Archaeological Investigations in the Garrison Creek Ravine

Late last Fall archaeological test excavations were carried out under the direction of David Robertson of Archaeological Services, Inc. (ASI) and me, Andrew Stewart of Strata Consulting, for Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the owners of Blocks 32 and 36, opposite Fort York on the east side of Bathurst and south of the railway corridor along the former course of the Garrison Creek. The point of this preliminary work was to identify deposits for more detailed archaeology prior to the construction of housing and development of a park in 2008. This area is one of many in the City of Toronto with high archaeological potential that deserve careful investigation. They are identified in a Archaeological Master Plan prepared by ASI for the City and available at: <http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/pdf/centralwaterfrontarchaeology.pdf>

Toronto Community Housing Corporation, under the direction of Peter Zimmerman, its manager of housing development, is leading the way among land developers in taking a serious interest in the city’s history. By providing a consultative and cooperative process for this research, TCHC has ensured that at least some of the results can be incorporated into the new development and its landscaping.

To prepare for the excavations, a sound understanding of the site’s history was developed from 19th century maps and accounts, many of which are found in Dr. Carl Benn’s authoritative and attractive book, Historic Fort York, 1793-1993 (Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., 1993), for sale in the Fort York Canteen. Another source was, “An American Spy’s Report on Fort York, 1840,” found on the Friends’ web site: <www.fortyork.ca/history>.

The lands being investigated have a complex history that includes the erection of the fort itself on the shore of Lake Ontario flanking Garrison Creek; the development of the Queen’s Wharf on the east side of Garrison Creek in 1833; the construction of railways and related structures south and east of the fort beginning in the mid-19th century; and the building of a slaughterhouse practically on top of the fort in 1898-1903 that resulted in demolition of its guardhouse, southeast bastion and part of the east rampart.

Originally the landform on the east of Bathurst Street was a steep, eroding bank falling from high ground roughly level with Fort York down to Garrison Creek. Under this high ground lay clayey till (left by the glacier during the last ice age). After the retreat of ice 13,000 years ago, Garrison Creek assumed its course, cutting down through the till and creating a ravine. In places during the 19th century, the floodplain of this ravine was wide enough to accommodate a stockaded square of stables, stores and sheds for the Royal Artillery.

Closer to the mouth of the creek, the floodplain was the site of a barracks structure and battery built immediately after the American occupation of 1813.

In the mid-19th century the high ground on east side of the ravine where the Russell blockhouse (1797) and original garrison (1790s-1800s) stood was cut down in the course of constructing the railways. Between the 1850s and 1920s fill from this operation and elsewhere was used to bury Garrison Creek and to create rail yards along the shore on either side of the creek.

What we archaeologists are attempting to identify is what of the original (early 19th century) land surface exists under about 2 metres of later 19th and 20th century fill. We are looking for artifacts and structural features that might yet survive in the till, floodplain and shoreline deposits of sand and gravel of the original landforms. As well, we are looking for remains of the Queen’s Wharf and Grand Trunk Railway engine house.

Excavations last Fall were carried out by trenching through the overlying fill, using a backhoe, to determine the depth of original landforms underneath. The high water table, relative to original sediments, and collapsing walls of the trench made it quite difficult to identify and record what was there. In the end, however, artifacts associated with sands and gravels of the Lake Ontario shoreline (or possibly with coarser sediment of the Garrison Creek channel) and remains of some structures were found. This evidence is enough to tell us that something survives from before the mid-19th century when major changes to the landform began. We now need to open up a larger area to explore this evidence and document, precisely, just what is there.

Andrew Stewart is an archaeologist with Strata Consulting.