Cherry Beach
Encyclopedia
Cherry Beach is a lakeside park located at the foot of Cherry Street just south of Unwin Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
. It is on Toronto's outer harbour just east of the Eastern Gap.
It was originally named Clarke Beach Park after Harry Clarke, a Toronto alderman
who was responsible for creating the park in the early 1930s. In 2003, the city changed it to Cherry Beach which is the local common name.
Despite its location at the tip of Toronto's formerly heavily industrial Port Lands
area, Cherry Beach has still been a popular gathering place for years. There is no boardwalk or proper picnic area, and much of the surrounding areas is marshland or leftover grounds from what was once commercial industry and factory grounds. Recently the park has undergone improvements which includes a paved entranceway and a renovated washroom and swimming change room facilities.
For many years it was one of the few Toronto beaches that was clean enough for swimming, windsurfing
and kitesurfing
. It has change rooms for bathers and barbecue areas for picnickers. It also has an off-leash area for dog
walkers. The Martin Goodman waterfront trail passes through the park.
A wooded area by the beach has been turned into soccer fields, children's play structure and a metered parking area.
were filmed at Cherry Beach.
Pukka Orchestra
had a local radio hit in 1984 with the song "Cherry Beach Express". The song is about local lore of how the Toronto police
used Cherry Beach as a location to beat suspects. The police tried to have the song banned. Hardcore punk band Career Suicide
also references the slang phrase "Cherry Beach express" (referring to the supposed police practice) in their song "Cherry Beach".
The Kids In The Hall
shot several segments at Cherry Beach, including installments of their recurring "Cops" sketches.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is on Toronto's outer harbour just east of the Eastern Gap.
It was originally named Clarke Beach Park after Harry Clarke, a Toronto alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
who was responsible for creating the park in the early 1930s. In 2003, the city changed it to Cherry Beach which is the local common name.
Despite its location at the tip of Toronto's formerly heavily industrial Port Lands
Port Lands
The Port Lands of Toronto, Ontario, Canada are an industrial and recreational neighbourhood located about 5 kilometres south-east of downtown, located on the former Don River delta and most of Ashbridge's Bay....
area, Cherry Beach has still been a popular gathering place for years. There is no boardwalk or proper picnic area, and much of the surrounding areas is marshland or leftover grounds from what was once commercial industry and factory grounds. Recently the park has undergone improvements which includes a paved entranceway and a renovated washroom and swimming change room facilities.
For many years it was one of the few Toronto beaches that was clean enough for swimming, windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
. It has change rooms for bathers and barbecue areas for picnickers. It also has an off-leash area for dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
walkers. The Martin Goodman waterfront trail passes through the park.
A wooded area by the beach has been turned into soccer fields, children's play structure and a metered parking area.
In popular culture
Parts of the upcoming movie Silent Hill: Revelation 3DSilent Hill: Revelation 3D
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is an upcoming American 3D horror film due to release in 2012. Written and directed by Michael J. Bassett, Revelation 3D is based on the survival horror video game Silent Hill 3 and a sequel to the horror film Silent Hill, which is an adaptation of the survival horror...
were filmed at Cherry Beach.
Pukka Orchestra
Pukka Orchestra
The Pukka Orchestra was a Canadian New Wave band in the 1980s. The core of the band consisted of vocalist Graeme Williamson and guitarists Neil Chapman and Tony Duggan-Smith, although the band made frequent use of guest musicians....
had a local radio hit in 1984 with the song "Cherry Beach Express". The song is about local lore of how the Toronto police
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
used Cherry Beach as a location to beat suspects. The police tried to have the song banned. Hardcore punk band Career Suicide
Career Suicide
Career Suicide is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. Effectively formed in 2001, the band's first live performance took place in January 2002, with first recorded output soon to follow. The band has gone on to record several full-length albums and singles on various international labels...
also references the slang phrase "Cherry Beach express" (referring to the supposed police practice) in their song "Cherry Beach".
The Kids In The Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
shot several segments at Cherry Beach, including installments of their recurring "Cops" sketches.
See also
- Cherry Beach SoundCherry Beach SoundCherry Beach Sound is a recording studio in the Port Lands of Toronto, Canada at 33 Villiers Street. It is in Toronto's growing film district and is also a successful audio post-production house; TV, radio, and film commercials and or advertisements are often mixed in stereo or 5.1 surround...
- The BeachesThe BeachesThe Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
- HTO ParkHTO ParkHTO is an urban beach in Toronto, Canada, that opened in 2007. It west of Harbourfront Centre, on Lake Ontario.-History:The park is built on quays that was once used by ships berthing in Toronto's Inner Harbour.The park consists of two sections:...
- Sugar BeachSugar BeachSugar Beach is an urban beach park in Toronto, Canada, that opened in 2010. It is located across from Redpath Sugar Refinery in Toronto's eastern East Bayfront. Like HTO Park, the beach has no direct access to the Lake Ontario and is a landlocked beach....
- Port LandsPort LandsThe Port Lands of Toronto, Ontario, Canada are an industrial and recreational neighbourhood located about 5 kilometres south-east of downtown, located on the former Don River delta and most of Ashbridge's Bay....