Dogs banned at Sunnyside Beach in warm weather

Dogs will be allowed on-leash only in winter
Summer, spring, fall access will be off limits
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Oct. 28 for Town Crier.)

A policy approved by city council will see all dogs barred from Sunnyside Beach in the spring, summer and part of the fall. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Pooches will soon be forbidden for part of the year at Sunnyside Beach — even if they’re on a leash.
Currently, residents can walk their dogs on-leash all year at the west end beachfront.
City council, acting on a staff recommendation that on-leash access at this local beach be restricted to winter months only, approved the new policy on Oct. 27.
Dogs will be banned from Sunnyside Beach in the spring, summer and part of the fall, effective April 1. Under the proposed policy, dogs would be allowed on-leash only between Nov. 1 and March 31.
Parkdale-High Park councillor Bill Saundercook vowed to contest any further changes limiting access for dogs at Sunnyside Beach.

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How swimmable are Toronto beaches?

The city tested eleven beaches daily in swim season
Here is a wrap up of how clean the water was summer ’09
Some beaches safe daily, others posted high levels of E.coli
By Kris Scheuer

Councillor Bill Saundercook swims at Sunnyside in mid-June with his wedding suit on to promote how safe it is. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

It’s a little chilly for a dive in the lake at any of Toronto’s beaches now, but these hot spots are packed all summer.
Interestingly, most people go down for a stroll on the boardwalk or walk their dog, but not for a swim in the water.
But our beaches are top notch, in most cases. In fact seven of them fly a Blue Flag, which is an international rating.
And the city tests beach water daily from June 1 to the first week of September.
So just how well did Toronto’s 11 beaches stack up this season?
Take a look for yourself.

Toronto beaches unsafe to swim

City water tests reveal four city beaches temporarily contain too much E.coli
Sunnyside, Woodbine, Balmy, Bluffer’s beaches are risky for swims today: city
By Kris Scheuer

Swimmer dives in at Woodbine Beach. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

The good news is Cherry Beach is totally safe for a splashing in, according to the July 24 test results by the water department.
Unfortunately, that is the only Toronto beach with safe levels of E.coli posted today.
The city recommends against swimming at Sunnyside, Woodbine, Kew-Balmy and Bluffer’s due to high levels of E.coli detected in beach water.
So Torontonians and visitors, would you swim at any of the city’s beaches?
Have your say, are our beaches swim worthy or not?