In downtown Toronto, a formerly neglected waterfront nook is making waves. Peter Street Basin, once chock-full of garbage, debris and a foul stench, has recently become a surprising swim spot after cleanup efforts led by community volunteers and a University of Toronto professor, Steve Mann, turned the compact basin into a usable water space. Local swimmers have been seen diving in, even in cooler weather, embracing the hidden urban swim hole near Ontario Place and HTO Park.
Toronto Public Health cautions that it does not formally test the basin’s water quality and therefore does not officially recommend swimming there, but enthusiasts say regular E. coli tests by organizers show it’s swimmable.
This basin is now a grassroots aquatic destination, drawing locals who want to enjoy water access right in the heart of the city’s harborfront.
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