- C £3 



1853] 



TORONTO HARBOUR. 



105 



€\)t Cnmtuiitit StutnatL 



TORONTO, DECEMBER, 1853. 



Toronto Harbour— Its Formation and Preservation. 



Head hefore the Canadian Institute, June 1st, 1850; 



BY SANDFORD FLEMING, C. E. 



The origin of the now wealthy and flourishing city of Toronto 

 is, in common with that of many other cities and towns, clearly 

 traceable to certain natural advantages possessed by their localities. 

 A waterfall or rapid stream, the navigable termination of a river, 

 or its junction with a lake, or other open navigation, will fre- 

 quently account for the position of a town or village in an agri- 

 cultural or manufacturing district; but a natural harbour of easy 

 access, will generally if not universally point out the locality of a 

 thriving commercial nucleus, in all countries open to settlement 

 and civilization. 



• To none of these circumstances except the last can we attribute 

 the origin of Toronto. We have no waterfall — no navigable 

 river — even the soil itself is comparatively barren, and for several 

 miles around, with a few isolated exceptions, unsuited for agricul- 

 tural purposes. To the last, therefore, must we ascribe the begin- 

 ning of Toronto, and to the unequalled excellence of this harbour 

 forming on the north shore of Lake Ontario, the most facile out- 

 let for the productions of the back country, is principally due the 

 rapid and uninterrupted progress in commerce and in wealth of the 

 western capital. To maintain this harbour in its original state, or 

 if parcticable, to improve thereon so as to ensure a continuance of 

 prosperit}', becomes, therefore, of the utmost importance. 



The natural basin formed by a sandridge extending from the 

 western boundary of the township of Scarborough, embracing in 

 its arms a portion of the great lake, possesses many of the requi- 

 sites for a good harbour; it encloses about 1200 acres of water, 

 entirely free from rocks and shallows, and averaging from 15 to 

 35 feet in depth, on the wide expanse of which the whole ship- 

 ping of all the Canadian lakes might safely ride at anchor. Du- 

 ring the prevalence of certain winds, however, the basin is not of 

 easy access to sailing craft; and not only is the channel scarcely 

 sufficient to admit the entrance or departure of large vessels, but 

 it is even fast closing up, and, astounding as the assertion may 

 appear to some, will ere many years, unless efficient meaas of 

 prevention be Laken, put a complete stop to all navigation — a 

 bold enough statement, but from ascertained facts a proper infer- 

 ence. 



That the entrance to the harbour is fast closing up, I have been 

 led to discover, by comparing; a series of careful measurements 

 recently made, with old charts of various dates. In the sequel, 

 this important fast will be clearly shown, and an attempt made to 

 account for it; in the meantime, it may be sufficient to state 

 that a bar has encroached so much on the channel, as to make 

 it not more than about half the width it was fifteen years ago. 

 With the view of prescribing an efficient mode to prevent the 

 further accumulation of shoal calculated to prove so detrimental to 

 the future prosperity of the city, it is first requisite to ascertain 

 the cause of the evil, from whence it arises, and investigate the 

 manner of .its action — hence the following enquiry into the for- 

 mation of the Peninsula and Harbour. 



Few persons visiting Toronto for the first time but are struck 

 with the singular appearance of the neck of land or peninsula 

 Vol. II, December, 1853. 



stretching out into the lake in front of the town, so low, that tho 

 few small trees growing at wide intervals appear almost springing 

 from the water, and on a nearer approach, so long, so curiously 

 shaped, and so different from the land on shore, that, many are 

 doubtless led to theorize a little on its formation. Some, who 

 have probably arrived in the province by way of Niagara, and 

 crossed over with their minds filled with contemplations of the 

 mighty cataract, at once and without much consideration attri- 

 bute to the descending torrents of that river, the power of eleva- 

 ting from the depths of the lake, or of carrying across in sus- 

 pension, the di'ift deposited here — a theory wild and incapable of 

 defence, though some are bold enough to venture it. 



Others again, who have probably arrived from the west, of 

 whose business takes them frequently in that direction, and from 

 the steamer generally calling at the mouths of the various small 

 rivers emptying into the lake between this and Hamilton, 

 may be induced to think that these streams have had the effect 

 of drifting the debris of the uplands outward, which with the as- 

 sistance of an imaginary eastward current of the lake, is carried 

 until meeting a contrary current, supposed to be of the Don, then 

 the matter held in suspension is supposed to have been deposited 

 at their junction line, opposite Toronto. The advocates of this 

 theory have yet to prove that such currents of the lake as these 

 exist in reality : although it is true that currents outward and 

 inward, over the bar, are found, occasionally resembling a 

 slight half-hourly tide; yet if they have any effect on the bar 

 at all, they must have a tendency rather to diminish than increase 

 the deposit. All these streams with the exception of the Don, 

 enter the lake nearly at right angles, and it is impossible that 

 they can flow into a large and deep body of water such as exists 

 between their mouths and the point in question, without being 

 entirely diffused; nor could the drift brought down by them bo 

 carried wholly or chiefly in one particular direction without a 

 most powerful current, but would, if ponderous, be deposited 

 at their outlet, and if light, would be distributed far and 

 wide. More especially is it reasonable to infer that the 

 Peninsula is neither now effected in any way by these western 

 streams and the imaginary currents in conjunction with them, nor 

 has been formed by their drift, since the material composing it, 

 sand and gravel could not in accordance with existing laws, be 

 held in suspension and transported for miles over.sti:! water, 60 

 and 100 feet deep. Were the deposit or any pait of it of an 

 agillaceous nature, there would have been some sight reason to 

 think that these streams might have been auxiliaries, but such is 

 not the case. 



Others again suppose that the Peninsula is merely a narrow 

 ledge of rock slightly covered with the sand and gravel which we 

 find on the surface, but this opinion is quite at variance with the 

 general geological features of this part of the country, and to local 

 investigations. 



A tittle consideration of the subject will shew that these 

 opinions can only be advanced by those persons who have 

 merely been enabled to make cursory observations, and by those 

 who, knowing the wonderful transporting power of running water 

 when confined, as in a river, arc inclined to attribute to its 

 agency more than is justly due, and overlooking the change of 

 circumstances, class effects universally which can only be pro- 

 uced by causes under particular conditions. They being anxious 

 to account for certain results, are contented with a superficial and 

 fallacious reasoning, and assign to the most conspicuous agents 

 of nature, that, which after a more careful and deeper search 

 would be ascribed to a pow 7 er less easily observed, but not less 

 active, or less potent. 



Sir Richard Bonuyeastle, in an elaborately drawn u ■> Repor* 



