Nearest Address: 3601 Eglinton Avenue West, M6M 1V7
Meets: Monday 6:30-8:30 PM starting May 27th; Wednesday 9:30-11:30 AM starting April 24th; Saturday 10:00 AM-12:00 PM starting April 20th.
Transit: Eglinton bus 32, 32A, 32D, Weston Road 89 bus or 71 (Runnymede Station to Industry Street) bus. Meet at the corner of Bayliss and Astoria Ave.
Topham Pond Park is the SE corner of Eglinton Flats, at the intersection of Jane and Eglinton West. The park area is bowl-shaped, with treed slopes (steep in some places) descending from Jane on the west, Eglinton to the north, Astoria and Lambton Avenues to the south and Elhurst Crescent on the east.
Toronto and Region Conservation,(TRCA) and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) took control of the flats after the flooding caused by Hurricane Hazel in 1954. The pond was designed to fill with filtered rainwater, not storm water runoff. The water level is controlled by an outlet at the north west corner. A variety of fish are now caught, including sunfish, catfish, bass, and reportedly, pike. Some of these species were stocked by MNR, others seem to be undocumented settlers. Toronto Forestry has been increasing the tree cover around the pond, and volunteer group have assisted in many ways including cleanups, tree planting, a marten house, and more. Thousands of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers were planted and the ponds are homes to ducks and turtles, Common Garter Snake, Green Frog and Great Blue Heron.