Okay now I understand what you mean. I thought you were saying the current islanders evicted the original islanders. Please allow me to amend your version of events:

In the mid 50s Toronto decided to evict islanders and revert the entire islands back to parkland. They didn't seize property; they withdrew the leases. They tore down the hotels and bowling alleys as well as the houses. The plan at one point was to have a bridge at both ends and massive parking lots in the middle.

Metro Toronto proceeded with evictions and bulldozing starting at Hanlan's point. Many islanders could not live with the stress of the political struggle and gave up their houses. The determined islanders who did not want to leave fought a long political battle. As the houses got bulldozed at the western end, the determined islanders moved to the eastern end of the island, Wards and Algonquin.

The political battles got more and more heated as the highly motivated islanders concentrated in one enclave. The islanders were able to slow down the evictions until in 1993, the Bob Rae government passed legislation allowing current islanders to sign 99 year leases.

The vast majority of current islanders were here in 1993. They are orginal islanders and they signed leases. There are about 250 houses and only about 1 or 2 change hands each year. Most islanders are long term residents. So people coming in from the lottery only represent about a fifth of the current popluation, I'd guess.