Garrison Creek (Ontario) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Garrison Creek
Lower course of Garçon Creek
Country	Canada
State	Ontario
City	Toronto
Physical characteristics
Main source	Humewood Reach Dufferin Street and St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
River mouth	Toronto Bay Old Fort York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Length	7.7 km (4.8 mi)

Garrison Creek was a small stream, about 7.7 kilometers (4.8 miles) long. It used to flow into the west side of Toronto Harbour in Ontario, Canada. Today, most of it is covered up and flows underground. But you can still find hints of where it once was! Places like Christie Pits and the dog park at Trinity Bellwoods Park were once part of its valley. The creek was named "Garrison Creek" because Fort York was built close to where it met the lake. People can even take tours to learn about its old path.

Why Garrison Creek Disappeared

Garrison Creek was one of many small streams in the area that is now the city of Toronto. Starting in the 1870s, the city began to change the creek. They put the stream into underground sewers. The original path of the creek was then filled in with soil. By 1920, the entire stream flowed underground as part of the sewer system.

You can still find clues about the creek's past. There are buried bridges under Harbord Street and Crawford Street. These bridges are south of Dundas Street. Also, some streets like Niagara Street and Vaughan Road follow unusual paths. This is because they were once trails along the creek's banks.

When the Creek's Path Floods

Locations over the buried watercourse flooded during strong rainstorms in 2013.

In 2013, very strong rainstorms hit Toronto. The underground sewers that replaced Garrison Creek could not handle all the water. This caused flooding in several places. These areas included Christie Pits, Trinity Bellwoods Park, and a railway underpass. The underpass is at King Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Both Christie Pits and Trinity Bellwoods Park are built over the original valley of Garrison Creek. The King and Atlantic intersection is over a smaller stream called Asylum Stream. This stream was a branch of Garrison Creek. It ran from near Fort York to Lisgar Street and Queen Street West.

Where Garrison Creek Flowed

Garrison Creek had two main starting points. One was north of St. Clair Avenue, near Humewood Public School. The other was northwest of where Dufferin Street and St. Clair Avenue meet today.

The main part of the creek flowed south. It went past King Street. Then, it turned southeast. It finally emptied into Toronto Bay. This spot is now where Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard meet.

Smaller Streams Joining Garrison Creek

Several smaller streams, called tributaries, flowed into Garrison Creek. These included:

• Springmount Stream
• London Stream
• Dewson Stream
• Asylum Stream
• Stafford Stream
• Denison Creek (which had its own smaller branches):
  • Brock Stream
  • Havelock Stream
  • Moutray Stream