Wandering around the west side (ii) the historic aqueduct

Wandering around the west side by foot and by bike reveals new wonders perhaps missed because the summer heat made me slothful.

Here’s the stone walls along most of the aqueduct through LeBreton Flats. They were restored / rebuilt about 20 years ago, but the City sorta benignly neglected to maintain the bank sides and landscaping ever since. Many of the trees have died (for lack of water, since they were planted in giant “pockets” underlain with impermeable fabric so the roots can’t get to the water table).

The view below is from the new Booth Freeway overpass, which offers never-before-seen angles to view the future Sens land and in-progress Claridgeland.

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On the south side of the aqueduct, the old rip rap rough stone slope installed behind the transitway bus stops has been removed, and a new wall built. It has similar stone pattern on the face, but its concrete, and brite white to boot.

I wonder if it ever went through the Heritage folks or if everything got forgotten in the rush to get the Confederation Line underway.

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The brite white will offer sharp contrast to the inevitable tagging and spray paint vandalism expressions of art by repressed and disadvantaged populations.