Urban Wilderness!

[EVCco]

Gatineau Hydro Corridor - down to the wires

In keeping with my last trek, I've been keeping to the city's corridors of power - hydro-electric power, that is. Today I'm in the Gatineau Corridor, the 230kV transmission line that cuts diagonally down the eastern half of the city (presumably all the way from Gatineau, QC), and is distinguished from Toronto's other hydro lines by its trademark white towers. In this post I'm covering the first half, from the city's eastern limit to the Uxbridge rail subdivision / Scarborough rapid transit line, and cobbling it together with pictures from the past 2 weeks and few from earlier Urban Wilderness trips that you may have seen here before. With that said, then, let's start the first leg by heading southwest from Rouge Park to Morningside Avenue:

Next up, Morningside Ave to the Highland Creek:

Continuing from Highland Creek to Markham Road:

Across Markham Road now, where the city's Meadow Restoration project starts coming into its own, and then on to the West Highland Creek:

Past Brimley, Lawrence, and Midland Ave to end at the SRT Line:

 

[Goldie]

Great series, EVCco.
Certainly an amazing display of power!
It makes me wonder: What percentage of Ontario's electricity is provided thru these lines from Quebec? -------"(presumably all the way from Gatineau, QC)"

 

[EVCco]

^ You can actually see exactly where every percentage of power comes from, by the hour, at this handy site:
http://media.cns-snc.ca/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html

The answer, as it turns out, is none. Ontario is apparently energy self-sufficient, though from everything I've read Ontario Power Generation / Hydro One provides only 50%-60% of the province's juice (I'm guessing the rest is privately supplied?). We did get electricity from Quebec at one time though. I'm assuming the Gatineau Corridor owes its name (and perhaps its very existence) to the former Gatineau Power Company which was contracted to supply hydro to what was then known as the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario through the 20's and 30's. Unfortunatley I've found very little in the way of history regarding the Gatineau Corridor. Most searches only bring up articles about the installation of the new bike trails, and unrealized plans to convert the corridor to a transit line of some sort. A quick search on the subject of Ontario electricity in general, however, will turn up numerous articles advocating the idea of importing cheap power from hydro-rich Quebec once again...

 

[r937]

the gatineau hydro corridor, with all those new towers recently replacing old worn out ones, comes all the way into leaside, terminating in the power station on millwood just north of overlea

i go by there often, and the hum of high power equipment is unmistakeable

if we're no longer getting power from quebec, i'll be a monkey's uncle

 

[r937]

details from "The Story of Leaside" --

The Great Gatineau Power Station

By virtue of its key position for Province-wide distribution of power, and owing also to its exceptional railway facilities for the accommodation of heavy equipment, the Town of Leaside was selected by the Ontario
Hydro-Electric Power Commission as the site for the largest power sub-station in the world.

This $5,000,000.00 plant is the Toronto receiving end of the great Gatineau line. The transformers are the largest single-phase, water-cooled units in physical size ever constructed. Each of the twelve transformers in the plant weighs 368,000 pounds, and daily nearly a million and a half gallons of water is required for cooling purposes, which is approximately enough water to supply a town of 15,000 population.

The power is generated at the plants on the Gatineau River, Quebec, transmitted to Leaside at 220,000 volts, a distance of 230 miles, the longest 220,000-volt line in Canada.

 

[Goldie]

It would certainly be interesting to learn how much of Toronto's (Ontario's) power consumption comes over that "hot" line from Gatineau.

If imports from Quebec are denied by the Ontario Government, I wonder why.

 

[EVCco]

^ No need for anyone to be any monkey's uncle, or any other relative, just yet! Ontario and Quebec apparently do have an "interchange capacity" of 2,545 MW following a recent upgrade in 2009, according to this site:
http://hydroforthefuture.com/projets/34/developing-outside-markets

...while some places in Ontario are not even on Ontario's electrical grid and get their power directly from Quebec:
http://www.choosecornwall.ca/eng/business-in-cornwall/electrical-advantages

As for exactly how much Quebec power flows through Ontario's lines on a regular basis, though, I can't seem to get a handle on. From what I've been reading it seems this usually occurs only during times of emergency/peak demand. There is also this interesting note from the first link, however:

"Electricity supply in New York State (open to competition since 1999) is affected by congestion on the transmission lines that connect the generating sites with the load centres. Although this supply is primarily intended for the Greater New York area, most of it comes either from western New York (Niagara and Oswego) or from the north, and from Hydro-Québec in particular. The power consequently flows mainly from west to east, with resulting congestion on the transmission grid. By regulation, the line that carries Hydro-Québec electricity to New York State is limited to 1,200 MW.
However, Hydro-Québec can supply western New York by wheeling power through Ontario."

As to why Ontario initially ceased buying power from Quebec in the Gatineau days, it may (not suprisingly) come down to a matter of simple politics. To quote from the following book http://books.google.ca/books/about/J_W_McConnell.html?id=M365j6IRtzgC :

"Not only did it, like other utilities, start to suffer greatly from the sharply reduced demand for power in the Depression, but in 1935 Ontario's political landscape changed ... The new premier, Mitch Hepburn, and his attorney general, Arthur Roebuck, were vehement foes of Ontario's contracts with Quebec power companies, partly because these companies had allegedly supported the Conservatives in the recent provincial election."

the Town of Leaside was selected by the Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission as the site for the largest power sub-station in the world.

Wow! I was just there a few days ago collecting shots for the second half of my Gatineau trek. It's certainly big, but I didn't know it was that big - even if just historically speaking! Incidently, the current title holder is apparently the Ibiuna substation in Brazil. Anyways, look out for part two of my post, hopefully sometime around the end of the week...

 

[EVCco]

Gatineau Corridor - closing the circuit

Back again to my ongoing pursuit of basically photographing everywhere in Toronto not already covered by Google Street View. Today, the exciting conclusion of my trip down the Gatineau Hydro Corridor. As with my last post, this one too will be a mishmash of recent pictures and those of previous outings. Time was, not long back, I probably would have tried the whole length in a single multi-hour mega-trek. Clearly I'm getting lazy since finishing my coverage of the city's rivers, creeks, and streams. Perhaps all this time under the power lines will help recharge my batteries - if not just raise my risk for cancer, or fry my brain. Either way, on I go; starting from the SRT line and heading southwest past the Scarboro Transmission Station, an allotment garden and some factories, to the Taylor Creek:

Past Crockford Boulevard now, and over-top the Golden Mile to the end of Scarborough:

Across Victoria Park Avenue and into the abundance of the Jonesville allotment gardens:

Over Eglinton Avenue, then Bermondsey Road, where we find the Bermondsey Transmission Station - conveniently located right next to the Bermondsey Transfer Station:

Well, it seems I spoke a bit too soon about "finishing my coverage of the city's rivers, creeks, and streams". Behind the twin stations of Bermondsey I find myself side-tracked by a previously overlooked ravine branching off the East Don back towards Bartley Drive:

Returning again to electric alley, I head through Flemingdon Park between the forks of the Don:

Across the West Don now, where squirrels (and other wildlife) run riot at the bird feeders in yet another allotment garden at the Thorncliffe Park Garden Club. It occurs that if they ever do convert the city's hydro corridors to transit lines, or some such thing, they'll be displacing a hell of a lot of tomatoes and rhubarb!:

Finally, somewhere past Beth Nealson Drive, the corridor bends southward and the transmission towers change over from those tall white double circuit poles to the older steel lattice frames as they approach termination at the above-discussed Leaside/Gatineau substation:

 

[r937]

another great series of wilderness shots, including some wonderful local residents... i love how you got the groundhog actually looking at you

the shot of the archery range in e.t.seton park enveloped in fog is gorgeous

 

[EVCco]

Thanks! The Seton pic was from a couple of years ago, and the groundhog was last week.
The zoom on my new camera has certainly made getting those wildlife shots a lot easier...

 

[EVCco]

Scarborough Sideways - a little bit of everything

As this, and various other threads of mine would indicate, I have long been fascinated by any sort of travels "off the beaten path" - and Toronto, quite fortuitously, has proven a near-bottomless well of paths unbeaten and roads less travelled. There exists in this city a virtual shadow network of wilderness trails, hydro corridors, laneways, rail lines, and certain otherwise unrecognised thoroughfares which allows one to wander practically anywhere in town without ever having to navigate an actual surface street.

One such potential "side-way" that had recently attracted my attention consists of a straight, narrow outline appearing as a blank space on various city street maps, running approximately from Midland & St. Clair to Bellamy & Eglinton. Its location and trajectory lead me to guess it was possibly the site of an old spur line running off of the CN Kingston Subdivision - perhaps even part of a once much larger Brimley Yard? A cursory glance for information online, however, has so far turned up nothing regarding its history (...any help, members?). On the ground there appears to be the slightest hint of a stream, or something, which might also account for this empty quarter, as well as a trail, which I begin to follow southwest from Bellamy Road:

The apparent stream and pathway continues on into McCowan District Park:

Across Brimley Road the way forward becomes merely the suggestion of a municipal lawnmower as it enters Midland-St. Clair Park and finally ends somewhere near Midland Avenue:

At this point, if one were to stick strictly with side-ways, one could either continue along the Kingston Subdivision, or head north up the Uxbridge Sub. I choose the latter direction (albeit via the more traditional Midland Avenue route). Just south of Eglinton Avenue, however, a remnant of the old Canadian Northern Railway breaks off the Uxbridge line, back towards the southwest where I now head, alternating between the tracks and a parallel hydro corridor:

The rails and wires continue west of Birchmount, bisecting an area of parkland representing both the natural and industrial sort:

Approaching St. Clair Avenue and the Taylor Creek, I'm then led past the Warden Subway and Transmission stations as the last of the CNoR's ancient railroad ties gradually disappear into the earth:

The Canadian Northern may now be only a memory, but across Warden Avenue the hydro corridor continues alongside the Bloor-Danforth subway line, where I head to the end of Scarborough at Victoria Park Station:

 

[Northern Light]

One such potential "side-way" that had recently attracted my attention consists of a straight, narrow outline appearing as a blank space on various city street maps, running approximately from Midland & St. Clair to Bellamy & Eglinton. Its location and trajectory lead me to guess it was possibly the site of an old spur line running off of the CN Kingston Subdivision - perhaps even part of a once much larger Brimley Yard? A cursory glance for information online, however, has so far turned up nothing regarding its history (...any help, members?). On the ground there appears to be the slightest hint of a stream, or something, which might also account for this empty quarter, as well as a trail, which I begin to follow southwest from Bellamy Road:

This is the old 'Scarborough Transportation Corridor' it was intended as the eastern extension of the Gardiner Expressway to connect with 401 roughly where highway 2A is now.

The corridor lands were fully or close to fully assembled in Scarborough, but only bits and pieces west of Victoria Park Avenue (still beside the railway, one or 2 parks sit on said lands), the connection would have run down the ravine just east of Coxwell, then angled over.

The rails and wires continue west of Birchmount, bisecting an area of parkland representing both the natural and industrial sort:

Approaching St. Clair Avenue and the Taylor Creek, I'm then led past the Warden Subway and Transmission stations as the last of the CNoR's ancient railroad ties gradually disappear into the earth:


The Canadian Northern may now be only a memory, but across Warden Avenue the hydro corridor continues alongside the Bloor-Danforth subway line, where I head to the end of Scarborough at Victoria Park Station:

The active portion of the track is the GECO sub, connecting the Stouffville line to some remaining customers over by Pharmacy and Eglinton.

This line would have served the GM Scarborough Van plant some year back, land that is now 'Eglinton Town Centre' and a TTC bus garage.

The Bloor-Danforth Subway also runs directly beneath this ROW from just north of Warden Stn to Kennedy Stn. You will find emergency exits from the tunnels en route.

 

[Goldie]

Thanks for that tour along a former rail right-of-way, EVCco. I've always been intrigued by abandoned rail lines.
I came across this r-o-w a few years ago. It was the Canadian Northern Railway and this 1932 map shows its path thru parts of Scarborough - particularly the section that taversed the site of today's Thompson Memorial Park (Lawrence E. at Brimley) as it approached Ellesmere (circled).
For many years I had noticed the wide swath of vacant land on the south side of Ellesmere (just E. of McCowan) and made this 'Then & Now' of new homes built on the former right-of-way.
I wonder if those homeowners know they're living on a 'lost' rail line.

 

[EVCco]

This is the old 'Scarborough Transportation Corridor' it was intended as the eastern extension of the Gardiner Expressway to connect with 401 roughly where highway 2A is now.

The corridor lands were fully or close to fully assembled in Scarborough, but only bits and pieces west of Victoria Park Avenue (still beside the railway, one or 2 parks sit on said lands), the connection would have run down the ravine just east of Coxwell, then angled over.

I knew someone here would have the answer, thanks Northern Lights! According to the "Acquired Lands" map on this site - http://www.gettorontomoving.ca/Scarborough_Expressway.html - the section in question seems to have once run through a residential area. The article on that page, however, still dosen't seem to explain why the proposed expressway took this little detour instead of following the Kingston Sub the whole way. If it was simply to keep the expressway as straight as possible and avoid the slight bend in the railway at this point, was it really cheaper to purchase all that land than to build a little extra road? Or is there another reason why the expressway couldn't follow the railway here...?

 

[EVCco]

Thanks for that tour along a former rail right-of-way, EVCco. I've always been intrigued by abandoned rail lines.
I came across this r-o-w a few years ago. It was the Canadian Northern Railway and this 1932 map shows its path thru parts of Scarborough - particularly the section that taversed the site of today's Thompson Memorial Park (Lawrence E. at Brimley) as it approached Ellesmere (circled).
For many years I had noticed the wide swath of vacant land on the south side of Ellesmere (just E. of McCowan) and made this 'Then & Now' of new homes built on the former right-of-way.
I wonder if those homeowners know they're living on a 'lost' rail line.

Ah, great pics Goldie! I was actually planning on heading along that way sometime in the future as well, but do you mean to tell me its been filled-in/blocked-off now? I really do need to get a more recent map!