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Toronto Historical Park

A Shared Path for a Shared Past

La Société d’histoire de Toronto

In partnership with:The Society of Heritage Associates

The Mississaugas of the New Credit NationThe Rousseau Project – Le Projet Rousseau

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h The Shared Path

• Along both sides of the Humber River: Canadian Heritage River• A heritage greenway• Comprised of all public lands from Dundas Street to Lake Ontario

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h Toronto Historical ParkThe Shared Path

• Toronto Carrying Place• A rich heritage to be shared:

– First Nations– French– English

• Sites and historical houses• Parks and public trails• Natural reserves • Features of urban geography

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h The Shared Path: Master Plan

1. Feasibility Study – Report by Todhunter Associates Inc.

2. Meetings with stakeholdersa) Politiciansb) Historical and heritage associationsc) Residents of Humber River neighbourhoodsd) Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA)e) Toronto residents in general

3. Identification of project champions

4. Implementation Plan

a) Schedule

b) Search for sponsors

c) Search for funding

5. Implementation of the Shared Path

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h The Shared Path Concept

• To tell the story of a river and life on its shores

• To tell the story of three nations– Exploration– Passage, commerce, settlement– Contacts, mutual aid and exchange

• A cultural heritage concept :

I. Identifying a Shared Path

II. Proposing 13 Interpretive Features

III. Integrating Public Art

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h I. Identifying a Shared Path

The West bank of the river – starting from the South end

– Lake Ontario

– South Humber Park

– Stephen Drive

– Humber Valley Road

– Kings Mill Park

– Old Mill Subway Station

– Home Smith Park

– Dundas Street Crossing

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h I. Identifying a Shared Path (continued)

The East bank of the river – starting from the North end

– Dundas Street Crossing

– Lambton House

– Lambton Woods

– Baby Point

– Etienne Brûlé Park

– Riverside Drive

– South Kingsway

– Jean-Baptiste Rousseau Site

– Sir Casimir Gzowski Park

– Pedestrian bridge

– Lake Ontario

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h II. Proposing 13 Interpretive Features

Pavilions– First Pavilion – Humber River Historical Park – The Shared Path– Baby Point

Panels– Humber River - Ancient River Valley– Humber River Marshes– South Humber Park– Dundas Street Bridge Crossing and Lambton House– Magwood Park Garden– Etienne Brûlé

Plaque– Champlain Memorial

Audio-visual Information Stations– Old Mill Subway Station

Discovery Centre – Ancient River Valley near Bloor Street

Interpretive Centres – Teiaiagon - First Nations Settlements– The Toronto Carrying Place, second French fort and

Jean-Baptiste Rousseau site

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h 1. First Pavilion – Humber River Historical Park – The Shared Path

Feature– A pavilion on the West side which would face

the Gzowski Park Trans Canada Trail on the

East bank of the river– Addition of First Nation symbols to the bridge

Shared Path– Introduction to Historical Park –

The Shared Path

– Description of the Path – map – historical sites

– History of the local First Nations

– Link to Fort Rouillé at the CNE

Site– Humber River, Lake Ontario, Fort Rouillé

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h 2. Ancient Humber River Valley

Feature– Panels: Ancient riverbanks

and pathways– Illustration of the Toronto

Carrying Place path (on the East bank) as seen from the West bank

Shared Path– Geological history,

river delta, riverbanks – Toronto Carrying Place

passage of First Nations, French and English

Site– Humber River shoreline

near Lake Ontario

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h 3. Humber River Marshes

Feature– Panels: the Humber River: a natural reserve

Shared Path

– First Nations seasonal activities: winter hunting,

spring and summer fishing– First Nations seasonal use of marsh lands for

harvests– Harvesting of medicinal herbs

Site– Proximity of marshes – river – flora and fauna

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Feature– Panels: Unique savannah

Shared path

– Significance of oak-pine savannah

– Carolinian forest species and use of the forest by First Nations

Site– Savannah controlled burn site

4. South Humber Park

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h 5. Old Mill Subway Station

Feature–Old Mill Station as gateway location

–Murals on interior and exterior walls

of station

–Use of the windows

–Audio-visual information stations

Shared Path

–Introduction to Historical Park – The Shared Path

–Description of path – map – historical site

–Historical overview: First Nations French English

Site–Old Mill Subway Station–Humber River

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h 6. Ancient Humber River Valley near Bloor Street

Feature– At Bloor subway station: Discovery

Centre at the “Kiss and Ride” passenger pick-up waiting area

– Introduction to Historical Park – The Shared Path

– Description of path – map – historical sites

– The Humber River: a changing ecosystem

Shared Path– Navigation landing place from

Lake Ontario – Kings Mill rapids– Last river crossing point before

Lake Ontario– Across from the Toronto Carrying

Place Trail (East bank)– Mills - Hurricane Hazel

Site– Old Mill Bridge, banks of the

Humber River and its meandering sequence

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h 7. Dundas Street Bridge Crossing and Lambton House

Feature– New bridge over the river at

old Dundas Street– Lambton House panels

Shared Path– Upper Canada Colonial– Crossings, bridges, mills, – Hamlet of Lambton Mills (1811) – Lambton House– Davenport Trail: ancient

Lake Iroquois

Site – Ancient crossing of Toronto

Carrying Place and

Davenport Trail– Tyrrell Bridge pillar– Historical Lambton House

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h8. Magwood Park Garden

Feature – Panels and demonstration gardens– Restoration of rare savannah

Shared Path– Rare example of oak savannah in moist regime– Canadian Wildflowers by Agnes FitzGibbons– Use of the plants of this savannah by the

First Nations, French and English– Naturalisation of lawn area– Agriculture in Humber River Valley

Site – Small forest, wetland– Humber River– Lambton House– Baby Point

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h 9. Teiaiagon: First Nations Settlements

Feature– Interpretive Centre on Baby Point promontory: Life at Teiaiagon

Shared Path– Geological evidence – Archaeological evidence of occupation of site by humans since

the glacial period– Village of Teiaiagon– Treaty of 1828 with the Mississauga – Peter Jones– View of Baby Point from the banks of the river

Site– Étienne Brûlé Park, Baby Point

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h 10. Baby Point

Feature– Pavilion – The first French fort– Jacques Baby and the Family Compact

Shared Path– Baby Point marine shale on the east bank: 450 million years – 300m wide

channel cliffs on either side – Waters: meander scars – floods – disasters– 1890: 4 m deep; 2006: 1 m only– History of first French fort– History of Jacques Baby– History of Family Compact– History of the founding of Toronto

Site– The Humber River– Baby Point

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h 11. Champlain Memorial

Feature– Champlain memorial historical plaque

Shared Path– His passage in the Humber area

– Exploration and settlement by the French in North America

– First French fort

Site– Shores of the Humber River

Portage and canoesIll. Michel Glénisson

(Champlain au Canada, p. 73)

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h 12. Étienne Brûlé

Feature– Panel: The story of Étienne Brûlé

Shared Path– The story of Étienne Brûlé

Site – Étienne Brûlé Park

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h 13. Toronto Carrying Place, Second French Fort and Jean-Baptiste Rousseau SiteFeature

– Interpretive Centre: The Toronto Carrying Place, the second French fort and the Jean-Baptiste Rousseau site

Shared Path– History of second French fort– History of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau: He best represents the Shared Path

having been a trading partner with the First Nations and witness to the

transition to the British regime– Shared languages: French, English, Ojibwa – Rousseau’s activities on the Humber River: advantages– Departure and arrival point of Toronto Carrying Place– Arrival of Governor Simcoe: survey of a new Ontario map

Site – Rousseau site, Humber River

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h In conclusion

1. The Humber River: the only

designated Canadian Heritage

River accessible by subway

2. Unique collection of factors:– Toronto Carrying Place– First Nations villages– Exploration– Fur trade – French forts– Colonial Upper-Canada– Today in the heart of a multicultural capital city

3. A Shared Path for a Shared Past

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h III. Integrating public art

A variety of possible interpretations –  Would complement the histories of

Garrison Creek, Simcoe and Fort York

Umlaf Sculpture Garden Austin, Texas (Art for Trails and Greenways)

Moose Sculpture at Jardin botanique de Montréal

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h Phasing, priorities and costs

Main features of the Toronto Historical ParkThe following order of magnitude costs are identified for each of the implementation projects of the Toronto Historical Park trail network and associated legacy projects.

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hWe are asking for:

•community involvement and support

•partners

•champions

•advice

•assistance in our search for funding