Cleanliness of water/lakes etc. in the Ontario region

[mira_johnson]

Getting to places where you can swim requires a car. Forget about public transportation unless you're prepared to spend a lot of time and money.

Looks like I'll need a new hobby!

 

[steaky]

Hey steaky, How is James Bay on the ocean, isn't it on Lake Huron?

Are you confuse James Bay with Georgian Bay? James Bay is on the ocean.

 

[canuck78]

Hey steaky, How is James Bay on the ocean, isn't it on Lake Huron?

James Bay is a city in northern Quebec and also the southernmost part of the Arctic Ocean in Canada.

 

[mira_johnson]

Are you confuse James Bay with Georgian Bay? James Bay is on the ocean.

Ah you mean the James Bay on Hudson Bay? Apparently there is another James Bay also by Georgian Bay. I read somewhere that the Hudson Bay is like subpolar-continental with temperatures as low as -60 in the winter, without public roads. Is James Bay an accessible place even by car?

 

[steaky]

Ah you mean the James Bay on Hudson Bay? Apparently there is another James Bay also by Georgian Bay. I read somewhere that the Hudson Bay is like subpolar-continental with temperatures as low as -60 in the winter, without public roads. Is James Bay an accessible place even by car?

James Bay is the southernmost bay of the greater Hudson Bay. For Hudson Bay, Churchill in Manitoba is a very popular polar bear destination in Canada. According to travel brochures, once you get to the town by plane or train, you can rent a car to check out the area.

 

[keesio]

THowever isn't the tourist destination The Thousand Islands in the St Lawrence river?? I saw many touristic advertisements claiming that it is highly recommended to go swimming there as the waters are so clear and clean, possibly just fake marketing...(??)

My wife and I were just in Gananoque for kayaking during the long Canada Day weekend. It was awesome. However, I wouldn't say that the waters are clear. Maybe clean for swimming and stuff but not exceptionally clear. Beautiful area though. Highly recommended

 

[canuck78]

My wife and I were just in Gananoque for kayaking during the long Canada Day weekend. It was awesome. However, I wouldn't say that the waters are clear. Maybe clean for swimming and stuff but not exceptionally clear. Beautiful area though. Highly recommended

People might take a a quick dip in the area off a boat but the thousand island area isn’t where people go for leisure swims. Great area for a boat cruise. Yet again tough without a car because it would be ridiculously expensive.

 

[mira_johnson]

James Bay is the southernmost bay of the greater Hudson Bay. For Hudson Bay, Churchill in Manitoba is a very popular polar bear destination in Canada. According to travel brochures, once you get to the town by plane or train, you can rent a car to check out the area.

Thats cool, but for swimming, probably a bit cold unless you're a polar bear?..

 

[mira_johnson]

My wife and I were just in Gananoque for kayaking during the long Canada Day weekend. It was awesome. However, I wouldn't say that the waters are clear. Maybe clean for swimming and stuff but not exceptionally clear. Beautiful area though. Highly recommended

That's awesome, thanks for sharing your experience

 

[mira_johnson]

People might take a a quick dip in the area off a boat but the thousand island area isn’t where people go for leisure swims. Great area for a boat cruise. Yet again tough without a car because it would be ridiculously expensive.

Yeah I wouldn't even know how to even get there by public transportation? Maybe from Montreal there would be some options. Just getting to somewhere like Kingston with a bus with Greyhound seem to take 10 hours.

 

[canuck78]

Yeah I wouldn't even know how to even get there by public transportation? Maybe from Montreal there would be some options. Just getting to somewhere like Kingston with a bus with Greyhound seem to take 10 hours.

Would wait until you know someone with a car or can drive yourself. It shouldn’t take that long to get to Kingston. If you are in Montreal I would look at visiting the Laurentians.

 

[mira_johnson]

Would wait until you know someone with a car or can drive yourself. It shouldn’t take that long to get to Kingston. If you are in Montreal I would look at visiting the Laurentians.

Thanks for the tip. I don't look forward to asking my new Canadian friend "so do you have a car? Can you drive me to ___ and ___ and ___?" Or perhaps it is a more open culture towards "car pooling" than in Europe.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Yeah I wouldn't even know how to even get there by public transportation? Maybe from Montreal there would be some options. Just getting to somewhere like Kingston with a bus with Greyhound seem to take 10 hours.

Not really a day trip, but for Kingston, get the Via Rail train from either Montreal or Toronto. Nice town Kingston

 

[steaky]

Thats cool, but for swimming, probably a bit cold unless you're a polar bear?..

Do you know there is an annual event of polar bear swim in Vancouver, BC? Every winter, swimmers took the plunge at the waters on New Year's day:

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/polar-bear-swim.aspx

 

[mira_johnson]

Not really a day trip, but for Kingston, get the Via Rail train from either Montreal or Toronto. Nice town Kingston

Thanks you are right, there is a Via Rail and seem to take just two hours. Kingston with its surrounding waters looks stunning. But even there, it's just looking no touching the waters right?