Toronto Islands

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Toronto Islands as seen from CN Tower.

The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands providing a shallow natural harbour for the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The islands are a popular recreational destination, and are home to a small residential community and an airport.

1 History
2 Attractions
3 Toronto Harbour
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Hanlan Hotel 1885 to 1895.

A home on Ward's Island.

Another home on Ward's Island.

A view from the restaurant at Centre Island.

The islands were originally a 9 km peninsula or sand spit extending from the mainland. The islands are composed of alluvial deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs. Longshore lake currents deposited sediments at the south end of the harbour and began to form a sand spit. A violent storm in the 1858 blew a hole at the base of the spit which was later formalized as an entrance to the harbour called the Eastern Gap. The islands were further changed when Hurricane Hazel splintered the main island into several smaller islands. Sediment deposition was halted in the 1960s when the Leslie Street Spit was extended beyond the southern edge of the islands. The islands will naturally erode over time but this is limited due to hard shore lines built to limit erosion.

The area of the islands is about 230 hectares. The largest, outermost island, commonly called Centre Island, is crescent-shaped and forms the shoreline of both the Eastern and Western Channels. Algonquin and Olympic are two of the other major islands. What is commonly called Ward's Island is actually the eastern end of Centre Island. In the 1930s, the western end was supplemented by landfill so that the island airport could be created. Landfill was also used to create the former amusement park operated by the Toronto Ferry Company.

Hanlan's Point was once home to a baseball stadium. In 1914, Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run into the waters of Lake Ontario. The stadium on the site was demolished in 1937. The point was name after the Toronto rower Ned Hanlan.

The human use of the islands has changed over the years. Originally Canada's First Nation's enjoyed the use of the area. Later industrial development and landfill brought the mainland shoreline approximately 274m (900 ft) into the harbour from the natural shoreline of Front Street.

In 1939, the Toronto Island Airport (YTZ) was built at the far west end of the Islands and is reached by a separate, much smaller ferry from the foot of Bathurst Street. Guinness lists it as the world's shortest scheduled ferry run. The airport serves recreational aviation and flight schools. Scheduled commercial flights have occurred sporadically through its history. In 2006, Porter Airlines started a new commuter service to nearby cities such as Ottawa and Montreal. There is no public access between the airport and the park.

Island residents have fought the city over the years -- at various times the city has proposed the demolition of homes and the creation of a park on Algonquin and Ward's Islands.

A small residential community of approximately 700 is located on Algonquin and Ward's Islands (see [1]). The inhabitants of this residential area lease the properties from a Trust established by the Ontario government for 99 year terms expiring in 2094. There are strict rules for the buying and selling of Island homes imposed by the provincial law governing the Island community. [2]

The Islands comprise the largest urban car-free community in North America, though some service vehicles are permitted. Recreational bicyclists are accommodated on the ferries, and bicycles and quadricycles can be rented on the islands. The Marine Units of the Toronto Fire and Police Departments patrol the waters.

Prior to European colonization, the Toronto area was home to various native tribes. The Ojibwa were the last people to occupy the area and thus have placed a land claim on the Islands. To their descendants, now the Mississauga First Nation, 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.

[edit] Attractions

From the western shore, Gibraltar Point at sunset overlooking Humber Bay.

The central area hosts Centreville, a children's amusement park, Far Enough Farm, several swimming beaches (including the Hanlan's Point version of an officially recognised clothing optional beach), picnic grounds, and a boardwalk. The island also contains the Island Public and Natural Science School, rental artist studios and housing (Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts), a dragonboat regatta grandstand, and a water filtration plant.

Three ferry routes connect Hanlan's Point, Centre Island and Ward's Island to Queen's Quay docks at the foot of Bay Street on the mainland. Recreational boating has been popular on the Islands for over a century. The Islands are home to three yacht clubs: the Island Yacht Club, Queen City Yacht Club and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. 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. Waterfront Montessori Children's Centre, a non-profit, parent run co-operative childcare is also on Algonquin Island.

[edit] Toronto Harbour

Beach on southeast shore of Ward's Island.

The fire station on the island.

The makeup of the soil between the mainland and the island varies:

Stone near the Western Gap
Mud near the north shore, mouth of the Don River
Sand near the airport and western parts of the island's north shore
Clay near the centre of the harbour

[edit] References

Gibson, Sally (1984). More Than an Island. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. ISBN 0-7720-1446-9.
Rosenbaum, Linda; Dean, Peter (2004). The Essential Toronto Island Guide. Toronto: Island Ad/Ventures. ISBN 0-9735855-0-1.