Beaches opening for swimming this week in Toronto

At long last, it’s finally summer in Toronto, and now that temperatures are climbing up towards the 30 C mark, everyone is looking for ways to beat the heat this season.

Fortunately, designated beaches in Toronto are now open for swimming with lifeguards on duty. So start packing your beach bag, but first, be aware of where you’re headed and how to stay safe once you’re there.

Designated swim areas are marked by two red-over-yellow flags on the beach and white buoys labelled “swim zone” in the water.

The City monitors beach water quality daily, weather permitting, from June through September, and it’s easy to check the water quality of beaches online to make an informed decision about beach water quality before swimming at designated beaches.

The City also advises to stay safe when it comes to sun protection at beaches while swimming, and will be repeating the initiative of giving out free sunscreen at certain public areas. You can even check online to find out where to locate the dispensers giving out free sunscreen at parks, beaches and golf courses.

Personal watercraft are not permitted in designated swim areas at Toronto beaches, which must remain safe for swimmers, lifeguards, paddlers and other recreational users in posted swim zones and restricted areas.

Lifeguards are stationed at the following beaches:

• Bluffer’s Park Beach
• Centre Island Beach
• Cherry/Clarke Beach
• Gibraltar Point Beach
• Hanlan’s Point Beach
• Kew-Balmy Beach
• Marie Curtis Park East Beach
• Sunnyside Beach
• Ward’s Island Beach
• Woodbine Beach

Toronto beaches use a flag system based on the International Lifesaving Federation standards to indicate swimming conditions and designated swimming areas:

• Green flag: Conditions are safe for swimming.
• Yellow flag: Swim with caution. Waves, currents or other factors are present.
• Red flag: Dangerous conditions – do not swim.
• No flag: No lifeguards on duty – swimming is not recommended.

Just stay within the clearly marked swim zones to avoid the risk of contact with boats and other watercraft.

“As summer arrives, Toronto residents and visitors are looking forward to spending time at our beautiful beaches,” Mayor Olivia Chow said in a press release. “Our lifeguards play an important role in keeping people safe in and around the water, and I’m pleased to welcome them back for another season of supervised swimming across the city.”

So if you’ve been sweating up a storm in Toronto and don’t have access to air conditioning, a pool, or another way of cooling down, you can now head to a local beach for a refreshing dip.