If you stopped by Ashbridges Bay in Toronto on any weekend in the Summer prior to the pandemic you’d have seen over 100 beach volleyball courts in play with people from all walks of life that perfectly represented the diversity of our city. Groups of various demographics would gather on weekends to spend the day in the sun to connect with people in the community while playing a sport they love.

If you stopped by in recent years however, you'd see this thriving beach volleyball community has been disrupted, as one large organization serving a single demographic of high-level competitive players who are primarily not Toronto residents has taken over the beach volleyball courts on Summer weekends. Toronto’s Parks and Recreation department has given this organization permits for nearly all of the 103 available courts, leaving just 10 courts for the thousands of players who have played recreationally at Ashbridges Bay for decades.

I represent a group called Toronto Sandsharks. For 28 years Sandsharks has provided a free, safe, inclusive and welcoming beach volleyball club for the LGBTQ+ community of Toronto. We welcome anyone to play with us, regardless of their background or athleticism. In 2024 we realized this growing threat to our ability to play at Ashbridges Bay and requested permits for courts from the city, but were denied courts. City staff told us that this large organization has priority, and that they only allow one organization to book courts on Summer weekends. 

However, Toronto Parks & Recreation has a policy to prevent this exact type of situation from happening:

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/8ec7-permit-allocation-policy.pdf

Staff explained that this organization is treated as a “historically scheduled event,” allowing it to book nearly all courts. However, this type of exemption does not appear anywhere in the City’s Permit Allocation Policy.

This Permit Allocation Policy was designed to ensure that permits are issued fairly amongst all groups requesting to use the space in a way that will reflect the diversity of the city’s population, giving priority to Toronto residents and marginalized groups above all others. Yet this policy is being undermined as one single organization is monopolizing over 100 available spaces to serve primarily non-Toronto residents, while Toronto resident groups are being denied permits.

The beach volleyball courts at Ashbridges Bay should be for everyone to share. No single external organization should get to decide who can and cannot play this sport.

We are calling on the City of Toronto to:

1. Enforce its Permit Allocation Policy regarding beach volleyball courts at Ashbridges Bay, granting permits to any organization requesting the space based on the policy guidelines.
2. Revise the permit allocation policy by implementing a cap (suggesting 50%) on the number of courts/facilities that any single organization will be given priority for. Once all groups have been considered, the remaining courts can be allocated to any group requesting more based on the current policy structure. This will ensure that all groups who want to play will at least have a fair opportunity to get space to play, and large organizations will still have a large amount of the available spaces for their own needs.  

By doing so, the city can better serve its diverse population, ensuring that Ashbridges Bay remains a beacon of community engagement through sport.

Join us in urging City officials to take immediate action to make Ashbridges Bay beach volleyball courts a shared resource accessible to all. Sign this petition and stand with us to uphold fairness and inclusivity in our beloved city.