The Best of 2017

January 1, 2018

In 2017 we published 59 posts which, naturally means that we got to explore some pretty interesting places. Based on readership, here are the 12 most popular releases of 2017. The cover photo shows the Japanese Cherry Blossoms in High Park which was our overall most popular picture published on our Facebook page in 2017.

12) Albion Falls

We were fortunate to visit Albion Falls before the fences went up. Now getting to the bottom requires a hike up the ravine trail from below the falls.

11) Glenorchy – Ghost Towns of the GTA

Glenorchy was the site of a bridge failure when construction routed a full potato truck over a bridge that couldn’t support it.

10) Abandoned DVP Ramp

One of the clover-leaf ramps to the Don Valley Parkway at York Mills that is very quickly becoming overgrown.

9) Humber Grove – Ghost Towns of the GTA

North of Bolton on the Humber River a small community was removed following Hurricane Hazel. The lines of roads can still be traced leading to various foundations and abandoned bridges.

8) Rosetta McClain Gardens

On the top of the Scarborough Bluffs is a beautiful garden on the former home of Rosetta McClain. Her home has been allowed to crumble but retains a certain mystical charm.

7) Hog’s Back Park – Oakville

While looking for the tunnel from the old dam in Oakville through the Hog’s Back we found some interesting surprises instead.

6) Flynntown – Ghost Towns of the GTA

Not much remains of this ghost town except for the concrete support for one of the dams on the Don River but it made for an interesting exploration.

5) Taber Hill Ossuary

A small mound in a park in Scarborough contains a native ossuary with the remains of 523 people who were buried here before 1250 A.D.

4) Joshua Creek

This exploration of the mouth of Joshua Creek ended with this splendid estate built in 1938.

3) Mimico Branch Asylum

When the Mimico Branch Asylum opened on January 21, 1889, it was known as the Mimico Branch Asylum. When it became independent of the Queen Street Asylum in 1894 it took on the name Mimico Insane Asylum.

2) Toronto’s Abandoned Roads

This post features previously released stories of various abandoned roads in Toronto and was popular with explorers.

1) Palermo – Ghost Towns of the GTA

The ghost town of Palermo, unlike many of the other ones we’ve visited, still has many buildings left from 100 or more years ago. Most of these are vacant and some are almost beyond repair but concern over these historic homes led this story to become the most popular one of 2017.