Sunnyside – Gus Ryder Pool

My kids & I visited several popular outdoor pools in Toronto. This was my kids favourite — they had so much fun! We liked it because the water was deep enough for them to touch their toes to the bottom and feel confident swimming. I loved it because the water was warm, a good view, change rooms were clean, and I could safely be in the water watching my boys do cannonballs, summersaults under water, etc… The beach, playground, and boardwalk is nearby. Free to public and parking is free before 5pm on weekdays.

The facility itself is very nice. It’s free, and the pool is well-​maintained. Significantly less impressed with the staff and lifeguards working there. We’ve been there a few times and have found them to be generally rude, condescending, and ignorant. This is particularly disappointing, as it could be a much more positive experience for families on a beautiful day. Perhaps poor management, perhaps the age of the staff and poor public service training, but it is unfortunate. I’ve actually overheard staff and lifeguards mocking people to one another, and loudly. Not the greatest impression of Toronto for visitors. But they clearly don’t care.

I used to swim at Sunnyside growing up… It was a great pool, always good to watch people and have fun!!! Besides the other kids pissing in the pool there is nothing wrong with it and i highly recoomend it to everyone. It is great as part of a kids experience in life…

This place is beautiful! It was closed for a long time, but I’m so glad it’s been reopened! The changerooms are a little dingy, and I got lost my first time trying to find my way through the interior of the changeroom building, but otherwise it was great. Go Sunnyside!

Sunnyside is the biggest outdoor pool in town, and a good place to bake yourself on the deck and people-​watch, because it’s very popular when the weather is good. I also like it because it has dedicated lap lanes, so if you actually want to swim for exercise, you don’t have to wait for some inconvenient «adult swim» time.
You can use a locker here for a quarter (non-​refundable), but they don’t give change or have a change machine. On the other hand, you can show up already in a swim suit and sandals or flip-​flops, and not have to change at all.
Parking is a pain, however. The options are to park in the western beaches lots, which are only accessible on the eastbound lanes of Lakeshore Boulevard, and you have to turn off before Sunnyside; if you miss it, it’s a real pain to get back around on the Queensway. They also put in parking ticket machines, so it’s no longer free. If you hunt around, there’s street parking around the south end of Parkside Drive, and the side streets. The walk to the pool is about the same from the Lakeshore lots anyway.