Prof. Mark Butorac

HIST3991 Enviromental History

Jiaqi Shi

Aug 19,2024

Downtown Toronto is located on the south side of the City of Toronto. With several of the most prestigious universities in the surrounding area, Downtown Toronto is further blessed with economic development. From the original wilderness to the most prosperous commercial district in Canada, the physical environment of downtown Toronto has undergone tremendous changes over the course of history, eventually becoming the largest urban area and transportation hub in North America.

Before the arrival of European settlers, this area was also once a community home shared by many Aboriginal people, including such First Nations groups as the Annandancers, Harendosani (Iroquois), Wendat, and Mississauga. (Admin. 2024) Because of the geography feature of this area, this allowed these First Nations to live off of the abundant fresh water resources and fertile land. They hunted, fished, developed agriculture, and also developed important transport routes. Not only was the land on which Downtown Toronto is located used for temporary camps for seasonal activities, but it has long been an ideal place for them to settle. (Admin. 2024) In addition to this, the Aboriginal people have a deep sense of community and spirituality, especially the concept of ‘one plate, one spoon’. (Glover, F. 2020) This concept is based on traditional Aboriginal law, resulting in an agreement to share and manage land resources that emphasizes the mutual responsibility of all living things and promotes cooperation to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. (Glover, F. 2020)

In the early days, Toronto was an undeveloped and undisturbed wildlife park, especially in the Downtown Toronto area, which was not commercially developed as it is now, and was inhabited by natural wildlife such as wolves, deer, raccoons, and a variety of birds. As urbanization progressed, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, a large amount of virgin forests and wetlands were gradually developed, resulting in the destruction of the habitats of these native animals, which were unable to adapt to the new environment, and so were forced to migrate or become extinct. (Admin. 2024a) The most representative example is Taddle Creek. It was a creek running through downtown Toronto that provides shelter and food for many wild animals. It was buried during the construction of Downtown Toronto in the 1970s, resulting in a severe blow to the local ecosystem. (Georgiou, B. 2021) Even though some of the historic buildings that were preserved at the time can still be seen in the center of the city today, the overall ecosystem has been fundamentally and irreversibly affected. This has resulted in the only wildlife left behind being those that can adapt to the urban environment, such as pigeons, squirrels, sparrows, and seagulls. (Admin. 2024a).

In addition, the arrival of European colonists brought a large number of invasive species to the land of Canada. Their transportation and colonies are the main ways for alien species to invade. These species include plants with strong regeneration systems – garlic mustard and reeds, and larger predatory fish – Asian carp and round goby. These invasive organisms took away the food and habitats from other native animals and gradually replaced their position in the ecosystem. Eventually, the local ecological balance was destroyed, and it also posed a great threat to wetland ecosystems and human health. With the development of urbanization, controlling the invasion and destruction of these species has become a major challenge for urban management. (TRCA.2024)

Downtown Toronto has experienced rapid urbanization in the 20th century. As historic buildings and natural landscapes were replaced by high-rise buildings and commercial facilities, the ecosystem was severely damaged. The establishment of a commercial center brought huge economic benefits to the city, and this development led to the decision to build more high-rise buildings. However, a large number of buildings and concrete cover prevented the infiltration of rainwater into the ground. It resulted in a massive amount of stormwater management problems. In addition,  this area experienced a significant heat island effect due to the increase in the use of buildings and artificial surfaces which caused the city to be warmer than the surrounding suburbs. (Rinner, C., & Hussain, M. 2011.) This negative impact was particularly prominent in the 1970s, when the construction of downtown Toronto completely changed the local ecological balance. (Georgiou, B. 2021)

The City of Toronto took multiple actions against the environmental problems brought up by urbanization. For example, implementing a stormwater retention system to reduce the risk of flooding since it can effectively treat stormwater before reaching the sewers.  (City of Toronto. 2023.) In addition, The Tree planting program implemented green roofs, and permeable paving on the top of buildings. Study shows the green roofs can absorb up to 70% of rainfall and reduce the burden on the drainage system as well as the risk of flooding. (University of Toronto. 2017.)

The historical evolution of downtown Toronto from wilderness to a bustling complex fully demonstrates the greatest impact of rapid urbanization on the original ecosystem, helping us understand the importance of maintaining the speed of modernization and maintaining the balance between ecology. Although urbanization can greatly promote economic development, it also causes great damage to the ecosystem. Therefore, the city of Toronto and the community have begun to take actions to reduce these negative impacts and promote sustainable development. I hope to emphasize again here that urbanization should be moderate and cannot completely abandon the ecological environment of the land itself. Sustainable development is what we should pursue.

Admin. “Toronto – a Vibrant City Where Humans and Animals Coexist in Harmony.” History Of Toronto, April 16, 2024. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/toronto-a-vibrant-city-where-humans-and-animals-coexist-in-harmony.

Bibliography

Admin. “Toronto’s Rich Indigenous History Unveiled – Preserving the Legacy of Canada’s First Peoples.” History Of Toronto, April 16, 2024. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/torontos-rich-indigenous-history- unveiled-preserving-the-legacy-of-canadas-first-peoples.

City of Toronto. “Stormwater Management Programs & Projects.” City of Toronto, June 21, 2023. https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/managing-rain-melted-snow/what-the-city-is-doing-stormwater-management-projects/other-stormwater-management-projects/.

Georgiou, Bob. “When Taddle Creek Stank: Why the River Was Lost.” Scenes From Toronto, September 22, 2021. https://scenesto.com/2021/09/07/when-taddle-creek-stank-the-reason-why-the-river-was-lost/.

Glover, Fred. “A Dish with One Spoon.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, March 31, 2020. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/a-dish-with-one-spoon#:~:text=A%20%E2%80%9Cdish%20with%20one%20spoon,spirit%20of%20mutual%20co%2Doperation.

“Invasive Species.” Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), May 17, 2024. https://trca.ca/conservation/environmental-monitoring/invasive-species/.

Rinner, Claus, and Mushtaq Hussain. “Toronto’s Urban Heat Island-Exploring the Relationship between Land Use and Surface Temperature.” MDPI, June 21, 2011. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/6/1251.

University of Toronto. “How Green Roofs Can Help Cities Sponge Away Excess Stormwater.” University of Toronto, August 22, 2017. https://www.utoronto.ca/news/how-green-roofs-can-help-cities-sponge-away-excess-stormwater.