Should the Toronto Islands be kept as-is?

[bleeepbluuup]

What would be totally badass is a gondola from the island to a skyscraper, like the one in Singapore that goes to Sentosa Island.

 

[adma]

I'd also like to add that its seclusion is what makes it so attractive. Not everywhere has to be a cheek-by-jowl, put your blanket on top of mine, sardine fest a la Woodbine Beach.

I dunno, I'm sure there are dudes out there who'd appreciate that kind of sardine fest scenario at Hanlan's Point, if you get my drift

 

[SunriseChampion]

True, true. They can sardine Hanlan's then, but leave me to my Ward's Island beach. Actually....cut Ward's Island off from the rest of it all and do what you like with it. Yes, I could live with that.
I guess I'm being selfish but Ward's Island is my Heaven on Earth as odd as that may seem....and I don't even get to live there.

 

[Dan416]

I think building a hotel or two and some nightlife would be pretty cool. A bridge is definitely needed. The Bathurst Bridge on one end, the ferry in the middle and another bridge on the other end. If needed we can always create some new islands. I think we have some experience with that already...

As for the widescale development, definitely not. If anything, we ought to kick off the squatters who live there and turn the island into one giant park.

 

[Archivist]

I have to say, I kind of like the gondola idea. Though, it would likely not address the problem of the cost of getting a family over to the island.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Me too. With a gondola, those swan boats could take flight.

 

[CN Tower]

The cholera is the least of it. Whenever winter weather disrupts ferry service, island residents can't get to grocery stores, and resort to cannibalism. It's happened three times this year, mild winter notwithstanding. It's a terrible problem.

Back in the middle 1980's when the tornado blew the telephone lines ashore all contact with the islanders ceased. There was a search party launched from Captain John's rescue vessel but it was unable to moor itself away from shore that day. They say that if you put a sea shell (or a replicate CN Tower) to your ear you can still hear their distant cries and pleas for Double Doubles and milk out of plastic bag ....

 

[TorontoPostCards]

How about a Burj Dubai-type megascraper?

Hey! Now you're talking. What that island needs is a line of green glass condos - that way, the people who bought up the entire lakeshore from downtown to Mississauga could see THEMSELVES reflected in the glass of the island condos. What more could they ask for?

Is it TRUE about the canabalism? I heard that it was scurvy that was causing all the deaths - the island lemon trees all died, so there was no vitamin C.

 

[W. K. Lis]

How about putting the islands under a dome? Then we can go south, by ferry, into a greenhouse tropical paradise under the dome.

 

[adma]

We need some Emperor Norton type to propose a magnificent bridge across Toronto Harbour. Unfortunately, it looks like Kevin Clarke won't be running for mayor this year

 

[adma]

I think building a hotel or two and some nightlife would be pretty cool. A bridge is definitely needed. The Bathurst Bridge on one end, the ferry in the middle and another bridge on the other end. If needed we can always create some new islands. I think we have some experience with that already...

As for the widescale development, definitely not. If anything, we ought to kick off the squatters who live there and turn the island into one giant park.

I'd almost swear the above post is some kind of parody. (And how "a hotel or two and some nightlife" jibes with the one-giant-park/no-widescale-development thing, I don't know.)

Unless Chris Stockwell's up for a municipal comeback, I can't see how anyone can be elected mayor while referring to the islanders derogatorily as "squatters".

 

[yyzgyy]

I can't believe this discussion has gone on for so long without anyone proposing an obvous area for exploration. The place for a new neighbourhood is on the island airport lands. It could be somthing like the new neighbourhood I recall hearing about on the old rail yards along the Amstel River. Car free. Waterways cut through. Four to six storey. And the land value could help fund the fast train to the only airport we really need.

 

[SP!RE]

It would be a heinous act to build on just about any park, and you are considering the concept of building on the Toronto ISLANDS?! Awful idea.

Terrifying.

Oh yeah, but it would "look cool" *rolls eyes*.

 

[CityPlaceN1]

Still, I think this idea could bring a lot more people to the islands, and be a Vancouver Seawall for Toronto.

There is a sea wall on the south side of Wards Island. It has a view of the Spit and Lake Ontario. I like it.

And leave the islands alone.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I can't believe this discussion has gone on for so long without anyone proposing an obvous area for exploration. The place for a new neighbourhood is on the island airport lands. It could be somthing like the new neighbourhood I recall hearing about on the old rail yards along the Amstel River. Car free. Waterways cut through. Four to six storey. And the land value could help fund the fast train to the only airport we really need.

Isn't this a little bit like what we're supposed to see in the new communities in the Lower Don Lands? Estuary. Parks. Waterways on both sides.