Don Valley Brick Works
From Free net encyclopedia
The Don Valley Brick Works is a former Toronto, Ontario, Canada industrial site which has been converted into a wetland area. The Don Valley Brick Works provided most of the bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature. The now mostly abandoned Brick Works is a heritage site set along Toronto's Discovery Walks.
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History
The Don Valley Brick Works has gone through many changes over the years, but it can all be traced back to 1882, when a 25 year-old man named William Taylor was digging postholes to make a fence and noticed that the clay in the soil would make excellent bricks. Along with brothers George and John, Taylor quickly turned the small brick manufacture into an innovative business. They continuously experimented with brick manufacturing methods, creating quality bricks, an exhibit of which won them the highest award at the Chicago World's Fair.
The Brick Works continued to make bricks well into the 20th century, closing in 1989.
Quarry ponds
Since its establishment in 2001, the Brick Works wetland has come to provide shelter not only for many different plant species native to Canada, but also for a number of animals, including ducks, Canada Geese, toads, muskrats, sparrows, and others.
The Brick Works wetland is connected to a number of other nature reserve areas via forest trail, and is part of a larger effort to reestablish the Don Valley watershed.
This area was the site of a number of important geological discoveries which provided information on the glacial history of southern Ontario.
Future of the Brick Works
A non-profit called Evergreen has plans to develop the abandoned buildings into a cultural centre with a focus on the environment.
The following is from Evergreen.ca:
Evergreen Commons at the Brick Works will be a cultural centre for experiencing how nature makes our cities more livable. Located at the Don Valley Brick Works, an industrial heritage property in downtown Toronto, Evergreen at the Brick Works will be built on the foundations of nature, culture and community. Showcasing the best in green design technologies and community programming, it will be a place for experiential learning, collaboration, for fun and celebration.