The new research buoy that was launched in Fathom Five Marine National Park at the end of July 2022. (Image provided by Parks Canada)
Kincardine council received an update on new technology being used to get real-time information on rip currents from the Smart Beach project.
Dr. Chris Houser from the Municipal Innovation Council talked about the physical and social surveys that were completed for their study, and how the program modeled weather and offshore wave data to best assess weather and surf-related hazards.
Houser says that studying and modelling the current is essential for preventing injuries and deaths related to rough surf, particularly since most beaches on the Great Lakes don’t have lifeguards.
“Lifeguards are key to lifesaving interventions and rescues in Ontario, but unfortunately only seven beaches on the Great Lakes in Ontario have active lifeguard programs.”
This means that people using the beach need to be aware of when it’s safe to go into the water, and which areas of the beach are safe.
The Municipal Innovation Council is planning to collaborate with Georgian College to help create a predictive model of wave and current conditions.
They’re also looking to create a crowd-sourced assessment of inshore wave and current conditions.
In beaches around North America that have a flag system – green for safe to swim, yellow for caution needed, and red for no swimming, beachgoers often ignore hazard warnings on red-flag days and will go into the water, even if there is a risk involved.
“People tend to view others in the water and others’ behaviour as the key to safety and in fact, if the conditions look dangerous, people don’t get in the water. But if they think that the lifeguards are being over-cautious, then they won’t necessarily follow suit.”
The three-year Smart Beach project is to help come up with a plan for how to handle swimming safety concerns at Station Beach, and how to avoid life-threatening incidents in the future.
The information presented during this week’s council meeting was addressing Year 2 of 3 and was focused on research and development, with next year expected to look at the project’s implementation.
Municipality of Kincardine Council has decided to close the piers until March 1st, 2024. Staff have installed temporary barriers preventing access to both the north and south piers.
In a media release from the municipality, Councillor Rory Cavanagh, who sits on the Pier Safety Ad-Hoc Committee as Council representative, expressed his confidence in the ongoing work he and his peers are doing. “The piers and our lakefront are well-visited destinations in the community,” said Cavanagh. “We need to work together to review the usage of these areas. That means the cooperation of the community to avoid the area and their patience as we take the time to make concise recommendations.”
Mayor Kenneth Craig says “Until the Pier Safety Ad-Hoc Committee comes back with actions, we thought it best to close the area.”
He also asked that residents respect the closure and not access the area.