The Dutch Chapel The Pillars of the Scarborough Bluffs

       On our trip to Scarborough recently, we visited the Scarborough Bluffs. I had heard of the bluffs many times but had never been there. They are 20 kilometres long and up to 100 metres high. More than 70,000 years ago, there was a pre-glacial torrent greater than the St. Lawrence that poured into a great lake, depositing an extensive delta.
       Then, the ice age came, depositing more boulder clay on top of the delta. As the ice melted away, the delta was exposed. Wind, water and frost started to erode away the southern face. Because of alternating layers of sand and clay, a series of buttresses similar to architecture found in medieval European chapels, and geologists have named the area the Dutch Chapel.
       As you can see from the photographs below, the area is worth a visit. It is very scenic here, and overlooks Bluffers Park where beaches, restaurants, and a marina are located. The best place to view the chapel is at the foot of Midland Avenue in Scarborough.