| Sometimes you get hooked on an activity, and | | | | After heading south on Parliament Street we |
| exploring Toronto by bike has become one of | | | | connected onto the bicycle lanes on Queens |
| these pastimes for me. Not only is it great | | | | Quay to our next destination: the Toronto |
| exercise, but it's also an awesome way to | | | | Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street. The |
| explore the nooks and crannies of any | | | | Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands |
| destination. To share my enthusiasm I | | | | situated off downtown and they provide a |
| conscripted my friend Mario on a Thursday | | | | welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of |
| evening after work and persuaded him to come | | | | the city. At a price of C$6 per roundtrip |
| on a cycling trip with me. | | | | ticket, a ferry ride to the Toronto Islands |
| | | | provides an affordable getaway into a much |
| So we met up in the Taylor Creek Park system, | | | | more peaceful and quiet environment. |
| away from Toronto's busy streets and started | | | | |
| our ride, heading westwards towards the Don | | | | Interestingly, the Toronto islands were |
| Valley. We turned southwards and got on the | | | | originally a narrow peninsula composed of |
| main north-south bicycle trail that is wedged | | | | sand that had drifted down from the |
| between the Don Valley Parkway and the slowly | | | | Scarborough Bluffs. In 1858 however, water |
| flowing Don River, one of two main rivers in | | | | broke through in a violent storm and started |
| Toronto. | | | | the formation of the "Eastern Gap"", today |
| | | | the entrance into Toronto's harbour. |
| In my opinion, Toronto is an amazingly | | | | Hurricane Hazel also affected the |
| cycleable city, it has about 40 km of bicycle | | | | topographical appearance of the islands and |
| lanes on city streets and about 125 km of | | | | created several smaller islands. The creation |
| paved bicycle paths. What makes Toronto | | | | of the Leslie Street spit with fill from the |
| really unique is a network of ravines that | | | | excavation work for the Toronto subway system |
| cross the city from north to south, most of | | | | stopped the deposition of additional |
| which feature bicycle trails. We cycled | | | | sediment; however, concrete-reinforced |
| underneath the Leaside Bridge, crossed | | | | shorelines limit natural erosion. |
| Pottery Road and stopped briefly underneath | | | | |
| the Bloor Viaduct, originally named the | | | | After about a 30 minute wait we hopped onto a |
| Prince Edward Viaduct System which connects | | | | small ferry boat called the Ongiara, a car |
| Bloor Street on the west with Danforth Avenue | | | | ferry originally built in 1963. This small |
| across the valley of the Don River. | | | | ferry can house a few vehicles and is mostly |
| | | | frequented by bicyclists who want to explore |
| The Bloor Viaduct is 494 metres long and | | | | the island. The view from the rear of the |
| stands as high as 40 metres above the Don | | | | ferry boat as it recedes from the terminal is |
| Valley. The top level of the bridge features | | | | simply phenomenal. Toronto's impressive |
| six lanes of traffic, and the second deck | | | | skyline featuring the CN Tower, the Rogers |
| holds tracks for Toronto's subway system. In | | | | Centre and dozens of commercial and |
| recent years the Bloor Viaduct has been | | | | residential high-rise buildings came into |
| equipped with an expensive suicide barrier to | | | | view. Even though I have been living in this |
| prevent people from jumping off the bridge. | | | | city for a long time, a ride on the ferry and |
| The Bloor Street Viaduct ranked as the second | | | | the look back at Toronto's skyline are always |
| most fatal free standing structure in the | | | | a special experience. |
| world, after San Francisco's Golden Gate | | | | |
| Bridge. Since the completion of the C$ 5.5 | | | | My friend and I got off the boat at Wards |
| million suicide barrier in 2003, also | | | | Island, actually an extension of Centre |
| referred to as the 'Luminuous Veil, there | | | | Island. This area features a cluster of |
| have not been any suicides at all, and the | | | | houses and small cottages that have several |
| distinction of Canada's leading suicide site | | | | hundred permanent residents throughout the |
| has moved to the Jacques Cartier Bridge in | | | | year. The land is owned by the city while the |
| Montreal. | | | | houses are covered by 99-year leases with the |
| | | | City of Toronto. Many of the cottages are |
| A few hundred metres further south along the | | | | very small, and not all of them are |
| trail we stopped on a narrow bridge and | | | | well-maintained while others are in great |
| admired the northward and southward view of | | | | condition and feature impressive gardens. |
| the Don River. It sometimes amazes me that | | | | |
| there is so much nature right in the middle | | | | We cycled to the south side of Ward's Island |
| of a big metropolis such as Toronto. Three | | | | which features a wooden boardwalk and a great |
| Canada geese were sitting right next to the | | | | view of the Leslie Street Spit. From there we |
| pathway and were being fed by passersby, an | | | | turned right and made our way to Alqonquin |
| example of nature right smack dab in the | | | | Island, another island that features a |
| middle of a city. | | | | community of houses. Altogether the |
| | | | population of the Toronto Islands comprises |
| Since the bicycle path is blocked off south | | | | about 700 people. We stopped at a bench on |
| of Queen Street for renovations, we had to | | | | the northern shore of Algonquin Island and |
| carry our bikes a few flights of stairs up to | | | | sat down to enjoy the magnificent view of the |
| the deck of the Queen Street Bridge from | | | | downtown Toronto skyline. The bridge over the |
| where we continued riding into the downtown | | | | inner channel provides a perfect view of the |
| east side of Toronto. We turned south on | | | | tranquil waterway that is enjoyed by paddlers |
| Cherry Street and stopped to admire one of | | | | and sailing boat enthusiasts alike. |
| the local landmarks: the Canary Restaurant, | | | | |
| located in an unrenovated Victorian brick | | | | I wish we could have extended our stay on the |
| building at the intersection of Front and | | | | Toronto Islands, but dark clouds were looming |
| Cherry Streets. The signed said "closed", but | | | | overhead and it sure looked like we were |
| I wasn't sure whether this venerable | | | | going to have a serious thunderstorm. We made |
| institution was closed down permanently or | | | | our way back to the Wards Island ferry dock |
| just shut for the day. | | | | and caught our trusted ferry, but had to make |
| | | | a detour first to Hanlan's Point to pick up |
| Our next destination was the Distillery | | | | additional passengers. Altogether our ferry |
| District on Mill Street, a complex of 44 | | | | ride stretched to about 50 minutes or so, and |
| restored Victorian-era industrial heritage | | | | by the time we arrived at the Bay Street |
| buildings that has been turned into one of | | | | Ferry Terminal, big raindrops were starting |
| Toronto's most popular entertainment | | | | to hit the ground and lightning bolts were |
| districts. This area was originally the | | | | flashing in the sky. |
| Gooderham and Worts distillery, founded in | | | | |
| 1832, which became the largest distillery in | | | | It was definitely time to get home and quick. |
| the world by the 1860s. Industrial activity | | | | My friend and I started cycling like crazy, |
| declined in the area in the 20th century and | | | | but the heavens opened up within a few |
| by the early 1990s it was run down and | | | | minutes, and it started pouring fiercely. We |
| derelict. | | | | were both soaked and I spent about 50 minutes |
| | | | cycling in the heavy rain along the Lakeshore |
| A group of real estate developers purchased | | | | and Beaches bicycle trails to get home. |
| the site in 1990 and successfully transformed | | | | |
| it into the best-preserved collection of | | | | But despite the rain, there was something |
| Victorian-era industrial buildings in North | | | | pleasant about the experience, the rainwater |
| America. Today the Distillery District holds | | | | was fairly warm and all the sounds of the |
| a wide assortment of restaurants, cafes, | | | | city were nicely muffled by the rain. I was |
| galleries, unique retail stores and even a | | | | pondering how a long ride in the rain could |
| theatre. It has been used as a location for | | | | be so enjoyable. My only worry was not to get |
| more than 800 film and television productions | | | | hit by lightning and about an hour later I |
| including Chicago, Cinderella Man, Tommy Boy, | | | | had safely made it home, ready for a hot |
| the Fixer and X Men. | | | | shower to get all the street grit off my |
| | | | legs. |