Toronto moves to ban boats at even more of its most popular beaches

Two months after Toronto introduced a new boat exclusion zone around popular island destination Hanlan's Point Beach, the City is pushing ahead with banning motorized watercraft along more parts of our urban waterfront.

On Thursday, City Council adopted a motion to prohibit people from operating boats or personal watercraft/jet skis (with the exclusion of kayaks, canoes and the like) within at least 100 metres of the shoreline at Woodbine Beach

The recommendation comes from Beaches–East York Councillor Brad Bradford, who says community members have been raising related public safety concerns, particularly regarding jet ski usage, in the area.

"The rise in illegal and dangerous activity by unlicensed personal watercraft rental operators along Toronto's waterfront this summer is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable. Operating high-powered machines near swimmers and crowded beaches, these actors are endangering lives, disrupting families and undermining safety," Bradford wrote.

He also cited the fact that complaints go back many years — in 2019, for example, he helped spearhead a project to "clarify" designated swimming zones in light of similar issues.

But, the tensions between those on land and water have worsened still, and the pilot project at Hanlan's has recently revived and strengthened the argument for similar rules elsewhere on the shore.

Councillor Brad Bradford's motion to request a ban on jet skis and motorized watercraft at Woodbine Beach CARRIES via show of hands. Morley and Kandavel threw in some motions to also look at restrictions around Humber Bay and Bluffer's Park. https://t.co/6oBDgQHYaO

— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) July 24, 2025

On the other side of the city, residents around Etobicoke's Humber Bay Park have also been calling for additional measures — up to and including a boat exclusion zone — to manage "reckless" jet skiers and boaters, who some say drive up far too closely (and aggressively) to wildlife, swimmers, non-motorized boaters and the beach.

While there is no timeline yet on when Bradford's Woodbine Beach ban could come into effect ("at the earliest opportunity," the motion asks), at this week's meeting, other councillors tacked on their own requests for the City to formally consider the same restrictions at Humber Bay and Bluffer's Park.

Until then, it looks like the Toronto Police Marine Unit has been making a concerted effort to crack down harder on jet ski operators, issuing more than 50 tickets and impounding multiple vessels last week alone.

In a recent news release, the force said that it has been receiving about 5–10 personal watercraft-related calls per day about speeding, careless operation and more, prompting enforcement blitzes, with a focus on local rental operators.