The Ned Hanlan

 

Location: Hanlan's Point

Date photo taken: 17 September 2021

This tugboat, now stationed near the ferry dock at Hanlan's Point, is a true piece of Toronto history. It was built for the Toronto Works Department in 1932 right here in Toronto. This piece of information shocked me. For some reason it never occurred to me that this city, despite being on a such a large body of water, would have a shipbuilding industry. 

The boat was retired from service in the 1960s and eventually moved to Exhibition Place before being relocated to Hanlan's Point in 2012. You may have noticed the name of the boat written on the side and assumed that it and Hanlan's Point are named for the same person, but you'd be wrong. The point is named for James Hanlan, an early settler on the Island. The tug was named after his son, an early Canadian sports hero who won seven straight world sculling championships in the 1880s.

Toronto Police Marine Unit

Location: Toronto Islands

Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

This is one of nine different types of watercraft employed by Toronto's police force. Being situated on a lake, it should come as no surprise that Toronto has a marine unit. What I did find surprising is the size of the unit and the scope of their responsibilities. It's part of the Specialized Emergency Response at TPS and along with Sergeants, Constables, and a Staff Sergeant, it also has 10 divers, three mechanics and a cat named Porter. Its area of coverage is larger than the city itself because it has jurisdiction on the lake, stretching out from the city all the way to the border of the United States. Plus it's responsible for all the waterways within Toronto, including rivers, ponds, and reservoirs. The divers also work in the sewers. The main station is located on Queens Quay and there are three sub-stations - one in Scarborough at Bluffers Park, one on Centre Island and at the Humber River.

Tulpi chairs

Location: Centre Island
Date photo taken: 3 August 2021

On the Toronto Islands, a number of tulips bloom year round on a small grassy area adjacent to the Centre Island ferry terminal. Oversized and bright orange, they are the creation of Dutch designer Marco Manders and they won top prize in the Street Furniture Design Category at the 2014 - 2015 A'Design Award and Competition. That's right, these blooms are actually chairs. The tulip shape and self-folding design ensures that the seat is protected from pooling water and bird droppings, and they can be rotated 360 degrees. The material is also highly durable and 100% recyclable. These particular chairs were gifted to Toronto by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands when they visited in 2015 so it makes sense that they are all orange, but if you wanted a little variety in your own personal Tulpi garden, they do come in a variety of colours, and even illuminated versions.

Artscape Horn 1

Location: Artscape Gibraltar Point

Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

While it may look like a remnant of a vintage early warning system, this horn is actually half of a two-piece art installation by Mitchell Fenton. Commissioned by Artscape, this piece originally sat atop their Liberty Village location at 60 Atlantic Avenue but it was relocated when that project closed in 2012. The companion piece can be found on the roof of another Artscape facility at 900 Queen Street East.

Antique Carousel

Location: Centreville, Centre Island

Date photo taken: 3 August 2018

Choosing which mount to ride on the carousel at Centreville is not an easy decision. While there are a few horses to be had for the purists among you, there are animals to suit everyone's fancy, from these sprightly rabbits, to charging pigs, trotting ostriches, and fierce tigers. There are 52 mounts in all, including 36 which jump and 2 chariots. The variety may be explained by the fact that the animals are hand-carved from wood, not made from molded plastic. It was created in Germantown, Pennsylvania by the G.A. Dentzel Steam & Horsepower Company around 1908. It was purchased for the park in 1964. After suffering major losses due to the extensive flooding on the island in 2017, Centreville owners agreed to sell the carousel to Carmel, Indiana, sparking outcries around the city. The deal fell through when Carmel council vote 5-2 against the purchase, and in October Toronto's city council passed a motion to amend the current license agreement at Centreville to ensure that the carousel remains in the park for future generations to enjoy.

Centreville - Saugreen Lumber Company

Location: Centreville, Centre Island
Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

Centreville, the amusement park situated on Centre Island, has been delighting children since 1967. Built to resemble a turn-of-the-century Ontario town, the park started small with only 7 rides but food and game stands followed in 1970 and the park now features over 30 rides, mostly geared to young children. These floating cars are from one of the more exciting rides, The Saugreen Lumber Company log flume, which was introduced in 1972. Admission to the park is free, but tickets are required for the rides, or you can buy an All Day Ride Pass.

Bike Rack - Blue Coil

Location: Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

Date photo taken: 21 May 2015

In June 2016 the city adopted a 10 year cycling network plan geared to improving cycling infrastructure in the city. One small piece of this is bike parking, or bike racks. While the majority of racks installed by the city are of standard post-and-ring design, they are looking at different options. In the meantime, there are lots of examples of interesting racks out there. Here is one from the Toronto Islands, near the entrance to Hanlan's Point beach. 

Chinese Goose

Location: Toronto Islands, just outside Far Enough Farm

Date photo taken: 10 August 2015

This handsome fellow is a Chinese goose and despite its name and rather unusual appearance, it's not really all that exotic. Just a little unusual for downtown Toronto. The Chinese goose is one of the most common domestic goose breeds and this individual has likely just wandered away from Far Enough Farm. The farm is home to a selection of domesticated animals including pigs, rabbits, ponies and lots of interesting fowl. The farm is free to visit and is open 365 days a year.

Ned Hanlan

 

Location: Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

Date photo taken: 22 May 2014

This tribute to great Canadian oarsman Ned Hanlan greets you as you step off the ferry at Hanlan's Point, part of the Toronto Islands. The Hanlan family were some of the first permanent residents on West Point, as this area was once known. Ned grew up here and started rowing at an early age. He went on to dominate the sport in both North America and Europe, and was the first Canadian athlete to become a world champion in an individual event. After retiring from rowing, he bought land on the island and opened a hotel. He also entered politics and was a strong advocate for the waterfront and recreation. During his time as alderman he advocated for bike lanes in the city and for more swimming pools.  He lost his place at the Toronto Harbour Trust when he strongly criticized them for allowing sewage to be dumped in the lake.

This statue was erected in 1926, almost twenty years after his death. It was originally located by the water on the grounds of Exhibition Place, but was relocated to Hanlan's Point in 2003.

Gibraltar Point Light House

Location: Toronto Island
Date photo taken: 22 May 2014

The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, located where the Toronto Islands jut out into Lake Ontario, stands as the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Completed in 1808, it remained an operating lighthouse until 1958 when it, like many others in recent decades, was decommissioned. At that time, responsibility for the lighthouse was passed to the city's parks department.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which maintains lighthouses across Canada as part of water safety, declared over 450 of these buildings as surplus to needs in recent years. Realizing the special significance that these structures hold for Canadians, the National Trust passed the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act in 2010 to help ensure that these icons remain a part of our cultural landscape.