Humber River Visit

On Friday, we visited the Humber River location beside Old Mill subway station. Although the weather was not the greatest we were able to get an idea about the are that we will be conducting our activity in on April 28th. It was a chilly afternoon, but the area was quiet and tranquil. The only people in the immediate area were a group of fisherman, apparently trying their luck at catching rainbow trout, much to our surprise. Rainbow Trout in the Humber River?

This knowledge only served as a reminder that helping to keep the area clean for the visitors to the area, but also for the wildlife in the area. We saw a number of aquatic birds on our hike and saw some signs warning us about coyotes being in the area.

Walking along the Humber River we noticed several pockets of garbage littering the river's edge.

Here is a selection of photographs from our visit, there is a natural beauty to the area and even the man-made structures add an interesting element to the visuals.

We hope we can keep this area clean for everyone.

Old Mill

I know we haven't been keeping this blog as up to date as we would like that is changing today. For the next few weeks we will try and get a blog post up every other day, beginning today.

The Humber River Conservation Act or Project has been put together by myself(Chris Mouland) and my colleague Graham Clark. I will use "we" from now on, because this is a blog that reflects the thoughts of both of us.

First off, I think we should discuss the area in which we will be completing this endeavor. The section of the Humber River we will be focusing on is located near the Old Mill section of Toronto. Old Mill is a neighbourhood that is northwest of Bloor Street and Jane Street. This area was built up before and after the World War II and is famous for the Old Mill Inn and Spa.

Before being built up into the area we know today, Old Mill was a French fishing and hunting settlement from 1720 onward. Old Mill has a very European feel to it that can be seen in the buildings in the area.

We hope you are able to explore this area when you come on by and help us clean up part of the Humber River.

Cheers!!


*All information was collected from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Mill,_Toronto

Background Information about the Humber Project idea

Just a little background information on this idea from our initial proposal:

 The project being put forth for approval aims to clean and preserve the waterways within the Greater Toronto Area. The first year of this program will focus primarily on the south Humber River, starting underneath the Old Mill TTC station, proceeding south towards Lake Ontario. With assistance from an outdoor recreational company and volunteer work from local high schools and social organizations, this group will clean and preserve this natural resource. This project will assemble a group of volunteers who will walk the riverside path to clean garbage from the grass and bushes. There will also be another team using canoes to comb the river for garbage. It is important to get the school groups involved, because it will encourage students to be more active within the natural beauty of their own city, while potentially gaining a great outdoor experience learning how to effectively use canoes and kayaks.

Keeping the Humber River clean will allow more visitors to experience the natural beauty year round, instead of being put off by a vast amount waste. Cleaning the area will help to boost local community involvement, conserve the natural habitats for animals, and encourage tourist activities. 

Our end goals are to:

• Gaining acceptance from the companies, schools, and social groups to participate in this venture.

• Attracting a sizable amount of volunteers to help with this project.

• Receiving a combination of donations, time, and utensils (such as garbage bags) to complete the project.

• Increased attention for the project from online sources such as Facebook and Twitter.

• Collecting a certain number of filled garbage bags and recycling bins.

• Gaining a certain number of sponsors to help fund the project. In terms of resources such as coffee, garbage bags, tents, trucks to move the waste, and other items.

New Twitter Account

We have a new Twitter Account that is being set up, follow the Humber Project on twitter at:

@HumberProject13