Rock stars: The ancient giants that make Lake Devo legendary

How TMU got a ‘boulder’ look

By Tania Ulrich | September 10, 2025

An early photo of a couple sitting along the edge of Lake Devo, looking towards the pond.

The pond at Devonian Square located in TMU’s downtown campus, better known as Lake Devo, was opened to the public in 1978. Situated at Gould and Victoria streets, the design attempts to connect the campus’ urban core to the natural world with the installation of massive boulders from the Canadian Shield. Photo courtesy TMU Archives.

To most passersby, the impressively large boulders set in and around Lake Devo, or Devonian Pond, might as well be Stonehenge.

Where did these big rocks come from?

A billion-year-old history

The immense rocks go back billions of years. They're cut out of the vast Canadian Shield, a massive stretch of primordial rocky outcropping covering about half of Canada’s land mass. The rough terrain dating back to nascent Earth literally forms the bedrock of the country.

The shield has shaped the history of the nation, holding great geological, historical and cultural significance.

Bringing the Canadian Shield to TMU

River streaming down parts of granite rock formation that make up part of the Canadian Shield. The boulders from Lake Devo came from these formations.

The Canadian Shield is made of some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Glacial grooves and striations engraved in the granite at Rivière du Sault Plat in the province of Quebec give a glimpse into the origins of the region. Photo: Nichole Ouellette, via Wikimedia Commons.

Also known as the Precambrian Shield, the geological formation is among the oldest on Earth, dating back to the Precambrian era, which dates from 4.6 billion years ago until 540 million years ago.

The granite boulders at Lake Devo were transported to campus during the construction of Devonian Square from the Muskoka region. We’re talking about 1,600 tonnes of granite.

A space for the community

Workers in hard hats captured during the creation of Lake Devo in the late 70’s.

The newly built Devonian Square created a gathering space on campus, and the boulders made quite a statement.

The original parking lot that was replaced.

The square replaced what was once a large parking lot as a way to create a public space for the community. (Photo credits: TMU Archives, City of Toronto Archives)

Devonian Square, a vibrant public space at the corner of Victoria and Gould Streets, was funded primarily by the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations, and led by the City of Toronto in partnership with the university.

The Devonian Group had a special interest in the development of urban parks. The square came about through prior negotiations between the university and the city for the closing and landscaping of Victoria Street between Gould and Gerrard Streets.

The boulders were key to the original vision. Landscape architects and a sculptor worked to create a large-scale landmark that would provide a sense of nature's serenity.

Yonge street in the 70’s or 80’s showing busy car and pedestrian traffic.

Bustling Yonge street looking south to Gould Street, between 1972 and 1981. Photo courtesy of City of Toronto Archives

Mother and child enjoy some time together at the edge of Lake Devo.

A quiet and scenic public space to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto, with new trees and paving in Devonian Square (1979). Photo courtesy of City of Toronto Archives

Art and Indigenous voices at the Pond

In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier described the rocky coast of Labrador, which sits on part of the Canadian Shield, as “the land God gave to Cain,” dismissing it as barren and uninhabitable for early European settlers. Yet, for thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples lived on the rugged terrain, sustaining deep cultural and spiritual connections to the land.

Installation of photographic images on the boulders in Lake Devo depicting the artist draped in a red robe, standing atop a boulder, in front of a lake.

Lori Blondeau’s collection of self portraits on the rocks at Lake Devo in 2017 served as a reminder of Toronto’s pre-colonial history. The “Rock Woman” series recalls the cultural and historical significance of the natural world to Indigenous Peoples. Rocks and boulders marked sacred gathering places and imbued with spiritual meaning. Photo credit: Annie Maria Arnone

In the spring and summer of 2017, Lake Devo and its boulders became a site of reflection and Indigenous reclamation.

Cree/Saulteaux/Metis artist Lori Blondeau installed large self-portraits. This was a partnership with TMU's Image Arts Centre.

Her work highlights the cultural importance of natural sites to Indigenous Peoples. These sites serve as places of ceremony and tradition.

The series, titled Asiniy Iskwew (Cree for “Rock Woman”), depicts Blondeau standing on a rock in reference to Mistaseni, a 400-tonne sacred boulder in Saskatchewan. The massive rock was once a traditional gathering place for various Plains Cree Indigenous communities before it was destroyed by the provincial government to make a manmade lake.

The work evokes a sense of loss but also resilience, drawing attention to the connection between land, identity and tradition.

A backdrop for campus life

Since its opening in the late 1970’s, Lake Devo has been an important focal point of campus life.

The pond has provided a natural backdrop for important campus community events like Orientation Week at the start of the academic year and the farmers market in the summer.

In the winter season, the pond becomes a skating rink for the TMU and Toronto community.

By the numbers

2.5 - 4.2 billion years ago

Era in which the Canadian Shield formed

50 per cent

How much of Canada's land mass it covers

$1.36M

Devonian group's contribution for the project

1,600 tonnes

amount of Muskoka granite used

Friday, Oct 13, 1978

Date the square opened

$2,950,000

Total cost of the landscaping project (Equivalent amount today $14,477,014.93)

Two girls skating on the frozen Lake Devo surface with arms spread wide.

A snapshot in time. The Devonian Pond becomes a public skating rink during the winter months for all to enjoy. Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives, Avard Woolaver, 1981

A black and white photo of Lake Devo in 1981 against the backdrop of a much different looking city, showing a view of the CN tower and Coles bookstore to the left.

Lake Devo in 1981 against the backdrop of a much different looking city, with a view of the CN tower to the left.

Devonian Square offers some respite from urban life by helping to ease isolation as a gathering place, and offers a scenic spot for casual conversation.

It is a space for not only architectural, but cultural expression and brings the community to life.

And let’s not forget the people-watching.

Lake Devo encourages community members to pause and reflect, like the water’s surface, inviting us to reimagine our city in its sparkling visage.

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Tania Ulrich is a communications specialist at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Read More Campus News History Photography Summer 2025

Memories

Rock stars: The ancient giants that make Lake Devo legendary

A billion-year-old history

Bringing the Canadian Shield to TMU

A space for the community

Art and Indigenous voices at the Pond

A backdrop for campus life

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