You’re in a tranquil bay, surrounded by trees. The only sounds to be heard are that of a quacking duck, and the slap of a fish tail, invisible but for the ripple left behind. A family of swans glide gently through the water. A boat enters the bay under full sail. On a cool evening, the air might be broken by a stream of smoke from the wood stove inside the club house. And there are the sunsets. Let’s not get started on those sunsets.
Welcome to the Aquatic Park Sailing Club. You could be forgiven for forgetting that you’re in Toronto at all. The hustle, bustle, and noise of the city are hidden from every sense, but unbelievably, this rustic little sailing club is just a stone’s throw from the downtown core. In fact, the back of the mooring bay boasts one of the best views of the Toronto skyline. Hands down.
Located in Tommy Thompson Park, on the Leslie Street Spit, Aquatic Park brings a unique, and sometimes nostalgic, breath to sailing in Toronto.
The sailing tropes are all accounted for, and for all for those eccentricities, there’s nothing quite like APSC anywhere else on Lake Ontario.
Let’s talk about mooring. To the uninitiated, it is far and beyond the best sleep you’ve ever had. Not just on a boat, but in your entire life. It’s like being tethered to a cloud, suspended in space uninhibited. No matter which way the wind blows, your bed turns like a feather into it. The ting ting of the sheets against the mast are your lullaby, and unlike the cacophony of being in the dock finger just feet from your nearest neighbours, the song she sings is a solo performance. At APSC, you’ll wake up in the morning to the birds singing, or more realistically, the early bird sailor buzzing out to their boat. If you’re lucky, the coffee is already on.
Both sides of the coin can be argued when it comes to mooring your sailboat (as opposed to keeping it on a dock), but APSC doesn’t just leave you hanging… err, floating. While you have the security and privacy of your mooring ball, a small cross-section of docks are available for communal use.
How to Find This Hidden Gem
Aquatic Park is located in Tommy Thompson Park, a nature reserve at the southern end of Leslie Street, east of the downtown core. The club itself is approximately three kilometers from the park entrance, which, it’s important to note, is open only to self-propelled traffic. In other words: no cars. To some, this is an inaccesible downside. In this sailor’s opinion, it allows the park and everything within it to continue living its best and most natural life.
The approximately 3 kilometre journey through Toronto’s urban wilderness is mitigated on the weekend by a shuttle that the club runs from the parking lot at the base of the spit to the club, leaving every hour, on the hour for members and guests.
When visiting from the water, you can find the entrance to Aquatic Park at 43.630672, -79.330130. The entrance to the bay is marked by red and green buoys, which you would do best to stay within if you’re interested in keeping your vessel afloat.
The often overlooked, but truly remarkable thing about the location of Aquatic Park is its accessibility to sailing on Lake Ontario and in the Toronto Harbour. If I can be so bold as to make the statement: there is nowhere else on the north shore of Lake Ontario that offers the options that APSC does. The entrance to the mooring basin is from a channel between Toronto’s Ward Island, and the Leslie Spit. There is plenty of room to tack and gybe within, while enjoying protection from the famous Lake Ontario fetch. Following the channel south opens up the entirety of the lake, while the other direction brings you into the bustling Inner Harbour and postcard urban views. It’s a win-win-win location for every journey, in any wind.
The Pirates of Lake Ontario
While the location and rustic charm lend to the uniqueness of Aquatic Park, it’s the local sailors that really give the club its character. Perhaps because of the facilities (or lack thereof), the energy of Aquatic Park is truly geared toward all things sailing and a DIY approach toward it. And the locals are always happy to stop and chat, especially over a sailor’s libation (or two). I’ve yet to experience another club on Lake Ontario with a more welcoming vibe.
And if you find yourself enjoying the peacefulness of the dock on a rare solo evening, there’s always those sunsets.
