For some people, Sunday, August 23, 2026, was the perfect day.
It certainly wasn’t a typical summer day in Cobourg. For much of the day, the skies remained cloudy, the winds were strong and the waters of Lake Ontario were anything but calm.
Victoria Beach, which on a warm summer weekend can attract hundreds and sometimes thousands of people, was almost completely barren.
There was, however, a small reminder that it was still summer. A child played with a toy airplane on the beach while adults stayed nearby, taking in the unusual solitude.
Down at the east pier, the conditions were much different.
Whenever strong winds create whitecaps on Lake Ontario, the east pier becomes a popular spot for those who want to watch the waves crash against the concrete walls. On Sunday, wave after wave slammed into the pier, sending water shooting high into the air.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard ship Cape Rescue, based in Cobourg, was called to assist a boater near Brighton. The vessel left the relative protection of Cobourg Harbour at approximately 3:30 p.m. and headed out onto the rough waters of Lake Ontario.
A short distance away, the weather was being embraced by another group of water enthusiasts.
A number of surfers spent hours just offshore near Ontario Street, taking advantage of the wind and waves. While most people might have looked at the conditions and decided it wasn’t a day for the beach, the surfers saw something completely different — an opportunity.
For them, the wind and waves were exactly what they had been waiting for.
As the day began to wind down, the clouds finally gave way, if only briefly. The sun made an appearance, casting a little light across Cobourg and Lake Ontario before disappearing again.
It may not have been the kind of summer Sunday many people would have planned.
There were no packed beaches, no scorching temperatures and no calm lake.
But for a child playing on an empty beach, Coast Guard crews heading out on the lake, surfers riding the waves and people watching the water pound against the east pier, Sunday offered something a little different.
Some may not have thought much of the day.
Others might simply call it a perfect day on the water.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
