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Toronto Sun
8 hours ago
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Caution advised due to bacteria levels at some Ontario beaches as heat persists
Published Jul 29, 2025 • 2 minute read A group of young swimmers are seen in the water at Woodbine Beach in Toronto on July 9, 2024. Photo by Jack Boland / Files / Toronto Sun TORONTO — Some Ontario beaches have been deemed unsafe for swimming during a heat wave in southern parts of the province, but experts say public beaches — especially those in urban areas — still provide crucial relief from blistering temperatures. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Toronto Public Health advised caution Tuesday at the popular Centre Island beach on the Toronto Islands, after water samples showed elevated bacteria counts. In Ottawa, counts at Mooney's Bay Beach and Petrie East Bay were above the provincial threshold, according to data collected last week. Ottawa Public Health transitioned this year to testing waters once a week, whereas Toronto Public Health continues to sample water from beaches on a daily basis. Public health authorities in Windsor and Essex County also posted E. coli warnings for several beaches in the region, based on testing done last week. Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, said reduced water quality is usually caused by intense precipitation that overloads sewage and wastewater systems, causing increased levels of bacteria to flow into nearby bodies of water. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Generally, that's when we start to see these beach postings occur during the summer, particularly during these warm periods followed by intense storm events,' he said. Aside from checking water quality test results, Ford said it's best to avoid swimming 24 to 48 hours after rainfall to avoid wastewater runoff. Ontario's water safety regulations are also some of the strictest in the world, with a threshold of 200 counts per 100 millilitres of water, Ford said. Dr. Howard Shapiro, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said Toronto Public Health uses an even more 'stringent' standard of 100 counts per 100 millilitres in its water quality testing. Despite the potential health risks, Shapiro said urban beaches are still a vital escape from heat waves and a way for people to cool down. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Even if you look at the temperatures in the city, it'll be cooler by the lake than it will be in other parts, particularly in areas that have a lot of concrete,' Shapiro said. Meanwhile, a researcher at Ottawa's Carleton University is currently testing the waters at five locations along the Rideau River to dispel myths about river water quality and safety. Banu Örmeci, the director of Carleton's Global Water Institute and an environmental engineering professor, said she's been collecting weekly samples from the Rideau River since the beginning of June, with each sample deemed safe by provincial standards. Örmeci said she hopes her work can encourage the City of Ottawa to consider opening more supervised beaches along the Rideau River. 'Not everyone has the resources to go to cottages, and it is really important to create these recreational spaces in our neighbourhoods,' she said. MLB Toronto Blue Jays Canada Toronto & GTA Canada
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Several Vancouver beaches remain closed for swimming ahead of big event weekend
On a weekend shaping up to be full of festivities around the beach, including the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, officials are warning people to stay out of the water in some popular areas. Nine beaches around Vancouver are currently designated as "not suitable for swimming," due to unsafe levels of E. coli, according to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH): Ambleside Beach. Wreck Beach. English Bay. Kitsilano Beach. Second Beach. Sunset Beach. Third Beach. Lions Bay. Trout Lake. Three more beaches have E. coli levels that were higher than expected in samples, though swimming is not restricted: Dundarave Beach. Sandy Beach. Eagle Harbour. Michael Schwandt, medical health officer at VCH, said it's uncommon to have this many beaches not suitable for swimming at the same time. "Normally, we might see one or more beaches within that status at a given point in time, but not very commonly do we see so many all at the same time," Schwandt said. There are a number of possible contaminants, according to Schwandt, including runoff from sewers or leaking sewage, as well as discharge from boats or animal sources like dogs and birds. "We're working with the local and regional government to further examine that." Schwandt said there's been more reports of recreational boating in the area, particularly with the weekend's upcoming festivals, and suggested discharge from boats could be contributing to the increased levels of E. coli. Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, an environmental charity focused on connecting people with water, noted E. coli is a natural bacteria found in the water, one that's frequently an indicator of "human fecal waste." It has the potential to cause human gastrointestinal illnesses, ear infections, eye infections and skin infections, according to Ford. "It's an unpleasant way to spend the day after a lovely day at the beach." He noted combined sewers, in which sanitary sewers and storm sewers are combined into a single pipe that directs the water to a treatment facility, are one way E. coli can enter local waterways. The systems are designed to overflow into water bodies like lakes and rivers, so they don't overflow back into streets or basements. "But what that means is that sometimes we are depositing this deleterious substance directly into the waters that people frequent for swimming, drinking or fishing." Ford said investing in infrastructure to separate storm and sanitary sewers is a long-term and expensive solution, so many municipalities are also investing in low-impact green infrastructure that can reduce the amount of runoff water entering the sewer system, such as rain barrels, stormwater ponds, bioswales (which carry stormwater to another location) or rain gardens. Ford said climate change means warmer temperatures and more intense, frequent rainfall are predicted. "It's critical that we bring this into the conversation, because as our climate starts to change and these rainfall events become more common, those are things that we need to keep in mind moving forward regarding how we effectively manage our stormwater." Stephen Paetkau of Skookum Yacht Services operates a free mobile pump-out service for the City of Vancouver to pump out "black water" from boats out to the city's sewer. He said there hasn't been much of an increase in customers for the pump-out service recently. "It's been pretty static for the last seven or eight years," he said. He said he was unsure if people are dumping waste from their boats. "It's literally something you have to be in the water to watch it happen in order to know it's happening." He said the boating community is also likely "better behaved" now than a decade ago, but noted there's little enforcement of Transport Canada's rules on dumping waste.
CBC
26-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Headed to the beach for a swim? Here's what you should know before you go
Your guide to swimming in Ontario lakes this summer 2 hours ago Duration 2:28 Social Sharing When you think of beach cities, Toronto may not be the first to come to mind. Sure, we're on the lake, and yes, we have the Beaches, but on a hot day, many would turn their nose up at idea of taking a dip in the lake. But Toronto's beaches are some of the cleanest swimming areas in the world, according to Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada. The non-profit organization runs Canada's Blue Flag program, an international eco-certification awarded to beaches and marinas. "There's a stigma from the past that persists today about Lake Ontario. But we have clean, beautiful, amazing locations that people can cool off," he told CBC Toronto. "They are something that we're really fortunate to have here in Ontario." So if you're debating taking a swim in the lake this year or planning a beach day, here's what experts say you should consider before jumping into the water. Best practices Checking water quality data before you get into the water is the first and most important thing you should do, says Ford. "Water quality changes just like the weather does. It changes very quickly," he said. The status of Toronto's major beaches is posted on the city's website daily and includes details about when samples were last collected and how much E. coli was traced. There's usually some level of bacteria in the water but that shouldn't be an automatic red flag, says Mitch Bechtel. An open water swimmer, Bechtel developed Open Water Data, a website that shows detailed information about different swimming locations. "There's always some amount of bacteria. It's not a fresh-filtered water source. And it's OK that there's some bacteria in our bodies," he said. "What's interesting is that different regions have different thresholds that they consider safe or not… Ontario specifically is actually very strict, so when they say something is [has] passed, that's typically passed anywhere else in the world." Aside from checking for test results, best practice is to stay ashore after rainfall for 24 to 48 hours to avoid any wastewater runoff, Ford says. Additionally, if you see any birds or animals in water, stay clear of them, Bechtel said, because they "might be doing their thing in the water." Information on water quality tests can also be found on apps such as Swim, Drink, Fish's Swim Guide or in-person, lakeside, based on the flag on the lifeguard post.. Location, location, location This year, seven Toronto beaches received a Blue Flag designation. The international award is doled out worldwide to locations that demonstrate exceptional water quality and environmental management. The blue flag can be seen on world-class shores in Italy, Brazil and beyond. This summer, these seven Toronto beaches made the Blue Flag list: Gibraltar Point. Ward's Island Beach. Hanlan's Point. Cherry Beach. Kew-Balmy Beach. Woodbine Beach. Bluffer's Beach. Those locations tend to be a lot cleaner than others for two main reasons, Ford said. Not only are they away from the inner harbour, where water doesn't flush away as much, but they're also farther away from combined sewers, where stormwater mixes with wastewater and can spill into the lake after it rains. Toronto's west-end beaches aren't as lucky. "A good number of those combined sewers are in the Western Beaches area along the Humber River and emptying into Humber Bay," Ford said. "They are good quality beaches, and you can check the water quality for those beaches before you go out." Bechtel says conditions have vastly improved in recent decades after the city made improvements to its waterway and sewer systems.
