Toronto Island ferry passengers, 1908. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.
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Original JPG File | 1050 × 766 pixels (0.8 MP) 8.9 cm × 6.5 cm @ 300 PPI |
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Resource ID
8404
Access
Open
Credit Line
City of Toronto Archives
Date of Creation
1908
Keywords
Waterfront, transportation, Toronto Island, Toronto Harbour, Toronto Island Ferry
Program Category
Tours
Rights
Public Domain
Caption
Toronto Island ferry passengers, 1908. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.
Description
Prior to the 1850s, the area now known as the Toronto Islands consisted of several long sandbars, connected to the mainland at the east end of the bay until an intense storm passed over the area in 1858. The storm washed away the sandbar, transforming the peninsulas into islands. Use of the Toronto Island area by city residents dates to the 1790s, when a guard post and two blockhouses were built at Gibraltar Point. First Nations people also used the islands for hunting and fishing into the 1840s. The Toronto Islands were some of the city's earliest waterfront amusement destinations. Soon after Simcoe settled the town of York, residents used the area for hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. Other activities became common on the islands, including boating, picnicking, and curling in the winter. The first ferries began carrying people across the bay in the 1830s, powered by horses walking along treadmills to move the paddlewheel boats forward.