Colonel Danforth Park is located where Kingston Road and Old Kingston Road pass over the Highland Creek in Scarborough.
This past weekend we had some amazing warm and sunny days – great days to spend some time meandering through a park, especially this year when the autumn colours seem so much brighter and plentiful than in past years. Is it just my imagination or have the colours have also lingered longer?
The north part of the park merges with the grounds of U of T Scarborough campus.
below: Seed pods of ‘dog-strangling vine’ (or swallowwort) starting to burst. This plant is an invasive species. It is quite pretty at this time of year as the seeds are released and the leaves of the plant turn a silvery colour. Unfortunately, it is a fast growing vine that quickly climbs other plants such as this young sumac tree. It will kill that plant.
below: A wasp nest high up in a tree
below: Ooops! “Off roading” taken a bit too far.
below: Under Kingston Road
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“Highland Creek Mills
The early settlers of Scarborough used the waters of Highland Creek to provide power for their many saw and grist mills in this valley. The first mill in the township was built here in 1804 by William Cornell who hauled his mill stone from Kingston on his sled. In 1847 William Hellewell built the first of his four mills on this site. Downstream there were saw mills operated by Jordan Post, Stephen Closson, and others. …”
There have been discussions recently about the lack of washroom facilities in Toronto parks especially once the city deems summer to be over. There were no facilities that I saw on my walk but I was thankful for the porta-potty that was provided. Not the best but I have seen worse!
as I walk Toronto 
Gorgeous colours!