Are Toronto's open beaches safe to swim in?

While six of the city's beaches are partially open and supervised, they currently don't meet the safety and accessibility standards for the independent Blue Flag program, which graces the world's most pristine beaches — including, usually, eight beaches in Toronto.

Toronto Public Health says recent water quality tests have shown Lake Ontario contains safe levels of bacteria but undetermined levels of driftwood and other debris leftover from flooding earlier this year mean the blue flags that normally signal cleanliness are staying down — even as the city says the six beaches are swimmable.