The Etobicoke River: Finished just in time (part 6)

Almost 79 years after getting Provincial approval for a diversion of the Etobicoke, a concrete bemoth was put into construction, after the 1948 flood. Costing nearly $1 million (adjusted to $7.9 million in 2006), a quarter of the money came from Brampton, the rest from the Province. Notable local firm the Armstrong Brothers completed construction in November 1951. Two ceremonies were held, and a cairn still stands at Scott and Church Streets, to dedicate the diversion. This expense was proved justified the night of October 15, 1954, when Hurricane Hazel decimated areas from Mimico to Woodbridge. The structure held strong.