Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques
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Manitou Road
Photos and transcription by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted October, 2015
This 2014 Heritage Toronto plaque can be found at the intersection of Avenue of the Islands and Lakeshore Avenue on Centre Island. Here's what the plaque tells us:
Coordinates: 43.617098 -79.372386 |
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In the first half of the 20th century, Manitou Road was the main commercial street of Centre Island. Originally known as Middle Road, it became an increasingly important thoroughfare with the construction in 1905 of a freight wharf near the bridge over Long Pond. To serve a growing population of both summer and year-round residents, business along the road expanded in the following decade to include a general store, a butcher shop, a dairy, a boathouse, laundries, and several hotels. Manitou Road also became an entertainment hub with facilities that included a casino, a bowling alley, and a movie theatre.
In 1956, Metropolitan Toronto Council expropriated Centre Island for the creation of Toronto Island Park. Many of the businesses were demolished and Manitou Road was replaced by a concrete pedestrian walkway. Known as the Avenue of the Islands, this walkway evolved into a grand boulevard, lined with sculpted trees and hedges, colourful flowerbeds, and reflecting pools.
Related webpages
Toronto Islands history
More plaques found on Toronto Island
Allan A. Lamport Regatta Course
Babe Ruth at Hanlan's Point
English's Boathouse
Gibraltar Point
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
Island Filtration Plant
Island Water Treatment Plant
The Lake Light
Milton Acorn and Gwendolyn MacEwen
Ned Hanlan 1855-1908
Queen City Yacht Club
Residents or Parks? Remaking Toronto Island
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club
St. Andrew-by-the-Lake
Toronto Island
More
Transportation
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
> Posted June 26, 2016
Perhaps a clarification is required in the use of the word 'casino' on the plaque. Casino is usually referred to as a gambling casino whereas the 'Casino' on Manitou Rd. was the name of a dance hall owned by Fred Ginn, a long time Manitou Rd. merchant.
E.Guthrie [email protected]
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