A creek running behind Langstaff Road and Yonge Street will be getting much-needed restoration as part of a plan to develop the area.

The creek’s remediation will be the first part of a larger plan between the City of Markham, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and developers at Condor Properties to create a pedestrian and transit-oriented hub connected to green space. This project, which will stretch from Bayview Avenue to Yonge Street between Langstaff Road and Holy Cross Cemetery, is known as the Langstaff Gateway Secondary Plan. 

“I can’t say that people love the development, but as far as the creek is concerned, this is a good news story,” said Markham Ward 1 councillor Valerie Burke. 

The Pomona Mills Creek has been very badly abused, according to Burke. The part of the creek that will be restored was previously private land owned by Beaver Valley Stone, a landscaping supplies company, and used for outdoor storage and industrial materials. 

A 2009 environmental assessment report of the Don River watershed, which flows into Pomona Mills Creek, stated, “The Don River watershed has been rapidly extensively urbanized and the river system is reacting to this change.” 

Some of the problems that need to be solved in the remediation include relieving salt contamination, realigning the creek and rebuilding the infrastructure, such as removing some of the gabion walls, which are caged barriers filled with concrete used to prevent long-term erosion in streams but can be harmful to wildlife. Following remediation, the developer intends to build a park around the creek. 

“That creek really hasn’t been well treated throughout the years,” said Sam Balsamo, the president of Condor Properties. “We basically have to somewhat rebuild the creek in order to ensure the vitality of it. It’s a main feature of our development.” 

The creek remediation was announced in a March meeting between city staff and Condor Properties. It is set to begin in June and is expected to take seven to eight months. 

“The developer hired a world-renowned planner, Peter Calthorpe, to design [the Langstaff area] as a transit-oriented redevelopment,” said Burke. “Everything’s basically in place, but the first step is to restore the Pomona Creek.”