Hed: Imagine U of T with a river again Dek: campuses usually have water, and a U of T waterway would make studying

g easier, beautify campus, and be a part of learning Image caption: U of Ts motto is Like a tree through the ages. And where do the trees grow best? Near water.

Oxford has the ___. Cambridge has the ______. And their new-world knock-offs Harvard, Yale, ___: all are beside rivers. Waterways are part of the classic campus built form, a living symbol for scholarly continuity, students flowing in, flowing through, knowledge flowing out. When it was founded in 18__ U of T was in fact deliberately located beside a river, Taddle Creek, which flowed southward through the centre of campus down to the lake. It even fed a marshy pond near where Hart House is now located. The Taddle still flows, but below ground: since ___ they have been sunk beneath the ground and channelled through concrete pipeways for flood control and land-use reasons. Evidence of Taddle Creek remains in the shape of the winding walkway known as Philosophers Walk (the creek flows beneath it and the ditch to the east side of PW is one of the lowest spots on campus), and the pond lives on where a triangle of concrete filled it in at Wellsely and Avenue. The pond is the reason the street curves so much; it used to go around it. U of T could bring the Taddle back; or build a ______. There is a growing body of evidence shows that proximity to water improves the emotional and physical well-being of individuals and students are some of the ______. A walk down to the river would be a welcome break from a cram session. And think of the winter skating. Furthermore, there is the chance for the university to allow students to integrate a waterway into their studies in biology, ecology, engineering, forestry, even literature (a re-creation of the mythological crossing of the River Styx?). If the university is going to spend $12 million to replace a natural lawn with artificial turf, it would be nice to see them invest in restoration or recreation of a natural habitat that is currently absent from campus. Not an ___ challenge, waterway restorations have successfully been completed _______. But until _____, even in the absence of natural flowing water, hydrophilic students can still enjoy the access to water at the courtyard of the Bahen Centre, which has a wonderful pool of water and a cascading waterfall. Though wedged into a ____ corner behind different buildings, the space is serene and to make you feel like you are chilling in a cottage watering hole that has gotten lost in the city. (Cool fact: the three concrete silos here are used for collecting rainwater.)

How much cooler would the campus be if there was a body of water? Ive had dreams about this.