Learn About the History of Toronto Islands, June 26 at Toronto Reference Library
On May 19, a headline from the Globe and Mail proclaimed that flooding threatened more than half of the buildings on Toronto Islands and CBC News reported that more than 40 percent of the islands were under water.
“Right now, we have the highest water level that we’ve ever seen in recorded history, and it is expected that it will continue to keep rising for a couple more weeks at least,” said Nancy Gaffney of Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA).
According to Toronto Islands History on the City of Toronto's website, the Toronto Islands were not always islands, but continuous moving sandbars originating from the Scarborough Bluffs and carried westward by Lake Ontario currents. The sandbars were first surveyed by the British Navy in 1792, but they were well known by native people. By the early 1900's, the longest of these bars extended nearly nine kilometres.
Flooding has been a historical fact of life for the residents of the Toronto Islands. This picture from the Toronto Star in 1943 reads "Spring came with a vengeance to Ward's Island yesterday when the storm-tossed lake crumpled a 25-foot wall of ice and rolled inland to inundate dozens of cottages. This cottage, occupied by Mrs. S.Walker, was almost surrounded."
Learn more about the history of Toronto Islands as architectural historian Marta O'Brien discusses the fascinating history, and often controversial development of the islands:
Toronto Island: A Unique Community
Monday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Hinton Learning Theatre, Third Floor
Toronto Reference Library
For more historic pictures of the Toronto Islands visit the Toronto Public Library's Digital Archive.
There have been many controversial issues and interesting historical events on the Toronto Islands. On September 5, 1914, at Hanlan's Point Stadium, Babe Ruth reportedly hit his first home run. In 1937, construction of the Island Airport began, leading to the demolition of the stadium and the amusement park.
At its peak in the 1950s, there were approximately 650 homes and cottages on the islands. During the 1960s, there was opposition to the acquisition and demolition of Island houses in favour of parkland. Islanders would continue to fight with various levels of government for their homes during the 70s and 80s. Finally, in 1993, the Ontario government passed the Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act, which enabled Islanders to purchase 99-year land leases from a Land Trust.
Below are some books about the Toronto Islands that are part of the Toronto Collection located at Toronto Reference Library, on the second floor, in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department.
There are historic reports on many aspects of the Islands; here are just two of them.
Island regeneration : Toronto Islands residential community trust site planning report. 1994
Toronto Islands shoreline hazards review. 1992
In addition to books and reports, there are two historical community newspapers from the Toronto Islands. The Goose and Duck: Toronto Island Community News, published by the Toronto Islands Residents Association, ran from April 1971 to January 1974 and is on microfilm at Toronto Reference Library.
The Ward's Island Weekly, from the Ward's Island Association, is available in regular print, from July 1917 to September 1962. Published weekly during the summer months, this newspaper has been partially digitized and available to read online in PDF files from 1918 to 1935.
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