Eastern Canada Trip 2024 Day 12 Sunday June 15 Toronto including Toronto Islands.

 

This is the 12^th of a series of posts dealing with my 2024 trip to Eastern Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.

 

First off, my Chromebook isn't charging; I don't know if I'll be able to do trip reports every remaining day of the trip before I get home but I'll try.

 

[NOW: I managed to keep it working the rest of the trip.]

 

I left Neill Wycik Hotel (which uses literal keys by the way) and walked to the 7-11 at Yonge and College; it was locked. I walked to the one at College and Spadina and it too was locked but the person inside soon let me in. I suspect that for safety reasons, street people are being kept out. I walked to Augusta and got more photos of the plant car, then again visited the Al Waxman statue at Bellevue Park Square.I walked to Yonge-Dundas Square, then grabbed breakfast at the hotel. I asked for Coke and the lady gave me Canada Dry, but I decided to go with it anyway.

 

[NOW: Yonge-Dundas Square is now Sankofa Square.]

 

I rushed to Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. More people there than expected for the 8 am ferry, probably due to a Dragonboat race. I took the Centre Island Ferry to the Toronto Islands, specially the island called  either Centre Island or Centreville Island. I got photos of the not-yet-open (for the day) Centreville Amusement Park. I crossed a bridge to the largest island, which is also called Centre Island except on the east side, where it's Ward's Island. The centremost beach has multiple names. I headed west and got pics of an old fashioned bus and the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. I wanted to get photos of Hanlan's Point Beach early. It's a clothing optional beach so if you want to be able to sneak in photos you need to do so when no one's around. They greatly expanded it since I was here last. I managed to get some pics in until I got close to the traditional area, where I saw a few people, so I put my camera away until I left the area.

 

[NOW: Probably the name most used for the centremost beach is Centre Island Beach.]

 

Heading east I saw people playing disc golf. I visited a few smaller islands off the larger one: a yacht club one, Snake Island (never seen snakes there), and the residential Algonquin Island. Some residences had art displays at the front, though there wasn’t enough time to visit every street. Returning to what was now Ward's Island, I visited the Ward's Island Ferry Terminal and then made my way to Ward's Island Beach. A group was playing music too loud but I was tired so I rested and had my lunch anyway. I briefly changed into swimwear and did a short swim in Lake Ontario. I worked my way back to the west side, walking along various beaches. A little ways past the lighthouse the path becomes rainbow coloured noting the historical use of the area. Since that was right by part of the expanded area of the clothing optional beach, a woman new to the Islands said that a naked guy came close to her when she was taking pictures and asked if that was normal, so I explained which sections of the larger island were clothing optional and which weren't.

 

After more walking I managed to get to Hanlan's Point Ferry Dock just before a ferry was supposed to leave, only due to some change that ferry's first trip from that dock wasn't until 7:30 pm. I walked quickly back to Centre Island Ferry Dock. I had just missed one ferry but probably wouldn't have gotten on because there was already a long wait for the next ferry. Some park workers at a concession booth tried to sell food and drink to people in line. I thought that was a bit tacky. Despite a lot of people ahead of me in line I managed to make the next ferry back to the mainland. I walked to CN Tower and then to Queen St, visiting Silver Snail Comics in its new location (got a comic trade) and Type Books. I walked to 2019's hostel Parkdale Hostellerie again and then headed east along King St.

 

[NOW: I didn’t go in the Parkdale Hostellerie, but because I stayed there before I wanted to pass by it.]

 

I had dinner at a McDonald's on Joe Shuster Way. I don't normally eat dinner at  a McDonald's which doesn't offer refills but I wanted a receipt that said Joe Shuster Way. Back on King, got a trade and a few other things at a Dollarama. I eventually turned off of King and revisited Nathan Phillips Square and Yonge-Dundas Square (same games there as last night). Tired from all the walking I decided to call it an early night and returned to the hotel just after 7:30.