Walking Tour: Could the Humber River Have Become Brûlé Lake?

In 1929, a coalition of amateur sports leaders called for the creation of a grand rowing regatta course on the lower Humber River between Bloor Street and Lake Ontario. Had it happened, the largely natural river we experience today would have been transformed into a two kilometre-long recreational area with significant implications for local development as well as the environment and future natural disasters including Hurricane Hazel. This walk will explore the story of "Brûlé Lake" by walking the length of the course. We will explore how it almost came to be, what it could have meant, why the effort failed, and how the saga could be viewed as symbolic of the end of the predominance of amateur sports in favour of professional sports in Toronto.

The walk will be co-led by Patrick Okens, whose career in sport has included management roles at Row Ontario, Vancouver 2010 and Toronto 2015. His book Blues Before Sunrise: Rowing at the University of Toronto was published in 2023. Walk co-leader Lance Gleich has a life membership in the Swansea Historical Society and has been leading its annual walks since 2014. He is currently president of Heritage York, vice-president of DynaRail, and secretary of Walk Toronto.

The walk will begin at the Rousseaux Site off the South Kingsway, where parking is available. The starting location is just across the South Kingsway from the Ripley Avenue stop on the 77 Swansea bus, and a short walk from the 501 Queen streetcar. It will end near the Old Mill subway station, where paid parking is available. A more direct walk between the starting and finishing locations is possible via Bloor Street and Riverside Drive.

Registration is NOT required but will allow us to contact you if there are any changes.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Rousseaux Site, 8 South Kingsway, Toronto, Canada