Wa l k BURKE BROOK ( to ) This walk follows a section of Burke Brook, a tributary of the West , as it winds its way through a varied urban area. The walk begins where the stream is buried beneath a formal garden and ends as it flows naturally through a forested ravine. Along the way, specific plants will be described and identified.

The walk begins at the arched of ’s streams have been Public Transit: Getting there: There is a subway stop at Lawrence Avenue 1 entrance to Alexander Muir intentionally channelled underground and Yonge Street. Walk two blocks south on the east side of Yonge, past the Memorial Gardens. Read the plaque to make way for roads and buildings. traffic lights at St. Edmonds Drive, to begin at the arched entrance to on the left stone pillar. Burke Brook, a tributary of the Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens. Don River, joins the West Don near Enter the gardens and walk Getting home: Take bus route 11 south. This bus will take you to the Yonge- 2 Sunnybrook Hospital. The West Don Davisville subway station. towards a low wall and bench eventually joins the East Don to form over which you can see tennis courts. *Public transit routes and schedules are subject to change. Please check with provider. the Lower Don River. TTC Information: www.ttc.ca or 416-393-4636 Take the left or right stairs down and follow the crushed-brick path to the right. At the end of the bowling 5 Parking: The is no parking available at the start of this walk; however, there greens, note the metal railing/ Walk to the right of the tennis is some one-hour parking along the side streets in the area 3 grate to your right. Burke Brook courts and lawn bowling greens emerges from underground here but into Lawrence Park Ravine. Level of Difficulty/Accessibility: This walk follows a route with surfaces is severely restricted within a narrow, straight, cement channel. Stormwater varying from gravel, limestone screenings, paved, bare dirt, woodchips and The ravine slopes seen both from the area’s hard sur faces runs of f wooden stairs and boardwalks. This route passes through a leash-free zone 4 to your right and left are directly down the ravine slopes or into (points 23-27) and is not stroller or wheelchair accessible. evidence of a buried stream. Burke storm sewers that empty into Burke Brook originates in Downsview, but is Brook. Stones along the bank above Approximate Time: 1 to 2 hours. mainly underground until it reaches the cement reduce erosion but, in the Avenue Road and Lawrence some places, flooding has moved the Avenue area where it flows above stones and soil has eroded anyway. Distance: 2.3 kilometres. ground through Chatsworth ravine. Before reaching Yonge Street and As you approach the end 6 Caution: Be aware of cyclists and other trail users at all times. Use the trails at Alexander Muir Gardens, Burke of the parking lot, follow the your own risk. Brooke disappears underground trail on the left side of Burke Brook. and cannot be seen here. Many Use the woodchip trail instead of the

1 Current as of July 2018 2 trail of compacted soil. The stream On your right, find a tree commemorative trees. These gingko people and dogs have created many 12 bank is covered with non-native that seems to have many trees are not native to Canada. During eroded pathways to the water’s edge. species. Many of these plants are (10 – 12) trunks. Look carefully at the summer and fall, note the fan-shaped When you are opposite the considered invasive because they leaves and you will see that two leaves with veins like the ribs of a fan. 20 outcompete native wildflowers and different kinds of trees are intertwined. splashpad, note that a section Cross Blythwood Road to of stream bank has gabion baskets, shrubs that gradually disappear. One is a Manitoba maple and the other 16 is a crack willow. If you can’t se