RC Harris Water Treatment Plant

If the thought of visiting a water treatment plant doesn’t thrill, consider the dramatic location of this imposing 1930s Art Deco building: it sits on a terraced landscape with an unimpeded view of the vastness of Lake Ontario. Visitors feel like they’re on a movie set, even though the hum inside is real equipment cleaning 950 million litres of water per day. The interior is infrequently opened to visitors. The RC Harris Water Treatment Plant is a short walk, bike or rollerblade from The Beach (or, more contentiously, The Beaches), the city’s finest stretch of sand and one of the best neighbourhoods to eat ice cream in.