A Hidden Toronto Spot?

I had never heard of the Rosehill Reservoir until I started doing a little research on an interesting sculpture located there.

The Rosehill Reservoir sits beside Rosehill Avenue, east of Yonge Street, and is part of the David A. Balfour park:

The Reservoir was created in 1874 to supply clean drinking water to the residents of Toronto, and continues serving this function to the present day. The underground Reservoir stores 270 million litres of drinking water.

The Days of the Open Reservoir

These shots from the Toronto City Archives show how the Reservoir looked circa 1930s, prior to its being covered and landscaped:

The Great Cover-up

In the early 1960s the City of Toronto covered over the then-open top of the Reservoir. This was done for a number of reasons: maintenance and cleanliness obviously, but at the time there was a fear that spy satellites (which could clearly see the Reservoir from space) could enable enemy agents to poison Toronto’s water supply.

The completion of the Reservoir covering fell at the same time as Canada’s 1967 Centennial celebrations. As such, the landscaping on top of the Reservoir was treated as a Centennial project, and an appropriate plaque was installed in the new park:

Centennial plaque on the “Water Molecule” sculpture

The park’s water molecule sculpture (entitled – wait for it – Water Molecule) is a representation of the basic molecular structure of water (H2O). The oxygen atoms are represented by the spheres and the hydrogen atoms appear as the connecting rods:

Renovations

In 2020 the park closed to undergo major renovations by the City of Toronto. The park partially reopened in November 2022, with an official full re-opening in spring 2023.

In addition to repairs and upgrades to the reservoir and water systems, the upgrades removed the fountains and ponds which were the main feature of the park previously, but saved the Water Molecule sculpture.

The new park features a ring trail around the park and two shady pergolas. At the northeast corner of the park the public bathroom facilities were renovated and upgraded.

The City of Toronto website lists the following park enhancements of the most recent renovation:

  • Re-designed park entrance on Rosehill Avenue
  • Expanded gardens, including a community flower garden cared for by local community volunteers
  • More than 250 newly planted trees and shrubs
  • New, accessible multi-use trails
  • New washrooms
  • Two new seasonal water fountains with dog bowls
  • New lighting on all paths for improved accessibility and safety
  • Additional benches and picnic tables
  • New artwork throughout, such as larger water valves and repositioned and enhanced heritage water feature (the water molecule)
  • New historical plaques
  • New community lending library

In 2021 the Water Molecule sculpture was moved from the centre of the park to a more visible location overlooking Rosehill Avenue.

The washroom building
Looking south
Valve House for reservoir
A fragment of an old Reservoir pipe, now serving as a sculpture

The Rosehill Garden

Instigated and created by local residents, the Rosehill Garden in the Park adds a bit of colour (and plenty of dandelions by the look of it…) to the expanse:

The north side of the Reservoir, taken while walking along Rosehill Avenue. The park surface clearly rises over the reservoir.

Here is a very interesting (and short) CBC video on this so-called “Hidden Toronto Spot”:

References:
City of Toronto Archives
City of Toronto Construction Projects
Hidden Toronto by Dave Leblanc