You’d have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the fuss that U.S. President Donald Trump made when he asked American authorities to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. It’ was a foolish, childish decision made in a fit of pique. But it has helped put a focus on the lake, the smallest of the Great Lakes by size but an amazing place to explore.
Here are some suggestions on how to enjoy LAKE ONTARIO.
TORONTO
Ontario’s biggest city sits on the northwestern “corner” of Lake Ontario. One of the best ways to see the lake is to take a ride on one of the boats that sails the Toronto Harbour, or goes out into the lake for a daytime or sunset cruise. The Beach or Beaches neighbourhood has a fine boardwalk with tremendous views and warm water for swimming in summer. There are several nice beaches between Victoria Park Avenue and Ashbridge’s Bay. There are also a series of fine beaches on the Toronto Islands, including Hanlan’s Point, a legally nude bathing beach. Further west, Sunnyside Beach is a fine stretch of sand. There are also nice vistas to be had east of downtown, particularly at Bluffers Park and near the mouth of the Rouge River. The Westin Harbour Castle Hotel has fine views of the lake, as does Hotel X at Exhibition Place.
A boat tour of Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
MISSISSAUGA
I spent a couple days exploring the parks of Mississauga a few years ago. There are tremendous parks right on Lake Ontario, including Jack Darling Park and Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens, which are gorgeous when the flowers are in bloom and very nice even if they aren’t.
Jack Darling Park in Mississauga is a fine place to enjoy Lake Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
BURLINGTON
The city of Burlington, about a half hour west of Toronto, has a nice waterfront and some beaches on Lake Ontario. The Pearle Hotel and Spa, a Marriott Autograph Collection property, has beautiful, stylish rooms looking out on the lake.
The waterfront along Lake Ontario in Burlington, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
In addition to being a delightful place to stroll about and to see a play (NOTL is home to the fabulous Shaw Festival), Niagara-on-the-Lake is, well, on the lake. On my last visit I had a fine walking tour of town, including Queen’s Royal Park, where the Niagara River empties into Lake Ontario. It’s a fine place for a stroll. Just a short distance away is the Niagara-on-the-Lake golf course, said to be the oldest surviving course in North America. It’s a fine layout with terrific views of the lake, as well as a fine outdoor patio.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Course has lovely Lake Ontario views. Jim Byers Photo
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
This is a delightful region about 2.5 hours east of Toronto, with fine wineries, attractive small towns, and fine places to stay. There are also tons of great beaches and places to admire Lake Ontario. Sandbanks Provincial Park has enormous sand dunes and a quiet bay for swimming, and also a long stretch of sand called Outlet Beach. Another fine spot is Wellington, which has a terrific park and children’s playground on the shores of the lake. Wellington also is home to the fabulous Drake Devonshire Inn, which has a restaurant on the shores of the lake, and the Drake Motor Inn, which I reviewed earlier this year. In Picton, the Lake on the Mountain Inn offers exceptional views of the Bay of Quinte, a lovely part of Lake Ontario. The main restaurant patio doesn’t have a view of Lake Ontario, but their Miller House patio offers outstanding views.
A beautiful Lake Ontario sunset from the Drake Devonshire Inn in Wellington, Prince Edward County. Jim Byers Photo
