Toronto's eastern beaches may be underwater, but fireworks will still light up the sky
Heavy rains and a swollen Lake Ontario have contributed to flooding along the city's eastern beaches and the Toronto Islands this month — but city staff say all that water won't wash out the pyrotechnics planned to celebrate Victoria Day
Those celebrating the holiday, however, may need to choose a new vantage point.
That's because the stretch of sand along Woodbine Beach normally covered with blankets, picnic baskets and skyward-looking children is, instead, swamped with water.
'The beach is gone'
"It's a really different point of view when you're on the beach and they're shooting up," Vera Avetissov said of her family tradition of watching the glow and the crackle. "But the beach is gone."
Avetissov said she'll likely catch the show from her nearby balcony.
City staff had considered shooting off the 2,000 individual fireworks from a barge on the lake when it seemed as though there would be no room on land.
But spokesperson Wynna Brown said staff have spent recent days moving sand in order to create a place from which to set the sky alight.
Brown said the city is urging residents to spread out along the city's eastern shoreline instead of congregating at Woodbine Beach — beginning at Coxwell Avenue down to Victoria Park Avenue.
"You'll be able to see the fireworks throughout that entire stretch of beach and that'll give people a little bit more room," she said. "There are great vantage points so it shouldn't be a problem."
Watching from the water
Volleyball player and Beach resident Monika Tupholme said in recent years she's spotted more people watching the fireworks from the water.
"So maybe people will be bringing out their paddleboards to the flooding here and sort of have a floating device to help them," she said, half-jokingly.
Tupholme said she's seen the water levels drop in recent days, but predicted it will still be a few weeks before the area returns to normal.
"It's sad to see the awesome lawn chairs submerged underwater, but it is receding, so hopefully in a month or so we'll get our beach back," she said. "And hopefully, people get resourceful tonight."
Both Toronto police and city officials are recommending people take public transit to watch the fireworks, which begin at 10 p.m.
