The topography of Toronto's ravines was formed by glacial waters cutting through the landform in a series of sloping ridges. Garrison Creek once flowed openly from what is now Christie Pits, south through Trinity Bellwoods Park to Fort York and Lake Ontario. Today the creek runs through a buried sewer, but the traces of its ravine can still be seen in a pattern of city parks and schoolyards.
This study by Brown and Storey Architects envisions a connected stormwater and park system that would divert rainwater from the existing sewer into a series of ponds that re-create the natural drainage pattern of the watershed. The proposal identifies 120 hectares of open space across schoolyards, parks, and strips of open landscape that could accommodate stormwater and rainwater as an ecological gesture.
View full project at Brown + Storey →From the top of Lake Iroquois to the Toronto Islands, the existing lake shore profile and sections that were eventually filled in on Lake Ontario reveal the profile of Garrison Creek. The various open spaces that still remain evident — schoolyards, parks, and strips of open landscapes — trace the path of the original ravine.
The bifurcated profile of Garrison Creek shows the split of the two branches of the ravine. The existing residences, schoolyards, and bridges have all been built into the trace of the founding ravine landform. The standout schoolyards, as traces, have mostly maintained the openness of sections of the ravine topography.
Two plans illustrate the Garrison Creek ravine: one showing the sedimentary infilling, contrasting with a second plan that itemizes all the open spaces distributed within a creek distribution catchwork. The framed outline of these spaces represents 120 hectares of open space that could accommodate stormwater and rainwater as an ecological gesture.
The proposal envisions a connected stormwater and park system in four zones depicted in the "pond system abstract." Stormwater from adjacent neighbourhoods would be diverted from the existing sewer system into a series of ponds that re-create the natural drainage pattern of the watershed.
A parallel linear pond is placed between St. Hilda's walk and the edge of the Trinity Bellwoods Park remaining ravine. Culminating at the front of St. Hilda's men's shelter is an upper pond and bridge trellis that connects down to Dundas Street. Small bridges cross between sides of the pond, connecting to east-west streets. The Crawford Street recreation centre and a linear patchwork of gardens form the western section.
This model relief framework, shown at the 1996 Venice Biennale, illustrates a series of new layers and infrastructural improvements that extend and open up the ravine north and south to Dundas Street, and south to Queen Street. The Crawford Street bridge is uncovered, forming a network of new pathways and edges to the expanded ravine. Perched landforms take advantage of the outer edge of the ravine and the surrounding Trinity Bellwoods Park.