Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River (Ojibwe: Gabekanaang-ziibi, meaning: "little thundering waters") is a river in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin, is a tributary of Lake Ontario and is one of two major rivers on either side of the city of Toronto, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999.
| Humber River | |
|---|---|
The Humber River in Toronto | |
Location of the mouth of the Humber River in Toronto | |
| Native name | Gabekanaang-ziibi (Ojibwe) |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Southern Ontario |
| Census divisions |
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| Municipalities |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Humber Springs Ponds |
| • location | Mono, Dufferin County |
| • coordinates | 43°56′36″N 80°00′14″W |
| • elevation | 421 m (1,381 ft) |
| Mouth | Humber Bay, Lake Ontario |
• location | Toronto |
• coordinates | 43°37′56″N 79°28′19″W |
• elevation | 74 m (243 ft) |
| Length | 100 km (62 mi) |
| Basin size | 903 km2 (349 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Great Lakes Basin |
The Humber collects from about 750 creeks and tributaries in a fan-shaped area north of Toronto that encompasses portions of Dufferin County, the Regional Municipality of Peel, Simcoe County, and the Regional Municipality of York. The main branch runs for about 100 kilometres (60 mi) from the Niagara Escarpment in the northwest, while another major branch, known as the East Humber River, starts at Lake St. George in the Oak Ridges Moraine near Aurora to the northeast. They join north of Toronto and then flow in a generally southeasterly direction into Lake Ontario at what was once the far western portions of the city. The river mouth is flanked by Sir Casimir Gzowski Park and Humber Bay Park East.