didn’t last long. At that time, much more of the park was grass (more on that in another article). Despite the claims of Monsanto, Roundup when sprayed over such a wide area is probably terrible for wildlife and dogs. The City banned pesticides in theory in late 1998 but the practice continued for a while after that according to this article from 2000.

2. The Humber Footbridge.

The 1917 ‘swing’ footbridge that was condemned and replaced in 1950. Photo via Weston Historical Society.

When Hurricane Hazel struck in 1954, a four-year-old footbridge over the Humber was swept away. This link between Westmount and the stores in Weston wasn’t replaced until 1995 some 41 years later. The bridge gets a substantial amount of use from cyclists, sightseers and commuters who can be whisked to the airport or downtown in about 15 minutes via the UP Express on Weston Road.

Read this excellent article on the three Weston footbridges from the Weston Historical Society.

The bridge with an abutment of the 1950 version in the foreground; looking upstream in March 2009.

3. Garbage Containers.

Garbage containers were either lined wire-mesh bins or the occasional re-purposed oil drum back in the 20th Century. There were no recycling containers back then – just open-topped receptacles that went uncollected during the winter. The cans and baskets weren’t replaced with the current wheeled carts until 2012.

Even with our clearly marked carts, park users are fairly indiscriminate where they toss their waste, so the recycling bins become contaminated and their contents worthless. As a result, garbage and recycling are collected by the same truck and the contents lumped in altogether.

From February 2004.

Raymore Park clean-up this Sunday.

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On Sunday April 24, there will be a park clean-up organized by Brian MacLean who is also leading a campaign to set up a permanent memorial to the Hurricane Hazel victims, many of whom perished in a community now occupied by Raymore Park.

Please meet by the pedestrian bridge across the Humber between Raymore and Lions parks at 10:00 a.m. Note – the Raymore parking lot is closed to traffic. There is street parking on Tilden Crescent or the Lions Park lot is open – it’s a short walk from there to the footbridge that crosses into Raymore.

Area Map – from Google. Click to enlarge.

For more information contact Brian MacLean at EtobicokeCommunityFutures@gmail.com

Humber Bank Stabilization Update

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All last week, trucks rumbled into Raymore Park delivering old bricks and concrete blocks (clean fill).

I braved the bitter cold this afternoon to find out what was going on. Rather than building a stable roadway along which trucks can approach the river, the whole of the fenced off land is being laid with about 40cm of clean fill to create a working area that stretches to the river’s edge from which the retaining wall can be constructed.

Topsoil scraped from the area can be seen (right) and brick rubble ready to be spread over the remainder of the land is on the left. To get an idea of the scale of  this endeavour, there’s a person standing by the orange fencing (far left).

The depth and size of the rubble layer can also be seen here.

Apparently the plan is for the rubble to be carted away again and the topsoil replaced after the job is completed.

Bricks waiting to be spread over the park surface.

A closer look at the brick rubble and (eventually) the old topsoil waiting to be spread over the park surface.

One permanent change that may have been made; the old basement depressions from homes swept away during Hurricane Hazel are probably gone.

Work begins on Humber bank stabilization and sewer rehabilitation.

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More than a decade ago, the owner of a house on Sykes Avenue in Weston suddenly lost several feet off the back end of their property. The house overlooks a sharp curve of the Humber River as it turns to the south. During April rains in 2004, the rear of the property abruptly vanished along with several mature trees and other vegetation. Luckily nobody was standing near the edge.

Shortly after the landslide in April 2004.

Shortly after the landslide in April 2004.

Panorama view of the bank as it looks today.

A panorama view of the bank as it looks today. Note the current retaining wall and the precarious position of the tree on the right.

That summer, the fallen trees actually went into leaf and remained in place for most of the season but were eventually washed down the Humber. What caused the erosion? Who knows; it probably didn’t help that each autumn, the owner at the time drained the pool over the top and into the river. The likely explanation is that the slope was simply too steep to withstand the shearing forces and nature adjusted the angle. TRCA is responsible for erosion control and has a handy guide for those ‘living on the edge’. It must have been painful to update the property deeds to reflect the new reality. After this event, the owner put in some vegetation and other stabilization measures but by then the rot had started and moved downstream taking chunks of other back yards into the river.

A retaining wall of sorts is already in place, built in 1981 and it has been high enough to provide ‘toe protection’ for most flood events. Unfortunately it wasn’t tall enough to cope with major events such as the storm of July 2013.

After extensive study, TRCA has decided that in order to stabilize this stretch of the Humber, a 6.5 metre tall ‘replacement armourstone wall’ and stabilization measures need to be put in place on 170 metres of the east bank before more land disappears downstream.

Raymore Park entrance.

Raymore Park entrance. Notice that the pathway and direct footbridge access is blocked to pedestrians. This could have been avoided by fencing off a narrow gap on the left.

Looking south from the parking lot.

Looking south from the parking lot. The trail resumes further down.

Since construction from the top of the east side is impossible, the plan is to access the wall through Raymore Park.

Unfortunately the solid winter ground from the bike path to the river expected by the construction crew has failed to materialize (so far) and a steady stream of trucks has been offloading fill onto the site in order to construct a stable road down to the river.

Sadly dozens of native trees that were planted several years ago have been removed from a surprisingly large area. Presumably these will be replaced but this will delay the expected native canopy planned for this section of the park.

The new road under construction leading to the river. Notice the clearance of all trees and shrubs.

The new road under construction leading to the river. Notice the clearance of all trees and shrubs.

Another view showing the extent of the clearance.

Another view showing the extent of the clearance.

In the meantime, pedestrians are having a messy time getting access to the footbridge from Raymore Drive, the continuation of the path further down the park and there are questions regarding the replacement of trees and shrubs lost when the land was cleared.

According to the leaflet delivered to homes in the area, the work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March and restoration of the land will take place in the fall. Projected cost: up to a maximum of $250,000.

At the same time, more sewer rehabilitation work is ongoing along the Humber that will necessitate further tree clearance along the path of the sewer line between now and the end of March and this will extend along the river between Raymore Drive to well past Eglinton. The City of Toronto has more information here.

Later this spring will begin the construction (if given final approval) of the proposed leash free zone (Many dog owners seem to have declared Raymore Park leash free already). This will bring even more heavy equipment through the park. A final meeting is scheduled for February 25th at 6:30pm in Westmount Junior School, 95 Chapman Rd. Councillor Rob Ford will be in attendance.

Hazel Walk well attended.

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Weston Historical Society's Cherri Hurst talks at the first stop on the tour.

Weston Historical Society’s Cherri Hurst (far right) talks at the first stop on the tour.

Close to 70 people attended last Saturday’s Hurricane Hazel Revisited walk. The guided tour stopped at many of the significant locations that played a part in the October 1954 tragedy that changed the face of Toronto. The walk was well received thanks to an excellent script that was a collaboration between Weston Historical Society members, Cherri Hurst and Mary-Louise Ashbourne.

I had the privilege of assisting in this Heritage Toronto walk and the level of interest among attendees was impressive. Hazel’s legacy is our precious park ravine and system; a place to enjoy nature as well as a haven for plant and animal wildlife.

Thanks to Jill for coming all the way from Burlington and adding a personal touch via her father’s incredible memories of being personally involved during the storm.

The rain held off until we began walking to the renovated St Matthias Church – now the Canadian headquarters for Sukyo Mahikari. We were shoehorned into the beautifully restored small church, dripping wet and were given a bonus presentation on the renovation of the church which played a part during Hazel’s aftermath.

Hurricane Hazel Revisited – Walk on Saturday.

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Have you ever wondered about the people who lived in Weston during the time of Hurricane Hazel? Weston’s Historical Society is leading a walk, ‘Hurricane Hazel Revisited‘ that focuses on the storm’s devastating impact on the people and surrounding area. Participants will walk along the river, past some of the most significant locations and look at traces of what remains and the changes forced by Hazel that have occurred since 1954. The tour begins on Little Avenue this Saturday at 1:30 follows the river down to Raymore Drive and ends at the former Matthias church at Scarlett and Kingdom.

Little Avenue Memorial Park

Little Avenue Memorial Park

Meet on Little Avenue in the Memorial Park at 1:30

Jane’s Walk May 3rd at 5:30pm

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Jane's Walk2014-GB

On Saturday, May 3rd, a ‘Jane’s Walk’ will feature the Humber between Lions Park and the weir in Raymore Park. The emphasis will be on Hurricane Hazel and its effects on the environment both natural and human. Some of the stops along the way will be:

Stop 1: Lawrence Avenue Bridge

The effects of Hurricane Hazel and its deluge of water on the bridge and surroundings.

Stop 2: Lion’s Park / Weston Fairground

Stop 3: Raymore Foot Bridge

The history of the footbridge that once existed at this point and its current successor.

Stop 4: Raymore Drive (across bridge)

The ground where 36 people lost their lives; the role of the old bridge. View traces of the settlement that was destroyed.

Stop 5: Raymore Park

The aftermath of Hazel and the organization set up to acquire and manage flood plain land.

Stop 6: Raymore Park dam

The fish ladder and migrating trout. The future of weirs along the Humber.

Stop 7: Chapman Valley Park / Humber Creek

The flooding that occurred at the top of this creek on July 8 2013, and the impact development has had on rivers across the city

Stop 8:

Urban river valleys, the Greenbelt, and the upcoming staff report and vote in city council to add the Humber, Don, and Etobicoke Creek to the Greenbelt.

  • Option 1: Retrace our steps along the Humber path,
  • Option 2: walk through the streets, past the wooden church at Scarlett and Kingdom, down Raymore Drive, crossing back over Raymore bridge and ending back up at Lion’s Park.

Walk Leaders:

Mary Louise Ashbourne (Weston Historical Society)
Gaspar Horvath (TRCA)
Roy Murray (Humber Watershed Alliance)
Shelley Petrie (Friends of the Greenbelt)
Michael Cook (Lost Rivers)

Meeting point: Car park at Lawrence Avenue and Little Avenue (Cruickshank Park) at 5:30pm.

 

Hurricane Hazel Series- 1: The deadly knock

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A knock on a door sealed the fate of two families on the rainy night of October 15, 1954. They lived on Raymore Drive in an idyllic neighbourhood by the shore of the Humber River. That night, radio stations had warned of a dangerous hurricane making its way north that would dump more heavy rain onto an already saturated ground.

Autumn in Ontario is a time of transition. The province occasionally finds itself in the path of extra-tropical hurricanes that are usually shadows of their former selves by the time their energy supply of tropical air has been cut off. This hurricane, named Hazel, was different. It had wreaked havoc in many areas of the United States. Instead of becoming a rain event, Hazel managed to re-energize itself by finding and merging with a cold low pressure area and using that to squeeze out more wind and moisture.

As the evening progressed, the storm parked itself over the city and the already swollen Humber River began to rise higher than residents had ever seen it. In wintertime, ice jams would bring water and inconvenience to the doorsteps of a few homes at the lower end of Raymore Drive but this time was different as the higher water level ceased to be an annoyance and started to become a threat. The roaring water surged wildly with no sign of levelling off.

As water lapped over thresholds into homes near by the river, one family thought it wise to ask neighbours on higher ground if they could bring over furniture threatened by the rising waters. This was the fatal knock. While the two families focussed on moving furniture to the higher house, their single-minded dedication to the task may have prevented them from acting quickly when events took a sudden turn for the worse.

What neither family could see and what would end up costing the lives of 35 residents of the neighbourhood was an unpredictable turn of events. Straddling the river was a footbridge. It was then, as its replacement is today, a convenient short cut from Raymore Drive to the bustling town of Weston, a centre of commerce for miles around.

As the water continued to rise, the western abutment of the footbridge was dragged off its perch into the river a few metres downstream where it anchored itself in the position it occupies today. The structure of the bridge held and in effect, re-positioned itself diagonally across the river forming a barrier which, thanks to the debris washing downstream quickly became a diversionary dam. Suddenly and without warning, the river was steered directly into the path of the homes at the end of Raymore Drive engulfing our two families and taking a total of 35 lives at this location.

To this day, the western abutment remains in the river, standing as a grim witness to that terrible night. The eastern end of the bridge is also in place and as mentioned previously, was decorated with a (now badly peeled) commemorative mural in 2002. Raymore Park itself contains no memorial to the people who lost their lives that day. Perhaps this would be a worthy project.

Looking upstream, the western abutment is still in the Humber.

Looking upstream, the western abutment can be seen below and to the left of the bridge.

Readers are invited to add their own memories or anecdotes of Hurricane Hazel.