by José Gonzalez
As the summer keeps getting hotter, it's more important than ever to find ways to cool off. Thankfully the city has you covered with a number of places to chill and foods that'll chill you. [Photo credit: courtesy of Chill Ice House by Alex Browne]
The city offers 62 indoor pools, 58 outdoor pools, 100 wading pools, 93 splash pads and a Kidstown water park, all free of charge and open to the public throughout the summer. If you're looking for something a bit more structured, you can sign-up for special classes that will hone your swimming skills, or special camps for kids.
There's no tastier way to keep cool during the summer than with a big scoop of ice cream from the many ice cream shops around the city. The ice cream sandwiches at Bang Bang Ice Cream are always popular – so popular you might need to get there early to avoid the line. If you're looking for something to Instagram, the cones at Sweet Jesus remain a good choice. The newest kid on the block, Brett's Ice Cream, also has one of the tastier specialties, cake batter cones.
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What could cool you down better than a giant block of ice? That's the thinking behind this lounge – you'll need to bring a coat to enjoy this bar! Everything in this lounge is made of ice, from the chairs and tables to the glass your drink is served in. Speaking of the drinks, there are a number of cocktails, wines and other drinks, all served, as you might have guessed, chilled.
A pool is a great place to cool down, but a pool that you can sip a drink next to? That's even better. And if that still isn't sweet enough, this Miami-themed club has special events every weekend with DJs spinning music all night long.
Pools are great, but what if you're looking for a few thrills to go with your watery adventure? There are some awesome water parks in and around Toronto, including the newly opened Wet N' Wild and the always popular Splash Works at Canada's Wonderland. Both offer water slides, a wave pool, lazy river and plenty more to keep you hydrated and entertained for hours.
Find more water parks in Best Water Parks in Toronto and the GTA
It may not be winter, but this being the land of ice sports, you can experience a nice winter callback at an indoor skating rink. Although most outdoor rinks are closed in the summer time, you can still pop in Centennial Recreation Centre in Scarborough for some skating lessons, or to just have some fun on the ice.
A drink is nice enough on a hot day, but a frozen one is even better, and a bit of alcohol makes it all the sweeter. You can swing by Momofuku Noodle Bar for the Seven Spice Sour or Cran-Blossom alcoholic slushies, or get a frozen margarita at Macho Radio Bar. For something a little different, you can head to The Shore Leave to get a Kon Tiki, a summery cocktail served in a frozen pineapple.
For anyone who's getting way too hot, and we mean really hot, you can head down to Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands to enjoy the city's only clothing optional beach. Being out on the island also means there aren't any tall buildings to block the sun and get in the way of your all-body tan. Also, while you're there, try to keep your head cool and not make anyone else feel uncomfortable.
A food festival for those with a sweet tooth, some of the cool treats you can expect are frozen yogourt, ice cream and a few treats that may not cool you down, but will be sweet enough to make the heat bearable. There's also a chance to meet celebrity chefs, enjoy some live music, and you can compete in a series of six games for prizes, with proceeds from game entries going to food rescue program Second Harvest.
