Phone +1 416-392-8196 | ||
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Type Clothing optional public beach Created 1862, Clothing optional beach recognized March 17, 2002 Address Lakeshore Ave, Toronto, ON M5J 2W2, Canada Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hours Similar Toronto Islands, Centreville Amusement Park, Cherry Beach, Woodbine Beach, Gibraltar Point Lighthouse | ||
Hanlan's Point Beach is a public beach situated on Hanlan's Point in the Toronto Islands near Toronto, Ontario on the shore of Lake Ontario. One kilometre-long part of the beach was officially recognized by the city in 2002 as being clothing optional.
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History
Hanlan's Point Beach was a traditional site for nude sunbathing for decades. In 1999, Toronto City Council approved a one-year pilot project for a nude beach at Hanlan's Point following a proposal by naturist organization and Councillor Kyle Rae. In 2000, the council extended the project for another two years. Finally in 2002, the clothing-optional beach was made permanent. The Toronto City Council decision was met with strong opposition from conservative councillors such as Giorgio Mammoliti. It was also an infrequent target of police crackdowns for nude sunbathing. Its official status has resulted in a distinct increase in ferry traffic, and it appears to be a profitable component of public- and private-sector advertising campaigns, since it draws visitors to Toronto. Police and park officials now work in partnership with the beachgoers to maintain the friendly atmosphere.
Background
Hanlan's Beach can be reached most directly by taking the Hanlan's Point ferry at the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay. Aside from the cost of the ferry there is no admission fee. Canada's only other official clothing-optional beach is Wreck Beach in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The effective beach season starts in late May and ends in late September, while actual swimming off the beach is possible only well within this period.
As is common for most public nudist-friendly venues, males make up a large percentage of the users of the beach, but women can make up to one quarter of the total on popular weekends. Recent years continue to see an increase in the number of families who attend. The beach is a popular destination for the city's gay community.
This beach is the regular site of day trips by several local nudist organizations. It is the second officially recognized clothing-optional beach in Canada and the only one created by a municipal bylaw.
Despite its proximity to Toronto Harbour, the beach can boast extremely good water quality since it faces southwest and away from the mainland. Water quality is monitored daily (on weekdays) during the summer and meets a Blue Flag standard set by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
The section of the beach closest to the city centre airport (YTZ) is also becoming a very popular spot for kiteboarding.