City attempts to quell LGBTQ+ community's concern about future plan for Hanlan's Point

The beach at Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands has served as a gathering place for the city's LGBTQ+ community for decades, but some are worried that could soon be at risk.

A dozen people recently formed a group called Hands Off Hanlan's to sound the alarm about the city's master plan for the islands — a long-term planning document that's still under development. The plan is meant to guide decisions about the future of the park, which sees close to 1.5 million visitors per year.

In a series of social media posts last week, the group questioned a proposal to create an "open-air event space" on the event lawn close to the beach for hosting "Island-sized festivals and cultural events."

Travis Myers, a member of Hands Off Hanlan's, said he worries about what the proposal could mean for the LGBTQ+ community that relies on what he called Canada's oldest queer space.

"These are a lot of people who have experienced different types of vulnerabilities in different parts of our lives," he said.

"When these elements are introduced without adequate public consultation, I think there is a reasonable cause for people to be alarmed because they don't know what exactly this master plan could be inviting into a space that's been a safe space for a long time."

The social media outcry has prompted the city official in charge of the consultation process, Daniel Fusca, to speak out in an attempt to dispel what he called a "misunderstanding" and to reassure the community that its voice will be heard.

The public spat shows the intense emotions and tensions surrounding any possible changes to the historically and culturally significant location.

The city's been consulting the public for more than two years about the master plan, which is scheduled to be completed by summer 2023.

The process has involved: engagements with Indigenous groups, community organizations, sports programmers, island residents and other stakeholders; public workshops to gather and discuss ideas for change; pop-up events to share information; an open house, and more.

But Myers said the LGBTQ+ community has been largely left out of the process.

"There was one queer consultation meeting with just 11 people," he said.

Fusca, manager of public consultation at the City of Toronto's parks and recreation department, told CBC that more than 20,000 people have participated in the process so far.

He said the city has gathered the views of the LGBTQ+ community through a targeted discussion and a focus group that involved Pride Toronto, trans advocates and other LGBTQ+ advocates. He said hundreds of Hanlan's Beach users responded to surveys or attended other public events.