The Toronto Island Community Commemorative Plaque, 2019.
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Resource ID
7337
Access
Open
Address
Ward's Island Ferry Dock, Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M5J 1Z1
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2019
Historical Themes
Program Category
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Caption
The Toronto Island Community Commemorative Plaque, 2019.
Description
Thousands of people lived on Toronto Island year-round when the regional government of Metropolitan Toronto (Metro) began to clear the land of homes for a public park in the 1950s.
The Island is part of the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. In the 1870s, settlers built the first cottages here. St. Andrew by-the-Lake church was consecrated in 1884 and a school opened in 1888.
By the 1920s, about 2,000 people lived on Toronto Island and the population often swelled to more than 10,000 in summer. People were drawn to the natural environment and the thrilling rides and fairground attractions at Hanlan’s Point.
After a 30-year political and legal battle with Metro,
262 homes near here were saved in 1993. A land trust now controls the sale of Island homes to people on a waiting list. Today, there are no stores or private vehicles in the community. About 700 people live here year-round.
Marker lat / long: 43.631269, -79.357289 (WGS84)