Abstract
The Riverwood Conservancy is a beautiful park located near the Erindale GO Station and the square one shopping mall. Riverwood consists of around 150 acres of landscape surrounding long flowing water from the Credit River. The Riverwood conservancy serves as an active public for tourists or locals to explore the outdoors with the beautiful nature the park protects and provides.
Before Riverwood ever became a park for the public however it first served as land was used by "First Nations as a place for trading grounds. The community surrounding Riverwood, Erindale, got its start in 1818 when the Mississauga Indians sold their designated mile on either side of the Credit River to the British government, who wanted the tall white pines for Kings Masting to rebuild their navy". (Eastman, 2019).
The interesting part about this park is that it features a vast dedicated and regularly maintained garden called MacEwan Terrace Garden. Along with the garden it features a pathway that leads through a now retired barn that was used when the park was created. This leads into a pathway that is a downhill pathway down that allows you to have smooth straight walking paths that runs right along the Credit River.
The significance of this specific park is that Riverwood Conservancy's is one hundred precent committed to environmental conservation and restoration. Some sections for examples are closed off to the public for this reason as some areas require the attention of the staff to help restore what had been lost, whether due to weather or landscape shifts they are operational and committed to help build the vegetation back up.
Along with the first nation land that the park is using the history significance and change also is important at this park. Riverwood's has a colourful agricultural history "Heritage buildings include the 100-year-old Chappell House, the MacEwan Field Station, which dates to the mid-1800s and is believed to have once been a pickle-processing facility and the MacEwan Barn which has its original hand-hewn internal beams from the 1850s" (Eastman, 2019).
Municipality: Erindale/Mississauga
Local area name: Riverwood
Other identifying names or descriptions: Riverwood Conservancy/Park
Latitude and longitude: 43'33'55' N and 79' 17' 40' W
Physical Dimensions
Length: From end to end it is a 4-kilometer walk
Width: 2.9 kilometer
Surface Area: 65 Hectares, 150 acres
Elevation:
Highest / lowest point: The Highest point of the park is 150 meters above sea level while the lowest elevation point of the park was 128 meters above sea level.
General Description of Your Local Landscape
Riverwood is split into three different sections as a whole. There is the historical architecture this includes heritage buildings including the 100-year-old Chappell House, the MacEwan Field Station, which dates to the mid-1800s and is believed to have once been a pickle-processing facility, and the MacEwan Barn which has its original hand-hewn internal beams from the 1850s.
Secondly, we have the MacEwan Terrance Garden which is a dedicated regularly maintained garden. Along with the garden, it features a pathway that leads through a now-retired barn that was used when the park was created. This leads into a pathway that is a downhill pathway down that allows you to have smooth straight walking paths that run right along the Credit River.
Lastly, we have the pathways that lead down for nice walking, running, and biking trails that allows you to get a nice view of all the beautiful nature as well as being beside the fast-flowing Credit River.
Before Riverwood ever became a park for the public it first served as the land was used by "First Nations as a place for trading grounds. The community surrounding Riverwood, Erindale, got its start in 1818 when the Mississauga Indians sold their designated mile on either side of the Credit River to the British government, who wanted the tall white pines for Kings Masting to rebuild their navy". (Eastman, 2019).
Map: Riverwood Conservancy is located fairly close to the Erindale GO Station, The Credit Valley Hospital, and the square one shopping mall, the park trials stretch under the 403 highway bridge and follows along side the Credit River.
Ecological and Physical Features: Biota
As mentioned before the park includes heritage buildings in the park including the 100-year-old Chappell House, the MacEwan Field Station, which dates to the mid-1800s and is believed to have once been a pickle-processing facility and the MacEwan Barn which has its original hand-hewn internal beams from the 1850s"
Geomorphology:
Riverwood Conservancy has done an excellent job to attempt to restore places in nature that may have been lost due to many different reasons; whether it's been lost due to humans or from natural causes etc, Riverwood is committed to restoring it to what it once was and more.
The Riverwood Conservancy's conservation programs work to protect, improve, and restore Riverwood's natural spaces: forest, tablelands, meadows, ravines, wetlands, creeks, and the Credit River. Our work ensures the beauty and ecological importance of our area is maintained for future generations. Staff and volunteers, together with the City of Mississauga, Credit Valley Conservation, and partnering groups, work to: improve and protect wildlife and native plant habitat; maintain public trails; manage invasive plants; plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers; and conduct field research to better understand local ecosystems and inform management practices.
Hydrogeology
"The history of the pond dates back roughly 10,000 years when a chunk of the last continental glacier broke off and sat surrounded by a lake formed by melting ice. In time the glacier receded, but the land-bound iceberg remained. When it melted, a depression remained and filled with water. There's evidence of glacial fill in the pond sediment, and with the pattern of sand found around its periphery" Parks, 2021)
"More recently, the MacEwan Pond serves as a wetland habitat for a range of native plants and wildlife. However, over the last decade, phragmites, a large group of what is called an invasive plant species, have overrun the pond and choked its open water. Riverwood, through workers and generous volunteers are continuing to work to get rid of these invasive species to hopefully get rid of future invasions (Parks, 2021).
Along with the pond located in Riverwood the city and the Park directors have come together to help clean as much as they can in the Credit River. The river is
"The Riverwood Conservancy – alongside the City of Mississauga, Credit Valley Conservation, and private donors the city and park are working to restore the pond. This year Riverwood will see further study into removing the invasive phragmites and constructing new elements around the pond, including an accessible boardwalk" (Parks, 2021).
Climate/Microclimate
Climate change has had an impact on many different parks around the Ontario region, this also includes Riverwood Conservancy. With the increase in natural temperature and increase in population, we are only at the beginning of the major impacts. The Credit River a great stretch of constant flowing water these past years is facing problems of drying up in certain areas now. This can affect the many water-based species that rely on the river to continue their life cycle. Unfortunately, as the temperatures increase so will the chances of the river drying up, Heavy rainfalls would be the only natural solution to get the river flowing again. When the river overflowed due to a rainstorm earlier this year in 2021, it destroyed some of the natural plants on the side of the trail pathways. The Workers tapped this section off and began to plant the area of the same plants in an attempt to restore what was lost. With an increase of extreme weather in the predictions like heavy rain, wind, and more, the park is dedicated to fixing and restoring lost living nature. Riverwood offers conservation programs that the public can join to fight volunteer to combat the climate change impacts that affect the nature of the park.
Historical Features
As mentioned before Riverwood Conservancy has a rich history to the land over the past two centuries that humans have occupied the land. It first served as the land was used by "First Nations as a place for trading grounds. The community surrounding Riverwood, Erindale, got its start in 1818 when the Mississauga Indians sold their designated mile on either side of the Credit River to the British government, who wanted the tall white pines for Kings Masting to rebuild their navy".
"Riverwood originally consisted of 200 acres of Crown land embracing the Credit River, one of the longest rivers flowing into Lake Ontario. Percy Parker, a Toronto lawyer, bought Riverwood in 1913 as a summer retreat for his family. His wife, Ida, named the property "Riverwood" after the Credit River and surrounding woods. After the death of Percy Parker in 1936, Ida Parker gradually sold pieces of Riverwood until the house sat on only a few acres. When she found the house to be too much to maintain, Ida Parker sold it to Grace and Hyliard Chappell in 1954. When Mr. and Mrs. Chappell purchased Riverwood, renovations to the house took a year to complete and included updating electricity, adding windows in the dining room, replacing the old furnaces, and adding a new water pumping system. Hyliard died in 1988 and Grace sold the property to the Credit Valley Conservation Authority" (Eastman, 2019).
The park was purchased by the City of Mississauga from the Chappell family in 1985 and the park was open to the public in 1990 to be reopened as an active public park.
Cultural Features
Heritage buildings include the Chappell House, the MacEwan House, and Field Station, Barn.
• The Photo above is supposedly an entirely rebuilt structure of the house that MacEwan lived in during the pickle process barn was being used in the 1850s as well as the old Chappell house, which is unfortunately inaccessible to the public.
The MacEwan field station barn dates to the mid-1800s was believed to be a once active pickle process barn. The barn now sits in the middle of the Terrance Garden as a landmark that many visitors use as a reference point of when they attend. The MacEwan Barn actually still has its original hand-hewn internal beams from the 1850s"
The Chappell House: In 1954, Mr. H. Chappell (M.P. for Peel South, 1968-1972) and his wife Grace acquired the surrounding Riverwood land. It was designed by architect A. S. Mathers in the style to blend in with the natural surroundings. It is U-shaped, with two wings extending from the main central section of the house. The property is looked at as a valued important cultural landscape. Its context within the Credit River landscape has played a role in its use for farming.
Land Tenure
With Riverwood Park being surrounded by a large population like the heart of Mississauga is it easy to notice that it is quite heavily human-dominated, however, this can be seen as a good thing as the influence the visitors have greatly helps with improvements that can be made to make experiences more enjoyable. This can be things like more placement of garbage waste bins so that it allows people to litter less or it can be suggestions of a wide range of select events that can be hosted and much more. When the City of Mississauga purchased the land from the Chappell's in 1985 and opened the park in 1990 they were dedicated to creating a park that would get the community involved. In the annual reports of 2020 for Riverwood, it's noted that over around $230,000 dollars was donated to the park to help with the creative process (Annual Report, 2020). This money was put in to help expand the Sensory Path and Terrence Garden.
Connectivity and Context
Riverwood is connected by many different pathways. The Park is connected to the Burnhamthorpe Road/Mississauaga road, as well as being very close to the 403 Highway. Along with this is a short walk from the Erindale Go Station and a 5 minute Drive from Square One Shopping Mall. Meaning this Park is no short of being accessible by anyone in the very densely populated area of Mississauga. Now more than ever Locals and tourists are needed to help support these local parks to help give people a short-term escape from reality atmosphere. With the rise of climate change and other human-made problems, these parks are necessary for those that want to get outside for the day and just be able to take in the fresh air, enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding beauty and even learn some important history on how the park came to be over the centuries. Riverwood is an amazing park that gives honour to those that made the land their own before it was purchased and is working with the city, dedicated to getting rid of waste and restoring many sections that may have been damaged from any circumstances.
Sara Wilbur-Collins
Executive Director
sara.wilburcollins@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 24
Derek Stone
Conservation and Program Manager
derek.stone@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 28
Rasheed Clarke
Marketing Specialist
rasheed.clarke@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 30
Kerry Furneaux
Enabling Garden Coordinator
kerry.furneaux@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 23
Erin Farrow
Education Naturally Teacher
erin.farrow@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 27
Beth Jones
Director of Operations and Finance
beth.jones@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 29
Catherine Wassmansdorf
Education Program Manager
catherine.w@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 26
Luba Tasevski
Data Management Specialist
luba.tasevski@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 25
Taya Kehler
Gardens Coordinator
taya.kehler@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878
Sandra Zadkovic
Director of Development and Communications
sandra.zadkovic@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 32
Brian Packham
Office Manager
info@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 21
Stephanie Keeler
Community Program Coordinator
stephanie.keeler@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 33
Maria DeVuono-Wallace
Volunteer Coordinator
maria.devuonowallace@theriverwoodconservancy.org
905-279-5878 x 31
Chappell House
4300 Riverwood Park Lane
Mississauga, ON L5C 2S7
Office hours of operation: 9.00 am - 4.00 pm (Mon-Fri) Park hours of operation: 7.00 am - 11.00 pm (Every Day)
905-279-5878
Reference List
Eastman, S. (2019.). History of riverwood. Riverwood Conservancy. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/history-of-riv....
Events, U. (n.d.). Upcoming events. Riverwood Conservancy Upcoming Events . Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/events/.
Farheen, K. D., & Richter, C. (2017, March 31). (Pdf) individual photo identification of white-tailed deer ... Individual photo identification of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginignus) using natural markings. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329950677....
Jones, T. (2018, September 27). Wetland Preservation: A Pressing Societal Issue. View of wetland preservation: A pressing societal issue. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/jaste/ar.
Natural Areas. (n.d.). Natural Areas Conservation. Natural Area Conservation. Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/conservation/.
Parks, R. (2021, January 8). Trails & maps. Trails, Details, and Maps. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/trails/.
Report, A. (2020). Annual Report - theriverwoodconservancy.org. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/wp-content/upl....
Riverwood. (n.d.). Giving back by going green. Riverwood Conservancy. Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/.
Google Maps Retrieved From
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.5727336,-79.723021/The+Riverwood+Conservancy,+Riverwood+Park+Lane,+Mississauga,+ON/@43.563441,-79.6735997,16z/data=!4m10!4m9!1m1!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x882b41425561761f:0x640b9f57eb21713c!2m2!1d-79.6741929!2d43.5650263!3e0
Images:
Image 1: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 2: Michie, M. (2020, August). All Trails: Riverwood Conservancy . All Trails Riverwood Conservancy Photos . Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/ontario/mis....
Image 3: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 4: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 5: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 6: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 7: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 8: History of riverwood. (2019) Riverwood Conservancy. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/history-of-riv....
Image 9: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 10: Carlson, Z. (2021, September 15). Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Image 11: Natural. (n.d.). Natural Areas Conservation. Natural Area Conservation. Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://theriverwoodconservancy.org/conservation/.
This Local Landscape Report was prepared by [Zachary Carlson] for the Brock University course TMGT 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 12, 2021.
All copyrights for cited material rest with the original copyright owners.
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