Great Canadian Beach Thread

[urbandreamer]

The TCH between Neys and Red Rock is nice. I don't swim so can't comment on the water quality. I stayed at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park - because it was very cool last May I got a last minute site right on the water:
https://imgur.com/a/E3pK1ja
I wasn't a fan of the noise from the truck traffic, but I basically ran out of options as I'd stupidly driven 900km that day, a terrible decision if you want to enjoy the scenery.

Driving back across the same strip in late July, I enjoyed the Wawa to Sault Ste Marie scenery. It was early Saturday morning and with beautiful weather, the TCH was virtually deserted, empty beaches at Old Woman Bay/Pancake Bay etc. By contrast, in May this stretch was somewhat treacherous with heavy fog and rain. I'm surprised more cyclists - I counted about 30 on the TCH across Canada - aren't killed or injured.

After driving the incredibly boring Yellowhead Highway from Edmonton to Winnipeg, and the stupidly slow TCH to the Ontario border, I couldn't help but let out a whoop of joy seeing the rocks, curves and hills heading towards Kenora. Ontario felt interesting ha.

North of Thunder Bay to Dryden is a really dull stretch, then it gets curvy rocky and hilly until near the Manitoba border, then very flat and dull until west of Regina. (Fuel economy really suffered driving into a strong headwind in the Saskatchewan hills west of Regina to Lethbridge.) Bruce Mines to Massey, with Blind River the coolest, is nice because of the frequent small towns, Old Order Mennonites and farms. At Massey, I dropped down into Lee Valley to Espanola. Espanola to Port Severn is super boring.

[Architype]

The Northeast coast of NL has some of the province's best beaches.

Windmill Bight
• Video Link

^ That is one where I spent plenty of time as a child, there used to be more sand and less grass, permitting hundreds of cars to park on the beach on weekends. About 35 km NW of there is this beach at Musgrave Harbour; this beach is about 5 km. / 3 mi. in length, and is one of a series of beaches on this part of the coast.

Musgrave Harbour Beach
• Video Link

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I haven't been to Cherry Beach since my raver days ... c.1993-1999. It's hard to believe the Dr Trance Show on Energy 108 began 30 years ago. I last saw him DJ on a fake Pride Beach summer 2011.

I was surprised how nice Ottawa's beaches are. If I spoke French, I'd move somewhere within the OV/Ottawa area. Love the access to "exotic" Quebec.

You don't need to speak French to live in Ottawa or the valley and get a good job there. Not at all.

[megadude]

Stopped at this beach on Georgian Bay for the first time. Looked pretty decent with okay sand and clear water. Then I saw the radioactive swamp!

I have no idea what the source of this drainage ditch is but the sign is from the owner's association. And when you enter the beach it even says it's 2/3 private and 1/3 the town. If it were all the town like where we cottage then I suspect they would have remediated this area so it doesn't end up looking like this. Perhaps it is even a natural feature and not a manmade ditch. Regardless, if it's the owners' responsibility then maybe no one wants to pay to improve it.

[megadude]

Same stretch of coastline today but a few kms south. Another outflow of water but this one not toxic looking like the other.

[Pellimo]

Le Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain in Quebec City....MAGNIFIQUE......

Source : Danielle Dupéré













https://www.facebook.com/10000128237...31908110733688

[harls]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Driving back across the same strip in late July, I enjoyed the Wawa to Sault Ste Marie scenery. It was early Saturday morning and with beautiful weather, the TCH was virtually deserted, empty beaches at Old Woman Bay/Pancake Bay etc. By contrast, in May this stretch was somewhat treacherous with heavy fog and rain. I'm surprised more cyclists - I counted about 30 on the TCH across Canada - aren't killed or injured.

I left the Soo early in the morning on my way west in October 2021. When I got to the Montreal River area it was spectacular. I had driven this road a few times (first in 1994) but I didn't remember it this way (this was actually my return trip).



Edit- Dengler, I shared this photo before but Zuckerbook broke the link.

[megadude]

Went to another beach on the GB coastline that I had never been to. It's 1.2km south of the beach we usually go to. But you need a parking permit and the public portion is only 40 feet wide. There's private beach signs on either side. This year we were given a permit by the town so that's why I've been checking out all the different beaches in town.

Despite being so close to our regular beach, which I've been going to since 2008, this is the first time I've found such big seashells or really any that look like this, in fresh water. Found three this size, which are half the size of an average man's palm. And tonnes more broken ones.

And I saw the guy drive in this cool boat. He dropped the wheels as soon as he got to shore and drove it up to park it. Never seen something like that before.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by megadude

That's classic Great Lake water right there.

[MonkeyRonin]

This is probably going to be a controversial opinion, but I think Ontario's combination of fine sand, warm water, hot summers, and sheer quantity of lakes makes it the best place for beaches in the country. Vancouver is the best beach city though.

[logan5]

Are there actually any other beach city's in Canada besides Vancouver? That being said, Vancouver is a great beach city. It is an incredibly nice experience to be able walk to the beach and watch the sun set below the North Shore mountains, then have all the amenities of a dense neighbourhood like the West End or Kits at your disposal. A uniquely Vancouver experience.

[MonkeyRonin]

Toronto, Victoria.

[Nashe]

It's only called a beach if it's from the salt-water region. Otherwise, it must be called a "sparkling shoreline".

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by logan5

Are there actually any other beach city's in Canada besides Vancouver? That being said, Vancouver is a great beach city. It is an incredibly nice experience to be able walk to the beach and watch the sun set below the North Shore mountains, then have all the amenities of a dense neighbourhood like the West End or Kits at your disposal. A uniquely Vancouver experience.

Vancouver is the best beach city, from an urbanist perspective. Toronto could easily be a runner-up, despite being on a lake. And yes, I’ll put Halifax on the list, even though accessibility is a problem (the beaches aren’t walkable from the urban core, nor does transit go directly to them). But they’re still within city limits, in suburban areas, and I’d argue that they’re also the most scenic beaches of the cities under discussion here. Would knock off points for coldest water, but add points for the fact that they offer legitimate surfing.

[megadude]

We don’t have a Miami, Rio or Sydney, but yeah, Vancouver has to be it for us. The beaches are more a part of the city there than they are to Toronto. And more frequented by the people. We can’t walk to a proper beach from the core but you can do transit to Woodbine Beach. Same with Cherry Beach, though you have to pass through industrial to get to it lol. Centre Island Beach I suppose is closer to the core but that involves taking a ferry and legging it for quite a bit.

As for Ontario beaches, I see cars from various cities and also Western New York (last week saw NY plate that said GBCOTTGR for Georgian Bay Cottager). And I think to myself, how do you choose which beach or beach town to go to? Of course, lots of people rent a different cottage in a different area every year while some are regulars at the same beach. If I was willing to drive two hours each way to go have a beach day, I wouldn’t know where to start between the various beaches, beach towns and beach campgrounds on Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Georgian Bay (Lake Huron). If I was doing three to four hours and did an overnighter then the list expands greatly and includes Lake Huron proper. So I am curious how people decide on where to go. Where we go, there’s a large Polish population of cottagers. The beach is nicknamed Polska Playa so it’s not hard to figure out why a Polish person chose that beach in particular.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Vancouver is the best beach city, from an urbanist perspective. Toronto could easily be a runner-up, despite being on a lake. And yes, I’ll put Halifax on the list, even though accessibility is a problem (the beaches aren’t walkable from the urban core, nor does transit go directly to them). But they’re still within city limits, in suburban areas, and I’d argue that they’re also the most scenic beaches of the cities under discussion here. Would knock off points for coldest water, but add points for the fact that they offer legitimate surfing.

That Halifax pic is less scenic than downtown Vancouver and you can’t see any city from there and cold water is bad but yes to the plus for surfing.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Vancouver is the best beach city, from an urbanist perspective. Toronto could easily be a runner-up, despite being on a lake. And yes, I’ll put Halifax on the list, even though accessibility is a problem (the beaches aren’t walkable from the urban core, nor does transit go directly to them).

People prefer the beaches farther out but there are some in town as well. There's Black Rock Beach, MacCormack's, the ones on the Northwest Arm, then the lake beaches that warm up more/sooner. Maugers too.

The access to outdoor swimming spots around metro Halifax is quite good. Toronto and Vancouver don't have a lot of lakes, while Halifax is basically in "cottage country".

[giallo]

Originally Posted by logan5

Are there actually any other beach city's in Canada besides Vancouver?

Summer life in Kelowna revolves around the lake and beaches. It's got some great sand too. It's definitely a beach city/region.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

(the beaches aren’t walkable from the urban core, nor does transit go directly to them). But they’re still within city limits.

Hamilton and Burlington would fall in this category, though the beaches aren't really suburban and are accessible by bus.

Burlington's end of the "beach strip" (the local name given to the wide sandbar separating the harbour from Lake Ontario) is walkable from that city's core, but it's not a short jaunt, and the beach itself is about 1.5 km long.

Burlington Beach:

Source

From the air:

Source


Hamilton's side has a much longer beach (8 km or so) and it is rockier the farther south and east you go. The southeast end is adjacent to parkland. The section on the sandbar has been residential for decades, starting out as a "cottage" strip way back when; many of the old ones have been replaced by large new houses and townhouses, despite the QEW being right there and steel plants and other industries a little farther away. (Burlington bought up most of the houses on its side and demolished them for a park strip and boardwalk)

Hamilton Beach (the northwest section of L. Ontario beach):

Source

Van Wagner's Beach (the southeast section in Hamilton):

Source

From the air:

Source was an expired real estate listing.


The large hydro towers run for much of the length of the beaches, unfortunately. But there is an adjacent paved trail from downtown Burlington to the eastern end of Confederation Park in Hamilton that connects to other trails. It crosses the lift bridge over the ship channel into the harbour so there is a continuous pathway, the crossing being upgraded as part of a bridge refurb that's under way.

[LeftCoaster]

Wow... those powerlines are just awful.