Category Archives: Raymore Park

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.

Old Encampment tough to remove.

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The layers of specialty run deep at City Hall and particularly the various teams of the Parks and Rec. people.

The people who set this up are long gone but the memory lingers on… April 28, 2026.

This collection of garbage from an abandoned encampment has been sitting for what looks like a few months in the middle of the wild area just south of the parking lot. I discovered it while doing research on Hurricane Hazel. One would expect that the city would want it cleaned up quickly.

11 days ago, I submitted a request to 311 to have the area cleaned up. Yesterday I phoned to check on progress and this morning I had a message from Jacqueline at Parks saying that the reason it has taken so long is as follows:

First the site had to be checked by the Encampments Team to make sure it’s not active. Ok, fair enough. This took place on April 20.

Next, Parks Operations checked out the site and determined that it’s too close to the ravine. It’s on flat ground and nowhere near the water but whatever.

A view of the mess from the other direction. April 28, 2026.

The Ravines Team was then assigned. I guess the Encampments Team isn’t able to make such determinations.

Great, so where’s the Ravines Team? Sadly, the Ravines Team cannot do their job because, “Conditions are not great because of all the rain so we don’t send our staff out until things have settled in terms of terrain and stability”. I assume that they worry their truck will get stuck in the soft ground.

By sheer chance, a clean-up crew from TRCA (with a canopy tent) was present in the park today and about a dozen able-bodied people emerged from a huge bus ready to do a park clean-up. There were grabbers galore for ease of pick-up and lots of gloves and garbage bags.

I talked to a lady under the canopy tent and let her know about the old encampment. I offered to guide people to where it was but she insisted she would find it. She told me the park had vey little litter to pick up otherwise.

This story has a happy ending – right?

A bus dropping off a TRCA clean-up team at 10:05 on April 28, 2026.

Wrong!

On returning this afternoon, TRCA and the canopy tent had vanished but sadly the garbage hadn’t. Rain is forecast for the next seven days so conditions will continue to be too wet for the Ravines Team.

In the meantime, this garbage will pollute the park and encourage others to do so. Call me naive but how hard would it be to keep the truck on the path while the team bags and carries the garbage 70 metres to the truck?

Help Save Weston Lions Arena

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Looking across the Humber River towards Weston Lions Arena (top left) in 1954 after Hurricane Hazel devastated Raymore Drive.

The community efforts to save Weston Lions Arena continue.

Toronto’s Senior Manager of Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning has recommended that City Council include Weston Lions Arena on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register. This is a major step along the way to save this historic part of the Weston community.

There are more steps along the way and a show of support from the public is needed. The first hurdle is for approval from Etobicoke York Community Council.

  1. Either show up at the Etobicoke / York Community Council Meeting on Wednesday, February 18, 9:30am at 399 The West Mall, Etobicoke, ON M9C 2Y2) or
  2. Send in a submission via the ‘Submit Comments’ or ‘Request To Speak’ links to the Council stating your support for including the arena on the Heritage Register.

If given the go-ahead by the Community Council, the recommendation will go before a full meeting of Toronto Council for a vote.

This is the community’s chance to let their opinions be known.

Read more in this email from the Weston Historical Society.

Raymore Park Changes over the years – Part 4

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The fourth and final set of observations regarding changes to Raymore Park over the last 32 years. Click for the first nine items in Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3.

10. Invasive Plants and Insects.

Raymore Park is home to many non-native species. Norway Maples and Siberian Elms seem to predominate but plantings over the years have promoted native species such as black walnut, cedar and dogwoods. Dog strangling vines and garlic mustard still choke large areas of the park but volunteers have been pulling them out when they can. Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus spread by insects. This disease killed most of North America’s magnificent elm trees. It also attacks (but doesn’t kill) non-natives such as Siberian elms. The Emerald Ash Borer is another invader that has devastated ash trees.

Garlic mustard lurking in the undergrowth in December 2015.

11. Fewer People in the Wild Area.

Even though more people are using the park, adding a dog off-leash area has reduced pressure on the wild area. The well-worn footpath that used to follow the river is now overgrown beyond the ‘beach’.

The wild area path, clearly visible in October 2000 – The Humber (not visible) is on the left of the photo.
Wild area trees in June 2009 showing scars inflicted by ice floes. The path once here is now overgrown.

12. Increased Citizen Involvement.

In recent years, volunteer groups such as Toronto Nature Stewards have dedicated many hours to make improvements in Toronto’s parks. There is a TNS team that regularly operates in Raymore Park led by Brian MacLean. Humber River Pals is another volunteer group that cleans litter from local parks including Raymore.

The garbage haul after a TRCA clean-up event on April 13, 2023.

13. Fishing in the Humber

More people are fishing for the (mostly) lake trout, and Chinook salmon that come up the Humber in the fall. A licence is needed unless you’re under 18 or over 65 and there are rules to be followed such as no netting and keeping well clear of the weir.

Fish running the gauntlet below the weir in November 2013.

14. Takeaway

The biggest takeaway is that Raymore Park was created out of the tragedy of Hurricane Hazel. Dozens of people lost their lives and 32 homes were destroyed on October 15, 1954. The little subdivision that once nestled along the banks of the Humber was violently swept away in a sudden torrent.

Raymore Park is a place where nature has been invited back. Over the years, wildlife has gradually returned but continues to be under pressure from a variety of sources. Over the last few decades, people have become more aware of the value of parks and nature in an urban setting. Along with this awareness, groups of dedicated volunteers are giving their time and energy to alleviate some of the problems caused by invading species along with increased use of the park.

People and nature can co-exist when we do our best to be good stewards.

The woods south of the weir in November 2021.

Raymore Park: Changes over the years. Part 3.

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My observations regarding changes to Raymore Park over the last 32 years. Click for the first five items in Part 1 and Part 2.

6. Vehicles using the Humber Trail.

There’s a constant variety of vehicles using the Humber Trail through Raymore Park. The rules say no motorized vehicles and this is largely obeyed. There are occasions when police fire or ambulance crews have to bring vehicles down the trail to assist someone in difficulties but generally the worst offenders are noisy, gas powered mini bikes. In recent years, a variety of battery-powered devices have become more common. When the Humber Trail closes the ‘Weston Gap‘ it will be possible to cycle from Lake Ontario to Humber College on quiet streets or a dedicated trail. This will be great for cyclists but will increase traffic on the trail which at the moment ends in a huge set of steps in Weston.

The trail ends at Weston and St Phillips and continues after a dangerous trip north along Weston Road.
A teacher leads a class trip southwards on the Humber Trail through Raymore Park in May 2013.

7. Wildlife

A groundhog feasts on Raymore Park’s dandelions in April 2010.

Wildlife in the park has a constant battle with other species in order to survive and retain habitat. Add the pressures of an urban park and life can become even more difficult. Threats to wildlife can come in the form of non-native species, off-leash dogs, over-zealous mowing of grass and human incursions into the undergrowth.

An American oil beetle has an amazing life cycle. From 2013.

Over the years, areas being mowed are smaller as the city, TRCA and and volunteers have added native plants to create more undergrowth where wildlife can thrive.

The Humber River Citizens’ Alliance and the City of Toronto held a planting day in June 2023.

The latest planting came in June near the largely unused baseball diamond and despite some prolonged dry spells, the plants are doing well. Essential wildlife corridors are slowly being formed.

The new naturalized area in late August 2025.

8. A Private School is using the Park.

For the last few years, a private elementary school has been operating out of a home on Tilden and more recently from the Weston Gospel Chapel at 59 Kingdom. The school makes extensive weekday use of the park in lengthy, seemingly unstructured sessions, often on the swings and slide. This extra noise and foot traffic adds pressure on the park’s wildlife and reduces the tranquility that visitors might expect from a park.

9. Homeless / Unhoused people.

In recent years, some people have set up tents in the middle of the ‘wild area’ and have lived there for weeks at a time. The city doesn’t move them on but does wellness checks and tries to persuade them to go to a shelter. When they move out, the city does its best to clean up the site. Currently there are no people living in Raymore Park. Here are Toronto’s protocols for homeless / unhoused people.

An encampment in the wild area in April 2023.

Part 4 coming soon.

It’s fall again!

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Unlike some other Toronto parks, Raymore Park isn’t spectacular in the fall. Its vegetation is fairly drab at this time of year because there are few mature red maples and other showy trees. The main splashes of orangey-red come from sumac.

There are still a few splashes of colour on the ground. This birdsfoot trefoil is still flowering close to the ground in mid-October.

Something that has seen a dramatic increase in the last few years is the number of black walnut trees and fruit that support growing numbers of squirrels in the park. Several black walnut trees were planted by the city a few years ago while many just planted themselves thanks to forgetful squirrels. Black walnuts are edible by humans but require an elaborate dehusking and drying process – unlike their better-known cousins. Walnuts are able to poison their surroundings by emitting juglone from their root system. Many plants cannot survive the toxin emitted by its roots. Even the hulls are toxic and must be kept away from horses as they can contaminate bedding made from hay at this time of year.

The husks are green when they fall but juice from these husks will stain hands and clothing.

Weston Lions Arena under threat.

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The entrance to the historic arena.

Weston Lions Arena was financed and built by Weston Lions in 1949 and has provided an indoor ice rink (and from 1959 an open air pool) for generations of Westonians. Now, without any meaningful consultation, local Councillor Frances Nunziata has in effect engineered a corporate takeover of the facility by the charitable arm of Maple Leaf Sports Enterprises, a giant real estate and sports franchise company. MLSE wants to turn the site into what they call an ‘MLSE Launchpad’. The arena along with its unique features (including a sand base under the ice and a barrel roof made of douglas fir beams) will be demolished and a multiple sports facility will be built. The problem is that one of the sports won’t be hockey. This apparently will be a ‘leasing arrangement’.

MLSE owns many (financially) successful teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts. It’s biggest shareholder is Rogers – yes, the cable and telecommunications giant. Why would a for-profit company be interested in redeveloping Weston Lions Arena?

The answer is money. Corporations love to show off their good corporate citizenship by donating to communities. It’s a tax write-off and in theory, good public relations. Access to the MLSE Launchpad will be free and provide an outlet for youth where they can burn off some steam and learn some skills. New sports talent can be discovered and developed in such facilities. All well and good but MLSE and Councillor Nunziata are coy about the future of the ice at Weston. The Weston Minor Hockey League will be left without a place to play. Nunziata says that she will find ice for the league’s next season – and then presumably they’re on their own to find a new home. This is the same councillor responsible for the wildly unsuccessful Weston Hub the demise of the Weston Farmers Market and the infamous bike lane to nowhere, used by nobody that causes traffic jams along Scarlett Road.

There are more questions than answers with this proposal. Is this a done deal? Who decides what the new facility will look like and who will run it? When does the community have a say? What are the alternatives to placing this community asset into private hands? Why not develop another site?

This is a case of the city falling over itself to receive a pittance of corporate charity without a community-wide consultation. What are the details of this arrangement? MLSE is not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. This is a behind closed doors elimination of a hard-won community asset. If MLSE and Rogers aren’t prepared to keep an ice surface going, what does that say about their respect for the people and history of Weston?

Why does our historic arena have to be destroyed?

Read more here.

Great Egret goes Fishing

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One of the more imposing birds in the world can be found here in Raymore Park. Great Egrets can be found on most continents and are a spectacular sight. With an average height of a metre they can often be seen stalking along shallow and marshy areas of the Humber at this time of year. They’re understandably quite shy and will fly off gracefully if disturbed. Their cruising speed is around 40 km/h – not too shabby – beating their wings at a sedate two beats per second. They were nearly wiped out in the 19th Century after being hunted for their beautiful feathers. It is said that the National Audubon Society was founded partly in order to protect the species.

This individual was seen recently keeping a keen eye out for unwary prey by the footbridge. Great Egrets are related to herons and often hang out together. Although there is a high rate of mortality in juveniles, the lifespan of breeding adults is around 15 years. They live on a variety of animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects and even mice. Fish make up the bulk of their diet.

Great Egrets have a distinctive yellow bill and black legs. Photo: October 2024. Click to enlarge.

Great Egrets have been breeding in southern Ontario since around the beginning of this century and they nest in trees close to water. Large birds such as Herons and Great Egrets are commonly seen on the Humber well into December (depending on the weather) when they begin moving south in small groups often migrating more than a thousand kilometres. They will over-winter in areas where the water stays open.

Hazel: 70 years on.

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Hurricane Hazel began its trail of devastation as a category 2 hurricane in the Caribbean, killing more than a thousand people in Haiti. It moved northwards hitting the Carolinas as a category 3 thanks to warm waters off Florida. As it passed over land, it weakened to a tropical storm and then became a depression but thanks to a merger with a cold front, Hazel was re-energized and the resulting system started dumping water on the GTA on the 15th and 16th of October 1954.

High pressure pushed Hazel over Toronto where it combined with a low-pressure area and cold front.

Local historian Madeleine McDowell correctly points out that the Humber River has the sharpest drop from source to mouth of any river in North America. As a result, when heavy rains fall, the river becomes fills up quickly. Events similar to Hazel have occurred in the past. In fact, in the 19th Century, Weston was moved to the east bank of the Humber after several catastrophic floods. Weston Golf and Country Club now occupies the site of the old settlement.

Raymore Park was one of many created after Hazel as part of an effort to clear flood plain lands and give rivers space where excess water can be absorbed.

Read more about Hazel’s legacy here.

The old location of Raymore Drive. Present day Tilden Crescent begins below the square in the top left. Gilhaven Avenue (running from bottom left) is now occupied by Raymore Park’s parking lot.

Topologically, the Humber catchment area is relatively unchanged since the glaciers left about ten thousand years ago. The valleys are the same width, and the drainage area is the same. Rare events like Hazel will continue to happen. The problem is that since 1954, a good portion of the Humber watershed has been paved over.

Click to enlarge.

In 2002, urban land occupied 20.7% of the watershed. By 2020 that amount was 26.7%, a significant increase. Natural cover is also decreasing although forest canopy is relatively stable at 29%. Because there is less land and vegetation to absorb rainfall, water enters the Humber faster causing river levels to rise quicker and higher than in the past. In addition runoff from paved land is dirtier affecting animal habitats and our drinking water. When the next Hazel type storm drenches our area (and it will), the effects may be far more severe.

Q: Is climate change a factor in events such as Hazel?

A: We can speculate, however, urbanization is a far more immediate danger. For example, the proposed Highway 413 is a huge threat to the watersheds of both the Humber and Credit rivers.

Read more here and here.

If you would like to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Hazel, meet in Raymore Park on Sunday October 13 between 1 and 3pm. Historian Madeleine McDowell will be there to talk about the event.

Handicapped Parking comes to Raymore Park.

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Two new handicapped spaces have been created.

For years there were no clearly delineated parking spaces in Raymore Park’s parking lot. People just parked, sometimes on the far side of the lot facing the path. The parking lot was repaved in 2019 and voila, a mere five years later, lines have been drawn to mark out two handicapped spaces along with about 14 other designated spots.