Dennis Hanagan –
The popular Paddle the Don that saw hundreds of canoe and kayak enthusiasts paddle the river annually was suspended in 2020. But City Council wants it back for 2027.
Council voted in June to have staff work with Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Region and Conservation Authority to come up with a “reimagined” Paddle the Don. Council wants a report by early next year about how the talks are progressing and the TRCA’s Board of Directors is expected to decide on the matter next spring.
Paddle the Don began in 1993 but was suspended in 2020 due to Covid-19 and construction in the Lower Don that saw the river’s mouth rerouted into Lake Ontario.
A staff report says that until its suspension the event drew about 500 participants annually along its 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mile) route from Ernest Thompson Seton Park near Eglinton Avenue and Leslie Street to the Lower Don and the Keating Channel. If revived, the paddle would likely end at Canoe Cove within the newly created Biidaasige Park, the report suggests.
TRCA staffer Ralph Toninger said in an email to the bridge that paddling the Don was a highlight of spring for him. As an experienced paddler he helped guide dignitaries, media representatives and first-time participants. Working with organizers, emergency services personnel and other volunteers, he said, made it “truly special.”
“Each May, the paddle marked the arrival of spring and offered a welcome escape from everyday city life,” Toninger said. “Despite travelling through one of Canada’s largest urban centres and alongside the Don Valley Parkway, the river often felt more like a remote northern waterway.”
The high water levels in spring along with abundant bird and wildlife in the valley created “a peaceful and immersive experience that consistently surprised participants…many were amazed by the tranquility,” Toninger said.
A statement from the TRCA to the bridge said that organizing the event requires many months of preparation to plan a route based on river conditions, safety considerations for participants and staff, emergency planning, equipment, logistics and arranging permits and sponsorships. Corporate sponsors and participant fees help fund the event.
The statement said Paddle the Don was launched to connect the public with nature and to foster appreciation for the Don. TRCA’s website says the watershed covers approximately 36,000 hectares (90,000 acres) along the 38 kilometres from its headwaters in the Oak Ridges Moraine to Lake Ontario.
Toninger said he’s seen many positive changes in his years of paddling the Don, as a result of restoration and environmental improvement projects. “While there is still much work to be done, seeing these improvements firsthand was inspiring and reinforced the importance of continued stewardship and restoration efforts,” he said.
The mouth of the Don and its wetlands was an important gathering place for First Nations people because of its plentiful fish and wild rice. According to The Don River Valley Park website, the Ojibwe called the river Waasayishkodenayosh, meaning “burning bright point” – likely referring to the practice of using torchlight at night to spear then-plentiful salmon.
