A small river in a big city, the Don River Valley is often overlooked when it comes to explaining Toronto’s growth. With Reclaiming the Don, Jennifer L. Bonnell unearths the missing story of the relationship between the river, the valley, and the city, from the establishment of the town of York in the 1790s to the construction of the Don Valley Parkway in the 1960s. Demonstrating how mosquito-ridden lowlands, frequent floods, and over-burdened municipal waterways shaped the city’s development, Reclaiming the Don illuminates the impact of the valley as a physical and conceptual place on Toronto’s development.

Bonnell explains how for more than two centuries the Don has served as a source of raw materials, a sink for wastes, and a place of refuge for people pushed to the edges of society, as well as the site of numerous improvement schemes that have attempted to harness the river and its valley to build a prosperous metropolis. Exploring the interrelationship between urban residents and their natural environments, she shows how successive generations of Toronto residents have imagined the Don as an opportunity, a refuge, and an eyesore. Combining extensive research with in-depth analysis, Reclaiming the Don will be a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Toronto’s development.

Jennifer L. Bonnell is an assistant professor in the Department of History at McMaster University.

Jennifer L. Bonnell's profile page

• Short-listed, Canada Prize, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
• Winner, CLIO Prize - Ontario awarded by Canadian Historical Association
• Winner, Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for best book on Toronto history
• Winner, Fred Langdon Award awarded by Ontario Historical Society
• Short-listed, Sir John A. Macdonald Prize awarded by Canadian Historical Association

‘Jennifer Bonnell explains in her interesting and well-researched study, there is much more to the story of Toronto’s river… The Don offers a path through the city’s environmental history, while hinting at how the city might finally come to terms with its own environment. It is a trip, and advice, worth taking.’

Canadian Historical Review vol 96:03:2015

‘Bonnell’s approach in the book is admirable… This book provides a rich history accessible to broad audience particularly those interested in North American cities and environmental planning.’

Environmental History vol 21:02:2016

‘Jennifer Bonnell’s Reclaiming the Don is a captivating history of a tiny river valley’s intimate connection to the development of Toronto… The Broad scope of time and diverse themes that Bonnell considers will offer an excellent teaching resource for undergraduate courses.’

Canadian Journal of History vol 50:03:2016

‘One of Bonnell’s most intriguing innovations is her blending of the social history of the valley with its environmental history… Her analysis and approach to the environmental history of this river valley helps us to see the extent to which humanity is implicated in the history of this space and how that history influences environmental change.’

Journal of Historical Geography vol 30:1-2:2015

"Currently, 90% of the Don River Valley has been developed for residential, commercial, or industrial uses, with much of the valley bottom protected as parkland. Restoration initiatives cannot alter the impacts of urbanization on a waterway; however, the author presents small recoveries as emblems of hope. Recommended for high school students studying ecology, history, or geography."

<em>Green Teacher</em>

‘Bonnell seamlessly weaves together narrative sources with visual presentations of imagined futures…..She brings to life the visions that have radically altered the city and its environment.’

H-Environment, H-Net February 2016

‘Reclaiming the Don offers amazingly detailed and highly readable micro-history of a much under-appreciated river…. This book is a compelling read for anyone interested in the history of urban rivers.’

Histoire sociale / Social History vol 48:97:2015

‘Reclaiming the Don is an excellent book, in which the author brings together a series of narratives to successfully address crucial themes in environmental history.’

Environment and History vol 22:02:2016

“Michael Ondaatje would enjoy this beautiful history of Toronto’s Don valley: it explores a place he drew on for his own work and it shares his novels’ intensity of imagery.”

This Magazine (March/April 2015)

‘Reclaiming the Don is an enticing study of Toronto’s Don Valley… Bonnell places the valley at the heart of fascinating debates surrounding urban natures.’

British Journal of Canadian Studies vol 29:01:2016