What you loved and loathed last month
Readers reacted strongly to Katherine Laidlaw’s story about a toxic property battle on the Toronto Islands, the arcane rules of island life, and the meaning of family in the 21st century. There were those who were drawn in by the real estate angle:
“The battle for real estate on the Toronto Islands is so intense that a 91-year-old man adopted a 60-yearold so he could make him the rightful inheritor of a cottage under the Islands’ rules.”
—@bobconfer, Twitter
“This is an absolutely wild real estate story.”
—@sesmith, Twitter
“This is a fascinating look at the tight-knit community that lives on the Toronto Islands, and how competing definitions of family can both unite and divide those who live there.”
—@pfthurley, Twitter
“I won a lottery earlier this year to get a spot on the waiting list for one of the houses on the Islands! I’m number 485 (of 500) in line, lol.”
—@anne_theriault, Twitter
“Homeowners in Toronto need their own page in the DSM.”
—Carrie Bennett, Facebook
“If any demented people on the Islands want to adopt me so I can Airbnb their house once they die, I’m happy to oblige!”
—purplepopsicles, Instagram
And there was a strong contingent of readers who think the Islanders should all be evicted and the Islands turned into parkland:
“Get rid of these leeches and return the Islands to the people they really belong to: ALL OF US! No one should be allowed to own or rent these homes, let alone pass them on to others! Tear them down or rent them out as restaurants and shops at high rents!”
—Donna MacDonald, Facebook
“The lands need to be repurposed and the trust needs to be scrapped. Long overdue! The Islands should be a park, to be enjoyed by all.”
—Endrick Kreuter, Facebook
“Reading about this fiasco brings to mind a great use of provincial prerogative that would neatly divide Toronto’s political class. What say you make us a new park? @fordnation”
—@toronto_llb, Twitter
“This is a good read. I bet there are many people in Toronto who have no idea how homeownership on the Islands works or why the residents are often referred to as elitist squatters.”
—@GolferJane, Twitter
“I really think the city needs to make it public space, and end their lease. No one said it was forever. Honestly, it proves that the same generational families are hoarding the properties, and no one on that ‘purchaser’s list’ will ever have a chance.”
—cmolinarokim, Instagram
“All the privileged squatters who take advantage of the Toronto Islands freebie should be ashamed of themselves. That land belongs to the people of Ontario, not them. It’s another example of blind privilege takers who have little concept of paying their own way and have little regard for the radical equality they preach. All that land should be returned to the public over time. Apologies to them.”
—Robert Pierce, Toronto
“What a heartwarming tale of entitled squatters fulfilling the entitlements to which they feel entitled.”
—Bill Clark, Facebook
And then there were the readers who just admire a really good yarn:
“This piece should get an award, it’s so well written. The writer shows genuine compassion for both sides and unpacks all the internal matters with such delicacy. Even someone who doesn’t have a clue about the Toronto Islands will be pulled in.”
—Patricia Pyrka, Facebook
“I read Katherine Laidlaw’s entire Islands article in one sitting. That never happens. The story drew me in from the title to the first sentence. By paragraph two, I was hooked, wondering how on earth this odd friendship could tear a community apart.
“Part of the praise goes to Toronto Life for offering such engaging journalism. I imagine they fashion themselves after the New Yorker or Vanity Fair—always interesting and professional yet also flirting on the fringes of high-society gossip. But the lion’s share of praise goes to the writer. She knows how to weave a tale, tugging gently between empathy and indignation.”
—Laurie Soper, Kitchener