The Don Valley Brick Works is a former quarry and industrial site. It is now a park with a series of naturalized ponds. For almost 100 years the Brick Works made bricks used to construct many Toronto landmarks such as Casa Loma, Massey Hall and Osgoode Hall.

In the 1830’s a paper mill stood on the site. The Taylor brothers founded The Don Valley Brick Works in 1889. During it’s operation the company changed hands many times. Robert Davies bought the Don Valley Pressed Brick Company in 1909 and changed the name to the Don Valley Brick Works Company Limited. In 1928 Strathgowan Investments bought the company and renamed it the Toronto Brick Company. United Ceramics Limited of Germany took ownership of the site in 1956 and over the next 25 years constructed a new sand-lime plant. During this time a Parkhill Martin Brick Machine was moved to the site to produce soft-mud bricks.

The Brick Works was sold in the 1980’s for residential redevelopment. Clay and shale deposits were exhausted thus making the Brick Works cease to function as an industrial site. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority expropriated the land in 1987. In 1994 restoration of the landscape began and opened as the Weston Quarry Gardens in 1997. Since it’s creation the wetlands preserve have attracted many species of birds

A large brick smokestack with the word valley written on one side announced the location. Inside the control room were a set of defunct switches. Moving further inside, kilns and other fixtures were covered with a thick layer of dust. Vintage meters, gauges and control switch boxes made for an interesting view. The Parkhill machine was very impressive and the many rows of kilns looked like catacombs stretched out as far as the eye could see. Numerous pipes and walkways were located above and around the kilns while the concrete floor sported rails running parallel to the tunnels.

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Valley_Brick_Works

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