Lake Ward’s V

Mating toads in front of Rectory Cafe, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Rectory Mates

Toads mate in front of the Rectory Café.  It’s a great year to be an amphibian.

Inspecting pump intake hose, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Sandbag Sump

Michael inspects the intake hose after a community effort to shift the sandbag wall so that Bayview Ave. could drain.  That there is fire ant territory, that is.

Flooded Bayview Ave, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Bayview Ave.

Flooded Bayview Ave, looking west towards Fourth St.


Seagull wading in flooded field at sunset, The Annex, Toronto Islands

Sunset Wading

A ringbill bull wades through the flooded fields of the Annex.

Garbage bin sump filter, The Cove, Toronto Islands

Sump Genius

Somebody had the brilliant idea of using Parks garbage bins as filters for the larger pumps.  Genius.

Flooded walkway, Ward's Beach, Toronto Islands

Flooded Approach

The walkway to Ward’s Beach is underwater, only a few feet of sand keeping the waves at bay.  Waves already wash regularly into this growing pond.


Flooded beach, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

High Tide

A few feet of sand is all that remains of Ward’s beach, waves now wash completely over the top of the beach and into the wet meadow beyond.

Flooded breakwall, Eastern Gap, Toronto Islands

Breakwall No More

The south end of the eastern gap is completely underwater, and waves wash inland toward the now-very-wet wet meadow.

32 Bayview Ave, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

32 Bayview Ave.

Layers of sandbags try to protect 32 Bayview Ave. amidst major pumping operations.


34 Bayview Ave, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

34 Bayview Ave

Water rises on Third St. before emergency sandbag efforts helped redirect the massive pump on Bayview Ave.

Kayaking over Gibraltar Point baseball diamond, Gibraltar Point, Toronto Islands

Gibraltar Reflections

The entire southwest corner of the Island is under water.  The view here is looking west from the baseball diamond.  Besides the armour stone, one sand dune to the west and one to the south are all that keep the waves at bay.

Kayaking over Cibola Ave, Gibraltar Point, Toronto Islands

Middle of the Road

Kayaking down Cibola Ave, past the lighthouse.  It’s over a foot deep at this point, in the center of the road.


Kayaking past abandoned automobiles, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Nose to Nose

It’s not often that I have to contend with traffic when kayaking the Island’s lagoons.

Kayaking over Olympic Island, Olympic Island, Toronto Islands

Olympic Central

Kayaking clear over Olympic Island, looking north towards the city.

Kayaking over RCYC basketball court, Snug Island, Toronto Islands

RCYC Two Pointer

Kayaking over the RCYC basketball court.  Snug Island is completely underwater, and the heritage structure there is being threatened by wave action.


Kayaking over Chippewa Ave, Snug Island, Toronto Islands

Chippewa Ave.

Kayaking over Chippewa Ave., next to the RCYC.

Kayaking over Snake Island, Snake Island, Toronto Islands

Snake Floating

Kayaking over Snake Island, looking back towards the bridge.  Water is thigh-deep in the middle of the island, and the cityside shoreline is undergoing heavy erosion damage.

Fire at Green For Life, Portlands, Toronto Islands

GFL Fire

Fire crews work to contain the fire at the Green For Life facility in the port lands.  The skyline was shrouded by billowing smoke as Islanders worked to sandbag Bayview Ave., a surreal experience.


Water inches towards the runways, Billy Bishop airport, Toronto Islands

Porter Waterline

Water inches higher towards the runways at TCCA / Billy Bishop / the Island airport.  And this image was taken on a dead-calm day.

Escaped peacock portrait, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Not Just Another Pretty Face

An escaped peacock becomes an impromptu shed dweller on Willow Ave.  As if the Flood scenario isn’t strange enough already, waking up at 5:00am to the cries of a peacock ringing out over Ward’s Island puts the whole situation over the top.

Final swan egg in nest, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Swans in the Flood

Lagoon levels appear to be fluctuating by about six inches, and the QCYC swan nest was probably flooded this morning.  As of Sunday afternoon, the parents appear to be sitting dejected on the QCYC dock.


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