West Nile virus found on the islands
City says people shouldn’t avoid visiting area but suggests taking precautions
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been found on the Toronto Islands, but the city says that’s no reason to avoid the area as it gets set to reopen next week following extensive flooding.
An email from a Toronto Public Health official sent Tuesday informed an Island residents’ group of the latest development in a summer that has left attractions rained out, parks underwater and businesses without customers.
“For your information, mosquitoes collected from our traps on the Toronto Islands tested positive for West Nile virus this week,” stated the email from associate medical officer of health Christine Navarro.
Navarro said two mosquito samples taken on the island, each containing mosquitoes collected in traps over the course of one week, tested positive for the virus. Samples can contain anywhere from “a few” to about 100 mosquitoes, she said.
“Mosquito breeding areas tend to be places where there’s standing water,” she told the Star. “When they had flooding on the islands and areas where there’s some standing water, those were some areas where mosquitoes could breed.”
Navarro said the risk of acquiring West Nile virus from a mosquito bite is low throughout the islands and the rest of Toronto. But she said Toronto Public Health has been working with the city’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department to remove standing water areas on the islands.
Her email also included a fact sheet about measures islanders can take to steer clear of the virus. The city recommends wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors and applying bug spray. Residents should also make sure their homes have tightfitting screens on windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside.
“I think people should go out and enjoy the island,” Navarro said.
The finding comes less than a week before the islands could reopen to the public, as the city has been work- ing towards a July 31 target.
Toronto Island Park has been closed to the general public since May and ferry service to the Ward’s Island Dock has been restricted to residents.
“This is the third flood that I’ve lived through, and this was by far the worst, absolutely,” said island resident Lynn Jenkins, who has lived there for close to 50 years. “Some of the ground is so soggy that the people walking on it and the trucks have done a lot of damage.”
City spokesperson Wynna Brown said the plan is to have all ferry docks back open on Monday.
“We’re hoping to get as much of the island open and accessible to the public as possible,” Brown said. “We expect there will still be some areas that will be out of bounds or off limits due to conditions.”
Many walking paths that had previously been underwater are now dry, yet some puddles remain, along with muddy areas. Sandbags are still scattered throughout the island to prevent high water levels from spilling onto dry land.
“It’s still wet and there’s still areas that are going to be cordoned off,” Brown said.
Areas such as the Franklin Children’s Garden, the highest point on the island, is in good shape, Brown said, while others closer to water, such as the grandstand, remain unusable.
Some parts of the islands will remain closed past Monday but could reopen later on during the summer, according to Brown.
But one attraction that won’t open this year is the Far Enough Farm petting zoo. Extensive damage to the farm and pens, as well as remaining water in the area, will keep animals on a farm in Schomberg, Ont., for the foreseeable future.
Centreville’s swan ride and the bumper boat ride, which make use of Lake Ontario, also won’t reopen this year due to high water levels, according to spokesperson Shawnda Walker. The train ride will remain shut for the season because of damage to the tracks.
Walker said Centreville is otherwise set to reopen Monday, with the launch of its new sky ride that has been out of operation for the past couple of years.
“The park is ready to go,” she said.