Sail Past | Bluffers Park Yacht Club | Scarborough, Toronto | Lake Ontario | Canada | Bluffers Park

Sail Past is a ceremony of inspecting a fleet of ships, determining the readiness, capability to put to sea and showing respect to the Commander-in-Charge. Throughout history this ceremony has included royalty, heads of state and admirals, all inspecting fleets or entire navies.
The Annual Sail Past and Review of the Fleet by the Commodore marks the official opening of the Club. This is quite a traditional and formal event. It’s a day when all members celebrate the new sailing season. This is an all day event to which all members are invited and expected, to attend.
Welcome.
Founded in 1980, our Letters of Patent’s first objective is to develop and foster the art and science of
yachting.
Although our club has a comparatively short history in the grand scheme of things, we are unique in that
we are one of a very few yacht clubs that can be truly called “self-help.” In addition to the financial
equity we all contribute when we join, we are all expected to contribute our sweat equity every year.
Bluffers Park Yacht Club has been brought to its current state through hard work and good stewardship,
and as you will no doubt hear from time to time, we think we’re the “best damn club on the lake.”
As a member, you are an equal partner in this endeavour and your participation will ensure our
continued success.
A Brief History of Bluffers Park Yacht
Club
In 1793, Scarborough Bluffs was known as “the Highlands of Toronto”, and the area was first called
Glasgow. However, because the 600-foot cliffs reminded Lord Simcoe’s wife of the craggy surroundings
of Scarborough in Yorkshire, England, the name was changed. The crown land along the shore sold for
75 cents an acre in those days! It was once a busy shipping zone, with schooners and steamers sailing
from the mouth of Highland Creek and the Rouge River.
During the 1970s, landfill was hauled down Brimley Road and headlands were built into the lake to form
a basin. Inside the basin, more fill was trucked to form a peninsula of more than 14 acres of land. The
peninsula was later converted into an island with the inclusion of a bridge.
In November of 1977, the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (MTRCA) and the
Metropolitan Toronto Parks Department established a Steering Committee of ten people to develop
boating facilities on this new land. Thus began the rebirth of sailing at the foot of the Bluffs.
The first docks, later to become Cathedral Bluffs Yacht Club, were constructed in the spring of 1978.
They were floating docks and accommodated approximately thirty boats. The Federation grew quickly
and the Federation announced that every member would be required to belong to one of the four
proposed boating clubs.
On March 11, 1980, a small group of members forwarded an application to the Federation to build a
small club with a capacity for 125 keelboats. They applied for a portion of the western side of the island,
even though, at the time, the landfill operations had not been completed.
What was proposed was a self-help club that would be affordable to the average sailor. Since it was left
to each club to develop its own facilities, the proposed club, to be called Bluffers Park Yacht Club,
established the principle of cost containment. The construction of docks was the first priority and it was
funded by assessing each Federation member $600.00 for materials and $50.00 for membership. A
minimum of fifty volunteer hours was required of each member. Construction began on the BPYC docks
in January of 1981 when members started, at an off-site indoor location, the fabrication of the steel
trusses that stretch from piling to piling. In the spring of that year, construction on the first dock, “N”
Dock, was begun and 40 slips were completed. The third dock, “L” Dock was completed in the spring of
1982. During this same period volunteer crews were also busy preparing the site, and approximately
$21,000 was raised to provide Hydro, water and sewers to the location.

[@ronniefarr3614]

Thanks Roman! An amazing Video and an excellent representation of our Club.

[@romanbiyun3195]

Thank you captain.

[@moatazsalem3579]

Amazing!!!

[@olexiydyachuk8999]

The drone footage is awesome! You're getting pro with this! Bluffers Park looks a wonderful place, viewing from up here 😉 Thanks for showing us around and have a nice weekend

[@lindadudas712]

Roman, this is a fabulous video! I plan to watch it many times!!! Thank you so much for filming our Sailpast 2021. Looking forward to Sailpast 2022. Linda

[@romanbiyun3195]

Thank you very much commodore.

[@basiacichocki6931]

Thank you Roman , for the beautiful video :)))

[@romanbiyun3195]

Thank you captain.

[@olexiydyachuk8999]

👍👍👍⚓

[@annikadino2793]

Great video. Thanks

[@romanbiyun3195]

Thank you my friend.