Duffins Creek
Photo of West Duffins Creek by Kristina Jackson July 2022
Land in North Pickering was expropriated during the 1970’s to be used as an airport. The plans were contested from the start and citizens stopped the original proposal. Now, thirty years later the issue has resurfaced. This time it is not only the lands at risk, but also the last remaining undeveloped habitat to many species.
Over the last few decades urban sprawl has eliminated most, if not all natural areas like farms, fields and forests in the GTA. The undeveloped land in North Pickering has remained so by sheer luck. It is by far more valuable left as is to continue to provide habitat to species that have no where else to go as most other suitable habitat has been lost forever to the ravages of the GTA’s insatiatble appetite for suburbs and big box malls.
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Duffins Creek watershed is just east of the Rouge River. Though they are in close proximity of each other they are noted by local ecologists to encompass many different species. The Rouge is a warmer water ecosystem and Duffins is a sensitive cold water system. Species cross between both watershed boundaries to access different plants for food sources or for breeding grounds. The two watersheds are interdependent.
This not only will endanger the species but at the same time will put at stake the future of an entire watershed, Duffins Creek, history and class one agricultural soils.