Toronto Harbour Lighthouse

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About The Site

Toronto Harbour sketch

The Leslie Street Spit is a peninsula which was created from landfill in the 1950's. The spit was to serve as an outer harbor for the expected increase in shipping due to the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959. This need never arose, and the area evolved into an aquatic park. The lighthouse was established to mark the end of the spit in 1974.

Today, Tommy Thompson Park is teeming with wildlife. The park is named after the former Metro Parks Commissioner best known for saying "Please walk on the grass." The area is a haven for birdwatchers and naturalists. The park serves as a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of busy Toronto.

The lighthouse sits on what is now Vicki Keith Point. Vicki Keith, a Canadian swimmer, swam across all five Great Lakes for charity in 1988. She set 17 world records during her swimming career.

References (see links)

A Traveler's Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses, Penrose p. 79

Select an image to enlarge

Toronto - from the lighthouse

Directions: Toronto Harbour Light is at the end of Tommy Thompson Park (also known as the Leslie Street Spit). The park is open year round on weekends and holidays (except Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day) from 9AM to 6PM. From downtown Toronto, follow the Gardiner Expressway east to its end. Go south on Leslie Street to the end. A brochure/map is available at the park entrance. The road within the park is closed to through-traffic, but a shuttle van operates from early May to mid-October. The shuttle van runs to a footbridge about three-fifths of the way out to the lighthouse. The walk from the park entrance to the lighthouse (without taking the shuttle) is about 5 km (3 miles). Bicycling and skating are good ways to traverse the park. (September 2006)