Centre Island’s swimming beach is divided down the middle by a long, high pier which extends far out over the water. From the end you feel you can see Niagara Falls, and maybe on a really clear day that’s possible. On the east side of the pier is a small, open stony beach, and on the west is a wide, shallow beach protected by a long breakwater. That one is perfect for kids – shallow, warm, and placid water and clear sand without pebbles.
This is the part of the island with bike rentals and snack concessions like pricey bottled water, ice cream and pizza. Predatory seagulls pester people carrying takeout and patrol the beach looking for their next bite. While we were swimming and measuring the water temperature, one seagull swooped down and nabbed our rubber ducky thermometer. Must have mistaken it, with its lovely yellow and orange colouring, for a piece of pizza. Fortunately it was too heavy for the seagull to get any lift. Ducky dropped from its beak and plopped back in the water near us, traumatized but intact. As were we.
Click on any photo to enlarge

Sand/Rock ratio
A coarse sand beach and stony water’s edge and shallows on the eastern portion. The western side is clear soft sand without pebbles.
East:

West:

Temperature

Water Clarity
This was murky, slightly greenish water on the eastern side where we swam. Clearer on the west side.

Lifeguards
They were out in the water with us, but not too close. They stayed put and did not follow us.

View
A treed shore lined with short concrete piers and stone outcroppings, with the Leslie St spit in the distance. To the west, beyond the pier and breakwaters it’s wide open lake. At our backs is the CN tower, visible from the pier and sometimes from the water.

Dogs
None. We think those thuggish seagulls have the dogs scared.