Will Windsor relocate Sandpoint Beach or shut it down permanently?
Social Sharing
Windsor could be without a beach to swim in this summer after city council unanimously approved shutting down Sandpoint Beach and Stop 26 until a corner's report into the latest drowning is complete.
The corner's office says that could take months to finish.
But some on council wonder if the city should ever allow people to swim in the area again now that at least 9 people have drowned in the area since beach opened in 1980.
"There is no way that I think we can offer to the public a safe swimming environment," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac during a city council meeting this week.
Gignac made the comments before council unanimously agreed to indefinitely close the beach while staff revisit the master plan to redevelop the beach.
The most recent drownings have occurred before the beach officially opened for the season and without lifeguards at the beach.
Safety officials blame a sudden underwater drop off and strong whirlpool like currents immediately west of Sandpoint Beach for the drownings in the area.
Gignac 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."
Coun. Kieran McKenzie said ending swimming in the area is something to consider.
"I don't want to signal to the community that I'm prepared to eliminate swimming altogether in that space but it's on the table," said McKenzie.
Coun. Angelo Marginani, who has advocated to have the beach moved even before being elected to council, agreed to close the beach until the coroner's report is finished.
But he wants to see council fund the $15 million master plan to redevelop the area to keep Windsor's only beach open.
"I believe the cost is not what we spend but what we fail to gain," said Marginani.
Windsor city council earlier this week opted to close Sandpoint Beach pending the outcome of a coroner's investigation after a 15-year-old died swimming at the beach in May. But why is the water so dangerous? The CBC's Chris Ensing explains.
A spokesperson for the corner's office said that the final report will not be made public because of privacy laws and will not be shared with the city.
However, if the investigation turns up any recommendations, those will be shared with the city.
Council reviewed a safety audit about the beach in 2013. It recommended council consider relocating the beach to a safer area because of the sudden shift in the water currents and depths on the western side of the beach.
Here's how the idea to relocate Sandpoint Beach has moved through council over the years:
2012: City council lists the redevelopment of Sandpoint Beach and Stop 26 in the capital budget for after 2017
2013: City council receives a safety audit from the Lifesaving Society that recommends the city "consider closing the beach in favour of moving it eastwards" and "at a minimum" fence off the western portion. The city installs a metre tall fence for $10,000.
2014: The budget earmarks $5 million for the closure of the western side of Sandpoint Beach and new water access further east. The timeline is sometime after 2019.
2018: Council asks how much it will cost for preliminary study to relocate Sandpoint Beach. Staff suggest it will cost $250,000 to study.
2019: The capital budget sets aside $250,000 for the study in 2024 and $5 million for the relocation beyond 2026.
2021: In May, a 24 year old drowns while swimming at Sandpoint Beach, the sixth person to die while swimming in the area since the beach opened in 1980. At a press conference weeks later, Mayor Drew Dilkens calls the relocation a high priority. Council decides to pay for the study to start in 2021.
2022: Public consultations start which shows a relocation design that closes western edge of the beach and lengthens beach access on the eastern edge of the beach. The expected relocation costs doubles to $10 million.
2023: The budget earmarks $1 million spread across 2024 and 2025 for the relocation of the beach with an additional $900,000 from 2028 to 2030. A master plan for the redevelopment of Sandpoint Beach is completed in November.
2024: In May, two young men drown near Sandpoint Beach, the seventh and eighth people to die in the area while swimming. Council installs taller fences at the western edge of the beach. An updated master plan is presented to council but deferred to early 2025. The city's capital budget shuffles the money around so that there is $1.5 million between 2029 and 2030. Relocating the beach is now expected to cost $15 million.
2025: In January, council approves the master plan, which will close of the western portion of the beach and extend the eastern beach. Council directs staff to consider funding as part of future capital budgets with Dilkens saying it will take years to complete. In May, a 15 year old boy drowns while swimming at the beach. City council decides to close the beach until a coroner's report is complete.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
Collision on Gardiner Expressway leaves one person dead
Police are on the scene of a motorcycle crash on the Gardiner Expressway on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Jacob Estrin/CTV News Toronto) One person is dead following a collision between a motorcycle and a truck on the Gardiner Expressway Friday night. Toronto police say they received a call just before 7:45 p.m. for the crash in the eastbound express lanes near Islington Avenue. One male victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Toronto paramedics say. The cause of the collision is unknown. Police closed the eastbound express lanes for the investigation.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Man dead after shooting in Brampton
A man is dead after a shooting in Brampton on Friday, Peel Regional Police say. The shooting happened in the area of Rutherford Road S. and Glidden Road, near Highway 410, police said in a post on X on Friday. Officers were called to the scene at about 5:45 p.m. Paramedics took the man in life-threatening condition to hospital, where he died. The suspects left in a vehicle, according to police. There is a large police presence in the area. Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘We will do better': Business director of Dutchie's reacts after being fined for wage theft
Dutchie's Fresh Market and its business director Michael Renkema have been sentenced after pleading guilty to wage theft. CTV's Heather Senoran reports. Dutchie's Fresh Market and its business director Michael Renkema have been sentenced after pleading guilty to wage theft. CTV's Heather Senoran reports. Dutchie's Fresh Market and its business director, Michael Renkema, have been sentenced after more than a year of allegations, protests, orders to pay and court delays. Renkema plead guilty to 13 counts of wage theft under the Employment Standards Act in December 2024. On Friday, a joint submission was filed by the Crown and lawyer for Dutchie's and Renkema. It recommended a $25,000 fine for Dutchie's as a corporation and an additional $7,500 for Renkema alone. Justice Michael Cuthbertson agreed with that sentence. He also decided Renkema and Dutchie's would not have to pay any additional victim surcharges. According to Renkema's lawyer, Rachel Goldenberg, the 13 former employees involved in the case have now been paid. She said more than $10,000 in fees also went to the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Finance. Goldenberg then asked the judge to give Renkema 20 months to pay off the fines. Justice Cuthbertson agreed. Renkema's lawyer also referenced an alleged issue with the company's refrigeration vendor in 2021, which led to financial turmoil for Dutchie's. 'The company faced significant financial losses in the millions of dollars and incurred significant debt,' Goldenberg said. 'The defendants deeply regret that when faced with this sudden loss of financial resources and mounting debt, employees were not paid their wages. The defendants acknowledge and take responsibility for this failure to pay wages, and when faced with this prosecution, did enter a guilty plea.' Two victim impact statements were read in court before the sentencing. One was from a former employee who said he had recently moved to Canada. 'When the payment delays began, I felt betrayed and exploited. I made several efforts to address the situation, sending emails and messages explaining the difficulties I was facing, but no resolution was provided,' the statement read. Justice Cuthbertson said what happened to the former employees wasn't right. 'People lost wages that they needed to pay bills in their life, put food on the table… They were deprived of their livelihood, simply put. I must ensure that Mr. Renkema and the corporation never again put themselves in the position of depriving employees of their wages,' he said. Renkema comments Renkema sent CTV News a statement on the day the sentence was delivered. 'We are deeply sorry for the lengthy process and burden this has been for all involved, especially the employees. Though the Gateway [Kitchener] location sustained losses in the millions, primarily due to poor workmanship of the refrigeration contractor, we understand we have obligations to our employees and our suppliers. It is our goal to continue to honor these obligations. We do thank customers who have supported us in honoring this goal. We will do better as we rebuild.' dutchie's kitchener Dutchie's Fresh Food Market seen on August 19, 2024. (CTV News/Jeff Pickel) According to Renkema's lawyer, the small family grocer first opened its doors 40 years ago. At one time they had multiple stores, but now have one with only 13 employees.
