Hidden waterways beneath Toronto could help transform its future

Across Toronto, a vast network of hidden waterways sprawls beneath the city's sidewalks, buildings and parks — a network some people would like to see brought back to the surface through a process called daylighting.

The story of Canada's waterways that have been forgotten by time, in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, was recently highlighted in an interactive CBC story published in early April. 

Helen Mills has been tracking, finding and sharing the lost creeks and rivers in Toronto for decades. Through her organization, Lost Rivers, she's been conducting walks and talking about the benefits that daylighting could bring the city.

"Daylighting literally means to take the cover off the creek and allow daylight in," she said. 

In the early days of Canada's cities, waterways became filled with sewage and water-borne disease was rampant, causing them to be covered up and diverted.

Today, the city is looking at the benefits these hidden waterways could now provide. 

Jeff Thompson, a senior planner with Toronto's environmental planning team, said city staff will be reporting back to council this year after looking into a potential assessment of historical watercourse restoration opportunities.

"There's been a push to explore new and better ways to adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts," he said. "And one of those potential avenues for exploration is looking at daylighting."

He said the process can help foster natural areas that create a cooling effect in a city where pavement is soaking up and radiating heat.

Despite the fact the city has only just started looking into things like daylighting, Mills is excited to hear about the work.

"It took me a month to get over the shock. It was such a wonderful thing," she said. "Suddenly, 30 years of walking had serious meaning."