Tour guide in Toronto Linda R.

I live in a small community on Toronto Island, a 538-acre park that's only 12 minutes away by ferry from downtown Toronto. I have lived on the Island for over 40 years, so know every nook and cranny. I first visited Toronto Island in 1975 and fell in love on first sight. I was attracted to its natural beauty, the close-knit community there and its proximity to every cultural and social event the big city of Toronto has to offer. Professionally, I worked in communications as a writer, editor and story producer for television. For most of my work life, I took a ferry into the city every morning and back home at the end of the workday. Since 2017, I've added tour guide to my resume, when my neighbour Susan and I began showing people our community. Since then, we've given hundreds of tours to people from all over the world as well as Toronto. There's nothing we enjoy more than to share what is so special about the place we live with visitors to the Island. I live with my husband Robin, a retired documentary film producer for Canada's national broadcaster. We raised two children on the Island but are now empty nesters. Our 10-year-old cat Minou tries to make up for that loss. I love living on the Island as much as ever, but it's anything but easy--a topic you'll hear your fair share of on the tour. I was born in Detroit, Michigan then moved to Canada in the 1970s. I still have family there and visit often. I love to cook and garden, have a passion for old roses, black and white photography, and am forever in search of a good hamburger. I enjoy tending to my ever-demanding flowers, topiary and pond in our formal backyard garden. My neighbour Susan, who does the tours with me, has lived on the Island for over 30 years. She and her husband raised three boys on the Island while having full time careers in the City. Susan worked as a special education teacher, is an active outdoor enthusiast and devotes much of her time to working on collages and other paper arts. She loves giving tours as much as I do. •I have been giving walking tours on Toronto Island since 2017 with my fellow tour operator and neighbour, Susan. •We have given fun and informative tours to hundreds of people from around the world as well as locals. •In 2022, we became an official onshore excursion event for a major U.S. cruise line that docks in the Toronto harbour. •Susan and I love meeting new people, enjoy showing them around and giving them the "inside scoop" on what it's really like to live in a park all year round with no amenities or forms of transportation other than our own bikes (and feet)! There are no cars or buses allowed on the Island, so we will be walking everywhere. Wear comfortable shoes. The tour is on flat ground, leisurely and accessible. The price of the ferry ticket to get to the Island is not included in the tour price.