Centre Island is the main ferry stop and hub of most of the city’s tourist activity. It is from here that sports enthusiasts can choose to bike, roller blade, walk, or catch the trackless train that takes them several kilometers to either the east or west sides of the island. More than 1,225,000 people visited this 230.388-hectare island park each year. For those that choose not to transport a picnic lunch, there are several snack shops and licensed restaurants on the island. In the summer, it’s not uncommon to hear bands playing at the Centre Island restaurant on Saturday nights.

The west side of the island started as a resort destination for the citizens of Toronto as late as the 1860s. In 1878, a hotel was built by John Hanlan at the northwest top of the island, and soon that area became known as Hanlan’s Point. After enjoying many years of an amusement park and baseball stadium, by 1937 the amusement park was demolished, the stadium closed down, and the Toronto Island Airport was constructed. Today, tourists visit Hanlan’s point, often by their own boat or cruiser as there is a public dock. In addition, there’s the Toronto Island Natural Science School and other historical buildings housed on Hanlan’s Point.

Ward’s Island, the east side of the island, was named after the Ward family, who first settled there about 1830. Today, there are 262 tiny homes and cottages clustered on Ward’s Island, many residents whom reside on the Island year-round. The community has its own church and public school. However, any shopping must be done via ferry in downtown Toronto.

Ferries run frequently daily in the spring, summer and fall and have a limited schedule in the winter. The Mainland Ferry Terminal is located at the Bay Street and Queen’s Quay West Intersection, in front of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. The cost for return fare is $5 for adults, $2 for students and seniors, $1 for juniors under 14 and children under two are free. The ferry ride to the island is approximately 15 minutes long.