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Historically Speaking

Join Alex and Leanne on their adventures to historic locations all over Ontario!

06/13/2026

Title: Centre Island, possibly Lakeshore Ave
Date: Approximately 1890
Publisher: Frank W. Micklethwaite
Series: Views of Toronto and Neighbourhood
Format: Photograph

The image likely depicts a section of Centre Island, possibly along what was known as Lakeshore Avenue, and was noted by archivists as showing typical summer cottage architecture.

Historical Context

By the late nineteenth century, the Toronto Islands had become a popular summer retreat for Toronto residents. Improved ferry service allowed city dwellers to escape the heat and congestion of downtown Toronto during the summer months.

The islands developed into a thriving seasonal community featuring:

Wooden cottages and boarding houses
Hotels and recreational facilities
Beaches and picnic grounds
Tree-lined lanes and pedestrian-oriented streets

Around 1890, many island cottages were modest but architecturally distinctive, often incorporating:

Verandas and porches
Decorative wood trim
Gabled roofs
Large windows designed to catch lake breezes

These features reflected broader Victorian-era resort architecture found at lakeside communities throughout Ontario.

Lakeshore Avenue

The note "possibly Lakeshore Ave" suggests uncertainty about the exact location. Historically, Lakeshore Avenue was one of the principal residential streets on Centre Island, lined with cottages and summer homes.

Many photographs from this period show:

Sandy roads or footpaths
Rows of seasonal cottages
Mature trees providing shade
A relaxed resort atmosphere quite different from the growing city across the harbour
Frank W. Micklethwaite

Frank W. Micklethwaite was a Toronto photographer active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His Views of Toronto and Neighbourhood series documented many aspects of Toronto's urban development and surrounding landscapes, creating an important visual record of the city before large-scale modernization.