Coroner says City of Windsor should do a new safety audit of Sandpoint Beach
Coun. Angelo Marignani doesn't believe the beach will reopen this year
Ontario's coroner's office is recommending the City of Windsor complete a new safety audit of Sandpoint Beach after a teenager died while swimming there on the May long weekend.
City council decided to fence off the shoreline and close the beach for swimming while it awaited recommendations from the coroner's report into the 15-year-old boys' death.
Now a recommendation letter shared with CBC News by a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General says that Windsor should immediately conduct a comprehensive safety audit there.
"Comprehensive safety audits should be completed once every five years by the Lifesaving Society," the recommendation says.
The last time the city completed an audit was in 2012.
"A lot has changed in 13 years," the letter says, "and the Waterfront Safety Standards updated."
That 2012 audit suggested at the time that council should consider moving the beach access away from dangerous water conditions on the western edge of Sandpoint Beach.
It said that council should fence off the western portion of the beach as a minimum safety improvement, which it finished in 2013.
Since that report, four people have drowned at Sandpoint Beach.
Councillor doubts beach will reopen this summer
That report was the basis for a $15-million master plan that council unanimously approved in January to push people further away from the deadly current at the mouth of the Detroit River.
There's $1.5 million set aside in the 10-year capital budget for the project.
Coun. Angelo Marignani, who has pushed for changes at Sandpoint Beach during multiple elections, said it's a fair recommendation.
"Let's check all the boxes, make sure that everything we're doing is correct. But I'm also sure that the society will make the same recommendations they made for the master plan," said Marignani.
He said people reach out to him every day asking for the city to reopen the beach.
"Let's work with all partners who have interest in this. Let's listen to our residents because our residents are clearly saying they want to see the beach open."
Marignani said that he wants council to prioritize moving Sandpoint Beach in the 2026 budget but does not believe the beach will be reopen this summer. He does think it could open in 2026.
"I do see if we if we act effectively, we can make those changes sooner than later," he said.
But some on council have suggested that the beach be closed to swimming permanently, leaving Canada's southernmost city without a publicly accessible beach.
"There is no way that I think we can offer to the public a safe swimming environment," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac during a council meeting when a unanimous vote shut down the beach indefinitely.
She said the initial plan to relocate the beach further east was done in good faith but said "it's not going to be presented to the public as a safe place to swim. Ever."
The Lifesaving Society applauded the decision to shut the beach down while awaiting the recommendations.
"They are looking out for the best interest of their residents and trying to make their swimming as safe as possible," said spokesperson Stephanie Bakalar.
The group is responsible for training lifeguards across Canada as well as creating safety plans and guidelines for organizations that operate places where people swim.
Bakalar said a comprehensive audit includes a three-hour site inspection, interviews with staff and a review of operational procedures.
She said an audit is suggested every five years because best practices change, and so do swimming conditions.
"Perhaps things may be degrading in terms of the quality of equipment or signs, things like that, especially in open water settings. A lot can change even year to year," she said.
Council expects to receive a staff report at an upcoming meeting.
"We are currently working with the lifesaving society on an approach to that recommendation," said Michael Chantler, the city's commissioner of community services.
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