16 Facts About Toronto Islands

1.

Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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2.

Peninsula and surrounding sand bars that now form the Toronto Islands were surveyed in 1792 by Lieutenant Joseph Bouchette of the Royal Navy.

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3.

In 1867, the City of Toronto acquired the Islands from the federal government, and the land was divided into lots, allowing seasonal cottages, outdoor amusement areas and summer resort hotels to be built.

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4.

Along the lakefront of Centre Island, large Victorian summer homes were built by Toronto Islands's leading families looking for refuge from the summer heat and drawn by the prestigious Royal Canadian Yacht Club, which had moved to a location on the harbour side of RCYC Island in 1881.

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5.

Not long after its creation in 1953, Metropolitan Toronto Islands Council undertook to remove the community and replace it with public parkland.

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6.

The Toronto Islands are composed of alluvial deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs.

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7.

Sediment deposition to the Toronto Islands halted in the 1960s when the Leslie Street Spit was extended beyond the southern edge of the islands.

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8.

Toronto Islands Island has a humid continental climate under the Koppen climate classification system.

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9.

Community of about 300 homes is located on the Toronto Islands, concentrated at the eastern end of the island chain on Ward's Island and Algonquin Island.

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10.

In 1965, the Toronto Islands Island Sailing Club was founded on Algonquin Island out of the former Algonquin Island Schoolhouse.

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11.

Toronto Islands are home to four yacht clubs: Harbour City Yacht Club, Island Yacht Club, Queen City Yacht Club and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.

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12.

Toronto Islands are within the Spadina—Fort York federal riding, the Spadina—Fort York provincial riding and the Spadina–Fort York Ward 10 municipal district.

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13.

Toronto Islands were part of the federal riding of Trinity—Spadina from 2004 until 2015.

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14.

Toronto Islands were in the provincial riding of Trinity—Spadina from 2007 until 2018.

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15.

North-western tip of the Toronto Islands is home to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, more often known as the Toronto Island Airport.

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16.

Toronto Islands have appeared as significant settings in Canadian literature.

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