Humber Bay facts for kids
Humber Bay is a lovely bay on Lake Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's located between Ontario Place to the east and Mimico Creek to the west. This bay gives its name to a neighbourhood in Etobicoke, which is a part of Toronto.
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A Look Back: Humber Bay's History
Before 1809, Humber Bay had a natural sandy shoreline with thick forests behind it. This area stayed wild until the late 1800s. Then, people started building boathouses, hotels, and other buildings along the shore.
Early Travel and Changes
In 1802, a ferry service began to help people cross the Humber River. Later, in 1882, a company called the Humber River Ferry Company Limited started a ferry service from the Humber area to Toronto. This service stopped in 1886, but other ferries continued to operate into the 1890s.
The Toronto Harbour Commission later changed the waterfront. They filled in parts of the shoreline, extending it by about 100 yards from the Humber River eastward. This big change led to the extension of Lake Shore Boulevard. With this new road, cars could easily bring visitors to the hotels from Toronto, so the ferry services were no longer needed.
In the 1970s, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority created Humber Bay Park. This park is located at the end of Park Lawn Avenue. Today, the only natural shoreline left in the area is east of Wilson Park Avenue, where you can still see a small cliff by the lake.
Humber Bay Neighbourhood
The western side of the Humber River, where it meets Lake Ontario, was once home to a small, unofficial community. These homes were later removed to make way for big projects like the Queen Elizabeth Way highway and railway lines.
Along Lake Shore Boulevard West, the area changed a lot over time. First, it was settled by people, then cleared for motels. Now, many tall condominium buildings stand there. Even with all these changes, the area is still often called Humber Bay.
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a special crescent-shaped area. It's located between Humber Bay and the Western Channel that leads into Toronto Harbour. This channel stretches from Fort Rouillé to Strachan Avenue.
A Historic Landing Spot
This area was an important site during the Battle of York on April 27, 1813. American troops landed here during that battle.
Today, parts of Half Moon Bay are covered by land that was filled in along Lake Shore Boulevard. Also, Ontario Place now covers some of this historic area.
