Where to Sail in Canada: Toronto v. Montreal


A Surprisingly French Scene in Toronto:
Techno 293 Windsurfs & a Diam 24.
Here is a quick post following a 10 day stay in Toronto, which enabled me to have a look at the sailing scene, and now to contrast it with the situation in Montreal.

First impression was that, in addition to the youth sailing, which is pretty strong in several clubs, I saw two active fleets: (master) Lasers and Albacores. The latter was pretty impressive, sailing most evenings during the week. Many boats are apparently in good condition and have quality sails. The quality of sailing was pretty good. Lots of the sailing takes place on club-owned boats.

For their part, the Laser master sailors form an amazing group, sailing mostly from the Water Rats club. The club has as members several of the best Laser master sailors in Csnada and the world, and they train regularly.  Albacores mostly sail from another nearby community sailing club.

In Toronto, big clubs such as the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and the Port Credit Yacht Club are of course well known. But what is remarkable is that lots of sailing takes place in community clubs, where sailing is made more affordable and accessible.

This is a first element of contrast. In Montreal, such community clubs are barely existing and are so small that there are no active dinghy fleets of adult sailors. The closest there was of a community club like one can find several of them in Toronto was the Venture club in Pointe Claire which is now mostly transformed into a kayak club.

Without any community clubs in Montreal, sailors must become members of the formal clubs, which represents an annual expenditure that vastly exceeds what is charged by community clubs in Toronto. And there are no clubs in the Montreal area where there is a genuinely active adult dinghy fleet.

The other remarkable feature in Toronto is the Toronto Windsurfing Club, which is very active and offers windsurfing camps for kids from age 10, but also adult classes and racing. There is a great and innovative « buddy » programme, where experienced racers help less experienced ones on the race course.

There are also sailors who are there simply to enjoy the speed of windsurfing, and one can now find at the club a genuine showcase of the latest foiling equipment. This community club is in fact the largest windsurfing  club in Canada.

What distinguishes Toronto from Montreal is also the proximity of the sailing clubs. In Montreal, most clubs are located in the West Island or even further. This can mean distances of 25 to 50 km from downtown Montreal, while in Toronto, the clubs are just 5 km away or so from downtown.

Sailing after work in Toronto is much more feasible than in Montreal.

So, in terms of the diversity of sailing, distance from the city center, affordability and accessibility, Toronto is a much more attractive place for sailing than Montreal.

For sure, if you live in the West Island of Montreal, you will find good sailing opportunities, and some clubs are not prohibitively expensive.

So the situation in Montreal is not that desperate, but it’s certainly not as favorable as in Toronto.

Albacore racing in Toronto 

Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

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