The swims the thing when it comes to Toronto’s Blue Flag beaches

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Blue skies, blue waters, blue flags — all good for swimming.

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However, Toronto’s waterfront has always had a stigma attached to it when it comes to enjoying a cool dip in the lake on a hot day.

As triathlon enthusiast John Smart emerged from a daily training swim at Bluffer’s Park Beach on Lake Ontario one morning last week, he looked refreshed while pulling off his cap and googles.

Now retired, he said he initially took up swimming after quitting smoking 20 years ago, but got back into activity after a 15-year hiatus resulting from life and work commitments.

“Actually, it is beautiful today. And I’ve been coming out the past couple of weeks.”

Smart said he understands the “stigma” around swimming at Toronto’s beaches, as many feel the lakefront is “dirty” or “not clean.”

But Smart noted the places he swims are monitored and deemed safe.

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“I constantly get that in my mind, but I know that this is a Blue Flag beach, so they are testing water quality daily,” said Smart. “And I check the water quality before I come down every day.

“I know generally that the water maintains its quality as long as there isn’t a big storm,” said Smart.

Mark Mattson, president and waterkeeper of Swim Drink Fish,  fully endorses the rewards of the Blue Flag program.

Mattson said that Bluffer’s, especially, has become quite a success story since 2005 when it was deemed “one of the dirtiest beaches in Toronto.”

“They (the city) did some remediation after some water quality investigations,” said Mattson “And they kept storm water out of the beach.

“And it has become one of Toronto’s cleanest beaches.”

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In addition to Bluffer’s, other beaches receiving a Blue Flag designation — which means they are monitored daily for water quality and E.coli levels — are: Kew-Balmy Beach, Woodbine, Centre Island Beach, Cherry Beach, Hanlan’s Point, Gibraltar Beach, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and Ward’s Island Beach.

West-end beaches around the Humber River, including Sunnyside, continue to be compromised with pollution.

Mattason says it’s a “bittersweet fact” that Bluffer’s Park is the only public beach between Rouge Park and Kew-Balmy and Woodbine beaches in the city’s east end. As a result, those living in Scarbrough only have one clean beach at their disposal.

“It’s amazing that we have this little gem in Toronto,” said Mattson. “But with all the 13 kilometres of waterfront, I think Toronto has the opportunity to expand accessible water in the future.”

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Rayka Korunic, originally from Croatia, said she has been coming down to Bluffer’s for 15 years to enjoy the beach, swim and just lounge peacefully.

Korunic said the beach was “really busy” last Monday because of the heat. But, by Tuesday morning, the heat and crowds had dissipated.

“The beach is nearby and it’s convenient,” said Korunic. “It’s 20 minutes away depending on the traffic.”

“It’s family oriented, it’s safe —  the toilets should be a little cleaner,” she added.

Korunic never really checks the water quality, saying, “If I see people swimming — if they can swim — I can swim.”

Down at Woodbine Beach, Katherine Sunderland, who lives in midtown Toronto, was out for a walk along the boardwalk one morning last week.

High in the air above the Woodbine bathing station was the massive Blue Flag with the year 2024 printed on it.

When asked if she would swim in the lake, she was reticent.

“I come down here sometimes, but not every time,” said Sunderland. “I (first) check the quality of water.”

“On a nice sunny day, I would consider it.”

Around noon, there were people and kids playing in the water and two lifeguards in rowboats watching them.

Occupants of a sailboat moored farther away from the shoreline at Woodbine beach jumped into the blue water for a dip.

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