With the closure of the public beach at Ontario Place, many swimmers across Toronto have been left without a place to train, rehab, or simply enjoy the lake. What happened next is a reminder of how much difference a group of determined citizens can make by doing the work the city hasn’t done. (CBC recently highlighted the effort in a full feature — read it here.)
A Basin Transformed by Volunteers
The Peter Street Basin right off Queens Quay in Downtown Toronto was up until recently one of the most neglected corners of Toronto’s waterfront. Anyone who walked by remembers the smell, the garbage, and the feeling that this wasn’t a part of the lake worth saving.
But that changed when Professor Steve Mann from the University of Toronto, along with students and community volunteers, began cleaning the basin on their own initiative.
This wasn’t a city project.
It wasn’t funded, staffed, or supported by any municipal program.
It was private citizens cleaning public property, by hand.
For months they removed:
-Plastic bottles
-Food packaging
-Bags and debris
-Tree branches
-Heavy objects
-Even dead animals
They experimented with everything from pool nets to robotic devices, but the dedication of people showing up day after day was the real reason the basin improved. You can see progress of the work here: https://peterstreetbasin.com
E. Coli Levels Now 10× Cleaner Than Toronto’s Safety Threshold
One of the most important achievements, especially for swimmers, is the water quality.
Toronto has a strict E. coli standard for swimming:
Unsafe at 100 E. coli per 100 mL.
Current lab-tested levels from the basin?
7 to 10 E. coli per 100 mL.
That’s more than ten times cleaner than the city’s threshold.
These aren’t rough estimates, they’re measured through university water-quality labs, with multiple samples taken and monitored over time.
The improvement is entirely due to the cleanup.
Less garbage → better circulation → less bacterial growth → clear, clean water.
A New Swim Space, Created by the Community
What makes this effort stand out is not just the cleanliness—it’s the initiative.
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No city department cleaned the basin.
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No public funds were allocated.
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No official program made this happen.
Why This Matters for Toronto Swimmers
With Ontario Place’s accessible beach shut down and replaced with construction fencing, swimmers needed alternatives. Cold-water swimmers, rehabilitation swimmers, triathletes, and everyday residents all lost an essential, public space.
Now, thanks entirely to community-led efforts, there is once again a clean, swimmable body of water in downtown Toronto.