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Toronto Islands |
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Saturday, 26 April 2008 |
The Toronto Islands were not always islands but actually a series of continuously moving sand-bars, or littoral drift deposits, originating from the Scarborough Bluffs and carried westward by Lake Ontario currents. By the early 1800s, the longest of these bars extended nearly 9 kilometres south-west from Woodbine Avenue, through Ashbridge's Bay and the marshes of the lower Don River, forming a natural harbour between the lake and the mainland. Visitors to the Toronto Islands have enjoyed their lakeside charm for centuries. Although the peninsula and surrounding sand-bars were first surveyed in 1792 by Lieutenant Bouchette of the British Navy, they were well-known by native people, who considered them a place of leisure and relaxation. The main peninsula became known to European settlers as the "Island of Hiawatha". 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 sand-bars were also important to birds and other wildlife. During migration periods vast numbers of birds frequently stopped at the sand-bars and marshlands of the Don River and Ashbridge's Bay.
A carriage path from York which led to Gibraltar Point at the western tip of the peninsula, and also followed the shoreline east to Scarborough Bluffs, was very popular during the early 1800's. It later became known as Lake Shore Avenue. Part of the boardwalk on Centre Island traces this same route. A bridge across the Don River that was constructed to enable people from the city to reach Lake Shore Avenue also aided settlement east of the river. In 1850, the young engineer Sanford Fleming studied the sand-bar movement and calculated that twelve hectares had been added to the western section of the sand-bars over the previous fifty years. During that decade, a number of severe storms and their strong wave action worked to erode the peninsula, requiring frequent repair to small gaps until finally, in 1858, an island was created when a storm completely separated the peninsula from the mainland and the gap was not repaired. The Eastern Gap has since become an important shipping route into the Toronto Harbour.
Dredging projects have been undertaken to stabilize shorelines, reduce sand-bar movement, create deeper boating channels, or raise land levels generally. During 1904-6, a channel was cut north of the Island Filtration Plant, alongside Hiawatha Avenue. In 1909, Long Pond was dredged to replace the regatta course previously located at Hanlan's Point. The resulting material was used to enlarge Mugg's Island. Similar projects created Olympic Island. High lake levels continually damaged island properties and, on January 1, 1956, the City of Toronto transferred responsibility for the Toronto Islands to The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (Metro) to be developed as a regional park. Many projects were undertaken by Metro Parks and Culture including fully accessible washrooms, a public marina, an amusement area and petting zoo, and the establishment of naturalized areas and wildlife reserves. In 1998, Metro and six municipalities were amalgamated to become the new City of Toronto.
Hanlan point: The Hanlan family was among the first year-round inhabitants on Toronto Island, settling at Gibraltar Point in 1862. After the islands were transferred from the federal government to the City of Toronto in 1867, Plan D-141 divided the land into lots and allowed cottages, amusement areas and resort hotels to be built. The west side of the island, commonly known as West Point, rapidly became a resort destination for the citizens of Toronto; the first summer cottage community was found here. 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. Edward "Ned" Hanlan, probably the most famous member of the family, earned international recognition as a rower and held numerous world records. By the 1890's, three hotels and a summer recreation centre had been built.
In 1894, an ambitious lakefill project by the Toronto Ferry Company added space for an amusement park that included an exciting roller-coaster called the Big Scream. A baseball stadium, built in 1909 and destroyed by fire one year later, was rebuilt to hold 10,000 spectators. Babe Ruth, a baseball legend, hit his first professional home run here. The role of Hanlan's Point as a centre of recreation declined after the 1930's when the stadium was closed and the Maple Leaf baseball team moved to a new facility at the foot of Bathurst Street. The amusement park was demolished and in 1937 Toronto Island Airport was constructed.
Centre Island:
Centre Island is between Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island. A carriage route along the peninsula connecting the mainland to Gibraltar Point Lighthouse later evolved into Lake Shore Avenue, the main east-west axis along Centre Island. By the late 1800's, many of Toronto's wealthiest families built beautiful Victorian summer homes along Lake Shore Avenue, east from Manitou Road to Ward's Island.
In 1884, construction of an Anglican church, St. Andrew-by-the-Lake, was directed by Archbishop Sweatman. Four years later Island Park was established on land previously occupied by the Mead Hotel, and has continued to offer an impressive panoramic view of downtown Toronto ever since.
Two distinctive bridges, still in use today, were built to accommodate the increase in traffic along the central north-south axis as the Centre Island Ferry, operated by the Toronto Ferry Company, became more popular. The Manitou Road bridge (1912) replaced an old wooden bridge and the Olympic Island bridge (1914) was built to link Olympic Island with Island Park.
Ward's Island
Ward's Island, actually the east section of the old peninsula, was named after the Ward family who first settled here about 1830. David Ward, a local fisherman, raised seven children. His son, William, built the landmark Ward's Hotel in 1882, just south of the ferry docks at Channel Avenue. Originally the building had two floors and a central, third story tower, but in 1922 the tower and upper floor were removed after the structure deteriorated. The remaining building operated as a grocery supply and ice-cream parlour until its demolition in 1966. The hotel, in addition to Wiman's Baths, built in 1881, created a pleasant resort that attracted many visitors.
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