Great Canadian Beach Thread - Page 24

Loco101 · #**461** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 5:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Don't know if this has been covered here before, but what makes a place a "beach town"? Does it have to be seasonal (in Canada) as in the population explodes in the summer? Does it have to have arcade, boardwalk, tacky shops, a pier, mini golf and go karting on a strip? Tonnes of cottages for rent and "resorts"?

And what's the line between a town on the water that happens to have a small beach and a "beach town"? Are there any towns that straddle that line?

I consider Wasaga, Sauble, Grand Bend and the small one I pass by, Balm Beach, to be beach towns. Doesn't necessarily have to have all those things I mentioned, but it just feels like a beach town and has that beach culture. I'm not sure about Port Elgin, Lambton Shores, Kincardine and Southampton, all on Lake Huron along with Sauble and Grand Bend. Port Dover on Erie is arguable, considering it has a couple of these features and palm trees! But really, it's known more for Friday the 13th biker rallies.

And of course, provincial parks don't count, unless there's one I don't know about that has those things.

I've been to many "beach towns" in Canada. They exist in every province but aren't all the same of course. Normally the ones where the population explodes are not too far from major centres of population. And beach towns are often quite diverse. Tofino BC is definitely not at all like Wasaga Beach ON as an example.

jamincan · #**462** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 11:29 AM**

I used to live in the Owen Sound area and got the very strong impression that the three big beach towns kind of "belonged" to different cities. Pinery/Grand Bend for London, Sauble for KW, and Wasaga for Toronto. That's not to say that there isn't overlap for all three, but I wonder if others have noticed the same general trend.

north 42 · #**463** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 11:30 AM**

Port Stanley on Lake Erie is definitely a beach town, but is also a very quant port town with many other attractions.

https://www.ontariossouthwest.com/wa.../port-stanley/

https://www.elgintourist.com/portstanley

megadude · #**464** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 12:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by north 42

Port Stanley on Lake Erie is definitely a beach town, but is also a very quant port town with many other attractions.

https://www.ontariossouthwest.com/wa.../port-stanley/

https://www.elgintourist.com/portstanley

True. I've only been as far on Erie as Port Rowan, and that was in November. A guy at work I only worked with for four months before he retired said he was from there. I didn't get to talk to him much about it. But my lunch buddy at work from London said he used to head down to the beach at Port Stanley.

megadude · #**465** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 12:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamincan

I used to live in the Owen Sound area and got the very strong impression that the three big beach towns kind of "belonged" to different cities. Pinery/Grand Bend for London, Sauble for KW, and Wasaga for Toronto. That's not to say that there isn't overlap for all three, but I wonder if others have noticed the same general trend.

I thought the same thing for Grand Bend and Wasaga, but had no thought about Sauble. But I do know a lot of GTA people and people from elsewhere that go to Sauble as an alternative to Wasaga, which has too many douches for some people's liking. But that's for weekend or week long stays. That would be a heck of a drive for a day trip to the beach.

Hali87 · #**466** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 5:29 PM**

Lawrencetown Beach on a quiet day. On a busier day, the beach is packed with people at low tide - at high tide it's all rocks and the only people around are surfers. Lately the water has been much warmer than usual - surfing without a wetsuit is definitely an option, although there have also been Portuguese Man o' Wars (small but somewhat dangerous jellyfish) at Lawrencetown as well as shark sightings at nearby Queensland.

Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

rousseau · #**467** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 6:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamincan

I used to live in the Owen Sound area and got the very strong impression that the three big beach towns kind of "belonged" to different cities. Pinery/Grand Bend for London, Sauble for KW, and Wasaga for Toronto. That's not to say that there isn't overlap for all three, but I wonder if others have noticed the same general trend.

Port Dover for Hamilton.

megadude · #**468** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 6:42 PM**

Is it Point Pelee for Windsor? Lambton Shores for Sarnia? Sandbanks PP for Kingston and Peterborough? I don't know what the day at the beach destination is for Ottawa.

Denscity · #**469** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 7:14 PM**

Kelowna and Penticton are beach towns but have a lot more going on so perhaps that takes away from its standing as one?

ericmacm · #**470** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 8:24 PM**

Here's some Point Pelee shots I took a couple of years ago. Point Pelee and Rondeau/Erieau are the two larger beaches that are popular for Windsorites, there are also a number of smaller beaches along Lake St. Clair but they're not as good.

north 42 · #**471** Posted **Aug 20, 2020, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Is it Point Pelee for Windsor? Lambton Shores for Sarnia? Sandbanks PP for Kingston and Peterborough? I don't know what the day at the beach destination is for Ottawa.

Point Pelee and Rondeau Beach are popular for Windsor.

urbandreamer · #**472** Posted **Aug 21, 2020, 10:04 PM**

Port Burwell, Bayfield, Amberley-Point Clark popular with KW people. After having seen a ton of beaches this year as I explore Ontario I've come to the conclusion the best beaches are in Toronto: Great people watching, easy to escape into the city and much cheaper to get to.

jamincan · #**473** Posted **Aug 22, 2020, 12:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Port Burwell, Bayfield, Amberley-Point Clark popular with KW people. After having seen a ton of beaches this year as I explore Ontario I've come to the conclusion the best beaches are in Toronto: Great people watching, easy to escape into the city and much cheaper to get to.

Visited Hanlon's Point, did you?

megadude · #**474** Posted **Aug 22, 2020, 12:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Port Burwell, Bayfield, Amberley-Point Clark popular with KW people. After having seen a ton of beaches this year as I explore Ontario I've come to the conclusion the best beaches are in Toronto: Great people watching, easy to escape into the city and much cheaper to get to.

I stopped by Port Burwell couple of Novembers ago. I guess that's why I didn't realize how much beach they have. And didn't know about this cool hill park. I did see the submarine though, but tours were closed for the season.

https://explorenorfolk.wordpress.com...and-hill-park/

https://rvlifemag.com/ojibwa-submarine-sandwich/

urbandreamer · #**475** Posted **Aug 22, 2020, 12:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamincan

Visited Hanlon's Point, did you?

Never been there. I was thinking about Woodbine and Cherry Beaches and the Beach area.

I personally like beaches on rainy overcast days: walking the Stanley Park seawall on a foggy November weekday morning ideal with views of North Van, the lions, ships etc.

megadude · #**476** Posted **Aug 22, 2020, 2:02 AM**

I've also never been. Rode by it on my bike but never made my way to that particular beach. I remember googling not long ago and wondering if I should stop by someday. Judging by the pics it seems like half the nudists were either dudes with long hair or with handlebar moustaches. Not for me! But others might like it.

I hope there aren't families with small kids going full on nude there like that American family I walked by on a public nudist beach in Negril Jamaica. The kids must have been 12 and 8. If they're going to do that, should probably keep it for the private resorts like Bare Oaks and Ponderosa, which you see signs for driving around certain parts of the GTHA.

I also saw a husband finger blasting his wife from behind while they were lying down on the beach. Not gonna lie, it was hard to look away. She was a milf. Probably European.

This beach is adjacent to Hedonism II, where I imagine there are orgies happening 24/7, especially on their private island called Booby Cay.