Did You Ever Wonder … Who was Walker’s Creek named after…?
“Question: Did you ever wonder…
Who was Walker’s Creek named after…?
And why wasn’t it named (like most of our other local creeks) by its distance from the Niagara River, i.e. four Mile Creek, Twelve Mile Creek, Twenty Mile Creek?
– Linda Crouch
Answer: Generally the creek is named for the Walker family, which worked a 300-acre farm in the block between Niagara Street, Vine Street, Parnell Road and Linwell Road. The creek ran straight through their property.
George X. Walker, originally from Woodstock, bought the fruit and vegetable farm from the Gibson family in the early 1880s. In more recent years, it went by the name Sunnyside Farm.
The only Walker left in the area is Dennis Walker, who lives in what used to be the hired hand’s quarters on Vine Street. He said the family started selling the farm off to developers in the early 1950s.
He can only remember the creek being called “the creek” or “the old creek”.
But in the 1960s, Walker said the city claimed the banks of the creek as parkland and it officially became Walker’s Creek. He would prefer Walker Creek.
Although it’s hard to say for sure, the creek was likely too small to be used in the colonial creek survey system or was too close to Ten Mile Creek (now the Welland Canal).”
This is a quote from Sun Media Corp: Archives Saturday, August 5, 2006
Springtime in the Creek
Last Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. We watched 5 trout come in from the lake in Walkers Creek. What a great viewing spot on the pedestrian bridge in Cherie Rd Park. In the deep area they were jumping out of the water and flapping their tales, then one turned on its side and wiggled up the shallow pebbly area and went under the bridge. Now that’s worth coming out early for! By late afternoon they had made their way almost to Cindy Drive. On Thursday they were seen in the middle of Cindy Park hanging out with other smaller fish that included the red sucker fish. Ther is so much going on at this time of the year. I hope you take some time out of your busy life to watch nature at its best!
Did You See – Trout in Walker’s Creek?
In the spring of 2010, trout were seen in Walker’s Creek in the section north of Cindy Drive. There were several spotted, in the pools, usually casually swimming around areas with overhanging brush. Keep your eye out this spring to see if there are more in the area and let us know.
