flood toronto

Flooding shuts down popular destination in Toronto as heavy rain pummels city

Toronto is feeling the effects of a heavy spring rainstorm on Wednesday, one that has shut down a popular destination for events and outdoor activities.

The city is under a Special Weather Statement amid a storm that could inundate streets with up to 40 mm of rainfall before the system shifts to wet snow.

That rain has drenched Toronto through midday Wednesday, creating issues across the city, including the shuttering of the Evergreen Brick Works due to floods.

By the noon hour, heavy volumes of rain were already putting strain on the city's infrastructure.

Just after 1 p.m., flooding was reportedly causing issues on the Don Valley Parkway, though it does not appear that the Don River had breached its banks at that time.

However, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) issued a flood watch just after 1:30 p.m. as heavy rainfall continued.

It was at this time that photos began to roll in of the Don River reaching the flooding stage.

Around the same time, Evergreen Brick Works reported that it was closing and cancelling all events due to flooding.

Dramatic flooding of the Don Valley Parkway and Bayview Extension seen in years past could soon become little more than a footnote in the history books.

The soon-to-complete Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Project will likely minimize future flooding events upriver, safeguarding low-lying road infrastructure from the regular spring washouts known to cause commuter chaos in the city.

Lead photo by

Becky Robertson


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