Brad Bradford, city councillor for Beaches - East York, says he was shocked and appalled to see the amount of littering and lack of social distancing that took place at the beach this past weekend.

Bradford posted an article on his website Tuesday to address some of the issues he's witnessed and to outline how they're being resolved.

The situation at the Beach for the last two weekends is unacceptable. The level of disregard we saw, not only for physical distancing but even the basics of picking up after yourself, was shocking. Here are some of the steps we're taking to remedy this. https://t.co/FgEXOBHbSe

— Brad Bradford✌️ (@BradMBradford) June 23, 2020

"The level of disregard we saw, not only for the critical need to maintain physical distance but even the basics of picking up after yourself, was shocking," he said. 

"This is all made worse in the context of a global pandemic where most of the world is making massive sacrifices for the good of their communities."

Bradford explained that he went down to the beach at 7 a.m. to pick up garbage himself two Saturdays ago, but the problem has only worsened since then. 

Woodbine beach has been a total mess for weeks. Where is garbage pickup, and where is enforcement regarding littering, public drinking and parking? The beach community has alerted you and @BradMBradford to this issue and nothing is done.

— O (@ormondebenson) June 21, 2020

To rectify these issues, Bradford said he spoke to the deputy city manager over the weekend and requested that bylaw officers and Toronto Police be out issuing tickets for ignoring physical distancing rules, littering, and other anti-social behaviour on the beach such as starting fires. 

According to Bradford, this enforcement blitz began yesterday and will be ramped up over the coming weekend.

Very unfortunate to see the lack of respect for our shared spaces. Hopefully the presence of by-law and more signage will change that!

— Brad Bradford✌️ (@BradMBradford) June 23, 2020

He also said he's trying to fix some of the underlying issues with the way maintenance for the beach is coordinated, such as staffing changes or the need for new equipment, but these kinds of adjustments take time.

Still, Bradford said this issue is a top priority.

"As a City Councillor, nothing is more important than what people are experiencing on the ground when they're out in the community. Again – I can't reiterate enough – the only way we fundamentally fix this is to have people clean up after themselves," he wrote. 

"I've asked for more signs to make that clear just in case it isn't already. I'm grateful for the majority in our community who pack it in and pack it out. It's not that hard but we'll take the necessary steps for those who can't keep to the basics."