Welcome to the Hidden Creek Walk!
Select the image below to view and download the full-sized map.
For generations, the Humber River and its many tributaries have shaped the lives of those who live along their banks. Long before the arrival of European settlers, the Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississauga peoples lived in close relationships with these waterways, relying on them for travel, trade, food, and ceremony.
Jaffary’s Creek, one of the Humber’s lesser-known historical tributaries, once flowed freely through Bolton, nourishing the land and its people.
As the town of Bolton expanded, the Creek was gradually buried beneath streets and buildings, its natural course reshaped by urban development. Though much of Jaffary’s Creek now flows underground, its story remains an important thread in the fabric of West Bolton’s past and present.
The Hidden Creek Walk invites you to explore this layered history, revealing how people and water interacted across time and how the land continues to shape community life.
By uncovering this hidden waterway, we are reminded of the importance of our natural environment, and the role we all play in protecting it for future generations.
BEGIN THE HIDDEN CREEK WALK
Why the Hidden Creek Walk Was Created
As part of the West Bolton SNAP vision, the Trails and Places Master Plan was developed in 2020 to guide the creation of an interconnected network of walking trails and revitalized community destinations. Four distinct walks were proposed, each offering unique opportunities for connection, discovery, and sustainability.
The Hidden Creek Walk is the first of these trails to be implemented. Designed to reconnect residents with the local landscape and reveal the story of Jaffary’s Creek, this walk offers a chance to reflect on our shared history and imagine a more sustainable future rooted in awareness, stewardship, and community resilience.
As you complete the Hidden Creek Walk, consider this:
How might you, as a Bolton resident, help protect and restore the natural spaces that continue to shape your community?
Honouring the Land
The Hidden Creek Walk winds across lands that have been home to Indigenous Nations for generations, including Haudenosaunee Peoples, Wendat, Mississaugas, and Chippewa of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. This area is part of Treaty 19 territory, also known as the Ajetance Purchase of 1818.
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The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation lived on much of the land and waterways around Lake Ontario.
Many First Nations fought alongside the British in the War of 1812, but after the war, British policies shifted. Indigenous Nations were increasingly viewed as obstacles to expansion, and pressure mounted to cede lands.
Under economic and political strain, Chief Ajetance and the Mississaugas of the Credit agreed to sell their territory in exchange for £522 per year.
This sale, known as the Ajetance Purchase of 1818, opened the land to European settlement and marked a turning point in how the region’s waterways and landscapes would be used and managed.
Waterways, including the Humber River, have always been vital to Indigenous life, movement, and prosperity. However, historical injustices have limited Indigenous access to these natural resources and altered their natural courses.
Today, recognizing these impacts is an important step toward restoring relationships with the land and its original caretakers.
As we walk this land, we acknowledge the lasting significance of these waterways and the responsibility we all share in upholding treaty relationships. By learning from the past, we can support the ongoing presence, rights, and stewardship of Indigenous communities and work toward a more respectful and sustainable future.
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