On an unseasonably beautiful Sunday a few weekends ago, I eagerly headed to the east end to check out this year's winners of Winter Stations. Scattered throughout Kew, Balmy, and Ashbridges Bay beaches, Winter Stations is an annual design competition that sees the lifeguard stands along Toronto's beachfront re-imagined for the winter landscape.

I loved the creativity behind last year's installations - you can check out my post here - so naturally, I had high hopes for the 2016 exhibit. However, I was a little disappointed. There was obvious disparity between the concept and execution of some of the installations - great ideas on paper that fell flat once built. Whether this was due to poor foresight in the design stage or just the obvious wear and tear of Toronto winters (and the fact I caught the exhibit close to the end), I'm hoping we see some great installations in 2017.

Flow by Calvin Fung and Victor Huynh. This one was my favourite.

Floating Ropes by MUDO (Elodie Doukhan and Nicolas Mussche).

In the Belly of a Bear by Caitlind Brown, Wayne Garrett, and Lane Shordee.

Lithothorm by Ryerson University.

Aurora Borealis by Laurentian University.

Sauna by FFLO (Claire Furnley and James Fox).

2015 was the year of the never-ending winter. Although spring has officially begun here in Toronto, it seems like winter is fighting to hang on for just a little bit longer. Despite the lingering cold, the sun is shining, buds are blooming, and outdoor patios are in full swing. May should be a great month.

On a beautiful, sunny (and cold) day this past March, I took advantage of the clear blue skies to check out Winter Stations, a series of outdoor art installations in the Beaches. Commissioned by RAW Design, Ferris & Associates Inc., and curio, Winter Stations was an international competition with the goal of adding colour to Toronto's winter landscape. Using the theme of Warmth, designers were to use the five evenly-spaced lifeguard stands that span Kew, Scarborough, and Balmy Beaches as the foundation of their design, and create a colourful, intriguing, and durable structure to facilitate public art and discussion within Toronto's beach community.

Although this installation officially ended a month ago, some of the structures were kept in place for a few extra weeks, and may still be on site. I think this design initiative is a great way to pique interest and bring people outside during the winter months, and I'm looking forward to next year's results.

Snow Cone by Lily Jeon & Diana Koncan. This one was my absolute favourite.

Driftwood Throne by Daniel Madeiros.

Sling Swing by Ed Butler, Dan Wiltshire & Frances McGeown.

Wing Back by Timothy Olson.

Hot Box by Michaela MacLeod & Nicholas Croft. This one was interesting, as you had to walk inside (the entrance is facing the lake) and meander through a maze to the centre. Difficult to capture in a photo so I recommend checking out the design panel.

The R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is a stunning historical building located at the very end of the Beaches, where Queen Street East runs north and merges into Kingston Road. With a gorgeous vantage point of Lake Ontario, this hidden gem will be a great place to check out this summer.

On my way back home, I stopped at one of my favourite spots in the city: Sugar Beach. Sugar Beach offers a beachy escape during even the coldest of winters, with the candy-pink umbrellas providing juxtaposition to the snow-covered sand and surrounding frozen lake. Sugar Beach is by far one of Toronto's greatest works of landscape architecture, and I hope the City of Toronto implements more of these fun urban parks in the future.