German Mills Creek

German Mills Creek
View of Leslie Street bridge spanning over German Mills Creek
German Mills Creek is located in Toronto
German Mills Creek
Location of the mouth of the creek in Toronto
EtymologyNamed after the pioneer settlement German Mills
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
RegionGreater Toronto Area
MunicipalitiesToronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationVaughan
 • coordinates43°54′42″N 79°28′54″W / 43.91167°N 79.48167°W / 43.91167; -79.48167
 • elevation316 m (1,037 ft)
MouthDon River
 • location
Toronto
 • coordinates
43°47′48″N 79°22′56″W / 43.79667°N 79.38222°W / 43.79667; -79.38222
 • elevation
152 m (499 ft)
Length10 km (6.2 mi)
Basin features
River systemGreat Lakes Basin
Tributaries 
 • leftDuncan Woods Creek

German Mills Creek is a river in the municipalities of Markham, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Vaughan in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.[1] It is part of the Great Lakes Basin and is a left tributary of the East Branch Don River. It originates in Vaughan (near Bathurst Street and the King–Vaughan Town Line), flows south through Richmond Hill and Markham, and empties into the East Branch Don River in the East Don Parklands in Toronto, south of Steeles Avenue between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street. It is part of a number of streams, swamps and swales located near the Oak Ridges Moraine. The creek's approximate length is 10 kilometres (6 mi).

It is named after the pioneer settlement German Mills, founded by William Berczy in 1796. The settlement disappeared after a few years, but the creek retained the name. The Richmond Hill portions of the river snake through residential development with a very narrow greenbelt on either side of the creek. The Markham sections run through a mix of residential, commercial and light industrial areas.

Duncan Woods Creek is a small left tributary that flows northwest to German Mills Creek in Toronto, at the southeast corner of Steeles Avenue and Leslie Street.[2]

There are a few undeveloped portions along the creek, mostly as parks in Markham.

  1. ^ "German Mills Creek". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  2. ^ Toronto and area street guide. MapArt. 2010. pp. 103, 104, 343, 349, 355. ISBN 978-1-55198-213-7.