Touring the Toronto Islands by Kayak

In this video I shared my Sunday August 15th experience of visiting all 15 of the Toronto Islands in my Kayak. Starting from Cherry beach I padded west and then south through the eastern channel. After passing the Wards Island ferry dock, I paddled between Centre Island and Algonquin Island through the Queen City Yacht Club. After passing the fire station and house boats I reached Sunfish Cut where there's a beautiful view of the Toronto skyline. Beyond there I passed Snake Island, South Chippewa Island, Senator Frank Patrick O'Connor Island, and North Chippewa Island before reaching the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. This yacht club also occupies 2 other islands which are called South Island and RCYC Island. The next island I reached is Olympic Island which is open to the general public and has beautiful views of the skyline. Heading south I passed behind Middle Island which is home to the Centreville Children's Amusement Park and Far Enough Farm. On the other side of the channel is the St Andrews-by-the-water church. After paddling below the Centre Island Bridge I reached Long Pond which is home to the Allan A. Lamport Regatta Course. As I worked my way further west I passed behind Forestry Island and Donut Island where I saw some turtles sunning on floating logs. To the north of me at the end of Middle Island I saw the Toronto Island Marina and Deep Pike Cut which is just to the east of Muggs Island. On the west side of Muggs Island I saw the Island Yacht Club and Blockhouse Bay. Once I reached the Hanlan's Point Mooring wall I headed south down into Hanlans Bay where I saw Hanlans Island, the Island Water Treatment Plant and the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. I proceeded from there into the Trout Pond where there is a put-in spot where you can easily portage to the outside of the island. I decided not to though because there was a fair bit of wind on the lake. Instead I took a lunch break at the mooring wall and headed back the way I came. On my way back I make a quick visit to the duck pond just east of the Centre Island Bridge. There is a tiny unnamed Island here which separates this shallow pond from the rest of the lagoons. When I reached RCYC I paddled to the south of South Island and South Chippewa Island which was slightly more direct than the route I took in the other direction. It also gave me a good view of part Island Disc (Frisbee) Golf Course. As I paddled back through the Eastern Channel I passed the Kajama tall sailing ship. When I reached Cherry Beach, the total distance of the journey was 15.9km.
Strava for this adventure: / strava
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My kayak is a 1999 Dagger Redline (whitewater). I filmed this video using a Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone. I protect the phone from sinking in the water using a homemade floating pouch.
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I hope you enjoyed this video. Please COMMENT and subscribe!
Thanks for watching.

[@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.

[@mikelandry3375]

Thanks for the tour around the islands..

[@cjhoyle]

No problem.

[@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.

[@jmd5600]

Always a pleasure watching your videos, thanks!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@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!

[@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!

[@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!

[@OutdoorNatureAdventures]

Great trip dude! That was an awesome adventure Liked.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@user-my4jz2ed5r]

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.

[@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 😉

[@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.