There used to be many more homes on the Toronto Islands, but the city expropriated much of the land in the 40s and 50s for recreational uses. All that remains is the small community of several hundred people on Ward's Island. Narrow streets are lined with small homes -- some old and deteriorating, others beautiful and modern -- whose owners formally lease them from a municipal trust. New building on the Islands is severely restricted, and the sale or transfer of homes is restricted. All of this makes for a tight-knit, somewhat enchanted community -- one that lies just a kilometer or two from the bustle of downtown Toronto.