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110-460: The Don is formed from two rivers, the East and West Branches, that meet about 7 kilometres (4 mi) north of Lake Ontario while flowing southward into the lake. The area below the confluence is known as the "lower Don", and the areas above as the "upper Don". The Don is also joined at the confluence by a third major branch, Taylor-Massey Creek . The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

220-768: A French spelling of the Mohawk Katarokwi . The lake was a border between the Huron people and the Iroquois Confederacy in the pre-Columbian era . In the 17th century, the Iroquois drove out the Huron from southern Ontario and settled the northern shores of Lake Ontario . When the Iroquois withdrew and the Anishnabeg / Ojibwa / Mississaugas moved in from the north to southern Ontario, they retained

330-553: A mandate to construct flood control features as well as acquire property in the Don and other valleys to prevent a future re-occurrence of the disaster. Large tracts of industrial land adjacent to the river were added to the regulatory floodplain. This meant that the MTRCA had a veto on any developments that were not flood-proofed. The MTRCA became the TRCA in 1998. In the 1950s and early 1960s,

440-991: A maximum depth of 133 fathoms 4 feet (802 ft; 244 m). The lake's primary source is the Niagara River, draining Lake Erie, with the Saint Lawrence River serving as the outlet. The drainage basin covers 24,720 square miles (64,030 km ). As with all the Great Lakes, water levels change both within the year (owing to seasonal changes in water input) and among years (owing to longer-term trends in precipitation). These water level fluctuations are an integral part of lake ecology and produce and maintain extensive wetlands. The lake also has an important freshwater fishery, although it has been negatively affected by factors including overfishing , water pollution and invasive species . Baymouth bars built by prevailing winds and currents have created

550-532: A moderate to heavy rainfall, up to 1–2 metres inside of three hours. The average base flow for the Don River is about 4 m/s. Peak flows occur in late February and late September which corresponds to seasonal variation in the Toronto region. Maximum flows, based on a Hurricane Hazel level flood have been estimated at nearly 1700 m/s. On August 19, 2005, an unusually strong summer storm caused short term flooding in

660-530: A more degraded section and ends up in a straightened section that includes cement and steel dock wall, a remnant from an earlier industrial era. The river flows from there into the Keating Channel at Lake Shore Boulevard East which is at the north east corner of the Toronto Harbour . To control flooding from the Don River, Waterfront Toronto 's Port Lands Flood Protection Project extended

770-472: A natural zone for the remaining section to Todmorden Village. Trails for biking and pedestrian use will be connected from existing ones for recreational and transportation needs. Another aim for the park is restoration of land and the upper sections of the Don River. The project aims to revitalize the ravine space through a series of projects that will advance the priorities set out in the city of Toronto's Lower Don Trail Master Plan, prepared by DTAH. Together with

880-615: A series of accessible new entry points, the Master Plan calls for the reclamation of former green spaces throughout the valley, including the former snow dump site north of the Bloor Viaduct. Naturalized ecological conditions throughout the valley would offer improved flood protection. A "nature-inspired" public art program is set to launch in 2017, aiming to strengthen the cultural presence of the Don Valley, which—according to

990-486: A short distance before leaving the street to enter Humber Loop via a short tunnel under the expressway. Lake Shore then briefly downgrades to a two-lane local street and then becomes one lane (and one way) eastbound as it merges with the eastbound offramp from the expressway (which provides the large majority of the traffic along Lake Shore east of this point). on the Humber River bridge. The splitting of Lake Shore

1100-465: A significant number of lagoons and sheltered harbors, mostly near (but not limited to) Prince Edward County, Ontario , and the easternmost shores. Perhaps the best-known example is Toronto Bay , chosen as the site of the Upper Canada capital for its strategic harbor. Other prominent examples include Hamilton Harbour , Irondequoit Bay , Presqu'ile Bay , and Sodus Bay . The bars themselves are

1210-468: A six-lane arterial road to the Don Roadway, where it curves onto the former Keating Street and continues east to Woodbine Avenue, eventually becoming a four-lane arterial road. The Keating section is straight from Cherry Street to Woodbine. It is an older industrial area that is in transition in the western part. Housing and retail has been built along the road further to the east. Lake Shore Boulevard

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1320-463: Is accompanied by the invasion of cattails , which displace many of the native plant species and reduce plant diversity. Eutrophication may accelerate this process by providing nitrogen and phosphorus for the more rapid growth of competitively dominant plants. Similar effects are occurring on the north shore, in wetlands such as Presqu'ile, which have interdunal wetlands called pannes , with high plant diversity and many unusual plant species. Most of

1430-572: Is elevated along the north side of the street. The area east of the Exhibition was infilled earlier. The original shoreline is north of the Boulevard, and the Queen's Wharf lighthouse is on the north side of the street. The Sunnyside/Exhibition section has much open space with some development, including recreation facilities, such as Ontario Place , Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion , Palais Royale and

1540-422: Is fairly flat in general, local cyclists have developed a number of technically challenging singletrack trails throughout the area, following the main trails. Downstream from the forks, the river flows through a wooded area known as Crothers' Woods which is designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area due to the high quality beech-maple forest that grows on the ravine slopes. South of Pottery Road it enters

1650-407: Is now classified as an underfit river . The landscape at that time was loose glacial till so the large amounts of glacier melt water eroded deep valleys over thousands of years. As time progressed, isostatic uplift caused the earth's plate to rise and tilt. This caused Lake Iroquois to drain towards the south. A remnant of its shoreline can be seen on the north side of Davenport Road in Toronto. In

1760-489: Is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario , and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York . The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. The Canadian cities of Hamilton , Kingston , Mississauga , and Toronto are located on the lake's northern shorelines, while the Canadian city of St. Catharines and

1870-401: Is responsible for managing the river and its surrounding watershed. In 1788, Alexander Aitkin , an English surveyor who worked in southern Ontario, referred to the Don River as Ne cheng qua kekonk . Elizabeth Simcoe , wife of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe , reported in her diary that another name used was Wonscotanach . This is an Anishnaabe phrase meaning the river coming from

1980-649: Is responsible for the dredging estimates that the amount of sediment dredged is 35,000 m/year weighing nearly 60,000 tonnes (59,000 long tons; 66,000 short tons). The east branch of the Don, also called the Little Don River, rises at the south edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine just to the west of Yonge Street , flowing south-eastward through ravine forests in Richmond Hill , Thornhill , east of Willowdale and Don Mills . A second branch of

2090-639: Is served by the Toronto Transit Commission 's 507 Long Branch streetcar route and the rush-hour 508 Lake Shore , the 110B limited service branch of the Islington South bus route runs along the street between Long Branch Loop and 30th Street. There is no full transit service along the street in Old Toronto because of its historic status as a Highway 2 bypass of busy city streets and its present status as an alternative to

2200-581: Is the Z-shaped Bay of Quinte which separates Prince Edward County from the Ontario mainland, save for a 2-mile (3.2 km) isthmus near Trenton; this feature also supports many wetlands and aquatic plants, as well as associated fisheries. Major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Niagara River, Don River , Humber River , Rouge River , Trent River , Cataraqui River , Genesee River , Oswego River , Black River , Little Salmon River , and

2310-700: The American Revolution with the influx of Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and US Navy had fought in several engagements for control of Lake Ontario . The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, were largely demilitarized after the Rush–Bagot Treaty was ratified in 1818. The lake became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of

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2420-475: The Canadian Museum of History ), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne , identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac" named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau. He was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. In the 17th century, reports of an alleged creature named Gaasyendietha , similar to

2530-646: The Don Valley Parkway (DVP) was constructed through the Lower Don to serve growing commuter traffic. The project was a large civil engineering project. Homes, farms, and cottages in the valley were expropriated. Two hills within the valley were leveled and the soil used for grading the highway. The railways and the river were re-routed, Don Mills Road was improved and the Eglinton Avenue and Lawrence Avenue concession roads were extended across

2640-489: The Don Valley Parkway . In the 1880s, the lower part of the Don south of the former Winchester Street bridge was straightened (east of the original mouth) and placed in a channel to create additional harbour space and industrial dock space for boats. Known as "The Don Improvement Project", the straightened river was also supposed to divert the polluted waters into the Ashbridges Bay marsh . This proved unsuccessful so

2750-604: The Humber River and from Leslie Street to Woodbine Avenue ) were designated as part of Highway 2 , with the highway following the Gardiner Expressway between these two sections. Lake Shore Boulevard's western terminus is Etobicoke Creek , the western boundary of Toronto. Its western section is a redesignation of the old Lakeshore Road , which still runs from Burlington to Mississauga. From here its route follows closely, though not always within sight of,

2860-488: The Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of the lake. Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 sq mi, 19,000 km ), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cu mi, 1,640 km ). It is the 13th largest lake in the world . When its islands are included, the lake's shoreline is 712 miles (1,146 km) long. As

2970-717: The Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Government of New York jointly administer the sanctuary. Lake Ontario is the site of several major commercial ports including the Port of Toronto and the Port of Hamilton . Hamilton Harbour is the location of major steel production facilities. The government of Ontario , which holds

3080-716: The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit-growing and wine-making area. The wine-growing region extends over the international border into Niagara and Orleans counties in New York. Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg . The Great Lakes watershed is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Ontario is important for its diversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Many of these special species are associated with shorelines, particularly sand dunes, lagoons, and wetlands. The importance of wetlands to

3190-520: The Salmon River . The lake basin was carved out of soft, weak Silurian -age rocks by the Wisconsin ice sheet during the last ice age . The action of the ice occurred along the pre-glacial Ontarian River valley which had approximately the same orientation as today's basin. Material that was pushed southward by the ice sheet left landforms such as drumlins , kames , and moraines , both on

3300-530: The Wisconsinan Glaciation . During that glaciation which lasted for 35,000 years, all of Ontario was covered in ice. As the climate warmed the glaciers began to melt. As the ice front retreated in southern Ontario, several rivers were formed that drained into Lake Iroquois , a glacier lake which was the precursor to Lake Ontario. The Don River is now small in comparison to the deep and wide valley that resulted from its glacial origin. The Don River

3410-625: The 1910s through to the early 1930s, the Don Valley was used as a camping site by the homeless. These sites were commonly referred to as the "hobo jungle" of the valley. Campers at the hobo jungle were often harassed, arrested, and raided by police. In 1946, a plan by the Shirriff company to demolish pioneer dwellings in the area of Todmorden Mills led outraged citizens to form the Don Valley Conservation Association volunteer organization. The Association's opposition

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3520-577: The 1950s, as part of the Gardiner project, Lake Shore Boulevard east of the Humber was doubled in width by widening into the right of way of Lakeshore Road, replacing it, which resulted in the demolition of the rail overpass leading to the Queen/Roncesvalles intersection by 1960. East of Sunnyside, a six-lane road was constructed to the area of Bathurst and Fleet Streets. Lake Shore Boulevard in

3630-582: The 1960s the river was a neglected, polluted mess. In 1969, Pollution Probe held a much celebrated "Funeral for the Don" to highlight the plight of the river. Efforts to restore the Don gathered steam in 1989 with a public forum at the Ontario Science Centre which was attended by about 500 people. The result was the formation of the Task Force to Bring Back the Don , a citizen's advisory body to Toronto City Council. Their mandate and vision

3740-553: The 32-mile (52-km) crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Marilyn Bell Park in just under 27 hours. A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe occupies the lake's westernmost shores, anchored by the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Ports on the Canadian side include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston, near the St. Lawrence River outlet. Close to 9 million people, or over a quarter of Canada's population, live within

3850-750: The American city of Rochester are located on the south shore. In the Huron language, the name Ontarí'io means "great lake". Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie . The last in the Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River , comprising the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The Long Sault control dam , primarily along with

3960-517: The Atlantic. The shoreline created during this stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (16 to 40 km) from the present shoreline. When the ice finally receded from the St. Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level , and for a short time, the lake became a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, in association with the Champlain Sea . Gradually

4070-593: The Boulevard Club. In the downtown section, Lake Shore criss-crosses, runs parallel and underneath the elevated section of the Gardiner Expressway. It is designated Lake Shore Boulevard East east of Yonge Street . This section travels through the old rail lands and port district. The streets in this area predate the designation as Lake Shore Boulevard but were connected in the 1950s prior to being renamed in 1959. From Dan Leckie Way to Yonge Street,

4180-540: The Don River to the new mouth of the river channel and completed the creation of a new island, Ookwemin Minising . For the first time since the 1880s the Keating Channel was no longer the primary outlet for the river into Toronto Harbour. Since the cessation of industrial pollution and the cleanup efforts by various groups, the river has regenerated to the point where a number of species of fish have returned to

4290-571: The Don Valley Conservation Authority was established in 1947. The authority had limited powers, and was funded by local municipalities which had to pay for specific land purchases. For example, a 1950 plan to build a large conservation area on the East Don River at Milne Hollow at Lawrence Avenue never came to fruition over the high cost of development. In 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck the Toronto area. Most of

4400-602: The Don Valley, the old shoreline is evident just north of Eglinton Avenue . Today the source of the Don River is the Oak Ridges Moraine , another legacy of the Wisconsin glaciation. The location of the old shoreline delineates a change in the soils in the Don watershed. Soils north of the old shoreline are mostly luvisolic Halton Till while south of the shoreline they are sandy glaciolacustrine deposits. The Don Valley provides an appropriate location for studying

4510-417: The Don Valley. Peak flow rates for that event were measured at 55.3 m/s. Since high flow rates occur during storm events, the resulting floods tend to scour the bottom of the river which reduces fish habitat. In addition, the flood waters carry a large amount of sediment washed into the river from surrounding tablelands. The sediment collects in the Keating Channel just past the mouth of the river. The TRCA which

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4620-411: The Don by canoe. The Association also advocated for the building of trunk sewers to stop the run-off of pollution into the Don. After World War II, rapid urban expansion occurred in the northern reaches of the watershed. At the same time, interest in conservation led to the formation of conservation authorities across Ontario for watershed management. Authorities were established to manage watersheds, and

4730-492: The Don valley itself, regional finds in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence area have revealed that permanent settlements started to occur about 6000 BP. The most significant recorded find is known as the "Withrow Site". It was discovered in 1886 during road building just east of Riverdale Park . It contained human remains and other artifacts dating back to about 5000 years BP. Wendat longhouse villages were developed along

4840-630: The Gardiner Expressway. However, there is a limited service bus route , the 145 Downtown / Humber Bay Express Eastbound, an extra-fare Downtown Express route that runs between Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke, where it overlaps with the 501 streetcar line, and Bathurst Street, where it turns off to serve the downtown core. One of only two regular services, the 80 Queensway bus travels along Lake Shore between Ellis Avenue and Parkside Drive. The only other regular service route along Lake Shore in Old Toronto

4950-463: The Iroquois name. Artifacts believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area of Sodus Bay , indicating the possibility of trading by the indigenous peoples with Norse explorers on the east coast of North America. It is believed the first European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. As was their practice, the French explorers introduced other names for the lake. In 1632 and 1656,

5060-612: The Lakeshore Road connected to Queen Street just west of today's St. Joseph's Health Centre . In the 1910s, an overpass over the waterfront rail lines was built to connect Queen Street to the Lakeshore Road at Roncesvalles Avenue. At the same time, Lake Shore Boulevard was extended as a four-lane roadway east to the Exhibition Place area. In October 1954, the Lake Shore Boulevard bridge over the Humber

5170-521: The Lower Don has shown improvements in dissolved oxygen, phosphates and suspended solids; however by 2021, the tributary Taylor-Massey Creek had shown little improvement. As of 2021, the Don River still suffers from sewage pollution during heavy rainfalls, when storm sewers carrying both rain water and sewage overflow into the Don River and its tributaries. To remedy this problem, the city is spending $ 3   billion to build three tunnels totaling 22 kilometres (14 mi) in length to divert sewage away from

5280-562: The Master Plan—already serves as a de facto backyard to some 250,000 Torontonians. This new park will be under the management of the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division . In 2018 City Council directed staff to consult community about naming the network of parks in the Lower Don "Wonscotonach Parklands", with Wonscotonach meaning "black burnt grounds" or "area previously swept by fire", deriving as an Anglicized form of

5390-608: The Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa , Ontario. Several lighthouses exists throughout the lake to help with navigation. Notable historic examples include: A land-based trail that roughly follows the lake's shoreline also exists, the Great Lakes Circle Tour and Seaway Trail . The designated scenic road systems connects all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. As the Seaway Trail is posted on

5500-444: The U.S. side only, Lake Ontario is the only of the five Great Lakes to have no posted bi-national circle tour. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles (1,300 sq nmi; 4,460 km ) in U.S. waters in southeastern Lake Ontario. Designated on September 6, 2024, the national marine sanctuary protects historic shipwrecks and an area of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to

5610-654: The United States, population centres here are among the oldest in the Great Lakes basin, with Kingston, Ontario , formerly the capital of Canada , dating to the establishment of Fort Frontenac in 1673. After the French and Indian War , all forts around the lake were under British control. The United States took possession of the forts along the American side of the lake at the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during

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5720-628: The area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Also impacted by lake-effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau , an area of elevated land about 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Ontario. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States . As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snow-mobilers and cross-country skiers. Lake-effect snow often extends inland as far as Syracuse , with that city often recording

5830-439: The area for use in construction, particularly in the growing city of Toronto. As of 2012 , nearly 50 people have successfully swum across the lake. The first person who accomplished the feat was a Canadian long distance swimmer Marilyn Bell , who did it in 1954 at age 16. Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park is named in her honour. The park opened in 1984 and is east of the spot where Bell completed her swim. In 1974, Diana Nyad became

5940-535: The back burnt grounds , which could refer to an earlier forest fire in the poplar plains to the north. The name Don River was given by Lieutenant Governor Simcoe because the wide valley reminded him of the River Don in Yorkshire , England. Humans are believed to have first arrived in the Don River area approximately 12,500 years BP , most likely as nomadic hunters. While there is little archaeological evidence in

6050-413: The border and heavy travel by lake steamers. Steamer activity peaked in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a type of scow known as a stone hooker was in operation on the northwest shore, particularly around Port Credit and Bronte . Stonehooking was the practice of raking flat fragments of Dundas shale from the shallow lake floor of

6160-478: The city and lake. From the to Bathurst Street , the roadway is built on land infilled into the lake. The section east of the Humber was infilled in the 1910-1920s and was part of the Sunnyside Amusement Park development, which the road travelled through. The section south of Exhibition Place was infilled in the 1950s, at the same time as the Gardiner Expressway project. The original shoreline

6270-424: The damage occurred in the Humber River area. While there was some flooding, substantially less rain fell over the Don Watershed and there was no loss of life. However, the impact of the hurricane led to changes for the conservation authorities in the Toronto region. In 1957, the DVCA, along with other Toronto-area conservation authorities, was reformed into the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and given

6380-506: The downtown was built to connect Fleet and Harbour Streets and was a service road for the Gardiner. East of downtown, Keating Street was built east to Woodbine as part of the project. When the Gardiner was completed to the Don River, Lake Shore Boulevard was re-routed to Keating and the Keating Street section was renamed Lake Shore Boulevard. Lake Shore Boulevard is commonly compounded as Lakeshore Boulevard. Many traffic signs, transit shelters and other signs contradict each other, sometimes on

6490-412: The eastern Don, known as German Mills Creek , parallels the main eastern branch and joins it at Steeles Avenue, the northern boundary of Toronto. South of Lawrence Avenue the river passes through the Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve. This area is mostly undeveloped parkland. The reserve occupies the valley south to the forks of the Don. It was at one time home of a Maple sugar shack and tapline, which

6600-404: The eastern and northeastern shores, between the Prince Edward County headland and the lake's outlet at Kingston, underlain by the basement rock found throughout the region. However, there exist several islands in the northwestern portion of the lake. Notable islands include: The Great Lakes Waterway connects the lake sidestream to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and upstream to

6710-473: The eastern half. The western section of Taylor-Massey Creek and the southern portion of the western branch are surrounded by parkland (see also: Toronto ravine system ). In more recent years the retreat of the industrial plants and rail infrastructure has freed up room which is now being turned into bicycling trails, which now extend from the shore of Lake Ontario northward in several directions to provide some 30 km of off-road paved trails. While Toronto

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6820-413: The first person who swam across the lake against the current (from north to south). On August 28, 2007, 14-year-old Natalie Lambert from Kingston, Ontario, made the swim, leaving Sackets Harbor, New York, and reaching Kingston's Confederation basin less than 24 hours after she entered the lake. On August 19, 2012, 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across the lake. She completed

6930-404: The forests around the lake are deciduous forests dominated by trees including maple, oak, beech, ash and basswood. These are classified as part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone by Environment Canada, or as the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands by the United States Environmental Protection Agency , or as the Great Lakes Ecoregion by The Nature Conservancy. Deforestation in the vicinity of

7040-570: The frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also slow the early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Such microclimatic effects have enabled tender fruit production in a continental climate, with the southwest shore supporting a major fruit-growing area. Apples , cherries , pears , plums , and peaches are grown in many commercial orchards around Rochester. Between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on

7150-402: The growing city nearby was turning the Don and its marshy mouth into a polluted hazard. There were two prominent hills that were north of Bloor. "Sugar Loaf Hill" at Bloor Street was a conical hill removed during the construction of the Prince Edward Viaduct (commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct). "Tumper's Hill", near Don Mills Road, was flattened in the 1960s during the construction of

7260-401: The ice. The lake has completely frozen over on five recorded occasions: in 1830, 1874, 1893, 1912, and 1934. When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake-effect snow . Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt . In some winters,

7370-419: The importance of maintaining and restoring forest cover, particularly along streams and wetlands. By the 1960s and 1970s, the increased pollution caused frequent algal blooms to occur in the summer. These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Lake Ontario is the most downstream lake of the Great Lakes, so the pollution from all

7480-436: The industry. However, only recreational fishing activities exist in the 21st century. Lake Shore Boulevard Lake Shore Boulevard (often incorrectly compounded as Lakeshore Boulevard ) is a major arterial road running along more than half of the Lake Ontario waterfront in the city of Toronto , Ontario, Canada. Prior to 1998, two segments of Lake Shore Boulevard (from the Etobicoke – Mississauga boundary to

7590-426: The lake area typically develops, depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. During the winters of 1877 and 1878, the ice sheet coverage was up to 95–100% of the lake. During the War of 1812 , the ice cover was stable enough the American naval commander stationed at Sackets Harbor feared a British attack from Kingston, over

7700-547: The lake has been appreciated, and many of the larger wetlands have protected status. These wetlands are changing, partly because the natural water level fluctuations have been reduced. Many wetland plants are dependent upon low water levels to reproduce. When water levels are stabilized, the area and diversity of the marsh is reduced. This is particularly true of meadow marsh (also known as wet meadow wetlands); for example, in Eel Bay near Alexandria Bay, regulation of lake levels has resulted in large losses of wet meadow. Often this

7810-399: The lake has had many negative impacts, including loss of forest birds, extinction of native salmon, and increased amounts of sediment flowing into the lake. In some areas, more than 90 percent of the forest cover has been removed and replaced by agriculture. Certain tree species, such as hemlock, have also been particularly depleted by past logging activity. Guidelines for restoration stress

7920-472: The lake was referred to as Lac de St. Louis or Lake St. Louis by Samuel de Champlain and cartographer Nicolas Sanson respectively. In 1660, Jesuit historian Francis Creuxius coined the name Lacus Ontarius . In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662–1663), the lake bears the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" with the name "Ondiara" in smaller type. A French map produced in 1712 (currently in

8030-786: The lakebed rights of the Canadian portion of the lake under the Beds of Navigable Waters Act, does not permit wind power to be generated offshore. In Trillium Power Wind Corporation v. Ontario (Natural Resources) , the Superior Court of Justice held Trillium Power—since 2004 an "Applicant of Record" who had invested $ 35,000 in fees and, when in 2011 the Crown made a policy decision against offshore windfarms, claimed an injury of $ 2.25 billion—disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The Great Lakes once supported an industrial-scale fishery, with record hauls in 1899; overfishing later blighted

8140-481: The land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice receded from the area last, the most rapid rebound still occurs there. This means the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays . Both north and south shores experience shoreline erosion, but

8250-440: The last lake in the Great Lakes' hydrologic chain, Lake Ontario has the lowest mean surface elevation of the lakes at 243 feet (74 m) above sea level; 326 feet (99 m) lower than its neighbor upstream. Its maximum length is 193 statute miles (311 kilometres ; 168 nautical miles ), and its maximum width is 53 statute miles (85 km; 46 nmi). The lake's average depth is 47 fathoms 1 foot (283 ft; 86 m), with

8360-528: The lower Don. One of the first was at Todmorden Mills . These mills initially turned out lumber, flour and paper products. By the 1850s, there were more than 50 mills along the Don and its tributaries. The Lower Don was becoming an industrial setting. Petroleum storage facilities, poultry and pork processing plants were constructed along the banks of the Don. In 1879, the Don Valley Brick Works opened. Polluted effluent from these factories and

8470-525: The modern land surface and the lake bottom, reorganizing the region's entire drainage system. As the ice sheet retreated toward the north, it still dammed the St. Lawrence Valley outlet, so the lake surface was at a higher level. This stage is known as Lake Iroquois . During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York , into the Mohawk River , thence to the Hudson River and

8580-507: The most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States. Other cities in the world receive more snow annually, such as Quebec City , which averages 135 inches (340 cm), and Sapporo , Japan, which receives 250 inches (640 cm) each year and is often regarded as the snowiest city in the world. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters. Lake breezes in spring tend to slow fruit bloom until

8690-415: The mouth was turned 90 degrees west where it empties into the inner harbour. This short extension of the harbour is known as the Keating Channel . The channel north of Lake Shore Blvd. East ceased being navigable when the Gardiner Expressway was constructed in the 1950s. Boats may still enter the Keating Channel by going underneath a lift bridge at Cherry Street. During the early part of the 20th century

8800-539: The name "Waasayishkodenayosh" meaning "burning bright point" or "peninsula" in Anishinaabemowin . The Don Valley is notable because of its deep wide valley in the lower reaches. At the Bloor Street Viaduct, the valley is about 400 m wide while the river is only about 15 m wide. This is due to its glacial origins. The Don River and its deep valley were formed about 12,000 years ago at the end of

8910-523: The neighbourhoods of Long Branch , New Toronto and Mimico . This section is lined with commercial and retail uses and served by streetcars . The area furthest to the west was more industrial in character, which continues to be converted to other uses. As the street gets nearer to Humber Bay , the Mimico area becomes almost entirely residential and somewhat older as it was one of the first areas of cottage development for city dwellers. East of Park Lawn Road,

9020-428: The north near the Humber River crossing: The westbound lanes cross the Gardiner (running along the north side of it) and are intertwined with the ramp from the westbound expressway which meets the street opposite Brookers Lane after crossing back to the south side; although Lake Shore still has an overlapping two-way section east of this point entirely south of the Gardiner. The streetcar line runs along this segment for

9130-487: The other lakes flows into it. Lake Ontario was ranked as the most environmentally stressed amongst the five Great Lakes in a 2015 ecological study. Some of the stresses on the lake include excess application of fertilizers in agriculture running into the lake, spillover from obsolete municipal sewage systems , toxic chemicals from industries along the rivers that drain into the lake, and metropolitan drainage from big cities like Toronto, Rochester, and Hamilton. Randle Reef ,

9240-697: The other rivers in the chain via the Welland Canal and to Lake Erie. The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) via Lake Simcoe . The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System , with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain . The Rideau Canal , also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to

9350-625: The purchase to be a rental of the area, and not the release of their rights to the land, the Mississaugas surrendered most of the land that would become York , and then Toronto, and York County to the British. After a land claims process, the surrender of aboriginal title to the Toronto Purchase lands was eventually concluded in 2010 for financial considerations. After the founding of York in 1793, several mills were constructed along

9460-460: The regional geological history. The Don Valley Brick Works was an old brick making factory with a quarry where they extracted shale. At the rear wall, local geologists discovered a record of the past three glaciations. There are nine distinct layers visible dating back 120,000 years. Due to the urbanized nature of the watershed, the Don River experiences low base flows interspersed with high volume floods. The water level can rise very quickly following

9570-595: The river and redirect it to the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant. The project began in 2018 with an expected completion in 2038 of all three tunnels plus five storm water storage shafts. As of 2021, a tunnel boring machine has completed roughly half of the 10.4-kilometre (6.5 mi) Coxwell Bypass tunnel located 50 metres (160 ft) underground alongside the Lower Don south of the Leaside Bridge . Lake Ontario Lake Ontario

9680-475: The river and the valley continued to be neglected. 31 separate sewage treatment facilities were built along the river. Over 20 sites in the valley and adjacent ravines were used as landfills for garbage and industrial refuse. In 1917, the Don Destructor was built beside the river, just north of Dundas Street East. The incinerator operated for 52 years, burning about 50,000 tonnes of rubbish annually. In

9790-499: The river extension is the creation of Ookewmin Minising , at the north-west corner of Toronto's Port Lands . In the 1880s, sewers were laid through ravines in the Don Valley to carry sewage, offal and industrial effluents. Pollution and foul odours continued until the late 1950s. Since then, small improvements have been made. The city installed waste water storage tanks, required homeowners to disconnect downspouts, and swept streets for contaminants that flowed into waterways. Since 1979,

9900-466: The river south past the Keating Channel (roughly parallel to the west side of the Don Roadway), and then west (roughly parallel to the south side of Commissioners Street) to a new mouth at Toronto Harbour . The man-made extension naturalized the river valley and provided new parkland. Since 2024, water now flows into the Keating Channel from the Don River and the new mouth of the river. A byproduct of

10010-576: The river starting in the 1300s when corn became a staple food. In the 1700s, the Mississaugas moved into the region, seeing the Haudenosaunee withdraw south of Lake Ontario. The French were the first Europeans to visit the region, trading at posts in the area. In the 1760s, the French were displaced by the British after the fall of Quebec. The British and the Mississaugas concluded the problematic Toronto Purchase treaty in 1787. Believing

10120-489: The river, and there is a limited sports fishery. In October 2016, the city of Toronto announced the creation of a 200 acres (81 ha) Don River Valley Park that will stretch for 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the West Don Lands up to approximately Todmorden Village in the north. The park will have three zones, an urban zone from West Don Lands to Riverdale Park, a park zone from Riverdale north to Bloor and finally

10230-469: The same corner, as illustrated in the photograph. According to the official bylaws that designated the road, the correct format is "Lake Shore Boulevard". This mistake is likely due to confusion with Lakeshore Road to the west, where the single word format is actually correct. In Etobicoke, from just east of the Etobicoke Creek ( Long Branch Loop ) to the Humber River ( Humber Loop ), the street

10340-410: The shoreline of Lake Ontario eastward through the city to Ashbridges Bay , where it curves north and becomes Woodbine Avenue at Woodbine Beach . The former route of Highway 2 briefly follows Woodbine then turns right onto Kingston Road east. From the western city limit, Lake Shore Boulevard (designated Lake Shore Boulevard West), originally part of Lakeshore Road, is a four-lane arterial road through

10450-404: The sites of long beaches, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park and Sandy Island Beach State Park . These sand bars are often associated with large wetlands , which support large numbers of plant and animal species, as well as providing important rest areas for migratory birds. Presqu'ile, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is particularly significant in this regard. One unique feature of the lake

10560-422: The so-called Loch Ness Monster , being sighted in the lake. The creature is described as large with a long neck, green in colour, and generally causes a break in the surface waves. A series of trading posts were established by both the British and French, such as Fort Frontenac in 1673, Fort Oswego in 1722, and Fort Rouillé in 1750. As the easternmost and nearest lake to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada and

10670-541: The south side of the street has been entirely converted to high-rise condominium development. West of Yonge, Lake Shore is one-way westbound, while eastbound traffic travels along Harbour Street. East of Yonge, Lake Shore is one single road under and alongside the Gardiner. The 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst streetcars serve the adjacent Fleet Street from Exhibition Place to Bathurst Street, but there are no regular service transit routes along Lake Shore in this area. . East of downtown, Lake Shore Boulevard continues as

10780-440: The street is lined to the south with recently built condominium towers on the former stretch of motels known as "The Motel Strip". No motels now remain from the period when travelers would stay at motels here, which was then just outside the Toronto city limits. East of Brookers Lane, the route geometry of Lake Shore becomes complicated due to the interchange with the parallel Gardiner Expressway ; which runs tight up against it to

10890-446: The tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners. The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. The seiche effect normally is only about 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.9 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes. Because of its great depth, the lake as a whole does not completely freeze in winter, but an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of

11000-469: The valley. At the intersection of Lawrence and the Parkway, the remains of the old village of Milneford Mills were removed. Bayview Avenue was extended south into the valley along the west bank of the valley. Increasing development reduced the natural areas of the watershed. This impacted the Don with increased pollution, heavy flooding, and turbid sediment laden waters. The combined result meant that by

11110-599: The watershed of Lake Ontario. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sackets Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (64 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed. Several islands exist in the lake, the largest of which being Wolfe Island . Nearly all of Lake Ontario's islands are on

11220-412: The watershed. In 1991 Bring Back the Don released a document called "Bringing Back the Don" which laid out plans for restoration, including a renaturalized mouth of the Don. In 1998 a plan to revive Toronto's waterfront was initiated. One of the four projects mentioned was a natural mouth for the Don River. In 2001 an environmental assessment was started to look into a natural mouth of the Don. The project

11330-408: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario, has been identified as one of the most contaminated areas on Lake Ontario alongside other areas of concern on Great Lakes . However, a $ 150-million cleanup project had begun in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The name Ontario is derived from the Huron word Ontarí'io , which means "great lake". In Colonial times, the lake was also called Cataraqui ,

11440-606: Was also coupled with a plan to handle a major flood modeled on the expected output from a Hurricane Hazel size storm. In 2007, the Toronto Waterfront Development Corporation (now WaterfrontToronto) held a design competition that looked at four different configurations for the mouth of the Don. The winning bid was made by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates . The environmental assessment was completed in 2014 and construction began in 2016. In 2024, Waterfront Toronto announced that it had connected

11550-438: Was constructed in sections; partly through the building of new roads east of the Humber River, partly through connecting existing roads. West of the Humber River, Lake Shore Boulevard was part of the old Provincial Highway. The road east of the Humber was built in sections, the first being a separate road parallel with Lakeshore Road, in conjunction with the development of the Sunnyside Amusement Park waterfront infill. Previously,

11660-399: Was destroyed by debris floating downstream in the flooding caused by Hurricane Hazel . A two-lane bailey bridge was quickly put in place and used for several months. A bus shuttled TTC passengers across the bridge as the streetcar line from downtown to Long Branch was severed. The original bridge was repaired and used until new bridges were built as part of the Gardiner Expressway project. In

11770-593: Was done at the time of the expressway's construction, as new bridges were built to connect to the terminus of the Queen Elizabeth Way highway. The highway to the west has become part of the Gardiner, and the Lucky Lion monument which designated its starting point was relocated nearby to the south of the Lake Shore Boulevard, just east of the Humber. East of the river, Lake Shore becomes a six-lane parkway -like arterial along Lake Ontario, with vistas of

11880-403: Was successful in causing Shirriff to abandon the project in 1947. The Association continued its activities, planting tree seedlings, stopped the picking of wild flowers, particularly trilliums and preventing vandalism. The Association held educational events to educate the public about the Don Valley, including special trains through the valley, and a recreation of Lt. Governor Simcoe's journey up

11990-612: Was to make the Don "clean, green, and accessible". Since then they have hosted garbage cleanups, tree plantings, and help to create or restore eight wetlands in the lower reaches of the valley, including Chester Springs Marsh, a 3 hectares (7.4 acres) site south of the Bloor Viaduct. Other groups also became active including Friends of the Don East . In 1995, the MTRCA created the Don Watershed Regeneration Council to coordinate restoration efforts throughout

12100-543: Was visited yearly by students from across East York . Charles Sauriol was a historic protector of the Don. The western branch starts Vaughan , in the Maple district; flowing south-east through the suburban industrial area of Concord , and the G. Ross Lord Reservoir . It crosses Yonge Street as it flows through Hoggs Hollow , past York University 's Glendon ("valley of the Don") campus, and then flows on to Leaside , Flemingdon Park , and Thorncliffe Park before joining

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