The Leuty Lifeguard Station is located at the foot of Leuty Ave on Kew Beach, in The Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto.
The Architecture of the Historic Station
The clapboard structure was designed by Chapman, Oxley & Bishop, the architecture firm that also designed Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion and the CNE’s Princes’ Gates. Originally called Scarboro Beach Station, the landmark building was raised above the water on piers. The sides facing east and west have large, irregularly spaced windows that give lifeguards unobstructed beachfront views. The south-facing side has two paired single doors that flank one pair of double doors, which open onto a projecting deck. This design makes it quick to launch lifeboats. To help lifeguards observe the waterfront, a wooden lookout tower is on top of the bell-cast gable roof.
Keeping an Eye Over Kew Beach
For over 100 years, lifeguards have been watching over swimmers and boaters at Kew Beach. At one time, the beachfront was crowded with buildings, vendors and boats for hire. Due to erosion and to stabilize the beach, most of the structures were taken down over time. In the 1990s, the Leuty Lifeguard Station began to deteriorate. To save it from demolition, the local community raised funds. The building received heritage status in 1993.
Leuty Lifeguard Station Celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2020
Today, the station is still in active use. Lifeguards at the Leuty Lifeguard Station are credited with saving over 6,000 lives. It’s one of two remaining life-saving stations on Toronto’s lakefront, with the other one on Cherry Beach.
Leuty Lifeguard Station Photos
“Lifeguards have been watching over Kew Beach swimmers and boaters from the Leuty Lifeguard Station for over 100 years. The simple clapboard structure with its rooftop lookout tower was designed by the architecture firm of Chapman, Oxley and Bishop, which also designed the Princes’ Gates and Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, among other famous Toronto structures. The beach was once crowded with buildings, vendors, and boats for hire. The threat of erosion eventually forced the removal of most of the structures to stabilize the beachfront. The station is one of the few buildings from this era to remain. Starting in the 1990s, it began to fall into disrepair and the local community fundraised to save it from demolition. The station is still in active use and it is one of only two left on Toronto’s waterfront. Lifeguards based here are credited with saving over 6,000 lives.”
Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 1993
Heritage Toronto 2019
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 2 Willow Ave
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 2 Willow Ave
- Heritage Toronto (plaque)
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library & Library and Archives Canada