Generally referred to in the singular form, Toronto Island is actually made up of more than a dozen islands.

Some are small (like Sunfish, Donut and Forestry) and several are larger ones (like Centre, Hanlan’s, Ward’s, Mugg’s and Algonquin).

Historically, the Island didn’t begin as an island at all, but rather as an isthmus, a long sandy hook of land originally connected with the mainland at its east end, not far from the present Cherry St. and Unwin Ave. intersection.

The isthmus became a true island when in 1852 a savage storm breached the narrowest part of the isthmus, eventually leading to the creation of the Eastern Channel or, in more colloquial terms, the East Gap.

While the Island soon became a place of refuge for people seeking to get away from the heat, hustle and bustle of the growing city across the bay, city officials saw other uses for it.

One of the earliest was as a place to build a water filtration plant, where water from Lake Ontario would be treated before being pumped through tunnels under the bay to supply thousands of thirsty Torontonians. An important, but not particularly exciting civic use of the Island.

Far more stimulating was the idea of promoting the city as a stop for companies in the fast growing business of inter-city passenger flights.

While freight delivery companies had the use of small fields scattered around the city, no one was championing proper city facilities for the airlines eager to fly in and out of the provincial capital.

One organization that saw value in developing the necessary facilities was the Toronto Harbour Commission (THC), to be renamed the Toronto Port Authority (TPA) in 1999.

Working in concert with city officials (ah, those were the days), these two organizations, along with representatives of the federal government, looked at a number of locations for a city airport.

It took some time to satisfy all concerned, but eventually a site at the west end of Toronto Island was approved as the location of the city’s new “main” airport with a standby facility (should inclement weather prevent landings on that part of the Island known as “the sandbar”) north and west of the city near the small farming community of Malton.

Work soon began on both projects, with both passenger terminal buildings to be built from the same set of drawings.

Anticipating a visit to Toronto by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in the spring of 1939, the new airport on the Island was given the title Port George Island Airport.

For the first few years, access to and from the airport was by rope ferry that was winched back and forth across the West Gap, weather permitting. Later a series of more reliable diesel-powered watercraft was introduced with the David Hornell, VC and the Marilyn Bell carrying thousands who use what is now known as the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, a.k.a. YTZ.

It is anticipated later this year that a new pedestrian tunnel, complete with a moving sidewalk, will provide more efficient and faster access to and from.

Interestingly, work on constructing a $1-million vehicle and pedestrian tunnel under the West Gap began in the fall of 1935, only to be terminated a few weeks later when the source of funding from the newly elected federal government was cut off.

Another plan surfaced in 1966 when a $10-million “bus only” tunnel was proposed. That, too, went nowhere.

mike.filey@sunmedia.ca

*Mike Filey’s Toronto, co-hosted by Mike and long-time radio personality Gene Stevens, airs Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoomer Radio am740.