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129-666: The Toronto Island ferries connect the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario to the mainland of Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The main city-operated ferry services carry passengers (all) and commercial vehicles (some) from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street to three docks on the islands. Private motor vehicles are not carried. The ferry operated by PortsToronto carries passengers and vehicles to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on

258-462: A barge -hauler, Charlotte Dundas , for the Forth and Clyde Canal Company . It successfully hauled two 70-ton barges almost 20 mi (32 km) in 6 hours against a strong headwind on test in 1802. Enthusiasm was high, but some directors of the company were concerned about the banks of the canal being damaged by the wash from a powered vessel, and no more were ordered. While Charlotte Dundas

387-549: A blockhouse from 1814 to 1823. Ward's Island Docks is on Ward's Island to the east; an open boarding area consists of a single pier. Allan Moak’s children’s book A Big City ABC prominently displays an illustration of the Toronto Island Ferry, Sam McBride on its cover. It was also featured as "Flo and Merriweather" in Mighty Machines . The band Great Lake Swimmers named their album Ongiara after

516-620: A boat with a pair of paddlewheels at each end turned by men operating compound cranks. The concept was improved by the Italian Roberto Valturio in 1463, who devised a boat with five sets, where the parallel cranks are all joined to a single power source by one connecting rod, an idea adopted by his compatriot Francesco di Giorgio . In 1539, Spanish engineer Blasco de Garay received the support of Charles V to build ships equipped with manually-powered side paddle wheels. From 1539 to 1543, Garay built and launched five ships,

645-644: A double-hulled boat that was propelled on the Firth of Forth by men working a capstan that drove paddles on each side. One of the first functioning steamships , Palmipède , which was also the first paddle steamer, was built in France in 1774 by Marquis Claude de Jouffroy and his colleagues. The 13 m (42 ft 8 in) steamer with rotating paddles sailed on the Doubs River in June and July 1776. In 1783,

774-457: A full rig of sail for when winds were favorable, being unable to complete the voyage under power alone. In 1822, Charles Napier 's Aaron Manby , the world's first iron ship, made the first direct steam crossing from London to Paris and the first seagoing voyage by an iron ship. In 1838, Sirius , a fairly small steam packet built for the Cork to London route, became the first vessel to cross

903-582: A low of 510,000 in 1960. In the 1960s, the numbers started increasing again, to one million in 1966. In 1970, the ferries carried 1.42 million passengers to the Islands. This declined in subsequent years, attributed to the introduction of other attractions in Toronto. In 1995, annual passenger numbers were 1.21 million passengers, with an average summer day carrying 25,000 passengers and an average winter day carrying 500 passengers. The 1995 annual budget to operate

1032-448: A means of propulsion comes from the fourth– or fifth-century military treatise De Rebus Bellicis (chapter XVII), where the anonymous Roman author describes an ox-driven paddle-wheel warship: Animal power, directed by the resources on ingenuity, drives with ease and swiftness, wherever utility summons it, a warship suitable for naval combats, which, because of its enormous size, human frailty as it were prevented from being operated by

1161-464: A new airport on the site of the park and stadium. The construction of the airport on infill led to the demolition of the stadium and most of the amusement park. It also meant that the cottage community at Hanlan's Point needed to be relocated. The residents were given the choice of either moving their cottages further south at Hanlan's Point or resettling on Algonquin Island. Originally, Algonquin Island

1290-559: A new paddle steamer by de Jouffroy, Pyroscaphe , successfully steamed up the river Saône for 15 minutes before the engine failed. Bureaucracy and the French Revolution thwarted further progress by de Jouffroy. The next successful attempt at a paddle-driven steam ship was by Scottish engineer William Symington , who suggested steam power to Patrick Miller of Dalswinton . Experimental boats built in 1788 and 1789 worked successfully on Lochmaben Loch. In 1802, Symington built

1419-588: A new replacement ferry, TCCA1 , in 2006. The Port Authority subsequently purchased another ferry, the Marilyn Bell 1. On January 1, 1962, the ferry services operated by the TTC were transferred to Metro Toronto Parks and Culture , a department of the then municipality of Metropolitan Toronto . In 1966, Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson suggested buying hovercraft to replace the ferries, but failed to gain political interest. Other possibilities that were floated were

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1548-694: A paddle-wheel ship from China is in the History of the Southern Dynasties , compiled in the 7th century but describing the naval ships of the Liu Song dynasty (420–479) used by admiral Wang Zhen'e in his campaign against the Qiang in 418 AD. The ancient Chinese mathematician and astronomer Zu Chongzhi (429–500) had a paddle-wheel ship built on the Xinting River (south of Nanjing ) known as

1677-529: A recording studio. There are several swimming beaches on the Islands, including Centre Island Beach, Manitou Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach and Ward's Island Beach. Hanlan's Point Beach is an officially recognized clothing-optional beach, one of only two in Canada. Ward's Island Beach is located on the island east end near the Eastern Gap. Island Beach is located on the south side of

1806-466: A rod and lever. The geometry is designed such that the paddles are kept almost vertical for the short duration that they are in the water. The use of a paddle wheel in navigation appears for the first time in the mechanical treatise of the Roman engineer Vitruvius ( De architectura , X 9.5–7), where he describes multigeared paddle wheels working as a ship odometer . The first mention of paddle wheels as

1935-399: A series of metal fences and ramps. The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is located at the foot of Bay Street on the mainland and consists of four piers. They are located in the enclosed main docks, and the last pier is an open area to the east for the larger Trillium ferry boat. During winter months the ferries (other than Trillium ) are stored here with upper decks covered with a tarp. Trillium

2064-527: A series of sand-bars originating from the deposition of sand from the Scarborough Bluffs , pushed by Lake Ontario currents. Prior to European colonization, the group of islands (then peninsula) and sandbars was considered a place of healing, leisure, and relaxation by Indigenous peoples. The then peninsula was called or "Island of Hiawatha" or "Menecing," meaning "On the Island" in Ojibwe. To

2193-502: A side,". The standard Chinese term "wheel ship" was used by the Song period, whereas a litany of colorful terms were used to describe it beforehand. In the 12th century, the Song government used paddle-wheel ships en masse to defeat opposing armies of pirates armed with their own paddle-wheel ships. At the Battle of Caishi in 1161, paddle-wheelers were also used with great success against

2322-419: A simple paddle wheel, where the paddles are fixed around the periphery, power is lost due to churning of the water as the paddles enter and leave the water surface. Ideally, the paddles should remain vertical while under water. This ideal can be approximated by use of levers and linkages connected to a fixed eccentric. The eccentric is fixed slightly forward of the main wheel centre. It is coupled to each paddle by

2451-541: A steam-powered desalinator created by Garay for a steam boiler. In 1705, Papin constructed a ship powered by hand-cranked paddles. An apocryphal story originating in 1851 by Louis Figuire held that this ship was steam-powered rather than hand-powered and that it was therefore the first steam-powered vehicle of any kind. The myth was refuted as early as 1880 by Ernst Gerland  [ de ] , though still it finds credulous expression in some contemporary scholarly work. In 1787, Patrick Miller of Dalswinton invented

2580-404: A vehicle and passenger ferry from Eireann Quay at the foot of Bathurst Street to the island airport every 15 minutes during airport operating hours. The ferry is free of charge for pedestrians, but as of 2022, there is a $ 14 fee for vehicles. The ferry trip is 121 metres (397 ft) long and takes 90 seconds. However, most visitors to the airport would use the pedestrian tunnel from the mainline to

2709-638: A vehicle tunnel, a bridge over the Eastern Gap and a monorail. In 1997, Metro Toronto and the Metro municipalities were amalgamated into Toronto, and the park ferry services became the responsibility of the City of Toronto's Department of Parks and Recreation, today the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. The airport ferry is the responsibility of PortsToronto. Between 1935 and 1938, the ferries carried two million passengers per year. This dropped around World War II to

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2838-426: Is a large steel framework wheel. The outer edge of the wheel is fitted with numerous, regularly spaced paddle blades (called floats or buckets). The bottom quarter or so of the wheel travels under water. An engine rotates the paddle wheel in the water to produce thrust , forward or backward as required. More advanced paddle-wheel designs feature "feathering" methods that keep each paddle blade closer to vertical while in

2967-744: Is a public French first language secular school board. CSCM, and TCDSB are public separate school boards, the former being a French first language school board, the latter being an English first language school board. The islands are within the Spadina—Fort York federal riding, the Spadina—Fort York provincial riding and the Spadina–Fort York Ward 10 municipal district. The islands are represented federally by Independent MP Kevin Vuong , provincially by NDP MPP Chris Glover , and municipally by councillor Ausma Malik . Paddle steamer In

3096-411: Is also a residential natural science program for visiting grade 5 and 6 students from the mainland, and a pre-school nursery. The Waterfront Montessori Children's Centre is a non-profit, parent-run co-operative pre-school on Algonquin Island. St. Andrew by-the-Lake Anglican Church is located on Centre Island, and serves the islands' residents and visitors. The semi-Gothic/Medieval/Stick Style building

3225-470: Is an English first language secular public school board that serves the City of Toronto, including the Toronto Islands. Currently the school board operates one elementary school on the Islands, Island Public/Natural Science School on Centre Island. As of 2013 the school has 179 students. 15% of the student population originates from Algonquin and Ward islands and about 85% of the students live in

3354-406: Is mostly a residential area and the latter is public parkland. What is commonly called Ward's Island is actually the eastern end of Centre Island, and like Algonquin is mostly a residential area. The Centre Island dock and Centreville Amusement Park are located on Middle Island, which as a consequence, is often mistaken for Centre Island. Centre Island is sometimes referred to as Toronto Island (note

3483-459: Is nearby and displays common farm livestock and birds. The Franklin's Garden children's garden was created in the 2000s and is located to the west of the Avenue of the Islands. A splash pad, hedge maze, and playground are also located nearby. On the western side of Ward's Island is a flying disc golf course. There are public tennis courts located at Hanlan's Point and a community tennis club at

3612-517: Is on Island Park and consists of two piers. There are washrooms, a Subway (restaurant) and a Pizza Pizza nearby. There is no winter service from this dock. A covered area was added to provide additional shelter space. Flooding of the islands in 2017 put the dock out of commission, causing the Centreville Amusement Park to remain closed for the season. The dock was rebuilt for the 2019 season to accommodate higher lake levels and

3741-526: Is operated by the Great Lakes Schooner Company for corporate and private functions, and for ferry runs throughout the summer. It is now 113–114 years old. The hull of Bluebell is now a sunken break wall at Leslie Spit. The Toronto Ferry Company continued to operate the ferry services until 1926, when its services and fleet was purchased by the City of Toronto for CA$ 337,500 ($ 5.76 million in 2023 dollars). The Toronto Ferry Co

3870-584: Is stored at nearby Yonge Street Slip. The original docks were located on the east side of the Toronto Harbour Commission Building at Bay and Harbour Streets. When the infilling took place after 1918 the docks moved to Queen's Quay West between Yonge Street and Bay Street (now the site of the Harbour Square condos) before being moved to the west to the current location. The Toronto City Council voted unanimously to rename

3999-624: The Bob Moodie . Quinn responded with another vessel, the Welland , another steam ferry. In 1857, Moodie added the Lady Head steam vessel. A vicious storm hit the island on April 13, 1858, destroying Quinn's hotel and the Parkinson's hotel and creating a 500-yard (460 m)-wide eastern gap making the previous peninsula an island. Throughout the rest of the 19th-century, the popularity of

Toronto Island ferries - Misplaced Pages Continue

4128-658: The Crimean War of 1853–1856, and by the United States Navy during the Mexican War of 1846–1848 and the American Civil War of 1861–1865. With the arrival of ironclad battleships from the late 1850s, the last remaining paddle frigates were decommissioned and sold into merchant-navy service by the 1870s. These included Miami , which became one of the first Boston steamers in 1867. At

4257-486: The Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940, where they were able to get close inshore to embark directly from the beach. One example was PS  Medway Queen , which saved an estimated 7,000 men over the nine days of the evacuation, and claimed to have shot down three German aircraft. Another paddle minesweeper, HMS  Oriole , was deliberately beached twice to allow soldiers to cross to other vessels using her as

4386-503: The Island Public/Natural Science School operates classes for Junior Kindergarten to grade 6, a residential natural science program (which began in 1960) for visiting grade 5 and 6 students and a day care centre for children ages 2–5. In 1899, there was a colony of eight summer tenants on Ward's Island paying $ 10 rent for the season. By 1913, the number of tents pitched had increased to the point where

4515-860: The Jin dynasty (1115–1234) navy. The Chinese used the paddle-wheel ship even during the First Opium War (1839–1842) and for transport around the Pearl River during the early 20th century. Paddle steamers in Bangladesh were first operated by the River Steam Navigation Company Limited in 1878. Many steamers, including the Garrow , Florikan , Burma , Majabi , Flamingo , Kiyi , Mohamend , Sherpa , Pathan , Sandra , Irani , Seal , Lali , and Mekla , dominated

4644-721: The John Hanlan , the Jasmine and the Clark Bros were found to be in poor condition and all ended up being burned for amusement at Sunnyside Amusement Park . The three double-ended, diesel-engined and screw-driven ferries that form the backbone of today's service to the islands were built for the TTC. The William Inglis was built in 1935, the Sam McBride in 1939, and the Thomas Rennie in 1951. In 1938,

4773-625: The Liberal and NDP opposition parties in favour of the Islanders. The Islanders appealed to the provincial government, winning more time when the province agreed to act as mediator between the City and Islanders and Metro. Matters came to a head on July 28, 1980, when a sheriff sent to serve eviction notices to remaining residents was met at the Algonquin Island Bridge by a crowd of community members, whose leaders persuaded

4902-529: The Peninsula Packet , a converted steamboat, which was propelled by paddle wheels driven by horses was pressed into service for the hotel. The ferry operated until 1850. In 1853, the hotel came under new management again, that of John Quinn. Quinn introduced another steam ferry, the Victoria . Competition for the ferry business came the next year when Robert Moodie introduced his own the steam ferry,

5031-707: The Racecourse-class minesweepers , were ordered and 32 of them were built before the end of the war. In the Second World War , some thirty pleasure paddle steamers were again requisitioned; an added advantage was that their wooden hulls did not activate the new magnetic mines. The paddle ships formed six minesweeping flotillas , based at ports around the British coast. Other paddle steamers were converted to anti-aircraft ships. More than twenty paddle steamers were used as emergency troop transports during

5160-680: The River Clyde in 1812. In 1812, the first U.S. Mississippi River paddle steamer began operating out of New Orleans. By 1814, Captain Henry Shreve had developed a "steamboat" suitable for local conditions. Landings in New Orleans went from 21 in 1814 to 191 in 1819, and over 1,200 in 1833. The first stern-wheeler was designed by Gerhard Moritz Roentgen from Rotterdam, and used between Antwerp and Ghent in 1827. Team boats , paddle boats driven by horses, were used for ferries

5289-581: The Thames steamers which took passengers from London to Southend-on-Sea and Margate , Clyde steamers that connected Glasgow with the resort of Rothsay and the Köln-Düsseldorfer cruise steamers on the River Rhine . Paddle steamer services continued into the mid-20th century, when ownership of motor cars finally made them obsolete except for a few heritage examples. The first mention of

Toronto Island ferries - Misplaced Pages Continue

5418-508: The Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival is held annually. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and stand up paddle boards are available for rental. Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park which was built in 1967 with a 1900s-style turn-of-the-century theme. The park includes a miniature railway and an antique carousel and is open daily in summer. The Far Enough Farm

5547-506: The " thousand league boat ". When campaigning against Hou Jing in 552, the Liang dynasty (502–557) admiral Xu Shipu employed paddle-wheel boats called "water-wheel boats". At the siege of Liyang in 573, the admiral Huang Faqiu employed foot-treadle powered paddle-wheel boats. A successful paddle-wheel warship design was made in China by Prince Li Gao in 784 AD, during an imperial examination of

5676-423: The 1820s, paddle steamers were used to take tourists from the rapidly expanding industrial cities on river cruises, or to the newly established seaside resorts , where pleasure piers were built to allow passengers to disembark regardless of the state of the tide. Later, these paddle steamers were fitted with luxurious saloons in an effort to compete with the facilities available on the railways. Notable examples are

5805-632: The 1880s. John's son, Edward "Ned" Hanlan , earned international recognition as a rower before taking over his father's business. Other notable families on the Islands included the Durnans (James Durnan was the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse keeper in 1832) and the Wards (David Ward settled on the eastern end in 1830). At the same time as Hanlan's Point was developing as a summer suburb of Toronto, developments were going on elsewhere on

5934-619: The 1980s, the steam engines were replaced with diesel ones, and the wooden paddles were replaced with iron ones. Hydraulic steering was introduced in the 1990s, followed by electro-hydraulic systems in 2020. Modern equipment such as radar and GPS was also installed. However, PS Gazi , PS Teal , and PS Kiwi were decommissioned in the late '90s after catching fire while docked for repairs. Until 2022, four paddle steamers—PS Ostrich (built in Scotland in 1929), PS Mahsud (1928), PS Lepcha (1938), and PS Tern (1950)—were operated by

6063-410: The 2019 flooding did not close the dock. Hanlan's Point Dock is located to the west next to the island airport; open boarding area consists of three piers. There are washrooms and a snack bar nearby. The tugboat Ned Hanlan is located nearby. Hanlan's Point used to be called Gibraltar Point, and from 1794 to 1813 it was home to a British Army fortification or battery (storehouses and guardhouse), then

6192-871: The 5 ferries serving the Toronto Islands from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, the proposal would replace the Ongiara , the William Inglis , the Sam McBride and the Thomas Rennie but not the Trillium , a heritage vessel. All 5 vessels are between 50 and 100 years old. Vessel replacement would occur over 15 years. On August 20, 2022, ferry Sam McBride hit the mainland dock at the Jack Layton Terminal , resulting in

6321-467: The Atlantic under sustained steam power, beating Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's much larger Great Western by a day. Great Western , however, was actually built for the transatlantic trade, and so had sufficient coal for the passage; Sirius had to burn furniture and other items after running out of coal. Great Western ' s more successful crossing began the regular sailing of powered vessels across

6450-644: The Atlantic. Beaver was the first coastal steamship to operate in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Paddle steamers helped open Japan to the Western World in the mid-19th century. The largest paddle-steamer ever built was Brunel's Great Eastern , but it also had screw propulsion and sail rigging. It was 692 ft (211 m) long and weighed 32,000 tons, its paddlewheels being 56 ft (17 m) in diameter. In oceangoing service, paddle steamers became much less useful after

6579-697: The BIWTC once a week. This was a reduction from daily trips, and commercial services were eventually stopped altogether due to safety concerns, operational losses, and a lack of passengers, especially following the inauguration of the Padma Bridge . The first seagoing trip of a paddle steamer was by the Albany in 1808. It steamed from the Hudson River along the coast to the Delaware River . This

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6708-789: The Canadian Albacore Association. The Islands are home to four yacht clubs: Harbour City Yacht Club, Island Yacht Club , Queen City Yacht Club and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club . There is a public marina, the Toronto Island Marina, and several smaller clubs including the Sunfish Cut Boat Club and the Toronto Island Canoe Club. There is also a dragon boat regatta course and grandstand, where

6837-417: The Island increased. Competition abounded - there were 47 ferries operating in the Harbour in the 1850s. With no links to the mainland, ferries proliferated, with most being paddle steamers operated by individual owners. Eventually, two competing ferry companies came into being: the Turner Ferry Company and A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company. The assets of the Turner Ferry Company (founded 1882) were bought by

6966-452: The Islanders' cause and the number of demolitions dwindled. In 1969, the Toronto Islands' Residents Association (TIRA) was formed. By 1970, 250 homes on Ward's and Algonquin Islands had escaped the bulldozer. The 1970s saw no further demolitions as the Metro Parks plans were delayed by year-to-year leases and the election of Toronto City Councillors who were more sympathetic to the Islanders' situation. In 1973, City Council voted 17–2 to preserve

7095-444: The Islands and other lands in the area. The peninsula and surrounding sand bars that now form the Toronto Islands were surveyed in 1792 by Lieutenant Joseph Bouchette of the Royal Navy . D.W. Smith 's Gazetteer recorded in 1813 that "the long beach or peninsula, which affords a most delightful ride, is considered so healthy by the Indians that they resort to it whenever indisposed". Many Indigenous communities were located between

7224-448: The Islands for over a century. In 1965, the Toronto Island Sailing Club was founded on Algonquin Island out of the former Algonquin Island Schoolhouse. In 1970, the club moved to the northwest peninsula of Centre Island in the newly opened Toronto Island Marina. The club offers its members certified CANSail courses and competitive racing events with other dinghy clubs, and is also a member in good standing with Sail Canada, Ontario Sailing and

7353-399: The Islands. Along the lakefront of Centre Island, large Victorian summer homes were built by Toronto'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. By contrast, the Ward's Island community began in the 1880s as a tent community . William E. Ward built

7482-415: The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal carry 1.4 million people each year to the islands, making 17,000 trips. There are up to five ferries available for this service. One ferry, the Trillium , is a semi-retired heritage vessel that sees only occasional service. Only one ferry, the Ongiara , operates in winter, servicing the Wards Island dock; it can carry road vehicles as well as passengers. PortsToronto operates

7611-438: The John Doty Engine & Ferry Company, which in turn merged with A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company in 1892 to form the Toronto Ferry Company . In 1906 and 1910, the Toronto Ferry Company built two double-decked, double-ended paddle steamers, with a capacity of 1,450 passengers. They were named Bluebell and Trillium . They were retired in 1955 and 1957 respectively, but Trillium survived and re-entered service in 1976. It

7740-508: The Metro Parks Department opened Far Enough Farm, and in 1967 opened the Centreville Amusement Park , along with a new public marina . In 1971, Metro Parks opened a new ferry terminal at the foot of Bay Street. Unlike the previous terminal, no waiting room was provided. By 1963, all Islanders willing to leave the island had departed and the remaining residents started to fight the plans of Metro Council to remove their homes. While demolitions proceeded, community alderman David Rotenberg pushed

7869-450: The Mississippi . Recessed or inboard paddlewheel boats were designed to ply narrow and snag-infested backwaters. By recessing the wheel within the hull it was protected somewhat from damage. It was enclosed and could be spun at a high speed to provide acute maneuverability. Most were built with inclined steam cylinders mounted on both sides of the paddleshaft and timed 90 degrees apart like a locomotive, making them instantly reversing. In

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7998-427: The Seine, between Paris and Le Havre. The first paddle-steamer to make a long ocean voyage crossing the Atlantic Ocean was SS  Savannah , built in 1819 expressly for this service. Savannah set out for Liverpool on May 22, 1819, sighting Ireland after 23 days at sea. This was the first powered crossing of the Atlantic, although Savannah was built as a sailing ship with a steam auxiliary; she also carried

8127-403: The Toronto Harbour Commission began operating a ferry service to the new Toronto Island Airport, then under construction. A scow was adapted for use as a cable ferry , with the intention that this ferry would operate for a five-year period. However, the scow remained in service for 25 years before being replaced by the ferry Maple City . The backup ferry Windmill Point was acquired in 1985 and

8256-415: The Toronto Island Airport as a training field for both fighter and bomber pilots. Several accidents, including one where a pilot under instruction clipped the funnel and mast of the island ferry boat Sam McBride and crashed, led to the training school being moved north to Muskoka, Ontario . A park on the mainland called Little Norway Park commemorates this period. In 1947, Toronto City Council approved

8385-459: The Toronto Island Park, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , several private yacht clubs , a public marina, Centreville Amusement Park , a year-round residential neighbourhood, 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

8514-492: The United States from the 1820s–1850s, as they were economical and did not incur licensing costs imposed by the steam navigation monopoly. In the 1850s, they were replaced by steamboats. After the American Civil War, as the expanding railroads took many passengers, the traffic became primarily bulk cargoes. The largest, and one of the last, paddle steamers on the Mississippi was the sternwheeler Sprague . Built in 1901, she pushed coal and petroleum until 1948. In Europe from

8643-450: The Ward's Hotel and a few houses and rented tents to visitors. The records of the School Board indicate that a one-room school existed on donated land near the Gibraltar Lighthouse in approximately 1888 but it was not necessarily open every day, particularly in winter. The school became permanent in 1896, though still with a single teacher. After it burned down a new school was built; there were 52 students in 1909 and 630 by 1954. As of 2018,

8772-497: The Ward's Island Tennis Club. Until 2007, Caribana held an annual arts festival at Olympic Island on the August long weekend. Other Island events include the Olympic Island Festival , an annual rock concert held from 2004 until 2010. It was initiated in 2004 by Sloan 's Jay Ferguson . The Wakestock festival has also been held on the islands. Starting in 1975, the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships were held on Olympic and Ward's Island. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB)

8901-449: The airport. There is no public access between the airport and the rest of the island chain. The first ferry to cross Toronto Harbour to what are now the Toronto Islands was in 1833, using a boat called Sir John of the Peninsula . This was a four-horse team boat, operated by Michael O'Connor, between York and his hotel on the island (then still a peninsula), known as the "Retreat on the Peninsula." At this time, persons could still access

9030-591: The city and take ferry transportation to school. Other TDSB schools attended by students that live on the Island include The Waterfront School, Jarvis Collegiate Institute , Central Technical School , Central Commerce Collegiate Institute , and Northern Secondary School . However, these schools are located on the mainland. In addition to the TDSB, three other public school boards also provide schooling for residents of Toronto Islands, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (CSCM), Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV), and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). CSV

9159-419: The city felt it necessary to organize the community into streets, and the tents eventually evolved into a seasonal cottage community. In 1894, a land reclamation project by the Toronto Ferry Company created space to expand the Hanlan's Point Amusement Park at Hanlan's Point. In 1897, the Hanlan's Point Stadium was built alongside the amusement park for the Toronto Maple Leaf baseball team . The stadium

9288-520: The community and replace it with public parkland. The construction of the Gardiner Expressway had removed many acres of recreational land along the Toronto waterfront, and the Islands lands were to replace the acreage. In 1955, after the city had transferred the lands to Metropolitan Toronto ("Metro"), the new Metro Parks Department started to demolish homes and cottages whose leases had expired or whose leaseholders had surrendered. In 1959,

9417-415: The community and transfer Island lands back to the city. However, Metro Council remained opposed and the Islanders started legal challenges to Metro's plans in 1974 to delay plans of expropriation. By 1978, Metro Council had won several legal battles and had obtained writs of possession for the remaining 250 homes. At the time, a minority provincial Progressive Conservative government was in place with both

9546-724: 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

9675-478: The development of the propeller – which was more efficient and less vulnerable to cannon fire. One of the first screw-driven warships, HMS  Rattler  (1843) , demonstrated her superiority over paddle steamers during numerous trials, including one in 1845 where she pulled a paddle-driven sister ship backwards in a tug of war . However, paddle warships were used extensively by the Russian Navy during

9804-401: The dock, passengers moved to the side of the ship ready to disembark. The shift in weight, added to independent movements of the paddles, could lead to imbalance and potential capsizing . Paddle tugs were frequently operated with clutches in, as the lack of passengers aboard meant that independent paddle movement could be used safely and the added maneuverability exploited to the full. Although

9933-484: The early 19th century, paddle wheels were the predominant way of propulsion for steam-powered boats. In the late 19th century, paddle propulsion was largely superseded by the screw propeller and other marine propulsion systems that have a higher efficiency, especially in rough or open water. Paddle wheels continue to be used by small, pedal-powered paddle boats and by some ships that operate tourist voyages. The latter are often powered by diesel engines. The paddle wheel

10062-466: The federal government, and the land was divided into lots, allowing seasonal cottages, outdoor amusement areas and summer resort hotels to be built. The west side of the island became a destination for the people of Toronto and the first summer cottage community was built there. In 1878, a hotel was built by John Hanlan at the north-west tip of the island and soon after the area became known as Hanlan's Point. The family built Hanlan's Point Amusement Park in

10191-602: The ferries was CA$ 4.5 million, of which ticket revenues covered CA$ 4 million. The ferry service regularly runs a deficit, ranging from $ 647 in 1926 to $ 500,000 in 1954. The annual subsidy was once considered a scandalous waste of money. Safety standards have been updated over the years, and the ferries were allowed to continue to operate under a "grandfather" clause. In 2012, Thomas Rennie , William Inglis and Sam McBride engines and bulkheads were updated. The modernization meant that they were no longer "grandfathered" and were then in contravention. The ferries' passenger capacity

10320-430: The ferry. Toronto Islands The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario , south of mainland Toronto , Ontario , 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 from the rest of Lake Ontario . The islands are home to

10449-762: The first sternwheelers were invented in Europe, they saw the most service in North America, especially on the Mississippi River. Enterprise was built at Brownsville, Pennsylvania , in 1814 as an improvement over the less efficient side-wheelers. The second stern-wheeler built, Washington of 1816, had two decks and served as the prototype for all subsequent steamboats of the Mississippi , including those made famous in Mark Twain 's book Life on

10578-578: The foot of Bay Street on the central Toronto waterfront . During spring and fall, the ferries operate on a 45-minute round trip. During summer months, the ferries make a round trip each half-hour. During the winter months, ferries serve Ward's Island at longer intervals, and Hanlan's Point only as needed to deliver or pick up vehicles. As of 2022, the adult fare is $ 8.70 with various reduced fares for seniors (65 and over), youth (15 to 19) and junior (two to 14). Infants (under two) ride free. Monthly passes are available by age category. The ferries operating from

10707-427: The hands of men. In its hull, or hollow interior, oxen, yoked in pairs to capstans, turn wheels attached to the sides of the ship; paddles, projecting above the circumference or curved surface of the wheels, beating the water with their strokes like oar-blades as the wheels revolve, work with an amazing and ingenious effect, their action producing rapid motion. This warship, moreover, because of its own bulk and because of

10836-423: The injury of 12 passengers. An investigation into the crash by The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released in 2024 said its investigation found a number of issues, particularly around passenger safety and emergency preparedness. It discovered that Toronto had no written procedures for ferry docking speed. With the exception of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, no other docks are enclosed and consist merely of

10965-417: The invention of the screw propeller, but they remained in use in coastal service and as river tugboats , thanks to their shallow draught and good maneuverability. The last crossing of the Atlantic by paddle steamer began on September 18, 1969, the first leg of a journey to conclude six months and nine days later. The steam paddle tug Eppleton Hall was never intended for oceangoing service, but nevertheless

11094-464: The island and faces out to Lake Ontario . The beach is actually two beaches with the portion west of the Lookout Pier called Manitou Beach. The eastern boundary is near the western end of the boardwalk from Ward's Island. Hanlan's Point Beach is located on the west side of Toronto Islands on Lake Ontario, south of the airport and Hanlan's Point ferry dock. Recreational boating has been popular on

11223-597: The island from the foot of Eireann Quay. Additional private ferries carry passengers to various island boat clubs. Ferry services to the islands began in 1833, and the Toronto Island Ferry Company began in 1883. There are four public ferry routes to the islands. Three routes run from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to the Toronto Island Park. A fourth route runs from the foot of Bathurst Street to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on

11352-500: The island. Beside the public ferry services, several yacht clubs and marinas located on the islands provide private ferry services for their members and guests. Private water taxi services are available from locations along the waterfront. The Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the City of Toronto government operates three public ferry routes to Hanlan's Point, Centre Island Park and Ward's Island from Jack Layton Terminal at

11481-448: The island. The main beach is along the south shore of Centre Island, and the beach on the west shore of Centre at Hanlans Point is clothing-optional. There is ample parkland suitable for picnicking, several playgrounds, water play areas and several gardens. During the winter months people reach the lagoons and Toronto Harbour from the islands for ice skating when conditions permit. The Toronto Islands were not originally islands but rather

11610-439: The lake only freeze after a consistent period of below-freezing weather. The highest temperature ever recorded at Toronto Island was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on 15 June 1919. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −30.0 °C (−22.0 °F) on 13 January 1914. A 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. Under

11739-450: The land. A Land Trust was established to handle any transfers or sales of such properties on the Islands. There are 262 residential properties on Ward's Island and Algonquin Island as of late 2018. Under the Act, the deed to a house may be transferred only to the current owner's child or spouse. If the house must be sold for personal reasons, and if a child or spouse will not be the new owner,

11868-401: The lands in Metro's ownership, to be leased to the City who would lease it to the Islanders. Wrangling over the terms of the lease payments to Metro took several years. In 1993, Premier of Ontario Bob Rae helped to get Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act , (S.O. 1993, c. 15) legislation passed, which granted Islanders continued deeds to their houses and 99-year leases on

11997-647: The late 1930s. A series of waterways allow boat traffic to navigate the Islands: Hanlan's Bay was a waterway that has since been buried under the Toronto Island Airport runways. Jim Crow Pond - filled in by South Island Ward's Pond - located roughly along the south side of Olympic Island and South Island The Toronto Island has a humid continental climate ( Dfb ) under the Köppen climate classification system. The climate differs from

12126-535: The machinery working inside it, joins battle with such pounding force that it easily wrecks and destroys all enemy warships coming at close quarters. Italian physician Guido da Vigevano ( circa 1280–1349), planning for a new crusade, made illustrations for a paddle boat that was propelled by manually turned compound cranks . One of the drawings of the Anonymous Author of the Hussite Wars shows

12255-416: The mainland in that cooler lake waters surrounding the island cool spring, summer and early fall daytime temperatures by 2–3 °C, on average. In winter, the unfrozen lake waters are sometimes warmer than the air, temperatures are roughly equivalent to the downtown area but warmer than areas further away from the lake. Fog and low clouds are more frequent at the island than on the mainland. Nearshore areas of

12384-405: The mainland to the airport (which is only connected to the airport, not to any of the parks). 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

12513-499: The most famous being the modified Portuguese carrack La Trinidad , which surpassed a nearby galley in speed and maneuverability on June 17, 1543, in the harbor of Barcelona . The project, however, was discontinued. 19th century writer Tomás González claimed to have found proof that at least some of these vessels were steam-powered, but this theory was discredited by the Spanish authorities. It has been proposed that González mistook

12642-665: The narrower, winding rivers of the Murray–Darling system in Australia, where a number still operate. European sidewheelers, such as PS  Waverley , connect the wheels with solid drive shafts that limit maneuverability and give the craft a wide turning radius. Some were built with paddle clutches that disengage one or both paddles so they can turn independently. However, wisdom gained from early experience with sidewheelers deemed that they be operated with clutches out, or as solid-shaft vessels. Crews noticed that as ships approached

12771-456: The open market, driving up the prices, and preventing a windfall for the owner. The area of the Islands is about 820 acres (330 ha). The largest, outermost island, called Centre Island, is crescent-shaped and forms the shoreline of both the Eastern and Western Channels. Algonquin Island (formerly known as Sunfish Island) and Olympic Island are two of the other major islands. The former

12900-623: The peninsula from a road to the east of York, crossing over the Don. In 1835, the hotel came under new management and the first steam-powered ferry to the hotel, the Toronto was inaugurated. However, the steamboat was removed from service and sold and the horse boat reinstated. The popularity of the peninsula increased and in 1836, the city established a toll gate on the road, charging sixpence for every four-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses and other tolls for smaller carriages, wagons or riders. In 1843,

13029-552: The peninsula's base and the Don River. During the 1790s, the British built the first buildings on the island. The Gibraltar Point Blockhouse and storage structures were built at Gibraltar Point in 1794. The garrison was known as the Blockhouse Bay garrison, and it supported the garrison on the mainland. By 1800, another blockhouse and a guard house were built. These were destroyed in the Battle of York . Another garrison

13158-480: The precise circumstances of his death remain a mystery, recent research has verified many aspects of the popular legend. The two soldiers charged with but ultimately acquitted of Radelmüller's murder were John Henry and John Blueman, both of the Glengarry Light Infantry . The peninsula was first cut off from the mainland to the east by a storm in 1852, but a breakwater was built and the channel

13287-571: The process is handled by the Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation. The house and the land lease are sold for the owner's benefit, but the buyer must be an individual on a 500-person waiting list which was established through a lottery. A firm price is set by the Trust; no bids or negotiation are allowed. This process was intended to eliminate the risk of the homes being sold on

13416-490: The provinces by the Tang dynasty (618–907) emperor. The Chinese Song dynasty (960–1279) issued the construction of many paddle-wheel ships for its standing navy , and according to the British biochemist, historian, and sinologist Joseph Needham : "...between 1132 and 1183 (AD) a great number of treadmill-operated paddle-wheel craft, large and small, were built, including sternwheelers and ships with as many as 11 paddle-wheels

13545-474: The sale of Toronto." The Mississaugas, in a land claim settlement process started in 1986, claimed that the Islands, along with other lands, were never included in the agreement and that the compensation was inadequate. In 2010, a settlement was reached which resulted in a CA$ 145   million payment to the Mississaugas from the Government of Canada. In return, the Mississaugas relinquished their claim to

13674-470: The sheriff to withdraw. On July 31, the community won the right to challenge the 1974 evictions, but the Islanders lost the challenge when the Supreme Court ruled that the city had a right to evict them. The province started a formal inquiry into the Toronto Islands headed by Barry Swadron. On December 18, 1981, the province of Ontario passed a law legalizing the Islanders to stay until 2005. This kept

13803-469: The singular form) to prevent this type of confusion. Other smaller islands include: Three unnamed islands occupy what was once Block House Bay and Long Pond: The Islands were originally a 9-kilometre-long (5.6-mile) peninsula or sand spit extending from the mainland. The Islands are composed of alluvial deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs . The flow from the Niagara River to

13932-476: The south across Lake Ontario causes a counter-clockwise east-to-west current which has, over time, deposited sediments at the south end of the harbour to form a sand spit. In 1852, a storm flooded sand pits on the peninsula, creating a channel east of Ward's Island. The channel was widened and made permanent by a violent storm on April 13, 1858. The channel became known as the Eastern Gap . The peninsula to

14061-731: The southern rivers. In 1958, Pakistan River Steamers inherited the fleet, some of which were built at the private Garden Rich Dockyard in Kolkata . After the liberation of Bangladesh , there were around 13 paddle steamers in 1972, nicknamed “the Rockets” for their speed, operated by the newly founded Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC). These included PS Sandra , PS Lali , PS Mohammed , PS Gazi , PS Kiwi , PS Ostrich , PS Mahsud , PS Lepcha , and PS Tern . The steamers served destinations such as Chandpur , Barisal , Khulna , Morrelganj , and Kolkata , from Dhaka . In

14190-535: The start of the First World War , the Royal Navy requisitioned more than fifty pleasure paddle steamers for use as auxiliary minesweepers . The large spaces on their decks intended for promenading passengers proved to be ideal for handling the minesweeping booms and cables, and the paddles allowed them to operate in coastal shallows and estuaries. These were so successful that a new class of paddle ships,

14319-489: The streets are named sequentially First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Streets, as well as Bayview, Willow, Channel, Lenore and Lakeshore Avenues and Withrow Street. Artscape Gibraltar Point occupies buildings previously used by the Toronto Island Public School, and comprises more than 15 artist work studios occupied by a mix of painters, ceramists, sculptors, musicians, theatre companies, and

14448-517: The terminal in honour of late New Democratic Party leader and former Toronto City Councillor Jack Layton . The Western Gap is at the foot of Eireann Quay and consists of a single pier. Parking is available for cars not crossing to the Island. The Island Airport Dock is at the north end of the island airport and consists of a single pier and a loading ramp. These two docks are used by the Toronto Port Authority. Centre Island Docks

14577-571: The terms of the Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act there are strict rules under provincial law governing the buying and selling of these homes. There are two daycare centres, one school and one church on the islands. The Toronto Island Public School, located at Gibraltar Point, operates a day program for island residents, residents of the Toronto waterfront and other students that can apply for enrollment, up to grade 6. There

14706-439: The type was by far the dominant mode of marine steam propulsion, both for steamships and steamboats, until the increasing adoption of screw propulsion from the 1850s. Though the side wheels and enclosing sponsons make them wider than sternwheelers, they may be more maneuverable, since they can sometimes move the paddles at different speeds, and even in opposite directions. This extra maneuverability makes side-wheelers popular on

14835-421: The water to increase efficiency. The upper part of a paddle wheel is normally enclosed in a paddlebox to minimise splashing. The three types of paddle wheel steamer are sidewheeler, with one paddlewheel amidships on each side; sternwheeler, with a single paddlewheel at the stern ; and (rarely) inboard, with the paddlewheel mounted in a recess amidships. The earliest steam vessel s were sidewheelers, and

14964-521: The west became known as the Toronto Islands. To the east of the Gap, the area of today's Cherry Beach was known as "Fisherman's Island". Sediment deposition to the Islands halted in the 1960s when the Leslie Street Spit was extended beyond the southern edge of the islands. Left to nature, the islands would diminish over time, but this is limited due to hard shorelines built to limit erosion. Over

15093-486: The year-round occupancy of the Islands to help cope with housing shortages after World War Two, an emergency measure meant to expire in 1968. At its peak in the 1950s, the Island residential community extended from Ward's Island to Hanlan's Point and was made up of some 630 cottages and homes, in addition to amenities including a movie theatre, a bowling alley, stores, hotels, and dance halls. Not long after its creation in 1953, Metropolitan Toronto Council undertook to remove

15222-415: The years, land reclamation has contributed to an increase in the size of the islands. The harbour was shallow with a sandy bottom and the sands were moved by dredging or suction methods. Ward's Island was expanded by dredging. Today's Algonquin Island, formerly known as Sunfish Island, was created from harbour bottom sands. The area now occupied by the airport has been subject to several landfills over what

15351-426: Was built in 1884 and moved later to its current location. The Ward's Island residential community encompasses 12 acres (5 ha) of the entire 820-acre (330 ha) Toronto Island park. There are approximately 150 residences, most of which are occupied on a yearly basis and a centrally located Ward's Island Association club house which was built 1937–8. The layout of the streets remains as it has been since 1915 and

15480-407: Was built, but it was abandoned by 1823 and demolished in 1833. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse was constructed at Gibraltar Point, the south-western extremity of the peninsula in 1809. It is perhaps best known for the demise of its first keeper, German-born John Paul Radelmüller, whose alleged 1815 murder by soldiers from Fort York forms the basis of Toronto's most enduring ghost story. Although

15609-464: Was filled in by silt . However, on April 13, 1858, the peninsula became an island permanently by a violent storm that cut a 500-foot (150 m) wide channel. The same storm destroyed two hotels on the island. After the peninsula became an island, the Hanlan family were among the first year-round inhabitants, settling at Gibraltar Point in 1862. In 1867, the City of Toronto acquired the Islands from

15738-577: Was in arrears on rent to the City to the amount of $ 6,500 and only operated in 1926 with the assurance that the City would buy the boats at the end of the season. In February 1927, the city transferred the eight-boat fleet to the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC, later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission ), the body that operates the city's transit system. Three boats included in the purchase -

15867-415: Was once sandy shoal , initially to accommodate the amusement park that preceded the airport, and then to accommodate the airport itself. The Western Channel to the north of the airport is part of the original western channel, which was just south of today's Fort York . It was opened in 1911 as part of a program to improve boat navigation into the harbour. The airport lands were created from harbour sands in

15996-469: Was purely for the purpose of moving a river-boat to a new market, but paddle-steamers began regular short coastal trips soon after. In 1816 Pierre Andriel, a French businessman, bought in London the 15  hp (11 kW) paddle steamer Margery (later renamed Elise ) and made an eventful London- Le Havre -Paris crossing, encountering heavy weather on the way. He later operated his ship as a river packet on

16125-572: Was rebuilt several times over the years, and in 1914, Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run into the waters of Lake Ontario from this stadium. In the 1920s, the Maple Leaf team moved to a new stadium on the mainland. From 1915 to 1916, a temporary wooden hangar was built at the beach by the Curtiss Flying School. This floatplane aerodrome was used for flight training for World War I. In 1937, construction started on

16254-406: Was reduced, and Transport Canada agreed to restore the ferries' "grandfather" status. In October 2012, Toronto City Council decided that funds should be set aside to replace Thomas Rennie and her two fleet-mates with new vessels. In January 2022, the city proposed that the new ferries be all electric and recommended the build be awarded to Concept Naval Experts Maritimes Inc. of Quebec . Of

16383-513: Was simply a sandbar known as Sunfish Island that was expanded by land reclamation operations. In 1938, streets were laid out to accommodate 31 cottages that were moved by barge from Hanlan's Point. The airport opened in 1939, formally named the Port George VI Island Airport , after the reigning monarch of the time. During the first few years of the Second World War , expatriate Norwegian ( RNAF ) pilots-in-training used

16512-650: Was steamed from Newcastle to San Francisco. As the voyage was intended to be completed under power, the tug was rigged as steam propelled with a sail auxiliary. The transatlantic stage of the voyage was completed exactly 150 years after the voyage of Savannah . As of 2022, the PS Waverley is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Beginning in the 1820s, the British Royal Navy began building paddle-driven steam frigates and steam sloops . By 1850 these had become obsolete due to

16641-463: Was the first commercial paddle steamer and steamboat , the first commercial success was possibly Robert Fulton 's Clermont in New York, which went into commercial service in 1807 between New York City and Albany . Many other paddle-equipped river boats followed all around the world; the first in Europe being PS  Comet designed by Henry Bell which started a scheduled passenger service on

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