Location: The Queensway at Moynes Ave.
Date photo taken: 5 May 2014
When I first spotted this small hut sitting on the sidewalk I assumed it was a fish and chip stand. The painting on the side features a stylized fish so it seemed like a good guess but I was wrong. This structure is part of the monitoring system for a new stormwater runoff project being tested by the city. The project is called The Queensway Sustainable Sidewalk Study.
In the normal course of things, when it rains in Toronto the stormwater runs off through grates on the street and then flows completely untreated through tunnels to nearby streams or Lake Ontario. Along the way the water picks up debris and pollutants from road surfaces and lawns. This new system redirects rain water to two large chambers under the sidewalk. These chambers are filled with sand and mulch and have trees planted in them. When the water enters the chambers, it is filtered through layers of cloth and then is further filtered by the tree roots, sand and mulch. The result is cleaner water entering nearby Mimico Creek and happy, healthy trees providing shade on the sidewalk.
The small painted hut holds the monitoring equipment necessary to determine the effectiveness of the project. If it's a success, more chambers will be installed throughout the city. The painting on the hut was carried out by the Cecil Community Centre's Graffiti Transformation Project. It was designed and painted by program coordinator Erin Zimerman and a team of six youth artists.
For more information on stormwater management, visit the Toronto Water website, or check out this earlier post about the Yellow Fish program.
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