abstract
| - The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in Lake Ontario located just offshore from the city centre; they provide shelter for Toronto Harbour. The islands are a popular recreational destination, and are home to a small residential community and to the Toronto Island Airport, which is mentioned in the episode "Capital Offense". The Islands are connected to the mainland by several ferry services. Centre Island (sometimes, confusingly, called Toronto Island) is the largest. It is crescent-shaped, and lies outermost, forming the shoreline of both the Eastern and Western Channels. What is commonly called Ward's Island is actually the eastern end of Centre Island. Confusingly, Centre Island Park is located on Middle Island. The islands were originally a sand spit extending from the mainland, composed of alluvial deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs. A violent storm in 1858 blew a hole at the base of the spit which was later formalized as an entrance to the harbour called the Eastern Gap. Sediment deposition was halted in the 1960s when the Leslie Street Spit was extended beyond the southern edge of the islands. However, over the years land reclamation has contributed to an increase in the size of the islands. Boat traffic can navigate through a series of waterways. The islands are the largest urban car-free community in North America, though some service vehicles are permitted. Adapted from the Wikipedia article on the Toronto Islands
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