THE CHANGING WATERS OF BOLTON:
Growth, Memory, and the Land
The Humber River, known in Ojibwe as Gebekanaang-ziibi, has long been a vital artery of movement, trade, and gathering for Indigenous nations.
The Carrying Place Trail, which follows the Humber, was a crucial connector for Indigenous communities, linking settlements and facilitating travel between Lake Ontario and the upper Great Lakes.
This relationship with water extended beyond the river itself: its many tributaries and creeks sustained life, provided food, and shaped the land.
With European settlement came significant transformation. As settlers claimed land along the Humber, they cleared old-growth forests for agriculture, built water-powered mills, and altered the landscape to fit a different vision of community.
Many creeks and waterways, once integral to the local ecosystem and Indigenous ways of life, were altered or buried to make way for roads, homes, and industry.
Jaffary’s Creek, a historical tributary of the Humber River, a once-visible waterway flowing through Bolton, is a striking example of how urban development has shaped – and at times erased – the natural features of the land.
Settlement and the Growth of Bolton
Watermills were among the first signs that European settlers intended to stay in an area, as 19th-century towns relied on water to power agriculture and industry.
In 1821, George Bolton purchased a mill lot on the Humber River, near what is now Queen Street. His mill became the foundation for a growing settlement, attracting more settlers to the area.
One of those settlers, Wyatt Jaffary, arrived in Bolton in 1859. He and his family built a home along a bend in a creek that, at the time, flowed visibly through the town.
(Tweedsmuir History of Bolton, n.d.)
(Tweedsmuir History of Bolton, n.d.)
As Bolton continued to develop, Wyatt established himself as a local businessman. He purchased a storefront at King and Queen Streets, opening Jaffary’s Store, a general goods shop that served the growing community. The Jaffary family maintained ownership of the store until 1954, when Bertha Gulley, Wyatt’s niece, sold the building to Mr. Houston.
Over time, the creek near the Jaffary family home became known as Jaffary’s Creek. However, as urban development expanded, much of the creek was altered or buried, reflecting the broader changes that shaped the land as Bolton grew.
Segmenting and Burying Jaffary’s Creek
When the Jaffary family built their home, the creek was still visible and ran through the town. It was even a popular fishing spot.
Urban development in the town, however, soon overtook the natural environment. Maps from the late 1800s show that development in West Bolton had already buried portions of Jaffary’s Creek.
By the 1950s, Bolton community members recognized that burying the Creek was the cause of “such a serious problem in Bolton.” The creek was out of sight, but its presence caused flooding and disruptions that have impacted the West Bolton community for over a century.
Locating the Creek
Urban development has reshaped Jaffary’s Creek, dividing it into two disconnected segments. Today, much of the creek is buried underground, channelized into pipes and sewers.
The section where you now stand is one of the segments, which is cut off from the rest of the creek and is mainly fed by stormwater runoff from nearby roads and private properties. It is not unusual for this segment of the creek to be dry during summer months when rainfall is limited.
The other segment flows from the stormwater pond at Harvest Moon Drive and Coleraine Drive through Jaffary’s Creek Pond, where it is directed into underground pipes. It continues beneath Deer Valley Drive before discharging into the Humber River.
Physical alterations and declining water quality have disrupted the creek’s ecosystem, negatively impacting fish populations. Once a popular fishing destination in the 1860s, Jaffary’s Creek now supports only a limited number of fish, primarily tolerant warm water minnows, in the segment fed by the stormwater pond near Coleraine Drive.
The warm, slow-moving water from the pond has created conditions that favour these species, making a return to more diverse fish populations unlikely.
Despite these changes, both segments of the creek remain an important urban habitat, supporting plant species including those of conservation concern, such as eastern hemlock, variegated horsetail, arrow-leaved aster, and bladder sedge.
It also continues to provide refuge for wildlife, including birds as well as amphibians and mammals such as mink, muskrats, short-tailed shrews, and American toads, demonstrating the resilience of nature even in altered landscapes.
Caring for Jaffary’s Creek Today
For generations, Indigenous peoples have understood that altering creeks disrupts not only water flow but also the plants, animals, and people who depend on them. Indigenous approaches to creek stewardship emphasize working with nature rather than against it.
A powerful example is the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, who successfully restored Gerties Creek, a waterway once dried and damaged by urban development. By reestablishing water flow and restoring native plant and animal life, they demonstrated how ecosystems can heal when given the right care.
Recognizing similar challenges, the Town of Caledon conducted an Environmental Assessment study in 2018 to develop long-term strategies for managing flooding and erosion in the section of Jaffary’s Creek where you stand now.
This led to the implementation of erosion control measures including armourstone reinforcements, vegetated rock retaining walls, and live stake plantings.
This section of Jaffary’s Creek before (first three images) and after (last three images) implementation of erosion control measures.
A rain garden was also installed to collect runoff from the Immanuel Reformed Church of Bolton’s parking lot and remove pollution from the water before it slowly reaches the creek.
These collective measures help stabilize the creek and reduce the impact of stormwater runoff during storm events.
As you continue along Hidden Creek Walk, consider the ways history and nature intersect, and how we can all play a role in protecting our environment for future generations.
Archival Spotlight
Jaffary’s former store has seen many uses since Bertha Gulley sold the building. Over the years, it has operated as a convenience store, a bakery, and even a beauty salon.
Each new business adds to the evolving story of the space and the community around it.
What new stories do you imagine this building will hold in the years to come?
CONCLUSION
Your journey along the Hidden Creek Walk has revealed the deep connections between people and waterways, from the Indigenous Nations who relied on them for travel and sustenance to the settlers who built their communities along their banks.
While urban development has altered Jaffary’s Creek, its influence on West Bolton’s landscape and history continues.
The story of this creek is one of resilience: of nature adapting to human intervention and of people working to restore balance. By caring for local waterways like Jaffray’s Creek through conservation efforts, sustainable practices, and community initiatives, we can help protect these vital ecosystems.
As you leave this walk, take a moment to reflect on the role of water in shaping the places we call home, and consider this:
How can we, as Bolton residents, help protect Jaffary’s Creek and other local waterways to ensure they remain a vital part of our community for generations to come?
