Tent-platform Exhibition

A collateral project from the Discussion Island/platform, this temporary exhibition brought together ephemera related to the first settling of Ward's Island as a 'tent city' along with artefacts from the 1980s when houses were lifted and levelled – during the period of 'resettling' prior to islanders campaign to establish a publicly-owned housing trust on the Toronto Islands – and the latest scale-models of the platform.

Exhibition, Installation views March 2018

Walkthrough of the Exhibition, March 2018 (3:01 mins)

With thanks to the following:

  • Whit for the mallet & tent peg;
  • Mary for the before myneigbors coaster, the “tent-to-cabin” print, and house lantern photo;
  • Brad for the tent pole, and house lifting & levelling drawings from 1981-83;
  • Mitch for tent pole spikes;
  • Toronto City Archives for the use of Ward’s Island tent-city image from 1911;
  • Gallagher’s Awnings for their email about Pike's tents;
  • Tim for Shelter (1973);
  • (and to Kathleen and Joe for information on tent-platform dimensions).

Other things in the room:

  • 1:32 model of tent-platform, dock-structure and awning;
  • 1:12 scale model of a tent-platform and “dock”, from workshop with Mitch, and made by Shawn, Russell and Jeff from a discussion with Jamie, Jim, Brad and Martin;
  • 1mm:1inch model – the first “sketch” of the platform;
  • Working-diagrams for the Discussion Island platform;
  • Enough canvas to make a roof.