City
What beaches used to look like in Toronto
Beach culture ain't what it used to be in Toronto. With the advent of air conditioning, the rise of cottage country and the private swimming pool (not to mention the steady degradation of Lake Ontario), it hasn't been necessary to jump in the harbour to cool off in quite some time. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, however, Toronto's beaches were immensely popular destinations when the city was blanketed in heat (as it is right now).
Anchored at various times by Hanlan's Point, Scarboro Beach, and Sunnyside (all of which also served as amusement parks), Toronto's beaches offered residents both a reprieve from the heat and some much-needed entertainment during a time when the city was, well, let's just say, not as vibrant as it is today. Of these, Sunnyside was the most popular, until waning attendance and the birth of the Gardiner Expressway spelled its doom (the Bathing Pavilion still stands, though).
Although almost all of Toronto past beaches remain in some capacity — with the notable exception of Leslie Beach, which was lost to the construction of the spit — few are major draws for locals and tourists nowadays. Once in a while, however, the area around Kew Beach offers a glimpse at just how busy the city's swimming areas used to be.
I'm not sure if it'll make today's heat any more bearable, but here's what Toronto's beach culture used to look like.
1900s
Scarboro Beach bathers
Sunnyside
Hanlan's Point
Scarboro Beach Water chute
Scarboro Beach Park
1910s
Kew Beach
Beachwear at Kew Bathing Station
Hanlan's Point
Sunnyside
The former layout of Sunnyside Beach (the intersection you see is Queen, King, and Roncesvalles)
1920s
Bathing at Centre Island
Ditto
Sunnyside
Sunnyside Pool
More Sunnyside
Dudes showed off their cars at the beach back then, too (Sunnyside)
1930s
Cherry Beach
Ditto
Leslie Beach
1940s
Sunnyside pool from the roof of the Bathing Pavilion
1950s
Swimming in Toronto Harbour
1960s (late)
Toronto Island beach
1970s
1980s
Olympic Island beach
See also our Nostalgia Tripping series, which takes longer looks at the following:
All images from the Toronto Archives
Discussion
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The closest thing to a real beach around here is Sandbanks, but that is a 2 1/2 hour drive. Not exactly suitable for a quick cool off on a Friday evening.
one 'semi-factual' correction to make though: The Sunnyside "pool" was known as the "tank" to everyone who went there (according to Mike Filey).
calling it 'sunnyside pool' would be like calling that highway at the top of the city the "four hundred and one" - not exactly incorrect, but still wrong.
keep up the good work.
BlogTO: where shit gets thrown wildly out of proportion.
Come on people.
The water have been more polluted in some of those older photos of people swimming when we still had tons of industry in the city, and raw sewage being pumped into the lake.
As for crowds at the beach now, all this year Woodbine Beach has been insane on the weekends.
Sure, we don't have beaches we can use 12 months a year or that have white sand, but we also have a massive source of drinking water (that is polluted because we allow it to be so), tens of thousands of lakes in our own province, and actually have access to a lake (one of the biggest things I dislike about many southern Ontario cities that aren't on a lake).
the pictures are great. how would we know our past if it were not for pictures. you need to grow up!! hey gadfly the sandbanks are wonderful