Leuty Lifeguard station

A symbol of the Beaches, the lifeguard station is one of the few remaining buildings that is left right on the waters edge south of the boardwalk . At one time the beach front was crowded with private boat houses and small commercial buildings with food venders, boats and canoes for hire. There was once an entire amusement park on the boardwalk at Scarboro Beach.

In the early part of the last century a series of storms had eroded the beach front precipitously and swept away many of the old boat houses . The erosion threatened peoples homes that were now at the waters edge . The city cleared away the remaining structures in order to stabilize the beach front with wooden pilings and sand , increasing the beach area , and adding a buffer of greenspaces in the form of small parks between the water and the Beachfront homes .

The on going battle against erosion still continue to this day with the City of Toronto building small jutties of boulders and stones to try to break up the action of the waves. This has led to some creative beach visitors and locals using the stones to build balancing gardens and inukshuk. A walk along the boardwalk reviels a new arrangement or display almost everyday.

Leuty Lifeguard station in winter , usually covered in festive lights that are left on for most of the night

Photo from 1919 showing the beach erosion that had taken place, a peninsula once connected woodbine beach to the Toronto Islands and that was swept away with the cottages and hotels there

A crane drives pilings in to the sand to stabilize the beachfront the houses we see now stand about 100 feet from the waters edge

People building stone gardens on the beach.

Beach Tour