City council candidate proposes pedestrian bridge to Toronto Islands

Walking or cycling directly to the Toronto Islands could become a reality if one City Council hopeful gets their way.

April Engelberg, candidate for Spadina-Fort York, is advocating for a pedestrian lift bridge that she says would better connect the city to her ward’s largest free park.

“Our ferry system is slow and outdated,” says Engelberg. “It’s time to move forward and actually build a bridge so we could bike to the island in less time it takes to wait for a ferry.”

Engerlberg says 94 per cent of residents in her ward do not have backyards and the bridge would provide easier access to more green space.

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“It’s time to focus on the best and most equitable use of green space that Toronto actually owns,” said Engelberg in a tweet outlining her proposal.

The council hopeful added the city does not actually own the majority of land at Ontario Place, or the site of the proposed Rail Deck Park.

Mayor John Tory says it is an idea worth thinking about and should be considered moving forward.

“If you were ever to look at such a thing, you’d have to look at it in a way that was sensitive to all the island users, including those who are residents there,” Tory says.

When asked whether or not those who live on the islands would take umbrage with the proposal, Engelberg says she remains hopeful all residents could get behind the idea.

“I know that everyone in the ward that i’ve spoken to has been very enthusiastic about this,” she says.

Source: April Engelberg

The proposed bridge would span the 250 metre Eastern Channel to connect the Port Lands to Ward’s Island. It would take only a couple minutes to walk across and even less time for cyclists.

The location of the bridge would be approximately a 15 minute bike ride from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

The bridge would also allow ships to pass by lifting 40 metres when necessary, according to Engelberg. A spokesperson from Ports Toronto, the federal agency that owns and operates the marine port in the city says ships would need a minimum clearance of 35 metres above water level to be able to pass through.

“Whether such a bridge could be constructed would require considerable study,” the agency adds.

Engelberg estimates the cost to build the bridge would fall somewhere between $10 to $15 million, and if everything goes according to plan it could be ready to use in less than four years.