Breaking Water with Julian Ganton
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Julian Ganton. Julian is a water lover, business owner, and Toronto Island local. We asked him 5 questions about all things TISUP.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about Toronto Island SUP?
My name is Julian Ganton. I grew up on Toronto Island and now live and work here. I run my company Toronto Island SUP (TISUP), which has been in operation since 2014. We at TISUP have a deep connection to the water and feel that it's important to keep our guests, and community members informed on water quality in our area. We also run trash clean-ups with the public and various corporate groups.
How has the water community changed/grown since you initially launched Toronto Island SUP in 2014?
I believe the water quality has been improving and I see more and more water users in the area. We had guests in the hundreds in year 1 using the waterways. This year we have over 9000. With this many water users, we need good data for water quality. Hopefully, we can utilize our influence on these people to care and do more about our home waters. Even if a fraction of these recreational water users become ambassadors for water quality, we have done our job at improving the area where we live and play.
What inspired you to lead the sampling for water quality monitoring at Toronto Island, and why is it so important?
I kept getting asked by community members who swim nearby and by our guests at TISUP, who kayak and SUP. I felt I needed better data, beyond the anecdotal, to give people.
Tell us about what makes Toronto Island so special. What would you say to encourage someone that’s never been there to visit?
Toronto is a world class water sports city. We have such a truly remarkable body of water at our doorstep with swimmable waters. We are a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown where you can enjoy nature in the hidden waterways of the island's inner channels and get the best view of the most stunning skyline in North America. We take pride in the quality of our equipment and easy customer experience.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
Be connected to the water. Find some way to enjoy it, whether it's fishing, paddling, swimming or sitting near the lake with a book. The more we interact with our waters, the more reason we have to protect them.
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
