Touring the Toronto Islands by Kayak

[@UguysRnuts]

I frequently paddle my canoe around and through Toronto Island and Harbour. Last week I called in to the Harbies to report a sinking wooden cabin cruiser. The TFD got there just in time with their pump equipped fireboat. Started my film career on the Island's east end at the Queen City Yacht Club in a CBC cop show called The Collaborators, starring a young Canadian actor most people know as "Captain Kirk". Did another show with Dan Akroyd and John Candy on the beach at Hanlans. In another docu-drama we used the wheelhouse of the Trillium as the bridge of Titanic, which my Great-Great Grandfather was the Chief Metallurgist on. I set off massive parachute rocket flares standing on the roof of the Trillium's wheelhouse. Lost a friend on the seawall of the Eastern Gap. A very famous Canadian! The man who directed in Olga with the final section of the CN Tower as an Ironworker for Dominion Bridge. I have to restrain myself from going on too long. I have a story about just about every landmark you've shown!

[@UguysRnuts]

One more point in response to your final lines of description: The Kajama was a German ammunition ship in WWII. I can't look at it without seeing it's red decks covered in Nazis. Bad karma. Toronto's bigger and better tall ship is The Empire Sandy, which started out as a armed WWII sea-going Tugboat of the British Royal Navy. There are still machine-gun bullet scars to be seen in her hull.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks for sharing all of these memories. You have so many interesting local connections!

[@waynesimmonds9646]

This is the paddle I recommend for anyone wanting a fun safe day paddle in Toronto. Excellent that you have documented this. Pack alunch and make it a good day.

[@cjhoyle]

Totally! This was a video I'd been wanting to make for a while.

[@freedomwon2004]

The water looks so inviting! I'm in Phoenix AZ. Canada is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your video with all of us.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@ko3053]

Thanks for the great video!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@mikelandry3375]

Thanks for the tour around the islands..

[@cjhoyle]

No problem.

[@jmd5600]

Always a pleasure watching your videos, thanks!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@tombikes4164]

Thanks for another great tour. Now I know what your were upto when I met you at Cherry Beach that day.

[@cjhoyle]

Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for stopping to say hello that day!

[@ChrisJu3]

Got a $100 parking ticket last time I was there, they should put up signs in the parking lot to tell people where exactly they can park their cars. Thanks for the quality video!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@karenbrazier4571]

Thank you for another great narrated video..

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulchevrier9961]

The Toronto Islands are always a nice place to go kayaking. I did a very similar route a few weeks ago.

[@cjhoyle]

Nice. Ya for sure!

[@adventureswithjosie]

I watched your bike video of the islands before, so it was neat to see them from kayak this time!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks. I found it so neat the first time I went kayaking there getting to experience the island, from a new vantage point, and see places I'd never been before!

[@adventureswithjosie]

@@cjhoyle That's what I'm looking forward to doing around the area where I live next year now that I have my own canoe. It will be nice to explore the lakes and rivers and see things from on the water, instead of from the shore!

[@cjhoyle]

@@adventureswithjosie Ya totally! I was really excited for you when you won it! Have you had a chance to take your canoe on it's maiden voyage yet?

[@adventureswithjosie]

@@cjhoyle Thanks! No, unfortunately due to a few different reasons I haven't had the chance to take the canoe out yet. Bad weather on the days when I could have took the canoe out is one of those reasons. I'm hoping to be able to take it out for a paddle at least once before winter.

[@OutdoorNatureAdventures]

Great trip dude! That was an awesome adventure Liked.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Larry77777]

Hey CJ: Your kayak routes take on much more meaning with the informative narration you added. Well done! Did you see anyone kayak fishing in Deep Pike Cut or elsewhere between the Toronto Islands?

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks. I don't recall seeing people fishing that day, but it's certainly possible that they were.

[@georgedanova5679]

Really enjoyed this video. Gotta paddle that some day but it's a 5 hour drive to get there. 🤔

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you'll get the chance to visit some time.

[@sidneyc8370]

Great video! Great narration too. I do though believe at 6:20 and again at 6:25 you mistakenly identify the island to the immediate west of the RCYC as Algonquin island when of course it is Olympic island. You do at 6:57 correctly identify Olympic island as being connected by bridge on its south side to Centreville .

[@cjhoyle]

Ah yes, you are correct. I remember noticing that I said the wrong word but didn't remember to fix it when I edited the video.

[@aliasnick4602]

Hey CJ 11:08 this fall I discovered that the Toronto Island Marina sets up a temp winter bridge across Deep Pike Cut to access Muggs Island. It's accessible to everyone so if you wanted to go check out Muggs on your bike, it's an option. You're right however, there's not much else there, but a cool path goes around the whole island. I tried kayaking a few weeks ago but the channel where I launch was frozen unfortunately.

[@cjhoyle]

Wow, I had no idea! Looking on Google Earth I can see it in place in some of the imagery from winter. Are you sure it's open to the public? I know the Island Marina has a gate that you need to enter through, and I seem to recall there was some signage (I don't remember the details). If it's allowed, I'd love to visit Mugg's Island!

[@brendalooyenga3195]

How long did it take you to paddle the islands?

[@cjhoyle]

The route that I took was 15.9km, which was probably about 3.5 hours of actual paddling. Making the video while paddling definitely added a lot of extra time to that though and I took a lunch break along the way.

[@whitbydude]

Looking at the map, Wards Island, the pier, Hanlans and the airport are all actually on the same island.

[@cjhoyle]

Yes that's correct. The Toronto Islands are really just 1 large island (called Centre Island) and all the others are much smaller.

[@UguysRnuts]

@@cjhoyle And the Toronto Islands were part of the mainland until a massive storm washed out the causeway connecting them to Unwin Ave back in 1852.

[@YogZab]

@@cjhoyle Not really! Centre is the island you reach by the curved Venetian style bridge where you will find the Centreville amusement park, the Far Enough Farm, the Toronto Island Marina & the RCYC for example. It is of course the island at which the Centre Island ferry docks. That is Centre Island as residents call it. The others are Muggs, Olympic, Donut etc etc etc Also, not important, but small amendment - the channel to the east is called the Eastern Gap 🙃

[@cjhoyle]

​@@YogZab There is lots of confusion about this and different maps have some of the islands labeled differently. I assume this is because the islands were originally a series of sandbars which have shifted around a lot over the years forming and separating different islands. My understanding is that the island which contains Centreville is is actually called "Middle Island". If you ask "Why would the Centre Island Ferry Terminal be on an island which isn't called Centre Island", I will respond with "Why would the Centre Island Beach and Centre Island Pier be on an island which isn't called Centre Island?" Perhaps Middle Island and Centre Island where once connected together.

[@cjhoyle]

@@YogZab Also, if you're trying to tell me that referring to the Eastern Gap as the Eastern Channel is incorrect, please consult Google Maps 😉

[@AfrahRaza]

You mention a video about skating the center island lagoons but I can’t seem to find it on your channel?

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks for letting me know. I've now added a link in the video description.

[@BioDave1955]

I always look forward to seeing your videos. Very informative and interesting. Thanks

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@theodorep9569]

Maybe I missed it but why didn’t I go to Hanlans?

[@cjhoyle]

Are you asking why I didn't go to the Hanlan's Point ferry dock? This was somewhere that I paddled right past in a previous video where I did a full loop around the islands.