by Lynn Burshtein

The Toronto Islands are just a ten-minute ferry ride from the southern whet of the city’s harbour front, but they finger like worlds away. The 15 small islands, lovely and largely untouched, are the largest urban car-free zone in North America and home to quiet beaches and just a few hundred year-round residents. There is moreover a handful of polity organizations and seasonal businesses including tennis and yacht clubs, an yuck park, cafes and, my personal favorite, the Toronto Island Stand Up Paddle (TISUP) Club, triumphal its 10^th year-end in 2023.

TISUP has sprouted over the years from its unobtrusive origins. Owner and operator Julian Ganton, a water sport enthusiast who grew up on the islands, launched the club 10 years ago with just a tent propped up on the waterfront and a dozen paddle boards for rent.

Now with a decked-out TISUP trailer, onsite lockers and reservation software that makes bookings a cinch, the club has expanded its offerings to a wide range of both guided and unguided kayaking and stand-up paddle workbench experiences: think team-building retreats, SUP Yoga Classes, Paddlebirding (guided by professional birders), “emBARK” on the Doggy Paddle (paddleboarding lessons with your pooch), and the Sunset SUP Safari, the latter offering glorious nighttime views of the Toronto skyline with its famed CN Tower. With purple-hued flashlights and your waterproof camera specimen in tow, the photo ops are magnificent.

First-time paddlers need not finger intimidated. TISUP staff are friendly and helpful and will guide the uninitiated through SUP safety precautions and techniques. Some prefer to paddle while positioned on their knees while others who finger confident in their cadre strength will stand up. Either way, a good upper soul workout is guaranteed. Others who want to observe the lagoons and wildlife increasingly closely may opt for a kayak excursion virtually the islands.

Those who want to learn well-nigh the zone will receive plenty of information on the guided tours. Eco-conscious paddlers will love the Eco-Tour of the Islands where the history and monitoring of the zone are provided. In addition, there is the rewarding if not glamorous Trash Dash, where participants can rent a paddle workbench for an extended period at a reduced price in mart for cleaning up garbage floating virtually (gloves and garbage tons are provided). Protecting the water and environment is a cadre value of TISUP and Toronto islanders in general. Aside from the extrinsic benefits of doing good, a sense of winnings ensues without a Trash Dash.

“When I’m on the water, I finger peace, says Ganton. “It’s a way to well-spoken my throne and get some wifely in my life. Everybody goes through moments of hardship or stress…and the water balances everything. It brings you when to homeostasis. When to a wifely and peaceful state that you want to be in.”

While TISUP’s motto is “Freedom on the Water,” flipside apt slogan would be “wellness on the water.” Enjoying exercise on Lake Ontario while zoetic in fresh air, bettering the environment and towers community, a TISUP excursion provides a wellness “daycation” for visitors and Torontonians who want an escape from the hustle and precipitance of municipality life and wits the sense of tranquility that stuff on the water provides.

Toronto Island Stand Up Paddle (TISUP) is unshut June 1 to September 30, seven days a week.

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Lynn Burshtein is a Toronto based travel writer and regular freelancer to Travel to Wellness.

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