Morningside Park (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
Morningside Park is a regional park located in Scarborough
, Toronto
. The park occupies most of the deep valley of Highland Creek
where it borders the communities of West Hill
and Highland Creek
. Spanning 416.7 acres (1.7 km²), the park includes picnic areas, public washrooms, parking and footpaths which connect to nearby communities and the Waterfront Trail
on Lake Ontario
. The park is bounded by Morningside Avenue on the east, Ellesmere Road on the north and Lawrence Avenue East to the south. Together with the University of Toronto Scarborough
lands east of Morningside Avenue, the park forms a continuous forested corridor along the lower reaches of Highland Creek
. The park features a high degree of urban wilderness
compared to other parks in Toronto, with deer, eroded cliffs and a remnant forest.
, a shortage in housing resulted in many new residences being built from cottages. However, an increase in settlers was becoming problematic as contaminated wells, evictions, and home demolition were contentious issues in the post-war period. Living conditions were further complicated by the steep slopes and flat floodplain of the Highland Creek further in the area as residents and their cottages were regularly threatened by flash flooding. In 1954, severe damage from Hurricane Hazel
led to the removal of housing in the area. Public ownership of floodplain land
was established to prevent further development. The area eventually turned into parklands and wildlife was restored.
Over 5000 White Pine
trees were planted in Morningside Park by the Boy Scouts of Canada in 1994.
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The park occupies most of the deep valley of Highland Creek
Highland Creek (Toronto)
Highland Creek is a river in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, emptying into Lake Ontario at the eastern end of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is home to several species of fish including trout, carp, and bass. It is a meandering river which, like most rivers in Toronto , travels through a...
where it borders the communities of West Hill
West Hill, Toronto
-Location and principal features:It is located in the eastern end of the city, in the former city of Scarborough. Scarborough was merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new "City of Toronto" in 1998...
and Highland Creek
Highland Creek, Toronto
Highland Creek is a neighbourhood in south-east Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that lies along the southern portion of the river of the same name...
. Spanning 416.7 acres (1.7 km²), the park includes picnic areas, public washrooms, parking and footpaths which connect to nearby communities and the Waterfront Trail
Waterfront Trail
The Waterfront Trail refers to an interconnected series of trails along the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, currently beginning in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and extending to Brockville, Ontario, with an extension along Former Highway 2, to the Quebec provincial border...
on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. The park is bounded by Morningside Avenue on the east, Ellesmere Road on the north and Lawrence Avenue East to the south. Together with the University of Toronto Scarborough
University of Toronto Scarborough
The University of Toronto Scarborough is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. Based in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the campus is set upon suburban parkland in the residential neighbourhood of Highland Creek...
lands east of Morningside Avenue, the park forms a continuous forested corridor along the lower reaches of Highland Creek
Highland Creek (Toronto)
Highland Creek is a river in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, emptying into Lake Ontario at the eastern end of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is home to several species of fish including trout, carp, and bass. It is a meandering river which, like most rivers in Toronto , travels through a...
. The park features a high degree of urban wilderness
Urban wild
An urban wild is a remnant of a natural ecosystem found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area.-Utility:Urban wilds, particularly those of several acres or more, are often intact ecological systems that can provide essential ecosystem functions such as the filtering of urban...
compared to other parks in Toronto, with deer, eroded cliffs and a remnant forest.
History
The valley of Highland Creek was at one point a settlement. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a shortage in housing resulted in many new residences being built from cottages. However, an increase in settlers was becoming problematic as contaminated wells, evictions, and home demolition were contentious issues in the post-war period. Living conditions were further complicated by the steep slopes and flat floodplain of the Highland Creek further in the area as residents and their cottages were regularly threatened by flash flooding. In 1954, severe damage from Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
led to the removal of housing in the area. Public ownership of floodplain land
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority or Office de protection de la nature de Toronto et de la région is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario, Canada...
was established to prevent further development. The area eventually turned into parklands and wildlife was restored.
Over 5000 White Pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
trees were planted in Morningside Park by the Boy Scouts of Canada in 1994.
External links
- Morningside Park Information at City of Toronto Website
- A Walk on the Wild Side of Morningside Park at Curran Hall Community Association