Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques
2004 - Now in our 14th Year - 2018
To see what's new on this site, you can visit the Home Page
Looking at this page on a smartphone?
For best viewing, hold your phone in Landscape mode (Horizontal)
Boating on the Humber River
Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted August, 2011
This Story Circle, the fifth of 13 story circles on the "Discovery Walks - The Shared Path", can be found 50 m north of the Queensway on the west side. Here's what the plaques say:
Coordinates: 43.634918 -79.475157 |
 |
The Humber River's first rapids, at Bloor Street, have long kept boats from navigating far up the river. Below those rapids, however, boating has been an important aspect of the Humber's history. For centuries, Aboriginal peoples approached the beginning of the Toronto Carrying Place near here in bark canoes - their remarkable craft that were quickly adopted by early Europeans. In the late 1670s, canoes were joined by French sailing ships that unloaded goods to be transported along the portage or, after 1720, to supply the French trading post at Toronto.
In the 1790s, with British settlement and the establishment of water-powered mills, a growing number of vessels were moving supplies and produce up and down the river below the first rapids. Around 1800, a shipyard existed on this side of the Humber, just south of Bloor, that produced sailing ships - including one named Toronto.
After the mid-19th century, commercial shipping was gradually replaced by recreational boating. Boathouses and marinas were built on the Humber's lower banks, and crowds would gather along the shore to watch boat races.
Today, boats can still be launched near here, perhaps just a few steps from where Aboriginal peoples and European traders used to push their canoes into the river.
Shared Path Story Circles Information and Map
Discovery Walks - The Shared Path
Related webpages
The Humber River
Bloor Street
canoe
Related Toronto plaque
The Toronto Carrying Place
Links to all the other Story Circles
#1 Discover the Humber River's Ancient Past
#2 Toronto Carrying Place
#3 Railways Over the Humber
#4 Roads over the Humber River
#6-1 The Beginnings of French Toronto
#6-2 The Rousseaux Family and Early Toronto
#6-3 Jean-Baptiste Rousseaux 1758-1812
#7 Humber River Marshes and Oak Savannah
#8 Huron-Wendat Villages on the Humber River
#9 Hurricane Hazel
#10 The King's Mill
#11 Teiaiagon and the Aboriginal Occupation of Baby Point
#12 Dundas Street Crossing and Lambton Mills
#13 Mississauga Settlements on the Humber River
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
(none yet)
Here's where you can sent me a comment for this page.
Note: Your email address will be posted at the end of your comment so others can respond to you unless you request otherwise.
Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours (usually much sooner).
Note: As soon as I have posted your comment, a reply to your email will be sent informing you.
To send me your comment, click [email protected].
Thanks
Webmaster
Note: If you wish to send me a personal email, click here.