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A Toronto Water Atlas Project

Once upon a time,

Long before the wonders of air flight and the existence of Downsview Airport, water flowed near this very spot. In fact, this whole site is an ancient headwater: a high point of land from which countless streams and creeks radiated outwards, flowing towards Waasayishkodenayosh (Don River) to the east and Gabekanaang-ziibi (Humber River) to the west.

These are the original names of the rivers used by the Michi Saagiig – the First Nations people of this territory. This was a time when these waterways served as highways for First Nations people (and later European explorers and Métis), who used canoes to expertly navigate the network of interconnecting river and portage routes.

These rivers have now all been buried under countless years of development. Runway Rivers brings these waterways to the surface, acknowledging the power and importance of water in the history of this place.

A Runway Rivers Story

Mud Creek. Still Flowing.

Not all rivers have been completely lost. Mud Creek is an example of a waterway whose path can be traced from its source near the airport through dense urban environments towards the Don River.

Occasionally it reveals itself as it trickles through deep ravines or flows out of culverts and pipes. Mud Creek eventually emerges at the Evergreen Brickworks as it flows into ponds teaming with life.

Called ziibinswan by the Anishinaabeg, these streams and creeks were full of life. For more than 11,000 years, Indigenous people lived here and relied on these waterways for nourishment and travel.

The rivers that once flowed from here are now lost. But they still flow under the ground.

Mud Creek - Still Flowing

Stories and Memories of the Rivers

Meet the experts, knowledge keepers, and community members who helped bring Runway Rivers to life.

Mark Sault - Knowledge Holder, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Helen Mills - Founder & Co-Director, Lost Rivers at Toronto Green Community
Darin Wybenga - Knowledge Holder, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Luby Garejko - Former Employee, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada
Carolyn King, C.M. - Elder, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Christopher Eby - Executive Vice-President, Corporate and Public Affairs, Northcrest Developments
"Take a journey down these rivers. They have a story to tell."
— Runway Rivers

The Runway Rivers Experience

Runway Rivers brings these lost waterways to the surface. Explore it by climbing into a canoe and travelling down the rivers and streams that once flowed here. Meandering streams are painted on the tarmac not far from where they actually flowed.

1

Enter the Container

Learn about the lost rivers of YZD through immersive signage and stories.

2

Board Your Canoe

Get your very own mobile canoe and prepare to explore.

3

Follow the Rivers

Navigate from signpost to signpost, discovering the stories of each waterway.

John Notten with mobile canoe
About the Artist

John Notten

John Notten is a Toronto-based contemporary artist and educator. His work is shown primarily in the public realm, with large-scale ambitious projects presented throughout Toronto and across Ontario. His art practice focuses on the reconfiguration and decontextualization of common, mundane objects that are reimagined in unconventional ways.

The immersive, interactive installations Notten creates offer a radical shift in the meanings of the materials used. Addressing issues of displacement, consumerism and power, he creates participatory installations that immerse the viewer in alternative environments through the re-crafting and repurposing of multiple, prefabricated objects.