Can I swim in Lake Ontario? Is it safe to swim in Lake Ontario? But where would I swim even if it is safe?Have you ever asked yourself one (or all) of these questions? Here are the answers to those questions and five Lake Ontario beaches to explore this weekend.Can I swim in Lake Ontario?Yes! Lake Ontario offers fantastic swimming at many beaches. Not all beaches are ‘public beaches’, some are naturally occurring ‘wild beaches’…

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Opening day at Breakwater Park and the unveiling of the Gord Edgar Downie Pier. Photo by Swim Drink Fish. There is something unique about the sound of wet feet running on wood.Thwap thwap thwap thwapThe wood resonates after the feet move on.That sound is my most powerful memory from today, the re-opening of Kingston’s Breakwater Park and the unveiling of the Gord Edgar Downie swimming pier.The wood-slatted bridge connects the land to the cement pier,…

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Kingston Mayor (left) and Patrick Downie (right) cross the bridge from Breakwater Park to the new Gord Edgar Downie swimming pier. July 26, 2018. Photo by Swim Drink Fish. July 27, 2018–Kingston, Ontario -- The Gord Edgar Downie Pier was officially unveiled during the re-opening ceremonies of Breakwater Park yesterday.Hundreds of attendees came to experience the new Breakwater Park features, including a new promenade, pedestrian bridge and shade structure, pier upgrades, steps and seating, shoreline works…

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On July 26, 2018, we unveil the Gord Edgar Downie Pier at Breakwater Park in Kingston. It’s a day of celebration and gratitude. We can't think of a better way to celebrate than jumping into the water for a swim - a Gratitude Swim. The Gratitude Swim follows the Gord Edgar Downie Pier dedication with the City of Kingston and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. It celebrates the decades of hard work, from you and…

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Photo by Dylan Neild As you stand on the edge of the new Gord Edgar Downie Pier on July 26th and prepare to jump in, we ask you to take a moment. Pause. Reflect. This day has been decades in the making.A long history bonds Lake Ontario Waterkeeper with Kingston. It’s where Waterkeeper launched in June 2001 and where Mark Mattson, President and Waterkeeper, met Gord Downie years earlier. Gord, who lived across from the…

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On July 10, 2018 the IJC Great Lakes Water Quality Board released the results of it’s Second Binational Great Lakes Basin Poll. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Mark Mattson presented the poll results with fellow Great Lakes Water Quality Board member, Kelsey Leonard.The poll's findings provide insight into how people experience the Great Lakes. One key finding focused on the importance of recreational activities. Out of all surveyed participants, 89 per cent believe protecting the Great Lakes for recreation…

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Position: Public Relations and Media SpecialistPosition Type: Contract (2 months)Location: Downtown TorontoStart Date: ImmediatelySwim Drink Fish is looking for a Public Relations and Media Specialist to help raise the profile of our summer campaign. The ideal candidate will have experience in a relative field with existing media relations. Â Responsibilities:Work with Communications and Marketing Manager to oversee organization communications strategies and goals.Develop a media work plan, seeking high-level placements in print, broadcast and online media.Coordinate public relations activities.Leverage existing media relationships. Manage…

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Position: Finance ManagerPosition Type: Full-timeLocation: Downtown TorontoStart Date: ImmediatelySwim Drink Fish is a growing charity dedicated to ensuring swimmable, drinkable, fishable water for all. We are looking for a new team member to manage all aspects of financial reporting. This role will report to the Vice President and work closely with the Treasurer. This is the perfect role for someone who wants to contribute to a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future and has experience in bookkeeping, financial…

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The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) relicensing hearing takes place June 25 - 29, 2018. For consideration during this hearing, Waterkeeper provided a submission to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). This Waterkeeper submission includes expert testimony and legal arguments concerning the PNGS' impacts on the swimmability, drinkability and fishability of Lake Ontario.Waterkeeper’s preliminary CNSC submission about the PNGS license renewal is available here. See the complete submission below. Waterkeeper's full submission for Pickering Nuclear Generating Station…

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Photo by tsaiproject The Toronto Community Monitoring Program is a new a Swim Drink Fish Canada initiative. The program builds on our previous Toronto harbour monitoring in 2016 and 2017, which established a robust citizen-science monitoring hub, equipped with an in-house lab.  Last summer (2017) Waterkeeper staff and 100 volunteers gathered weekly on the waterfront to collect water samples and record observations about water quality in Toronto’s inner harbour. Our monitoring activities in the Toronto…

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