Hanlan's is recognized by the City of Toronto as one of the ten oldest surviving queer spaces in the world, Canada's oldest surviving queer space, and the site of Canada's first Gay Pride in 1971.[1]
History
A naturist walking into the water at Hanlan's Point Beach.
Hanlan's Point was a popular summer destination in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It featured the popular Hanlan's Point Amusement Park from the 1880s until the 1930s, the Hanlan's Hotel, built by John Hanlan in 1880,[2] and Hanlan's Point Stadium from 1897 until 1937. The hotel burned down in 1909 and was not replaced. The amusement park was unable to compete with the Sunnyside Amusement Park after it opened on the mainland in 1925, and closed in the 1930s,[3] and the stadium lost its main tenant, the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team to Maple Leaf Stadium in 1926, and eventually closed in 1937 to make way for construction of the Toronto Island Airport[4][5]
Hanlan's Point Beach has been an important gathering place for Toronto's gay community since at least the 1950s.[6] Canada’s first Gay Pride celebration was held on the beach on August 1, 1971 to unite the community and encourage participation in the We Demand Rally held later that month in Ottawa. The Gay Day Picnic was organized by the Community Homophile Association of Toronto, the University of Toronto Homophile Association, and Toronto Gay Action.[7]
Hanlan's Point became a location for nude sunbathing. In 1999, Toronto City Council approved a one-year pilot project for a nude beach at Hanlan's Point following a proposal by the gay naturist organization TNT!MEN (Totally Naked Toronto Men Enjoying Nudity)[8] and Councillor Kyle Rae. In 2000, the council extended the project for another two years. Finally in 2002, the clothing-optional beach was made permanent.[9]
The Toronto City Council decision was met with strong opposition from conservative councillors such as Giorgio Mammoliti.[10] It was also an infrequent target of police crackdowns for nude sunbathing. Its official status has resulted in a distinct increase in ferry traffic, and it appears to be a profitable component of public- and private-sector advertising campaigns, since it draws visitors to Toronto.[11] Police and park officials now work in partnership with the beachgoers to maintain the friendly atmosphere. Some nudists prior to a 2023 expansion of the clothing optional area advocated to make the clothing optional side of Hanlan's Point Beach a nude beach due to what they see as an excessive number of clothed people on the clothing optional side of the beach.[12]
In 2023, a plan was revealed by Toronto City Council for the island that would have seen the erection of a concert and festival venue right next to Hanlan’s possibly eliminating the clothing optional beach. After a public opposition campaign against the plan dubbed "Friends of Hanlan's" the city dropped the idea and proceeded to work with Friends of Hanlan's to improve the beach. In 2023, the clothing optional section was expanded to the entire beach.[13] On June 15, 2023, City Council passed with unanimous support a motion co-sponsored by Councillor Ausma Malik and Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie titled “MM7.15: Critical Measures to Restore Ecology and Preserve the History of Hanlan’s Point Beach and Surrounding Area.” The motion called for major improvements to the beach such as a brand new cultural marker and signage that will inform visitors about the beach’s prominent place in LGBTQ history and a giant Pride flagpole that will be permanently installed at the south end, which have yet to be implemented, rewilding and replanting in huge sections of the beach’s lawn area to combat erosion, proper fencing and pathways to be constructed to keep human traffic under control and allow the diminished natural areas a chance to recover, replacing the massively eroded sand coverage along the 400-meter southern stretch of the beach where Canada’s first Pride gathering took place, and most notably making the entire Hanlan’s Point Beach, not just a section, designated clothing-optional.[14]
Background
Hanlan's Beach can be reached most directly by taking the Hanlan's Point ferry at the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay. Aside from the cost of the ferry there is no admission fee.
It is the second officially recognized clothing-optional beach in Canada and the only one created by a municipal bylaw.[15] Canada's only other official clothing-optional beach is Wreck Beach in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The effective beach season starts in late May and ends in late September, while actual swimming off the beach is possible only well within this period. In recent years, the beach and islands as a whole have experienced flooding due to high water levels in the early summer.
As is common for most public nudist-friendly venues, males make up a large percentage of the users of the beach, but women can make up to one quarter of the total on popular weekends. Recent years continue to see an increase in the number of families who attend. The beach is a popular destination for the city's gay community.[16] The beach is also the regular site of day trips by several local nudist organizations.
^Basford, David; Deschenes, Stephane; Rappoport, Paul, eds. (May 30, 2000). The Canadian Guide to Naturism including Clubs, Resorts & Beaches (4 ed.). Federation of Canadian Naturists. p. 109. ISBN0-9682332-2-8.
