Surprise! Toronto’s beaches are not revolting
The shores of Lake Ontario are slowly, sometimes grudgingly, coming out of their industrial past. Still, most Torontonians would be wary about letting their dogs swim in the lake, much less their children. According to the Star, this is a shame, since most of Toronto’s beaches are in surprisingly good condition.
Toronto beaches just can’t seem to shake Lake Ontario’s dirty reputation even though seven of them — including Woodbine — are rated among the best in the world by the international Blue Flag Programme.
The blue flag is an eco-label awarded to beaches that meet strict environmental and safety standards.
“It’s not easy to get a blue flag,” says Toronto Water spokesperson Cheryl San Juan. “These are world-class beaches.”
The good news is having one hell of a time getting out. The Globe and Mail was evangelizing about our blue havens last August as well, but as the Star reports, people still aren’t buying it. Even if our beaches rival anything in Muskoka, as San Juan says, maybe people in this city won’t jump in until they see Kate Hudson, Tom Hanks and a plague of Jet Skis.
• Are you afraid of the lake? Chill out! [Toronto Star]
• Don’t let the goose poop fool you: Toronto’s beaches are squeaky clean [Globe and Mail]
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/surprise-torontos-beaches-are-not-revolting/&title=Surprise! Toronto’s beaches are not revolting&picture=https://cdn.torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BeachScene.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_32579" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Lake Ontario: no longer just for skeptical glances (Image: 416 Style)"][/caption]
The shores of Lake Ontario are slowly, sometimes grudgingly, coming out of their industrial past. Still, most Torontonians would be wary about letting their dogs swim in the lake, much less their children. According to the Star, this is a shame, since most of Toronto’s beaches are in surprisingly good condition.
Toronto beaches just can’t seem to shake Lake Ontario’s dirty reputation even though seven of them — including Woodbine — are rated among the best in the world by the international Blue Flag Programme.
The blue flag is an eco-label awarded to beaches that meet strict environmental and safety standards.
“It’s not easy to get a blue flag,” says Toronto Water spokesperson Cheryl San Juan. “These are world-class beaches.”
The good news is having one hell of a time getting out. The Globe and Mail was evangelizing about our blue havens last August as well, but as the Star reports, people still aren’t buying it. Even if our beaches rival anything in Muskoka, as San Juan says, maybe people in this city won’t jump in until they see Kate Hudson, Tom Hanks and a plague of Jet Skis.
• Are you afraid of the lake? Chill out! [Toronto Star]
• Don't let the goose poop fool you: Toronto's beaches are squeaky clean [Globe and Mail]){kind=link}