The end of August brings a little later sunrise. With that, while still getting up at 4AM, you can travel a little further. However, at 4AM, the drive that normally takes sometimes up to two hours in regular traffic is cut down to just over a half hour drive. So, there I was, sitting in a pitch black parking lot in Bronte, Ontario at the Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park.
But, things happen for a reason. I was treated to an extended play session by a group of four red foxes. Normally a timid animal, these energetic mammals ran and played in front of the car for a good 15 minutes, completely oblivious to the fact I was watching them.
The extra time came in handy, too, when I did drag myself out of the car. On Google Earth, it looked to me that the view from ‘Fisherman’s Wharf’ would be optimal. This is a cement finger that juts out into Lake Ontario on the northeast shore of 12 Mile Creek (aka Bronte Creek). As the darkness started to fade and a bit of colour was appearing at the horizon, I realized this was not the right spot to be sitting.
Whether intentional or not, the scene was identical to that at Lakeshore Promenade Park in Port Credit, a little ways to the east. Even though the sky was starting to explode into a fairly epic sunrise, I had time to scramble back to the car and reposition to Bronte Beach Park on the southwest side of the harbour.
Just the bottom right image was taken from Fisherman’s Wharf. The other five pictures were shot from Bronte Beach Park and from the old pier that juts out from that side of the harbour.
We included this location in this Dreamstime blog article: Lake Ontario Sunrise Locations
Bronte Sunrise Image Gallery
The photos in the gallery have been cropped to fit the format. For full-sized versions, simply click on the individual pictures.
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
Bronte, Ontario
Bronte, Ontario was founded in 1834 and served as a fishing village in its earlier days. The initial harbour was completed in 1856. In 1962, the town was merge with the township of Trafalgar, the old town of Oakville and other small communities to form the present version of Oakville. Bronte makes of a good portion of the west end of that ‘town’ and has a population of around 10,000.
The town is part of the Halton Regional Municipality. Located between Toronto and Hamilton in the Canadian province of Ontario, Bronte is located at the point where 12 Mile Creek (more commonly known as Bronte Creek) meets Lake Ontario.
Oakville, Ontario
The old town of Oakville was founded in 1827 with the new version coming about in 1962 with the amalgamation of several adjacent communities. The population has grown to around 200,000.
Bronte Harbour
Once a fishing village, the harbour area is now pretty much exclusively residential and recreational. Bronte Beach Park covers land on the southwest side of the harbour with Bronte Bluffs Park connecting to that via a stairway.
On the northeast side of the harbour, Fisherman’s Wharf juts out into Lake Ontario. The concrete structure earns its name as in the darkness of the early, early morning, the shore was already lined with anglers looking for a big catch. Beside Fisherman’s Wharf is the Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park.
