Toronto Islands
Encyclopedia
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s in the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. It is a commercial port on the Great Lakes as well as a recreational harbour...
. The islands are a popular recreational destination, and are home to a small residential community and to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. They are connected to the mainland by several ferry services.
The islands comprise the largest urban car-free
Car-free
Car-free can refer to several things:*Pedestrian zones*Car-free movement...
community in North America, though some service vehicles are permitted. Recreational bicyclists are accommodated on the ferries, and bicycles, quadracycles, and canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s can be rented on the islands as well.
Geography
- Forestry Island – heavily forest and no fixed link to other islands
- Snake Island – partially forest and beach facing Toronto Harbour (Snake Island Park); access from bridge to Centre Island
- South Island – used for mooring and on land storage of boats by the Royal Canadian Yacht ClubRoyal Canadian Yacht ClubThe Royal Canadian Yacht Club is a boating club based in Toronto, Canada.It was founded in 1852 as the Toronto Boat Club, a recreational club and unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy on Lake Ontario. In 1854, the club successfully petitioned Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom for the right to...
; east end of island cut off at Chippewa Avenue - RCYC Island – occupied by Royal Canadian Yacht ClubRoyal Canadian Yacht ClubThe Royal Canadian Yacht Club is a boating club based in Toronto, Canada.It was founded in 1852 as the Toronto Boat Club, a recreational club and unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy on Lake Ontario. In 1854, the club successfully petitioned Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom for the right to...
Two unnamed islands occupy what was once Block House Bay:
- ringed island in Long Pond (the former water intake of the City of Toronto) – located across from Mugg's Island
- small island in Lighthouse Pond
The islands were originally a 9 km peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
or sand spit extending from the mainland. The islands are composed of alluvial deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs
Scarborough Bluffs
The Scarborough Bluffs is an escarpment in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises above its foot and spans a length of...
. The flow from the Niagara River to the south across Lake Ontario causes a counter-clockwise east-to-west current which has, over time, deposited sediments at the south end of the harbour to form a sand spit.
In 1852, a storm flooded sand pits on the peninsula, creating a channel east of Ward's. The channel was widened and made permanent by a violent storm in 1858. The channel became known as the Eastern Gap. The peninsula to the west became known as the Toronto Islands. To the east of the Gap, the area of today's Cherry Beach was known as "Fisherman's Island".
Sediment deposition was halted in the 1960s when the Leslie Street Spit
Leslie Street Spit
The Leslie Street Spit, or officially the Outer Harbour East Headland, is a man-made headland in Toronto, Ontario, extending from the city's east end in a roughly southwesterly direction into Lake Ontario. It is about 5 km long....
was extended beyond the southern edge of the islands. Left to nature, the islands would diminish over time, but this is limited due to hard shore lines built to limit erosion. Over the years land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
has contributed to an increase in the size of the islands. The harbour was shallow with a sandy bottom and the sands were moved by dredging or suction methods. Ward's Island was expanded by dredging. Today's Algonquin Island, formerly known as Sunfish Island, was created from harbour bottom sands.
The area now occupied by the airport has been subject to several landfills over what was once sandy shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
, initially to accommodate the amusement park that preceded the airport, and then to accommodate the airport itself. The Western Channel to the north of the airport is several hundred feet of the original western channel, which was just south of today's Fort York
Fort York
Fort York is a historic site of military fortifications and related buildings on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was built by the British Army and Canadian militia troops in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, to defend the settlement and the new capital of the...
. It was opened in 1911 as part of a program to improve boat navigation into the harbour. The airport lands were created from harbour sands in the late 1930s.
A series of waterways allow boat traffic to navigate the island:
- Allan Lamport Regatta Course - located between Centre Island and Middle Island from Long Pond to east end of Farm Enough Farm
- Block House Bay - located on east side of Hanlan's Point
- Lighthouse Pond - located next to Gibratar Point lighthouse
- Long Pond - located between Allan Lamport Regatta Course and Block House Bay
- Snake Pond - located between Snug Harbour and Algonquin Island
- Snug Harbour - located between Snake Island and Olympic Island
- Trout Pond - loocated west of Lighthouse Bay on the south end of Hanlan's Point
History
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
who were the last people to occupy the area. The peninsula and surrounding sand-bars that now form the Toronto Islands were first surveyed in 1792 by Lieutenant Joseph Bouchette
Joseph Bouchette
Lieutenant Joseph Bouchette was a French Canadian soldier and surveyor.Born in Montreal to Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bouchette, a topographer, and Marie Angelique Duhamel. He later joined the Royal Navy's Provincial Marine on the Great Lakes and the Royal Canadian Volunteers...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. D. W. Smith's Gazetteer recorded in 1813 that "the long beach or peninsula, which affords a most delightful ride, is considered so healthy by the Indians that they resort to it whenever indisposed". Many Indian encampments were located between the peninsula's base and the Don River. The peninsula was actually a series of many sand spits and ponds.
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario. Completed in 1808, it is the oldest existing lighthouse on the Great Lakes.- History :...
was constructed at Gibraltar Point, the south-western extremity of the peninsula in 1808. In 1815 the lighthouse keeper, J.P. Rademuller, died in suspicious circumstances. The exact truth of his death is unknown, but there are indications that he was murdered by soldiers from Fort York.
After the peninsula became an island, the Hanlan family were among the first year-round inhabitants, settling at Gibraltar Point in 1862. In 1867 the City of Toronto acquired the islands from the federal government, and the land was divided into lots, allowing cottages, amusement areas and resort hotels to be built. The west side of the island became a resort destination for the people of Toronto and the first summer cottage community was built there. In 1878, a hotel was built by John Hanlan at the north-west tip of the island and soon after the area became known as Hanlan's Point. John's son, Edward "Ned" Hanlan
Ned Hanlan
Edward "Ned" Hanlan was a World Champion professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Early life:...
, earned international recognition as a rower
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
before taking over his father's business.
Other notable families on the islands include the Durnans (James James Durnan was the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario. Completed in 1808, it is the oldest existing lighthouse on the Great Lakes.- History :...
keeper in 1832) and Wards (David Ward settled on the eastern end in 1830).
At the same time as Hanlan's Point was developing as a summer suburb of Toronto, developments were going on elsewhere on the islands. Along the lakefront of Centre Island, large Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
summer homes were built by Toronto's leading families looking for refuge from the summer heat and drawn by the prestigious Royal Canadian Yacht Club
Royal Canadian Yacht Club
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club is a boating club based in Toronto, Canada.It was founded in 1852 as the Toronto Boat Club, a recreational club and unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy on Lake Ontario. In 1854, the club successfully petitioned Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom for the right to...
, which had moved to a location on the harbour side of Centre Island in 1881. By contrast the Ward's Island community began in the 1880s as a settlement of tents. By 1913, the number of tents pitched had increased to the point where the city felt it necessary to organize the community into streets, and the tents eventually evolved into a cottage community.
In 1894, a land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
project by the Toronto Ferry Company
Toronto Ferry Company
The Toronto Ferry Company was formed from the merge of John Doty Engine & Ferry Company with A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company, two of Toronto's early ferry operators to Toronto Islands in 1890. TFC was founded and headed by businessman Lol Solman. The company's ferry license and ships was later...
created space for an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
at Hanlan's Point. In 1897, the Hanlan's Point Stadium
Hanlan's Point Stadium
Hanlan's Point Stadium was a baseball stadium and lacrosse grounds in Toronto. It was erected in 1897 at Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club. It was destroyed by fire twice, in 1903, and again in 1909...
was built alongside the amusement park for the Toronto Maple Leaf baseball team. The stadium was rebuilt several times over the years, and in 1914, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
hit his first professional home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
into the waters of Lake Ontario from this stadium. In the 1920s the Maple Leaf team moved to a new stadium on the mainland.
From 1915 to 1916 a temporary wooden hanger (see image at http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/brushstrokes/painting_large.php?lang=en&id=1967.0882.001&artist=&era=&theme=&page=2&type=painting&painting=yes) was built at the beach by the Curtiss Flying School. This floatplane aerodrome was used for flight training for World War I.
In 1937 construction started on a new airport on the site of the park and stadium. The construction of the airport on infill led to the demolition of the stadium and most of the amusement park. It also meant that the cottage community at Hanlan's Point needed to be relocated. The residents were given the choice of either moving their cottages further south at Hanlan's Point, or resettling on Algonquin Island. Originally, Algonquin Island was simply a sandbar known as Sunfish Island that was expanded by land reclamation operations. In 1938 streets were laid out to accommodate 31 cottages that were moved by barge from Hanlan's Point. The original aspect of Algonquin Island was of unvegetated sand, and the current lush environment of the island is the result of many years of work by residents.
The airport opened in 1939, formally named the Port George VI Island Airport, after the reigning monarch of the time. During the first few years of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, expatriate Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(RNAF
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
) pilots-in-training used the Toronto Island Airport as a training field for both fighter and bomber pilots. Several accidents, including one where a pilot under instruction clipped the funnel and mast of the island ferry boat Sam McBride and crashed, led to the training school being moved north to Muskoka, Ontario. (The park on the mainland called Norway Park commemorates this period.)
At its peak in the 1950s, the Island residential community extended from Ward's Island to Hanlan's Point, and was made up of some 630 cottages and homes, in addition to such amenities as a movie theatre, a bowling alley, stores, hotels, and dance halls. Not long after its creation in 1953, Metropolitan Toronto Council undertook to remove the community and replace it with parkland. The construction of the Gardiner Expressway
Gardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
had removed many acres of recreational land along the Toronto waterfront, and the Islands lands were to replace the acreage. In 1955, after the City had transferred the lands to Metro, the new Metro Parks Department started to demolish homes and cottages whose lease had expired or whose lease holders gave up their leases. In 1959, the Metro Parks Department opened 'Far Enough Farm', and in 1967, opened the Centreville Amusement Park
Centreville Amusement Park
The Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park located on Middle Island, part of the Toronto Islands, offshore of the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. The park was built in 1967 with a 1900 turn-of-the-century theme, and includes a miniature railway and the Far...
, along with a new public marina. In 1971, Metro Parks opened a new ferry terminal at the foot of Bay Street. Unlike the previous terminal, no waiting room was provided. In 1976, the Trillium, a 1910 paddle-wheeler ferry which had been abandoned in a lagoon, was refurbished and relaunched for use as an island ferry.
Matters came to a head on July 28, 1980, when a sheriff sent to serve eviction notices to remaining residents was met at the Algonquin Island bridge by much of the community, whose leaders persuaded the sheriff to withdraw. On July 31, the community won the right to challenge the 1974 evictions. The Islanders lost the challenge, but by this time, the province had started a formal inquiry headed by Barry Swadron into the Toronto Islands. On December 18, 1981, the province of Ontario passed a law legalizing the Islanders to stay until 2005. This kept the lands in Metro's ownership, to be leased to the City who would lease it to the Islanders. Wrangling over the terms of the lease payments to Metro took several years.
The community's fight for survival was finally rewarded in 1993, when the Ontario Government passed the Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act, which enabled Islanders to purchase 99-year land leases from a Land Trust.
To the descendants of the Ojibwa, now the Mississauga First Nation
Mississauga First Nation
Mississauga First Nation is one of the five First Nations that make up the Mississauga Nations. It is located near Blind River, Ontario on the Mississagi River 8 Reserve. It is also referred to as Mississauga #8.-External links:...
, the Toronto Islands are sacred land. Their aboriginal title to the islands has been acknowledged by the federal government of Canada. The land is currently owned by the City of Toronto, and the Mississaugas are considering how they will exercise their aboriginal title and have a presence there.
In culture
The Toronto Islands have appeared as significant settings in Canadian literature. Examples includes Margaret AtwoodMargaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
's The Robber Bride
The Robber Bride
The Robber Bride is a Margaret Atwood novel first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1993. Set in present-day Toronto, Ontario, the novel begins with three women who meet once a month in a restaurant to share a meal....
and Robert Rotenberg
Robert Rotenberg
Robert Rotenberg is a Canadian criminal lawyer and writer, based in Toronto. His extensive experience as a criminal defence lawyer informs his critically acclaimed first novel, Old City Hall. He currently practices as part of the association of Rotenberg Shidlowski Jesin...
's Old City Hall.
Recreation
Centreville Amusement Park
The Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park located on Middle Island, part of the Toronto Islands, offshore of the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. The park was built in 1967 with a 1900 turn-of-the-century theme, and includes a miniature railway and the Far...
, a children's amusement park which was built in 1967 with a 1900s-style turn-of-the-century theme. The park includes a miniature railway and antique carousel, and is open daily in summer. The Far Enough Farm is nearby and displays common farm livestock and birds. The Franklin's Garden children's garden was created in the 2000s and is located to the west of the Avenue of the Islands. A splash pad and playground is also located nearby. On the western side of Ward's Island is a frisbee golf course.
There are several swimming beaches on the islands, including Centre Island Beach
Ward's Island Beach and Island Beach
Ward's Island Beach and Island Beach are two of three beaches on Toronto Islands. Ward's Island Beach is located on the island east end near the Eastern Gap. Island Beach is located on the south side of the island and faces out to Lake Ontario. The beach is actually two beaches with the portion...
, Manitou Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach
Hanlan's Point Beach
Hanlan's Point Beach is a public beach situated at on Hanlan's Point near Toronto, Ontario on the shore of Lake Ontario. A kilometre long part of the beach was officially recognized by the city in 2002 as being clothing optional....
and Ward's Island Beach
Ward's Island Beach and Island Beach
Ward's Island Beach and Island Beach are two of three beaches on Toronto Islands. Ward's Island Beach is located on the island east end near the Eastern Gap. Island Beach is located on the south side of the island and faces out to Lake Ontario. The beach is actually two beaches with the portion...
. Hanlan's Point Beach includes an officially recognized clothing optional section
Nude beach
A nude beach is a beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude. Sometimes the terms clothing-optional beach or free beach are used. Nude bathing is one of the most common forms of nudity in public. As beaches are usually on public lands, any member of the public is entitled to use the...
.
Recreational boating has been popular on the islands for over a century. The Islands are home to four yacht clubs: Harbour City Yacht Club, Island Yacht Club
Island Yacht Club
is located on 16 acres of park-like setting on Mugg's Island, the western part of the Toronto Islands, in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The club is accessible by water from April to October using the Club's private tender...
, Queen City Yacht Club
Queen City Yacht Club (Toronto)
Located on Algonquin Island in the Toronto Islands, Queen City Yacht Club has been a part of Toronto, Canada's sailing community since it was founded in 1889. Toronto at the time was known as the "Queen City of the Lake" and the original clubhouse was located on the city side of Toronto Harbour,...
and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club
Royal Canadian Yacht Club
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club is a boating club based in Toronto, Canada.It was founded in 1852 as the Toronto Boat Club, a recreational club and unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy on Lake Ontario. In 1854, the club successfully petitioned Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom for the right to...
. There is a public marina, the Toronto Island Marina, and several smaller clubs including the Toronto Island Sailing Club, the Sunfish Cut Boat Club and the Toronto Island Canoe Club. There is also a dragon boat
Dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...
regatta course and grandstand, where the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival is held annually.
For many years the Caribana
Caribana Festival (Canada)
Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto, formerly known as Caribana, is a festival of Caribbean culture and traditions held each summer in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Annually, the festival draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the globe to Toronto's lakeshore...
has held an annual arts festival at Olympic Island on the Simcoe Day weekend. Other Island events include the Olympic Island Festival
Olympic Island Festival
The Olympic Island Festival is an annual rock concert that takes place on Toronto's Olympic Island. It was started in 2004 by Jay Ferguson of the band Sloan, when only Canadian musicians performed...
, an annual rock concert initiated in 2004 by Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
's Jay Ferguson
Jay Ferguson (Canadian musician)
Jay Ferguson is a member of the Canadian rock band Sloan. He is the only member in Sloan who comes from Halifax, Nova Scotia....
. The Wakestock festival has also been held on the islands.
Community
A community of 262 homes still remain on the Toronto Islands, concentrated at the eastern end of the island chain on Ward's Island and Algonquin Island. Under the terms of the Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act there are strict rules under provincial law governing the buying and selling of these homes.There is one school, two daycares, and one church on the islands. The Toronto Island Public School, a public school located at Gibraltar Point, operates a day programme for island residents up to grade 6
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
, a residential natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
programme for visiting grade 5/6 students from the mainland, and a pre-school nursery
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
. The Waterfront Montessori Children's Centre, a non-profit, parent run co-operative pre-school nursery
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
for children aged 2½ to 5, is located on Algonquin Island. St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church is an Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church located on Centre Island which serves the islands' residents and visitors.
Artscape Gibraltar Point (formerly The Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts) occupies buildings previously used by the Toronto Island Public School, and comprises more than 15 artist work studios occupied by a mix of painters
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, ceramists, sculptors
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, theatre companies
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, and a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. The centre provides a long and short-term studio and bedroom rental service for artists, together with meeting, conference and special event services and an artist residency program.
Politics
MunicipalThe islands are part of Toronto Ward 28 Toronto Centre—Rosedale and represented by Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada for Ward 28 which is one of the two Toronto Centre wards.She was a teacher before entering politics by being elected as a school board trustee in 1982. She held that position until 1994. She played a prominent role in advocating for adult...
. The area was once part of St. Andrew Ward and Metro Toronto Ward 20 Trinity-Niagara.
Provincial
The islands have been part of the riding of Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It generally encompasses the western portion of Downtown Toronto. In the 2001 Canadian census, the riding had 106,094 people, of whom 74,409 were eligible to...
since 2007 and are represented by NDP MPP Rosario Marchese
Rosario Marchese
Rosario Marchese is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina for the New Democratic Party of Ontario.-Background:...
. From 1999 to 2007 the area was part of Toronto Centre—Rosedale
Toronto Centre (provincial electoral district)
Toronto Centre is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 as Toronto Centre—Rosedale from most of St. George—St. David and parts of St. Andrew—St...
, and from 1987 to 1999 it was part of Fort York
Fort York (electoral district)
Fort York was a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1987 and was subsequently abolished in 1999 when the ridings were redistributed to match their federal counterparts. The riding had only two representatives:...
.
Federal
The islands have been part of the riding of Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It generally encompasses the western portion of Downtown Toronto. In the 2001 Canadian census, the riding had 106,094 people, of whom 74,409 were eligible to...
since 2004 and are represented by NDP MP Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow is a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament and former city councillor in Toronto. She won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the Canadian House of Commons. Most recently, she was re-elected in her riding for...
. From 1997 to 2004 the area was part of Toronto Centre—Rosedale, from 1966 to 1997 it was part of Rosedale, from 1933 to 1966 it was part of Spadina
Spadina (electoral district)
Spadina was a Canadian electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1988. It covered a portion of the western-central Toronto. Its name comes from the Spadina Avenue, which runs through the heart of the riding....
and from 1903 to 1933 it was part of Toronto South
Toronto South
Toronto South was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1935. It was located in the city of Toronto in the province of Ontario...
.
Commercial activity
Other than the airport, Toronto Islands have other commercial oriented business:- Beasley Entertainment – Etobicoke based operator of Centreville and related food stands in the park
- Royal Canadian Yacht Club
- Island Yacht Club
Airport
The north-western tip of the Toronto Islands is home to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, more often known as the Toronto Island Airport. The airport is used for civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
, including airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
s, flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
, medevac flights
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
and private aviation
Private aviation
Private aviation is the part of civil aviation that does not include flying for hire. In most countries, private flights are always general aviation flights, but the opposite is not true: many general aviation flights are commercial in that the pilot is hired and paid...
. Since 1984, it has been used for regional airlines using approved STOL-type aircraft. In recent years, the airport has become the centre of controversy between those who wish to close it down, and those who want to expand its usage. One focus of this controversy had been a plan to construct a road bridge to the airport; this was a major issue in the 2003 election for mayor and was cancelled by Toronto mayor David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
soon after his victory.
Ferry services
There is no fixed road link from the mainland to the Toronto Islands, which therefore rely on ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
s and other boats for their transport needs.
Three public ferry routes provide links for passengers and service vehicles from the central Toronto waterfront
Toronto waterfront
The Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East. The entire lakeshore has been significantly altered from its natural glaciated state prior to...
to docks at Hanlan's Point, Centre Island Park and Ward's Island, and are used by recreational visitors and residents. The fourth public ferry service provides a vehicle and passenger connection from a dock at the foot of Bathurst Street to the airport. There is no public access between the airport and the rest of the island chain.
Beside the public ferry services, several yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
s and marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
s located on the islands provide private ferry services for their members and guests.
Roads
All roads on the islands are paved, the only exception being a long wooden boardwalk on the South end of Ward's Island. The use of motor vehicles is limited to City of Toronto service vehicles (Toronto Parks and Recreation, Toronto Water and Toronto Works). However, bicycles are welcome on the ferries and the island, and there are rental bikes available on the island. Lakeshore Avenue is the main road handling vehicular traffic. The single lane paved road traverses the east, south and west sides of the park. Most bridges on the island are for pedestrian traffic, bicycles and all-terrain vehicles only. The bridge carrying traffic from Avenue of the Islands can support large vehicles, but not cars or heavy truck traffic. Two TTC GM TC40-102N buses provide service on the Island. For the Islanders it is the only way to get around quickly..Notable dates
- 1787 – Toronto Purchase. Mississauga Indians receive 10 shillings for 250800 acres (101,495.2 ha)
- 1793 – Blockhouse built by the Queen's Rangers at Gibraltar Point.
- 1808 – Lighthouse constructed at Gibraltar Point.
- 1834 – Fisherman David Ward and family one of first settlers on island.
- 1830–1840 – First island hotels built. Start of ferry services.
- 1850 – Filtration plant on island starts supplying water to Toronto.
- 1855 – Ned HanlanNed HanlanEdward "Ned" Hanlan was a World Champion professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Early life:...
born. - 1858 – Storm separates Toronto Islands from mainland.
- 1867 – Islands become property of City of Toronto. Lot leases are established.
- 1870–80 – Summer homes established on island. Cottages from Hanlan's Point to Centre Island.
- 1874 – Hanlan's Hotel opens.
- 1880 – Royal Canadian Yacht Club established on island.
- 1882 – William Ward, son of David Ward opens Ward's Hotel; closed 1966.
- 1884 – St. Rita's and St. Andrew-on-the-Lake churches built.
- 1897 – First amusements on Hanlan's Point established.
- 1897 – Baseball and lacrosse stadium on Hanlan's Point.
- 1899 – First summer colony established on Ward's.
- 1903 – Baseball stadium destroyed by fire and rebuilt.
- 1909 – Hanlan Hotel destroyed by fire.
- 1909 – Baseball stadium again destroyed by fire and rebuilt.
- 1913 – First 'tent city' on Ward's.
- 1914 - First professional home run of Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's career hit at Hanlan's Point Stadium. - 1926 – Baseball stadium vacated by Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team.
- 1937 – Construction of Island airport. Some cottages moved to Algonquin Island.
- 1939 – The Sam McBride ferry enters service.
- 1947 – City approves year-round residency to cope with housing shortage.
- 1956 – New Metro Toronto government takes over Island and leases. Starts demolishing cottages.
- 1959 – Far Enough Farm opens.
- 1967 – Centreville Amusement Park opens.
- 1967 – Toronto Island Marina opens.
- 1977–1993 – Supreme Court approves of cancellation of leases by Metro. Remaining residents fight to remain.
- 1984 - Start of scheduled regional airlines at Island airport.
- 1991 – Transfer of cottage lands and lease to City allowing residents to stay.
Source: Sward, p. xv, pp. 42–51
External links
- City of Toronto website about the Islands
- Toronto Island community website
- Toronto Island Marina website
- Centreville Amusement Park Website
- Closed Canadian Parks – Hanlan's Point is a history of the early amusement park (Hanlan's Point Park) that existed on the Toronto Islands during the 1860s – 1880s – 1937 period. It includes historical photographs of the roller coaster, midway, roller rink, hotel, stadium and others.
- Friends of Toronto Islands website
- Toronto Islands historical plaque
- Outdoor recreation such as paddling to and among the Toronto Islands
- Small video for a quick overview of the Islands