I awoke this morning to the sound of thunder and the deep hum of raindrops crashing through trees, knocking leaves to the ground. I walked out my front door and dragged my feet through the rivers forming at the side of the road. The leaves were blocking the sewers, turning every intersection into a gathering point of tributaries, gathering momentum before carrying on. I followed a leaf in the river as it swam along my neighbourhood’s streets, and it felt as if we were walking together. A few sewers weren’t fully clogged yet, so I grabbed handfuls of leaves and filled the gaps so the river wouldn’t lose steam. One day when I have enough time and money, I’ll get forty thousand custom-made metal plates that fit over sewer grates and I’ll ask a few hundred friends to help during a night-storm and we’ll turn Toronto into a city that is much more canoe-friendly. What about the sick and elderly, you ask? No problem. The Harbourfront cops have boats. And Porter Airlines could turn their fleet into water-planes, helping out those in need.
If you like urban rivers too, join the Human River project on October 14 & 15.