Decades of cleanup and restoration led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority have improved water quality and habitat conditions. Recent surveys show the return of more than twenty fish species, and the project is viewed locally as a symbol of long-term environmental commitment and success.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: @nobleshots;

Restoration included undoing past canalisation, rebuilding wetlands, reintroducing native vegetation, and creating new natural spaces, such as Ookwemin Minising Island.

The river’s revival mirrors other global urban waterway recovery projects, demonstrating measurable environmental improvement after sustained intervention.