If you are interested in reading more about the islands: Sign petition to stop the expansion of the Billy Bishop airport (we can’t trust the government to keep their word), read about the queer history of Hanlan’s beach, apply for a Toronto Islands residency, and read more about the history of the islands.
The Toronto islands are a ten minute ferry from the downtown core. There are only three restaurants and they close anywhere from seven to nine p.m. There is no grocery or liquor store and you have to go into the city to buy most of your provisions. Growing up, I only knew one boy who lived on the island and it was both dazzling and strange he had to take a ferry to school every day.
There is a group of trees that look like they’ve been in a forest fire. A shrill sound comes from the naked branches that you almost can’t imagine is from birds. If you stop to listen, you realize that the amount of them must be in the thousands. A friend who is inspired by me spending time on the islands is on a boat tour. She texts me, “Cormorants. They’re killing the trees.”
