Great Canadian Beach Thread - Page 41

xzmattzx · #**801** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 12:08 AM**

That H20 Park in Toronto is not a beach. Water has to touch sand for it to be a real beach.

Denscity · #**802** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 12:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drybrain

It really can't be stated strongly enough that a lot of Canadians enjoy cold weather, and are not at all envious of Vancouver's faux winters.

Lots of those Vancouverites on the beaches also have season passes at Whistler and the local ski hills. Snow is just up the hill when they want it.

Architype · #**803** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 12:37 AM**

To me, beaches are boring without giant waves crashing in, like the ones on the Atlantic Ocean where I grew up. Even some Vancouver beaches are just glorified and partially engineered sand lots with standing water nearby.

Denscity · #**804** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 12:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Well what do you know, you're just a ignorant Vancouverite who has no knowledge of Ontario.

All kidding aside there are some great beaches in Ontario, some great beaches in BC, and many other great beaches in other provinces. Lots offer different pros and cons that work for various people with various preferences. We all know Rousseau's only preference is anything in Ontario (I'm sure he feels Ontario's mountains are vastly superior to those out west too), but for the rest of us with a nuanced understanding of this vast country I'm sure we can realize that things are often a lot more complex than they seem.

That guy's town is a shithole famous for acid rain, rust and three eyed fish and ripped off a theatre from England and made a local economy out of it.
And flat AF.
But its in Ontario so must be the best having never travelled as west as Thunder Bay let alone anywhere further.

WhipperSnapper · #**805** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 12:41 AM**

Winters are long. A little cold weather is going to keep Canadians out of the water. It's not going to keep them off the beach. I'm not impressed by a few people on a beach in January with no visible ice or snow. There would be more dogs than the number of people in that pic on a spring like January day at Balmy Beach Toronto. Heck, there would be more people on a winter's weekend as long as it's not a blizzard or cold like Ottawa

MonkeyRonin · #**806** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 6:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

Great point McMinsen. People from way east of here won’t like those non summer yet still busy beach photos.

By way east of here do you mean east of the Coast Mountains? Because winters in Castlegar & the BC Interior have more in common with those in eastern Canada than they do the west coast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Winters are long. A little cold weather is going to keep Canadians out of the water. It's not going to keep them off the beach. I'm not impressed by a few people on a beach in January with no visible ice or snow. There would be more dogs than the number of people in that pic on a spring like January day at Balmy Beach Toronto. Heck, there would be more people on a winter's weekend as long as it's not a blizzard or cold like Ottawa

Yeah, I was gonna say - they're less common of course, but any warm spell in the winter or early spring in Toronto still sends people flocking to the beach to pretend it's summer. Meanwhile, many people use the beach for exercise, dog walking, etc. even in sub-zero temperatures. I've enjoyed a few frozen lakeside bonfires in my time.

Beaches are at their best in summer, but they can still be used in any season. That's not just a Vancouver thing.

mcminsen · #**807** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 9:27 AM**

The beaches in Vancouver get used a lot in the winter, rain or shine.

Here's a typical January day down at English Bay Beach in Vancouver.

English Bay Beach, Vancouver, Jan. '23, my pics

MonctonRad · #**808** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 11:55 AM**

Polar bear swims do not count unless you have to cut holes in the ice to get into the water.

WhipperSnapper · #**809** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 2:36 PM**

That sure is a lot of people. I think you're being a little disingenuous calling that a typical day considering the pictures already posted showing off Vancouver beaches are used all year.

Winters are looong. Flowers blooming in February is something to make others jealous; not palm trees or people on a beach in January. Flowers blooming in February is not something I know in Vancouver.

TownGuy · #**810** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 2:39 PM**

Mcminsen was clearly being sarcastic, hence the 3 winky face emojis.

WhipperSnapper · #**811** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 2:49 PM**

Oh.

I'm bad with smileys. I would end up buying peaches and eggplants before the girlfriend came over. All she wanted was sex every time she arrived. I just hate peaches.

TorontoDrew · #**812** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

That H20 Park in Toronto is not a beach. Water has to touch sand for it to be a real beach.

That's why I said kind of. When lake levels are high its a beach.

Ajuxtaposition by A Great Capture, on Flickr

Denscity · #**813** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

By way east of here do you mean east of the Coast Mountains? Because winters in Castlegar & the BC Interior have more in common with those in eastern Canada than they do the west coast.

Yeah, I was gonna say - they're less common of course, but any warm spell in the winter or early spring in Toronto still sends people flocking to the beach to pretend it's summer. Meanwhile, many people use the beach for exercise, dog walking, etc. even in sub-zero temperatures. I've enjoyed a few frozen lakeside bonfires in my time.

Beaches are at their best in summer, but they can still be used in any season. That's not just a Vancouver thing.

Ha no they do not. In January we're usually -2C during the day and -5C overnight. Eastern Canada overnight lows are way colder than that and reach temps below -20C which sometimes doesn't happen here all year.

Denscity · #**814** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

That's why I said kind of. When lake levels are high its a beach.

Ajuxtaposition by A Great Capture, on Flickr

White Rock BC is a bit like this. At high tide there is no beach. But at low tide the beach is half a kilometre wide.

202_Cyclist · #**815** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 6:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

It's like the Miami of Canada!

MonkeyRonin · #**816** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 7:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

Ha no they do not. In January we're usually -2C during the day and -5C overnight. Eastern Canada overnight lows are way colder than that and reach temps below -20C which sometimes doesn't happen here all year.

The data doesn't really back that up. Daily mean temp for the coldest month of the year (December in BC, January in Ontario & NS):

Castlegar: -2.1°C
Kelowna: -2.6°C
Windsor: -3.0°C
Nelson: -3.7°C
Toronto: -3.7°C
Halifax: -4.1°C

In other words, cities in the southern parts of Eastern Canada are marginally colder than those in the southern parts of the BC Interior at their coldest part of the year; but their winters are also shorter (4 months with average lows below 0 in Ontario/NS vs. 5 months with average lows below 0 in BC). Overall, pretty similar. The Interior is certainly closer to Eastern Canadian winters than the +3.6°C and +5.0°C daily means experienced in Vancouver & Victoria, anyway.

theman23 · #**817** Posted **Jul 7, 2023, 7:47 PM**

This reminds me of the time Denscity pretended not to know what a winter jacket was was when there was literally a snowstorm raging outside his door.

Denscity · #**818** Posted **Jul 8, 2023, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by theman23

This reminds me of the time Denscity pretended not to know what a winter jacket was was when there was literally a snowstorm raging outside his door.

I don't own a parka or scarf if that's what you mean.

rousseau · #**819** Posted **Jul 8, 2023, 1:13 AM**

Density, do you think the fact that where you are has very similar but longer and thus arguably colder winters than Toronto and the banana belt of Ontario (Niagara, Windsor and environs) is partly due to just desserts on your part arising from your general lack of cultural sophistication? Is it karma for the presumption of populating a reasonably attractive geographical area with such rubes?

(With political discussion not allowed on SSP anymore, look at what you mods are making me do)

TownGuy · #**820** Posted **Jul 8, 2023, 10:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

I don't own a parka or scarf if that's what you mean.

Hahaha. I’m remembering this discussion now. Winter storm warnings, Arctic outflow warnings (down to -18C) and you were going on about the how balmy the climate was that you didn't own a parka.

For the record, what is a parka even? I have what I call a winter coat. I've never said oh I'm going to put my parka on now. It's always coat. I can tell you one thing though, whatever my coat is defined as, I would need to wear it in Castlegar.