Peter Simm’s Brief to Toronto Council on Creating an Official Clothing‑Optional Zone at Hanlan’s Point Beach

 

In 1998, Peter A. Simm conceived the idea of officially designating a clothing-optional zone at Hanlan’s Point Beach on Toronto Island. He then researched and wrote a detailed brief to Toronto City Council successfully advocating the zone’s creation. He unearthed a remarkable fact absent from any published history: from 1894 to 1930, Toronto had three official clothing-optional beaches. His brief — “Enhance Toronto Tourism & Recreation: Restore Clothing-Optional Status to Hanlan’s Point Beach” — was substantiated by 188 endnotes.

The April 19, 1999 staff report by Joe Halstead, the City’s Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture & Tourism, adopted Simm’s brief in its entirety and even reproduced it as an appendix. An article on the front page of the Toronto Star (Apr. 23, 1999) quoted the Commissioner praising Simm’s brief as “well researched and presented in a cogent and thoughtful manner”.

 

  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 01
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 02
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 03
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 04
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 05
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 06
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 07
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 08
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 09
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 10
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 11
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 12
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 13
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 14
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 15
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 16
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 17
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 18
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 19
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 20
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 21
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 22
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 23
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 24
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 25
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 26
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 27
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 28
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 29
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 30
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 31
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 32
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 33
  • Brief-to-Toronto-City-Council-on-Hanlan's-Point-1999-Jan Page 34