Merely a metre below Sir Winston Churchill Park is a vast containment of drinking water called the St. Clair Reservoir. Built in 1931 on lands that were donated as part of the Eaton estate, the reservoir is currently being repaired for the first time in its 85-year lifetime.

Councillor Joe Mihevc (centre of the lead photo) of Ward 21, St. Paul’s, was recently invited to tour the inside of the reservoir while it is drained for refurbishment work.

The St. Clair Reservoir can hold a total of 254 megalitres, which is enough water to last the whole city three weeks of average use. The historic Valve House and Portal Building at the south end of the park, are also being restored. The repairs will be completed by 2019, with the park slated to reopen in the fall that year.