On our first day in Toronto we decided to have a bit of a different tourist adventure and booked ourselves a push bike tour. We met our group late in the afternoon near China Town in Toronto. There were 6 in our group and all nice and interesting people. Our tour guide Zoe was so much fun, she gave us a chance to get to know our bikes and get comfortable before hitting the streets of Toronto.
We rode mostly in dedicated bike lanes down to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry across to the Eastern Toronto Islands. The whole tour went for around 4 hours including the ferry ride each way. The island has a very small population of residents who don’t own the land their house is on. The land is leased under a 99 year lease. To purchase a house on the island you need to go on a waiting list and then purchase whichever house comes up when it’s your turn. If you don’t like the house you give up your place on the list and go to then bottom.
There is a lighthouse on the island which is from when it land mass was attached to the mainland. There is also an airport which has recently become operational with a commercial service running from there to many cities in Northern America.
There is also a school on the island, it used to operate as a regular school but since the reduction in available residences it now operates as a Science School with students from Toronto coming to stay for a week at a time. There are no hotels for visitors to stay on the island. The only place to stay other than as a resident is the Art Centre where artist can come and work and stay.
The highlight of the tour were the spectacular views at sunset of Toronto City.
