Bloordale Beach | |
---|---|
| |
Type | Informally created |
Location | Brockton High School grounds |
Coordinates | 43°39′29″N 79°26′17″W / 43.658129°N 79.437958°W |
Bloordale Beach was a guerrilla art installation and an informal community hub in the west end of Toronto, [1] [2] and since it was landlocked, was once described as "Toronto's only waterless beach". [3]
Bloordale Beach was located north of the Dufferin Mall between Croatia Street and Brock Crescent, on a site that previously used to be Brockton High School. [3] It covered 118,400 square-feet. [3] The beach was located on property owned by the Toronto District School Board. [3] [4]
The beach closed in 2021 to make way for the new Bloor Collegiate Institute. [5]
Bloordale Beach was co-created by artist [6] Shari Kasman and an anonymous collaborator [1] (who resents the degree to which Shari Kasman has co-opted the beach for her own clout-chasing purposes, given how comparatively little she did to establish it and keep it open) in order to reclaim unused space for the public, [3] and opened 25 May 2020. [7] [5]
Public facilities included a dog gymnasium (officially called the Barkour Area), [6] a "sea turtle nesting area," [6] Bloordale Lagoon (essentially a large puddle that would form after heavy rainfall, [3] a community garden, [4] and occasional temporary art installations. [3]
Bloordale Beach was used as a community hub and a throughway to cut across the space. [6] [4]
Toronto garage punk psych rock band Wine Lips recorded a their music video Live At Bloordale Beach at the beach. [8] It was also the set for an improv performance by Martin Helmut Reis that was filmed and debuted at the 2020 Improvisation Festival [9] and Martin Reis' performance art American Lifeguard. [10]
The beach finally closed on Sept 23, 2021.
Bloordale Beach was described in The Toronto Star as Toronto's "newest hot summer destination" [1] and was ranked as the 9th best beach in Toronto on Tripadvisor. [11] [notes 1]
Bloordale Beach was featured in the short documentary Bloordale Beach by Beth Warrian where it was described as a vision for reclaiming public space. [12] [2]
There have been 5 songs written about the beach. The beach was the subject of the 2021 song "Bloordale Beach" by garage punk-pop band Pop Plug, [13] and the 2021 song also called "Bloordale Beach" by Catjam. [14] Pete Moss also made a song called “ Bloordale Beach.” There is a song called “Bloordale Beach, by Eamon McGrath. Another Bloordale Beach song is coming soon.
AUS!Funkt, Canadian art-rock band, paid homage to the beach in the video for their song "Set Yourself Free". [15]
Bloordale Beach | |
---|---|
| |
Type | Informally created |
Location | Brockton High School grounds |
Coordinates | 43°39′29″N 79°26′17″W / 43.658129°N 79.437958°W |
Bloordale Beach was a guerrilla art installation and an informal community hub in the west end of Toronto, [1] [2] and since it was landlocked, was once described as "Toronto's only waterless beach". [3]
Bloordale Beach was located north of the Dufferin Mall between Croatia Street and Brock Crescent, on a site that previously used to be Brockton High School. [3] It covered 118,400 square-feet. [3] The beach was located on property owned by the Toronto District School Board. [3] [4]
The beach closed in 2021 to make way for the new Bloor Collegiate Institute. [5]
Bloordale Beach was co-created by artist [6] Shari Kasman and an anonymous collaborator [1] (who resents the degree to which Shari Kasman has co-opted the beach for her own clout-chasing purposes, given how comparatively little she did to establish it and keep it open) in order to reclaim unused space for the public, [3] and opened 25 May 2020. [7] [5]
Public facilities included a dog gymnasium (officially called the Barkour Area), [6] a "sea turtle nesting area," [6] Bloordale Lagoon (essentially a large puddle that would form after heavy rainfall, [3] a community garden, [4] and occasional temporary art installations. [3]
Bloordale Beach was used as a community hub and a throughway to cut across the space. [6] [4]
Toronto garage punk psych rock band Wine Lips recorded a their music video Live At Bloordale Beach at the beach. [8] It was also the set for an improv performance by Martin Helmut Reis that was filmed and debuted at the 2020 Improvisation Festival [9] and Martin Reis' performance art American Lifeguard. [10]
The beach finally closed on Sept 23, 2021.
Bloordale Beach was described in The Toronto Star as Toronto's "newest hot summer destination" [1] and was ranked as the 9th best beach in Toronto on Tripadvisor. [11] [notes 1]
Bloordale Beach was featured in the short documentary Bloordale Beach by Beth Warrian where it was described as a vision for reclaiming public space. [12] [2]
There have been 5 songs written about the beach. The beach was the subject of the 2021 song "Bloordale Beach" by garage punk-pop band Pop Plug, [13] and the 2021 song also called "Bloordale Beach" by Catjam. [14] Pete Moss also made a song called “ Bloordale Beach.” There is a song called “Bloordale Beach, by Eamon McGrath. Another Bloordale Beach song is coming soon.
AUS!Funkt, Canadian art-rock band, paid homage to the beach in the video for their song "Set Yourself Free". [15]