Paddling Up the Rouge River Through the Years
Written by, Brian Jackson a technology analyst and former journalist who lives in Toronto, and is one-half of the Urban Paddlers with his wife Cassandra Jowett and two year old daughter Maeve.
March 31, 2024
The first time I paddled the Rouge River, I was alone.
I drove a kayak to the Rouge Hill parking lot at the eastern edge of Scarborough, where the river’s mouth feeds into Lake Ontario. As a former summer camp canoe trip leader, I was determined to make my hobby work in the city and find enjoyable paddling experiences hidden between the concrete and asphalt-laden streets of Toronto. The Rouge River didn’t disappoint.
The first time I paddled the Rouge River, I was alone. I drove a kayak to the Rouge Hill parking lot at the eastern edge of Scarborough, where the river’s mouth feeds into Lake Ontario.
Parking for free in the lot next to the river and crossing the pedestrian footbridge, immediately south of a GO train rail bridge, I loosened my straps and pulled my kayak off the car roof. I walked between the fishermen standing on the riverbank and put it down in the water, carefully stepping in. Then I paddled upstream against the river’s gentle current.
The bottom of the river is wide and full of thriving marsh plants to either side of open waters, easy to paddle. Morning Glory flowers and purple crown vetch can be seen blooming among the plants. Watch closely and you might see a weasel dart out and into the river. Bullrushes stand tall above the water and red-wing blackbirds perch there, their whistling calls easy to hear as you approach.
As I paddled up the narrowing river, the banks rose up and towered. Some of the homes built on the edges of the ravine had long winding staircases down to the river, storing a canoe or kayak there. In one spot, the remains of a tall stonework fireplace stand like a sentinel as geese swim by. Once, it looked like someone had used this to cook, but now it’s an immovable relic.
High above me, terns circled over the waters and dove down into the river. They were so quick, only a splash of water indicated their location, and then they’d emerge with a prized minnow in their beaks. When I paddled back towards the river mouth, I saw the terns landing among the marsh plants, realizing they must make their nests there.
As I pulled my kayak out of the water, I noted the many swans swimming in the pond to the north of the parking lot. They shared the area with many other waterfowl including coots and mallards.
Years later I returned with Cassandra. We brought a canoe for a tandem paddle.
Just as before, we loosened the straps and put the boat in the water next to the fishermen along the shores. I held the gunwales to steady the boat as Cassandra stepped in, then followed by hopping in and pushing off with one foot off the shore. As we went under the bridge, Cassandra pointed up. Swallows were nesting there, their plaster sculptures numerous along the bridge deck. They were full of tiny newborn swallows, open mouths waiting to be fed. The parents dutifully swooped back and forth, catching insects and delivering them home. We continued on the journey that I was familiar with, noting the blackbirds and swans and the towering stone fireplace. We passed a large family of geese and saw mallard ducks nesting on the shores of the river, keeping a watchful eye on us as we paddled past.
We paddled up and under the 401 Highway, held up by massive concrete pillars decorated with graffiti. North of there, entering the Glen Rouge campground area we paddled until we came to a small rapid, the waterfall pushing us back. We paddled towards it to see how far we could fight against the current, and then relented and drifted back the way we came.
Along our return trip, we spied a deer in the woods, near the bottom of the ravine’s steep walls. It looked out at us as if it was as surprised to see us out there on the water as we were to see it. We also saw a Kingfisher flash its wings as it zipped along the riverbank.
Before we pulled our canoe out of the water, we dipped it into the waters of vast Lake Ontario, marvelling that we could see Pickering’s nuclear power plant just down the shore to one side, while a lovely public beach was to the other side. Then, encouraged by growing swells of waves, we retreated to the parking lot.
Four years later Cassandra and I got married. And in 2022 we had our daughter, Maeve. Heading into this summer, she’ll be two years old. She’s already been in a canoe quite a few times, on simple camping trips and even to the Humber River.
This paddling season, Cassandra and I will take Maeve to the Rouge River. I hope she loves it as much as I do. I don’t know what the future holds for me and my family but I know as long as the Rouge River is there, protected by the Greenbelt, we’ll visit its unique and beautiful urban waters and paddle among the Morning Glories. Running through southern Ontario and into Lake Ontario are 21 urban river valleys, protected by the Ontario Greenbelt, many of which provide an amazing opportunity to paddle through the Greenbelt and experience familiar areas in a new way.
To learn more about the Urban Paddlers visit their website, and also learn more about the Greenbelt's Urban River Valley's here.
All images belong to Brian Jackson and Cassandra Jowett.