Balmy Beach is rocky for a reason, says Toronto Parks and Recreation

If you enjoy the feeling of soft sand between your toes, Balmy Beach in Toronto's east end may not be the place for you. 

"When you go to the beach, that's the first thing you want to do — take off your shoes and walk in the sand," said beachgoer Linda Shenton.

But at Balmy Beach, there are lots of rocks and pebbles, which make it uncomfortable for many to walk or lay by the water. 

Some beachgoers say the summer hotspot would be nicer with more sand.

​"It kind of hurt my feet walking on it," said Olivia Cagnina. "Softer sand at some point would be nice."

"It's OK," said Kandice Stoltenhoff. "But they need more sand, for sure."

More stones than normal

However, the city says the rocks were left there for a good reason.

"That particular beach gets a treatment of dredging every year, where we dredge the lake just offshore," said Matthew Cutler, who works with Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation department.

Cutler notes the rocks were pulled from Lake Ontario and intentionally placed on Balmy Beach. 

"Whatever's in the lake right offshore is what ends up back on the beach," he explained. "There was just more stones offshore than a normal year."

To appeal to those who enjoy walking barefoot on the beach, the city could remove the rocks, but Cutler says it's not that easy and could disrupt the environment. 

"These are complex ecosystems," he said. "It's easy to look at a beach and say this is a place where I just go swimming."

But the beach isn't just for swimming. Organisms are all working together in the habitat and disturbing it can lead to devastation, Cutler warned.

Besides, he says, the rocks make Toronto's beaches unique.