This small pebble beach is located on the west island of Ontario Place and provides wide open beautiful views of Lake Ontario. Hidden in the three artificial landscaped islands offshore of Lake Ontario, this beautiful green space is not designated for swimming … but Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and other waterfront-lovers believe that can change.
The Ontario Place islands make up an iconic waterfront park in Toronto. The park hosts activities like outdoor yoga, segway tours, Jazz Sundays on the Vista, Lake Shore Boat rentals and Wigwam Chi-Chemung presented by MYSEUM.
Ontario Place also has huge potential to become an incredible place for people to get into the water. It could be like the Gord Edgar Downie Pier at Breakwater Park in Kingston.
The site has so much possibility, but it doesn't meet the criteria for an official beach in Toronto (yet!). The water is not as accessible as it should be and some debris/ fill may make water entry and exit hazardous for swimmers. Ontario Place is discouraging people from swimming there, even though increasing numbers of people are seeking it out.
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper began monitoring water quality here in 2019. The work is part of Swim Drink Fish’s community-based water monitoring work. Waterkeeper is looking at water quality data to see if the site would be suitable for swimming. In 2022 Lake Ontario Waterkeeper began sampling the site year round to support the future of the site, and those that use Toronto's most central beach for winter swimming.
Swim Drink Fish staff and trained Citizen Scientists test the water at the Ontario Place West Island Beach twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer and once a week on Tuesdays in the winter. New results are posted to Swim Guide on Wednesday and Friday afternoons until the end of September and Wednesdays from October-May. Want to get involved with monitoring? You can sign up here: https://www.swimdrinkfish.ca/volunteer-with-toronto
Historical water quality results are available on Swim Guide. Detailed results and open data are available at www.recreationalwater.ca/toronto.
