Bringing Water Back to the Channel

It’s back! After a minor retrofit the water is on once more at Sherbourne Common.

POSTED: JUNE 12, 2014
BY: SAMANTHA GILENO

The water is flowing again in Sherbourne Common’s 240-metre long channel. Getting the water running again required a retrofit of the concrete channel on the north side of the park. The problem?  Last summer, the river stones in the channel were used to vandalize the park’s art sculptures. The stones were also causing water quality issues. During the retrofit, the river stones were removed and new concrete was poured to make the depth of the channel safe for those visiting the park.

Views of the Channel during the retrofit and post-retrofit

The channel, which is one of Sherbourne Common’s most striking features, is as functional as it is beautiful.  The water running in the channel is treated in a UV facility located under the park’s zinc-clad Pavilion.  After it’s treated, the water is released from Light Showers – the three dramatic art sculptures – into the water channel. Clean water travels the full length of the channel and back out to Lake Ontario. In the future, as the development of East Bayfront progresses, the channel will use to treat stormwater from the area. For now, the UV facility is treating water from Lake Ontario. Either way, the water going back to the lake is pristine – and that’s a good thing.

Image of Sherbourne Common - photo credit: Nicola Betts