Latest news with #SwimDrinkFish
CBC
15 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Headed to the beach for a swim? Here's what you should know before you go
Your guide to swimming in Ontario lakes this summer 2 hours ago Duration 2:28 Social Sharing When you think of beach cities, Toronto may not be the first to come to mind. Sure, we're on the lake, and yes, we have the Beaches, but on a hot day, many would turn their nose up at idea of taking a dip in the lake. But Toronto's beaches are some of the cleanest swimming areas in the world, according to Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada. The non-profit organization runs Canada's Blue Flag program, an international eco-certification awarded to beaches and marinas. "There's a stigma from the past that persists today about Lake Ontario. But we have clean, beautiful, amazing locations that people can cool off," he told CBC Toronto. "They are something that we're really fortunate to have here in Ontario." So if you're debating taking a swim in the lake this year or planning a beach day, here's what experts say you should consider before jumping into the water. Best practices Checking water quality data before you get into the water is the first and most important thing you should do, says Ford. "Water quality changes just like the weather does. It changes very quickly," he said. The status of Toronto's major beaches is posted on the city's website daily and includes details about when samples were last collected and how much E. coli was traced. There's usually some level of bacteria in the water but that shouldn't be an automatic red flag, says Mitch Bechtel. An open water swimmer, Bechtel developed Open Water Data, a website that shows detailed information about different swimming locations. "There's always some amount of bacteria. It's not a fresh-filtered water source. And it's OK that there's some bacteria in our bodies," he said. "What's interesting is that different regions have different thresholds that they consider safe or not… Ontario specifically is actually very strict, so when they say something is [has] passed, that's typically passed anywhere else in the world." Aside from checking for test results, best practice is to stay ashore after rainfall for 24 to 48 hours to avoid any wastewater runoff, Ford says. Additionally, if you see any birds or animals in water, stay clear of them, Bechtel said, because they "might be doing their thing in the water." Information on water quality tests can also be found on apps such as Swim, Drink, Fish's Swim Guide or in-person, lakeside, based on the flag on the lifeguard post.. Location, location, location This year, seven Toronto beaches received a Blue Flag designation. The international award is doled out worldwide to locations that demonstrate exceptional water quality and environmental management. The blue flag can be seen on world-class shores in Italy, Brazil and beyond. This summer, these seven Toronto beaches made the Blue Flag list: Gibraltar Point. Ward's Island Beach. Hanlan's Point. Cherry Beach. Kew-Balmy Beach. Woodbine Beach. Bluffer's Beach. Those locations tend to be a lot cleaner than others for two main reasons, Ford said. Not only are they away from the inner harbour, where water doesn't flush away as much, but they're also farther away from combined sewers, where stormwater mixes with wastewater and can spill into the lake after it rains. Toronto's west-end beaches aren't as lucky. "A good number of those combined sewers are in the Western Beaches area along the Humber River and emptying into Humber Bay," Ford said. "They are good quality beaches, and you can check the water quality for those beaches before you go out." Bechtel says conditions have vastly improved in recent decades after the city made improvements to its waterway and sewer systems.
CBC
06-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Trump's proposal to take over Gaza outrageous, say Palestinians and advocates in Toronto
Family members with loved ones in Gaza and activists say they are outraged that Donald Trump has suggested that Palestinians should be relocated while the U.S. takes over and redevelops the territory. Bashar Alshawwa, a Toronto resident whose wife and four children are in the West Bank, said the U.S. president's plan to take over Gaza threatens Palestinians. Alshawwa came to Toronto six months ago. He says his family lost 130 loved ones in the Gaza war in approximately the last 16 months. Alshawwa, a water diplomacy specialist at the advocacy group Swim Drink Fish, said he had hoped the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would bring justice to Palestinians. "It's shocking. It's really shocking. It's alarming," Alshawwa told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Wednesday. "Instead of justice, Mr. Trump is now announcing a plan of displacement, ethnic cleansing of my people, and what's not just a tragedy, it's an ongoing crime against humanity." On Tuesday, Trump announced that he wanted the U.S. take "ownership" of Gaza after the war and turn it into a "riviera of the Middle East." Trump made the suggestion during a news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump said. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs." On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed Trump's remarks, saying the president only sought to move the roughly 1.8 million Gazans temporarily to allow for reconstruction. Gaza 'not a business project' for the U.S. Alshawwa, however, said the remarks instill fear and trigger painful memories for Palestinians of displacement and forced migration. He said Gaza has deep emotional and historical significance to Palestinians, even though whole areas have been levelled. Gaza is not a "business project" for the U.S., he added. In a separate interview with CBC Toronto, Alshawwa said Palestinians would welcome any initiative to help them rebuild their country. But Trump is suggesting something that is against international law and that is unacceptable, he said. "It's a new colonial settlement project by the United States," Alshawwa said. "As a father of four kids still back home in Palestine, I don't want my kids to suffer from this endless, insane and unjust conflict," he added. Plan spoken about as 'some kind of real estate deal' Yara Shoufani, an organizer with the Toronto chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, a group that works to keep youth engaged in fighting for freedom and liberation for Palestinian people, said the comments are appalling. She said the idea of people leaving Gaza is not an option. "He's outlining a plan for the ethnic cleansing of the entire population of Gaza. He's talking about the forcible removal of two million people out of their homes and speaking about it essentially like it's some kind of real estate deal," Shoufani said. Michael Bueckert, interim president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, based in Montreal, said the comments represent an "existential threat" to Palestinians in Gaza and an expression of "genocidal intent." "Unfortunately, I'm worried that the Canadian government is going to be kind of cautious about approaching Trump. But we have to be clear: Israeli and U.S. officials are openly plotting genocide and ethnic cleansing — not using euphemisms — but in very clear terms. We need to take this seriously. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the 15-month war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Due to the chaos of war, verifying the exact number of casualties has been challenging and subject to scrutiny. The Palestinian Civil Defence has said it is searching for roughly 10,000 bodies believed to be remaining under the rubble. The coastal enclave has been largely demolished by Israel's military following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. That assault killed 1,200 people with around 250 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has rejected accusations of genocide by saying it abides by international law and has a right to defend itself after the Hamas attack.
