Toronto’s new hotspot on the waterfront, Sugar Beach, gets its public unveiling Monday (August 9). Sweet spot or not?
Designed by Claude Cormier Architects Paysagistes Inc., the city’s second “urban beach” gives off a cool industrial vibe tucked between the shiny glass of the new Corus building and grit of the Redpath Sugar Factory at the foot of Lower Jarvis.
In a word (or two): it’s sensational, save maybe for the Loblaws blocking the otherwise sparkling view of the skyline – and the fact Sugar reminds a little too much of Toronto’s other urban beach, HtO, a hop skip and jump down the boardwalk.
It’s also a little hard to get to – and will continue to be until the Queen’s Quay streetcar line is extended – if you’re on anything but two wheels.
Still, Sugar Beach is an important addition to the waterfront puzzle that will form part of both the future Queen’s Quay and Water’s Edge promenades. Not bad for a former parking lot.
I’ll leave it to others to point out (bemoan?) the obvious – that Sugar is not really a beach cuz there’s no swimming allowed, a downer when the mercury’s climbing and the haze is playing games with your head.
Here, taking a dip could be hazardous to your health since Sugar is built on a breakwall that rises several feet above the lake so there’s no easy way out if you happen to find yourself in the drink, to say nothing of the occasional ship that may float by.
To quench the thirst of dippers, though, a shower area that sprays water in a three-metre arch has been added on the park promenade near the water’s edge.
There’s something more important missing – a public toilet (only for the short term hopefully).
Oh yeah, and the park entrance could use some defining.
But what the beach may lack in public amenities it more than makes up for in sheer scenery. The sand’s not bad, either – high grade stuff, a little like the beaches in P.E.I.
My favourite part: the view directly across from Redpath.
Enough trees (three varieties: Jeffersred Maple, Weeping Willow and Blue Spruce) and benches dot the park to provide a focal point as well as shade for those seeking a respite from the sun.
The triangle that forms the beach proper is sprinkled with pink umbrellas (36 to be exact), just enough to allow bathers to indulge their appetite for the sun’s rays. (The a.m.’s your best bet for that).
There’s attention to be found in the details.
The maple leaf mosaic of granite and tumbled concrete along the main promenade swirls here and there, lending a blustery feel to the place.
The elephant in the space? The nearby Corus building, panned by some architecture critics for its uninspired design, and which can seem imposing, especially for beach goers approaching from the east.
I kind of like the scale and glow the building lends to the environs, but that’s just me.
The tree-topped grass mounds and granite outcrops (striped to resemble giant candies just wish they didn’t have to steal them from northern Quebec wilderness), provide enough of a buffer.
The big plan for Sugar? To use the space for film screenings and other live events, to bring a “creative vibe” to the park.
The waterfront east of Jarvis could use a few more destinations like it.
