# A day on Ward's Island

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2014-06-08

architect-this-city, central-park, community-trust, housing, new-york, purchasing-list, toronto, toronto-islands, uncategorized, waiting-list, wards-island

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I have a friend in town visiting me from New York this weekend. And since today was such a beautiful day in Toronto, we decided to spend the afternoon on the [Toronto Islands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Islands)–Ward’s Island to be exact. The islands are such an incredible amenity in the city. I try and go as often as I can during the summer. It’s my Central Park.

But in addition to parks and beaches, many people also live on the islands. There are [262 residential properties](http://torontoist.com/2009/08/how_to_buy_a_house_on_the_toronto_islands/) across the archipelago. Below is what a residential street looks like. There are no cars allowed. It’s a gorgeous place.

But if you want a house on the Toronto Islands you have to get on a [waiting list](http://torontoisland.org/Land-Trust). There only 500 spots and it’ll probably take you about 30 years before you get to a meaningful position on that list. But even then, you’re only buying the house. The land itself is on lease.

But if we didn’t regulate, the islands would be a very different place. 262 homes is not a lot of housing. In fact, it’s less than most of the new condo buildings going up downtown. So it’ll probably always be a heavily regulated market.

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/a-day-on-wards-island)*