Centre Island

Toronto, Ontario
Managed by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

Centre Island Beach is a Blue Flag Beach for the 2022 season*.

Centre Island Beach is near the old pier on the opposite side of the island from the ferry terminal. This area is also known as “Manitou Beach”. “Manitou” refers to the spirits of the Algonquin tribes who were the first people to enjoy the island. Centre Island Beach has very calm, shallow, and slightly warmer waters because of the rock breakwater built to provide a barrier from the open lake. The rock breakwater also makes it more difficult for clean water to sweep in and increases the chances for the Beach to be posted with warnings and closures for water quality. Centre Island Beach is an ideal place for children and adults to swim, relax, picnic and enjoy the scenery. Just a short walk from the café and the bar, Centre Island Beach is a wonderful place to spend the day with friends and family. To get to Centre Island beach, take the Centre Island ferry from mainland Toronto. Walk by the amusement park and take the long open walkway across the island. Be aware that there may be long lineups for the ferry on hot summer days.

Find the ferry schedule and purchase tickets at: http://www.toronto.ca/ferry

*A Blue Flag beach is one that meets strict water quality and safety criteria. These beaches are certified annually as being clean, accessible, eco-friendly, and having great water quality! Swim Drink Fish is the National Operator for Blue Flag in Canada.

For more information, visit www.blueflag.ca

Photo By Andy Nystrom

Get directions to this beach
Water Quality
  • Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time

  • Historical Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 29th, 2022. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on August 31st, 2022 at 9:19 AM.
For water quality icon legend, click:  
Current Weather
19°C
Clear
  View this beach on Great Lakes Guide
  • Report Pollution
Monitoring Frequency

Centre Island is sampled daily from June 1st to September 15th.

Source Information

Toronto Public Health monitors recreational water quality at sites in this region. Sampling season starts in June and ends Labour Day Weekend. Swim Guide updates Toronto beaches using the City of Toronto's Open Data.

Water at all sites is sampled for E. coli.

Toronto Public Health issues beach advisories when the geometric mean concentration of at least five samples exceeds 100 E. coli / 100 mL of water. This standard was set by the Ministry of the Environment.

Water samples are collected daily at Toronto Beaches. Results are posted to Swim Guide as soon as lab results are available. They are also available at https://www.toronto.ca/health/swimsafe and via Toronto's open data portal.

In Swim Guide, a beach is marked Green when the geometric mean of at least 5 samples is below 100 E.coli / 100 mL water.

A beach is marked Red when the results are equal to or above a geometric mean of 100 E.coli / 100 mL water.

A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.

A Ministry of the Environment Procedure (F-5-5) says that a clean beach is open at least 95% of the swimming season, even if it is near a sewage pipe or combined sewer outfall. This rule applies to every place that is public, accessible, and feels like a good place to swim. When all else fails, the Ontario Environmental Protection Act strongly states that no one can interfere with the use that you can make of a public waterway - like swimming!

Read more
Water Quality Graph

Centre Island

Toronto, Ontario
Managed by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Water Quality
  • Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
  • Historical Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 29th, 2022. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on August 31st, 2022 at 9:19 AM.
For water quality icon legend, click:  
Current Weather
19°C
Clear

Centre Island Beach is a Blue Flag Beach for the 2022 season*.

Centre Island Beach is near the old pier on the opposite side of the island from the ferry terminal. This area is also known as “Manitou Beach”. “Manitou” refers to the spirits of the Algonquin tribes who were the first people to enjoy the island. Centre Island Beach has very calm, shallow, and slightly warmer waters because of the rock breakwater built to provide a barrier from the open lake. The rock breakwater also makes it more difficult for clean water to sweep in and increases the chances for the Beach to be posted with warnings and closures for water quality. Centre Island Beach is an ideal place for children and adults to swim, relax, picnic and enjoy the scenery. Just a short walk from the café and the bar, Centre Island Beach is a wonderful place to spend the day with friends and family. To get to Centre Island beach, take the Centre Island ferry from mainland Toronto. Walk by the amusement park and take the long open walkway across the island. Be aware that there may be long lineups for the ferry on hot summer days.

Find the ferry schedule and purchase tickets at: http://www.toronto.ca/ferry

*A Blue Flag beach is one that meets strict water quality and safety criteria. These beaches are certified annually as being clean, accessible, eco-friendly, and having great water quality! Swim Drink Fish is the National Operator for Blue Flag in Canada.

For more information, visit www.blueflag.ca

Photo By Andy Nystrom

Get directions to this beach
  View this beach on Great Lakes Guide
  • Report Pollution
Monitoring Frequency

Centre Island is sampled daily from June 1st to September 15th.

Source Information

Toronto Public Health monitors recreational water quality at sites in this region. Sampling season starts in June and ends Labour Day Weekend. Swim Guide updates Toronto beaches using the City of Toronto's Open Data.

Water at all sites is sampled for E. coli.

Toronto Public Health issues beach advisories when the geometric mean concentration of at least five samples exceeds 100 E. coli / 100 mL of water. This standard was set by the Ministry of the Environment.

Water samples are collected daily at Toronto Beaches. Results are posted to Swim Guide as soon as lab results are available. They are also available at https://www.toronto.ca/health/swimsafe and via Toronto's open data portal.

In Swim Guide, a beach is marked Green when the geometric mean of at least 5 samples is below 100 E.coli / 100 mL water.

A beach is marked Red when the results are equal to or above a geometric mean of 100 E.coli / 100 mL water.

A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.

A Ministry of the Environment Procedure (F-5-5) says that a clean beach is open at least 95% of the swimming season, even if it is near a sewage pipe or combined sewer outfall. This rule applies to every place that is public, accessible, and feels like a good place to swim. When all else fails, the Ontario Environmental Protection Act strongly states that no one can interfere with the use that you can make of a public waterway - like swimming!

Read more
Water Quality Graph

  Beach Location Water Quality
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
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