The Beauty of the Don Facebook group is usually about just that. Members regularly share photos of majestic owls, cavorting deer, gorgeous purple dahlias and all other manner of beautiful creatures and vegetation that make the Don River Valley the oasis it is in Toronto's east end.
But this week, in the aftermath of Tuesday's massive storm, the site was an ugly reminder of what nature's fury can bring.
Posts revealed fallen trees, trails covered with debris, and flattened flowers and grasses. One video showed a field, where deer normally graze, completely submerged. Meanwhile another clip surveyed the remains of a waterfall once favoured by hummingbirds and washed away by a mudslide.
"Instantly, my heart was breaking," the video's narrator said as the camera panned over the scene. "This park has become home to so many of us and loved by so many of us."
That disembodied voice belongs to wildlife photographer Steven Shpak, who created the Facebook community in 2020 to showcase the beauty of the Don Valley Park trail system. Every day since the storm, he has been taking visual stock of the damage.
"I have been (trekking the area) for 20 years, maybe longer, and I've never seen anything like it."
On July 16, Toronto had one of the wettest days in its history. About 98 millimetres of rain fell on the city, according to Environment Canada. It came down fast and hard, knocking out power, filling basements, trapping people in elevators, turning Union Station into a waterpark and flooding the city's roadways, including the nearby Don Valley Parkway where some of the human species, instead of running away from the rising tide, drove right into it.
Denne historien er fra July 20, 2024-utgaven av Toronto Star.
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Denne historien er fra July 20, 2024-utgaven av Toronto Star.
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Disgraceful behaviour on Parliament Hill
‘Was it you or not?’ Jagmeet Singh confronts heckler on Parliament Hill, Sept. 17
How to Fix our Congestion Crisis - Toronto has some of the worst congestion on the continent, Coun. Brad Bradford writes. Fixing it requires common sense and better planning and prioritization at the top.
Toronto has one of the world’s best film festivals but as stars like Will Ferrell pointed out, we also have some of the world’s worst traffic. He joins a long list of international celebrities, professional athletes and musicians that have echoed the concerns of thousands of residents forced to do battle with Toronto’s gridlock everyday.
Rogers' Power Play- Company will have near-lock on city's pro sports with buyout of Bell's stake in MLSE
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Weakened Liberal Party Saved by BQ - Who would have thought Canada might be saved from an election by the only political party that seeks to break up the country?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a chance to keep his Liberals in power thanks to Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. On Tuesday, without engaging any of the parties in substantive negotiations, the Liberals decided to lay the future of the government on the tracks of the oncoming Conservative train. They tempted the fate not just of their own political lifespan, but also that of all the policies they say they want to accomplish: a more compassionate and responsive immigration system; action to curb greenhouse gasses; a school food program; a pharmacare program that provides free contraception and diabetes medication; better (though inadequate) disability payments; and the entrenchment of a dental care program that has seen a huge uptick of subscribers.
At Least We'll All Know Who to Blame - Edward Rogers has become Toronto sports fans' one-stop target for owner-bashing
Sports needs characters we can root for, and characters we can blame, writes Edward Keenan. Rogers buying Bell's MLSE stake will supply more of the latter, starting with chairman Edward Rogers.For a sports fan, there’s something satisfying about that. For years with the Leafs in particular, the owner was a pension plan, and it was hard to tell if its controlling executives (never mind the teachers whose money they were spending) cared about hockey one way or the other. And whether they did or not, how could you figure out who was responsible for what they did as a result?
Lebanon is Rocked Again by Deadly Exploding Devices - Israel acknowledges 'new phase in war'; civilians among dead
Walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday in an apparent second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, state media and officials for the militant group said. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded in the second wave, the Health Ministry said.
Feds Impose New Limits on International Students - Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced new limits on international students Wednesday, saying Canada is facing an untenable number of people wishing to come here.
Enrolment cuts, work permit restrictions will further slow population growth. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced new limits on international students Wednesday, saying Canada is facing an untenable number of people wishing to come here.Canada will reduce the annual cap on study permits by another 10 per cent in 2025 and restrict eligibility for international graduates' work permits to better meet labour market needs, amid continuing public pressure to tame runaway population growth.
Bloc Will Vote to Prop up Liberals - Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, said he does not have confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government, but believes he can use the situation to push for his party's priorities.
Leader says he will oppose Tory motion to bring down Trudeau government. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, said he does not have confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government, but believes he can use the situation to push for his party's priorities.
Dutcher wins second Polaris award
Singer donating prize to school in New Brunswick
