Community group documented nearly 1,900 unauthorized watercraft at Hanlan's Point this summer

Contention between swimmers and sunbathers at Hanlon's Point Beach and motorized boats has been happening for years. It's why a motorized watercraft exclusion zone was introduced back in 2025. We had things like out-of-control jet skis running aground onto the beach. We had 5,000 rpm outboard motors right beside the swim zone and people who are swimming. There were a bunch of near misses. There were some people who were injured in some way, and so the motorized watercraft exclusion zone came out of that concern. Now a new report from a group called Hanlon's MWEZ Community Watch indicates that almost 1,900 motorized watercraft skirted the rules between July and October of this year. The data comes from volunteer members documenting the intrusions when they visited the beach. They've done a fantastic job of tracking as much as they possibly could. So why is this happening? The report points the finger at Toronto Police's Marine Unit for a lack of consistent and visible enforcement. The group says the overall enforcement rate for the period they documented is just over 2%. It shows a complete abdication from TPS Marine when it comes to their roles and responsibilities here. In a statement provided to CBC Toronto, a TPS spokesperson says the Marine unit issued 19 tickets and conducted 71 self-initiated patrols of the beach between May and September. Police also say the group's data is not verified and noted Hanlon's was not considered a high demand location for the unit. The city also defended the report's allegations that not enough signage was installed, writing in a statement that new signage was installed at municipal boat launches. The city says it will review beach signage if the pilot zone is renewed for 2027. Advocates say Hanlon's status as a protected queer space should also factor into how police act to protect the beach. It really is unfortunate that when it comes down to something something as simple as water safety. And being able to swim freely in this place that is so important to so many queer people, we still can't rely on the Toronto Police Service to step up and be active partners. The exclusion zone is still in its pilot phase. Whether or not it's implemented again next year is yet to be decided by the city, police and the Toronto Port Authority. Tyler Cheese, CBC News, Toronto.