The Market Gallery will present an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of Roland Caldwell Harris’s appointment as the Commissioner of Works for the City of Toronto.

“The Water Czar: R.C. Harris Works for Toronto, 1912-45″ will run from September 15, 2012 to March 2, 2013. The exhibition will chronicle his unprecedented and unmatched 33-year career as head of the City’s works department through archival photos, maps and plans, and by artifacts rarely or never seen before.

“This exhibition is a wonderful tribute to a remarkable city builder,” said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City’s Economic Development Committee. “When Torontonians drink a glass of tap water or cross the Prince Edward Viaduct, they are benefiting from his work.”

Harris became Commissioner in 1912 after a series of water-related scandals caused the City Engineer to resign. Appointed for his administrative ability more than for his technical acumen, Harris quickly developed a civic vision that viewed public works as the cornerstone of a greater Toronto.

Harris spent over three decades tackling Toronto’s water challenges – bridging it, making the harbour accessible, obtaining a secure supply of tap water and getting rid of the city’s wastewater. When he died in office in 1945, Toronto was a safer, healthier, better functioning and more beautiful place. Toronto’s Prince Edward Viaduct and art deco architectural gem the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant are two of his legacies.

This exhibition is sponsored by international engineering firm CH2M HILL. In Canada, this company’s history includes merging with Gore, Nasmith and Storrie, a Toronto-based company that worked closely with Harris through his career.

The Market Gallery is a program of City of Toronto’s Cultural Services. It presents exhibitions dedicated to Toronto’s art, culture and history and offers educational programs for school groups and adults. Located on the second floor of South St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front St. E., the gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit: http://www.toronto.ca/culture/the_market_gallery.htm

Toronto Water has completed a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) study for the Don River and Central Waterfront Project.   The Class EA study addresses the issue of stormwater and combined sewer overflows, which are discharged to the Don River and Central Waterfront during wet weather events, resulting in the degradation of water quality and impacting our environment.

Building on the recommendations of the City’s Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (approved by City Council in 2003), the Class EA study has defined the problems/opportunities, identified and evaluated alternatives, and determined a preferred solution and design in consultation with the public, review agencies, and other stakeholders.   The Class EA study recommends new infrastructure to intercept and treat polluted stormwater and combined sewer overflows before they discharged to the Don River, Inner Harbour, and Taylor Massey Creek.  The recommended solution also addresses sanitary servicing needs by integrating improvements to the City’s sanitary trunk sewer infrastructure and wet weather flow controls into one complete system.  When fully implemented, the project will achieve significant improvements in water quality in the lower Don River and Inner Harbour, and provide for safety of operation for the City’s critical sanitary trunk sewer infrastructure.

The Environmental Study Report (ESR), which documents the findings and recommendations of the Class EA study is being placed on the public record for a 45-day review period from August 10 to September 24, 2012.  The ESR (pdf. files) will be available on the study website at www.toronto.ca/cleanwaterways starting on August 10, 2012.  The ESR (hard copies) will also be available for public review starting August 10th at various libraries throughout the study area.

More information about the Don River and Central Waterfront Class EA study is available on the City’s website at  www.toronto.ca/cleanwaterways.
If you have any questions about the Class EA study and/or the 45-day public review process,  please contact James Yacoumidis at jyacoum@toronto.ca or 416-392-8834.