Lagoon Reports

Northern Pike underwater, Snake Island, Toronto Islands

Business End

Water temperatures in the lagoons have hit around 6°C, and the northern pike are again cruising the spawning grounds.

Equinox bonfire 2016, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Equinox Bonfire 2016

Another fabulous evening on the beach courtesy of Alice, and John Jackman who spent days collecting all of the trees.  The fire potatoes will be back next year.

Coyote camouflage, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Blending In

A Coyote blends into the background colours of early spring, in the Parks yard by the filtration plant.


Toronto skyline panorama during earth hour 2016, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Earth Hour 2016

The camera causes the Toronto skyline to glow deceptively brightly during Earth Hour 2016.  While it wasn’t obvious that many people turned out their home lights for the hour, it is the one hour a year where no corporate logos are lit.  Besides the CN Tower and Skydome being dark, the CIBC, Scotiabank, TD, Westin, […]

American Wigeon, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

American Wigeon

An American Wigeon plies the waters off of Doughnut Island in the Spring of 2016.

Frost flowers in front of the Rapids Queen, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Flowers for the Queen

Frost flowers adorn the ice in front of the Rapids Queen.


American Coot on ice, Inner Harbour, Toronto Islands

American Coot

From the sasquatch files, an unexpected surprise:  an American Coot perches on the ice off of Ward’s Dock in February 2016.  A complete B-Roll shot, this was late in the evening with absolutely no light.

Tree covered in steam frost, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Frost Tree

Frost from harbour steam completely covers a tree on first street.

Sunlit ducks against backdrop of -25C heavy steam, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Steamy Horizons

Sunlit ducks swim off the boardwalk, against a backdrop of heavy steam in a -25°C cold snap.


Frost flowers cover the frozen inner harbour, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Valentine Flowers for T.O.

Frost flowers carpet the inner harbour all the way to the city after a -25°C cold snap.  Happy Valentine’s Day, Toronto.

Racoon on roof, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Rooftop Bandit

Racoons are back on Third St., the little bandits running roughshod over the rooftops at night.

29 Third St., Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

29 Third St.

A chromed bell cover reflects 29 Third St.


Icy sea monster, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Dragon Eyes

Tyler’s Log Ness Monster gets icy during a cold snap on Valentine’s Day 2016.

Mixed ducks in open ice leads, Outer Harbour, Toronto Islands

Dividing Lines

Mixed rafts of ducks swim in open ice leads off of Centre Island.

Twilight hockey game on lagoon ice, Algonquin Island, Toronto Islands

A Rare Game

One of the few Island hockey games of the 2015/16 winter season, during a cold snap that finally froze the ice to a reasonable thickness.


Forming ice, Outer Harbour, Toronto Islands

China Shop

Lake Ontario begins to freeze between the Island and the Leslie St. Spit.

Mute swan in open ice leads, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Mute Horizontals

A mute swan swims through open leads in the ice off of Centre Island.

Robin on Valentine's Day, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Eye on the Prize

A robin wonders why it’s here during a -25°C cold snap on Valentine’s Day, 2016.


Pancake ice in the Cove, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Pancake Cove

Pancake ice forms in the Cove during a -25°C cold snap.

Wind blasted ice near QCYC, Algonquin Island, Toronto Islands

Queen City Wind Tunnel

If you walk to Algonquin every day, then you know exactly what this means when it’s -25°C.

Eastern gap under heavy steam and frost, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Eastern Steam Bath

Steam and frost shroud the Eastern gap during a -25°C cold snap.


Ferry Ongiara in heavy steam, Inner Harbour, Toronto Islands

Steamy Ongiara 2016

Ongiara sails into heavy steam during a -25°C cold snap.

Breakwater covered in ice, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Breakwater Dusk

Dramatic lake effect clouds shroud Lake Ontario as it freezes in -25°C temperatures.

Jadran Captain John's under tow, Eastern Gap, Toronto Islands

Final Voyage (timelapse)

The Jadran, aka Captain Johns, sails out the Eastern Gap and into history after anchoring the foot of Yonge St. for nearly 40 years. 112MB MP4 video assembled from footage from five cameras.


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