A brand-new, public beach is coming to Ontario Place 

In late July, when’s its 30C outside, there’s nothing better than spending a day at the beach and cooling off in the water. If you live in Toronto or have visited the city in the summer, chances are you’re familiar with Woodbine or Sunnyside beach – stretches of lakefront where you can set up the umbrella, have a picnic with the family, and enjoy Lake Ontario.  

The great thing about these beaches is that they’re popular, but that also means they can be crowded. When you also consider that much of Toronto’s waterfront is also not designed for swimming, the reality is that lots of people aren’t being given the chance to either get in the water for the first time or nurture their existing love of swimming and being by the lake.  

Therme Canada is thrilled that, as part of the revitalization plans for the West Island of Ontario Place, we’re going to help change that with the creation of a new, fully-accessible public beach.  

Celebrating Fresh-Water Swimming 

Until now, swimming hasn’t been something you could really do at Ontario Place. Much of the shoreline is armoured with rubble – not safe to climb over, let alone go for a swim.  

This new beach will be on the western shore of the site, shielded from wave action by a new artificial reef that will also create new fish habitat, and will be almost 3,500M2. It will be next to a brand-new boardwalk, and an expanded multipurpose trail perfect for walking and cycling that takes you around the entire perimeter of the site. Even in the winter, this space will give people a place to walk and enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Ontario. 

The gathering space created around this beach will give people room to sit and enjoy the views, kids will have space to play, vendors will have space nearby – it's going to become a real hub of community activity at the waterfront. And that’s all going to be surrounded by beautiful, landscaped areas filled with a variety of plants native to Southern Ontario.  

Whether you ride your bike down to the beach, take the GO Train, or eventually arrive on the Ontario Line, this new beach will have all the amenities needed to make it a great day.  

Everyone – regardless of age or ability – should have the chance to discover the joy of swimming and the unique privilege we have being on the shore of one of the Great Lakes.