Photowalk: Winter Stations at The Beaches
Toronto is on the shores of Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes system. That said, we do have lakeshore beaches—artificial and natural. Our beaches do not have waves like those of ocean and big sea beaches, but they have their own charm. The Beaches on the eastern flanks of the city are a collection of lakeshore beaches that Torontorians enjoy.
Every year, The Beaches hosts the Winter Station Art installations. The lifeguard stations, which are closed (well, officially the beach is closed for swimmers, but unofficially, brave swimmers still venture into the cold waters), are transformed into art installations by artists from around the world. In fact, the installations are built around the lifeguard stations without adding to the artistic quality of the installations.
Personally, I have had mixed feelings about the installations. Some are good, and some don’t make sense to me. Nevertheless, they add a pop of bright colours to the otherwise dull wintry look of the beaches. And when it snows, the colours pop several notches more. Today, I visited the Winter Stations after two heavy snow storms within last four days. The colours were popping out well.
It’s amazing to see a sandy beach covered in layers of snow. It’s a sight to behold. The snow itself was deep, and walking through its expanse felt like sinking a foot or more with every step. That’s not a terrible experience, though; it’s actually fun. I reached the Winter Stations after walking at a speed of 1 km per hour.
This year, the art installations were:
- Watch
- Slice of Sun
- Parade
- Ascolto
- Peak
- Solair
You can read more about the installations at the official website of Winter Stations.
This year’s stations were pretty good, though I liked “Slice of Sun” the best. I think I had the most fun photographing this installation.
Now, the photowalk to The Beaches is more than the Winter Stations. The place is lovely in any season: it is best in summer, gorgeous in Autumn, pleasant in spring, and, in winter, the vibe rages from mesmerising after a snowfall to eerily beautiful on other days.
The past few days of frigid temperatures and heavy snowstorms had covered every square inch of the place. The water splashed onto the frozen earth, freezing into layers of ice with each splash. The breakwaters were also draped in columns of icicles, growing with each splash of the waves. The barren trees stood strong, withstanding the caress of the chilling air and water, adorned in icy attire. The seagulls (or should I call them lakegulls?) also added a different dimension to the vibe of the place. I thoroughly enjoyed this second part of the photowalk.
There was supposed to be a third part, too. At the end of The Beaches, there’s a water treatment facility—RH Harris water treatment plan. This historic building (surprisingly not converted into a high-rise condo building yet) turns beautiful under snow. Unfortunately, the weather turned bad, with winds freezing my fingers and blowing snow hurting my face. I had to get back, but maybe I will return soon.
