From R.C. Harris to Woodbine: An October Walk by the Lake

Nov 2

Canadian flag waving above a tree-lined boardwalk with bright autumn foliage at Kew-Balmy Beach, Toronto.

The kind of afternoon where the light keeps changing, and the city feels slower by the lake.

I started at R.C. Harris, where the architecture meets the lake — waves shifting as the wind hit the pier a certain way. From there, I walked along Queen Street East, quiet in that weekday-afternoon way — kids being picked up from school, the neighbourhood moving at its own pace — before heading down to the boardwalk past Leuty toward Kew-Balmy Beach and eventually over to Woodbine Beach and the pool.

R.C. Harris

The wind was strong along the hill and out toward the pier. The building always feels grounded — solid lines, pale stone, a kind of quiet authority against the sky. From here, the lake feels wider than usual, the surface shifting as the wind pushes through.

Pathway leading toward the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, with Lake Ontario visible in the distance and sunlight breaking through scattered clouds, Toronto.

R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant Pump House featuring Art Deco limestone and yellow-brick design, positioned along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Toronto.

Main entrance of the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant showing Art Deco architectural details and arched doorway, Toronto.

Concrete retaining wall and railing above churning waves along the R.C. Harris waterfront, Toronto.

Splash of lake water hitting the metal lookout platform by the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Toronto.

Waves rolling toward the shoreline near the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant on Lake Ontario.

Rough waves hitting the breakwall below the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Toronto.

Yellow-brick tower of the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant rising above a green hillside, showing Art Deco limestone detailing and arched windows beneath a clear blue Toronto sky.

Queen Street East

A few blocks inland, the pace shifts. It’s a weekday afternoon — parents waiting outside schools, kids walking home, the usual errands and traffic moving through. You can still feel the wind from the lake, just lighter here, moving through the buildings and homes. The light falls differently, tracing the rhythm of the street rather than the water.

The Beacher Café, located on Queen Street East in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood, is a corner restaurant with a white awning and a red brick exterior, surrounded by autumn trees.

Large orange “THE BEACH” sign with the words “Every Child Matters” written on it, located along Queen Street East in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.

Historic apartment façade with “BEACHES” carved into a stone archway above red brickwork on Queen Street East in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.

Willow Court apartment building sign with red brick and climbing roses in Toronto’s Beaches area.

Arts on Queen storefront displaying local art and crafts along Queen Street East in Toronto.

Pathway through Ivan Forrest Gardens with autumn trees and landscaped flowerbeds, leading toward the waterfront in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.

Vintage neon sign reading “The Garden Gate Restaurant — Good Food” above a red-brick storefront on Queen Street East in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.

Kew & Woodbine Beach

Back by the lake, the wind settles into a steady rhythm. People are out walking — couples, dogs, a few runners — the usual end-of-day routine. The waves move at an even pace, catching what’s left of the afternoon light. It’s quieter than summer but still full of motion, that mix of calm and activity that always seems to define this stretch of the beach.