Toronto by the River

Toronto is a city of rivers. At least it used to be. In 1802 there were numerous rivers flowing into Lake Ontario. The city still has a number of rivers but just as many have been buried or removed over the last two hundred years in order to create space for the city's  continuing development.

Lost Rivers of Toronto is a fascinating map showing the history of Toronto's disappearing rivers. The map provides a picture of the city in 1802 before any of Toronto's rivers were removed. The map also includes a timeline which allows you to see where and when the city's rivers have been removed over the last two centuries. Rivers on the map are actually colored to show the year when they disappeared. This gives you a good idea about when different areas in the city were developed. If you want to see if there is a correlation between when districts were developed and when rivers disappeared then you could try comparing the Lost River of Toronto map with the Toronto Building Construction Dates map.

Lost Rivers of Toronto was created by Lost River Walks, who provide free guided walks tracing the courses of Toronto's forgotten waterways. The Lost Rivers of Toronto map includes three interactive map tours which provide a step-by-step guide to walks along Toronto's lost rivers and creeks.