Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Canada. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city’s downtown area, provide shelter for Toronto Harbour, and separate Toronto, CA from the rest of Lake Ontario. The islands are home to the Toronto Island Park, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, several private yacht clubs, a public marina, Centreville Amusement Park, a year-round residential neighborhood, and several public beaches. The island community is the largest urban car-free community in North America. Public ferries operate year-round from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, and privately operated water taxis operate from May to September. A pedestrian tunnel connects the mainland to the airport.
The Toronto Islands are a popular tourist and recreational destination. Bicycles are accommodated on the ferries at no charge and can be rented at Centre Island. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and stand-up paddle boards are also available for rental from May to September. A disc golf course exists on the island. The main beach is along the south shore of Centre Island, and part of the beach on the west shore of Centre at Hanlan’s Point is clothing-optional. There is ample parkland suitable for picnicking, several playgrounds, water play areas, and several gardens. During winter, people reach the lagoons and Toronto Harbour from the islands for ice skating when conditions permit. Bed Bug Exterminator Toronto
History
For thousands of years before European colonization, the group of islands and sandbars was used for ceremonial gatherings and as a place of healing by Indigenous peoples, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, who named the peninsula and surrounding landforms “Missing.” To the descendants of the Ojibwa, now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Toronto Islands are sacred land. According to British Crown records, Treaty 13, often referred to as the Toronto Purchase of 1787 and 1805, included the Islands and compensated the Mississaugas with “goods including 2,000 rifle flints, 24 brass kettles, 120 mirrors, 24 laced hats and 96 gallons of rum valued at £1,700 for the sale of Toronto.” The Mississaugas, in a land claim settlement process, started in 1986, claimed that the Islands were never included in the agreement and that the compensation was inadequate. In 2010, a settlement was reached, which resulted in a $145 million cash payment to the Mississaugas from the Government of Canada. In return, the Mississaugas relinquished their claim to the Islands.
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