Friends of Jackson Creek: Another Rail Bridge: People Living the Creek

I was at this location a year ago. Unfortunately, I lost my phone with all the pictures and videos before I could produce a post.

Jackson Creek was lucky enough to flow, where there's now a junction of a rail line and a power transmission corridor.

This section of shrub-land may also see some transformation, being in the cross-hairs for GO Transit as a station.

There are two channels on the lot that reflects the former course of the creek in 1947. It seems that the creek was switching back and forth between the beds.

The east channel is full of quite old trees. Stepping down (5-6 feet) seemingly transports you to any tract of York Regional Forest.

Looking over the dry channel facing East Mall

Since the last time I was there, the West channel got taken over by blackberry thorn-brush and grapevines.

The biggest change was the absence of mini lake/ wetland that was right below the culvert where the creek used to come out. There are still remnant of a pretty awesome dock that was there. The dock is a strong evidence of a need for more green-space/ natural heritage for people to interact with. It is somewhat clandestine, but since the city does not provide by collaborating with wiping out of entire ecosystems and turning South Etobicoke into a concrete post-industrial jungle, then who can blame the developers of the dock. Plus they kept it super tidy.

The lack of water certainly surprised me. Of what I remembered too, was that you could see through the culvert to the other side. I was assuming that it was to some sort of vertical drain at the Food Basics/ Metro property across.

WARNING While it is a popular local practice to cross and use this rail line for pedestrian purposes, the tracks are still used for freight and a limited GO Service.

I carefully went across the lines in the name of science and conservationism. To my surprise, I discovered a bridge, much like the one at Horner. However this one is in much better condition and seemed to be freshly excavated.

I was about to jump down, but a friend of Jackson Creek, Greg (name changed), popped out from under. He admitted to live there, yet did not seem too talkative. Since no one likes to be an uninvited guest, I wished him to have a nice day and started to track back, as the sun was setting.

Below is some sort of industrial facility, now decommissioned and for lease.

At the East Mall end of the lot lies a manhole that may shield the waters of the creek being piped away.

It is nice to see a culvert, a bridge and a bed still being preserved. Just add water and everyone may enjoy new access to the outdoors and the special experience of watching living water flow. Well, maybe not Greg.