If you have ever been within the Don Valley near East York and have noted how park-like it has remained despite its urban setting, you can primarily thank one person.

That is the late Charles Sauriol (1904-1995) who's love of nature and local history came to define Toronto's modern conservation movement.

That movement began in 1946 when a company that purchased the land upon which Todmorden Mills stands today made a surprising announcement.

In order to build a new manufacturing plant on the site, they intended to demolish all of the historic buildings located there.

Sauriol brought together a local group of conservationists and formed the Don Valley Conservation Authority of East York in order to protect Todmorden Mills and the valley itself.

Thanks to massive public support from East York citizens and politicians, the conservation authority won and, as a result, we have the historic buildings at Todmorden today.

Realizing that education was critical in the preservation of both nature and the historic buildings in the Don Valley, Sauriol and the conservation authority encouraged people to use the valley for recreation.

One of the ways in which this was done was through the use of special train tips that boarded at the Don station and headed up through the valley with Sauriol and others pointing out features as it travelled along.

It was due to this connection between the Don station and the conservation authority that the building was saved from demolition through the direct efforts and financing of concerned East York citizens.

Indeed, it was also due to that connection that the station was moved to Todmorden Mills in order to be a permanent reminder of their work.

However, despite his best efforts, Sauriol lost his own cottage and land in the valley due to the Don Valley Parkway, but in return he was made a key member of newly formed Metro Toronto Conservation Authority.

As part of that continued conservation work, Sauriol, along with reeve True Davidson, had the Township of East York purchase Todmorden Mills so that it would become a permanent museum and community centre to preserve the valley's history and unique culture.

Needless to say I truly shocked and disappointed at the latest public consultation meeting held at Todmorden Mills to see the City of Toronto still intends to move the Don railway station off the site.

Indeed, the main plans presented are absolutely no different than the ones I was made aware of 10 years ago, just after amalgamation.

Those original plans were to commercialize the property, remove the railway station and eliminate any involvement by the East York community in its operation.

The current plans for Todmorden Mills are not only historically disingenuous, they insult the memory of Sauriol and the work done by East York citizens and politicians to preserve the site.

The Don railway station must stay due to its connection to the valley and its extensive railway history, not to mention to Sauriol himself.