Swim Drink Fish Stories
Read the latest stories, updates and news releases about community science, water monitoring, and more.
Understanding Ontario Place: Looking Back to Move Forward
Ontario Place West Island Beach, an unofficial beach, has become the favourite ‘hidden gem’ of swimming in our city. It’s the most accessible site access point to recreational water for many who live in the downtown area. The beach has boasted clear waters and offers visitors peace and quiet that is otherwise elusive in the downtown core. Unfortunately, more recently, the beach has been the site of poor water quality that has caused many of its regulars to search for swimmable waters elsewhere.
Into The Weeds: Q&A with Jennifer Baichwal
This weekend members of our community will gather on Wolfe Island for a small and intimate viewing of Jennifer Baichwal’s new documentary Into The Weeds. We sat down with Jennifer for a Q&A in anticipation of the screening on Saturday. Here is what she had to say about the film.
DFO Shuts Down Gill Bar, the Site of FVIDA’s Annual Cleanups
On Thursday, July 28 it was announced that Gill Bar on the Fraser River in Chilliwack is now closed to vehicle traffic. This decision has been made by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) after a long and complicated history of harmful activity that negatively impacts the habitat in the area. Gill Bar is home to gravel beds which provide important habitat for salmon and sturgeon and hold cultural significance for local First Nations.
Innovation at the Forefront of Water Quality
A city that was once alienated from its waterfront has been able to change its community’s relationship with the shorelines of Lake Ontario. Kingston is now considered the gold standard for what can only be defined as a swimmable city. With such a vibrant recreational water community, Kingston has proven to be the right place for Swim Drink Fish to launch our innovation hub.
Weekend of Heat
Our community-based Water Monitoring teams in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Kingston have been hard at work all summer sampling your waterways to help best inform you about the water quality, allowing you to make the best decision to enter the water.
Victory For a Swimmable Vancouver
The City of Vancouver set a big standard for cities alike around the world on July 20th. City Council unanimously voted to approve a motion, For a Swimmable Vancouver.
Join Swim Drink Fish and Jack Johnson in addressing Plastic Pollution
Swim Drink Fish is excited to announce it’s teaming up with Jack Johnson on his 2022 Summer Tour as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner! All At Once is Jack’s social action network connecting nonprofits with people who want to take action and give back to their community.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We acknowledge that we are not the group to support today….
#BeyondHorizons: crossing two of Canada’s Great Lakes
This summer, Corälee will attempt to swim across two of the Canadian Great Lakes, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, in support of Jack.org and youth mental health in the #BeyondHorizons challenge. Both swims will equate to a total of 71.2 km, which may seem daunting for some, but for Corälee, this is about more than an athletic pursuit.
Vancouver Community comes together to Protect the Salish Sea
On World Oceans Day, June 8th, Vancouver came together to celebrate clean water and a healthy Salish Sea through both the launch of the Swim Drink Fish Vancouver 2021 Water Monitoring Report and the official proclamation of the Year of the Salish Sea (June 8th 2022 to June 7th 2023).
