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Tiffany Ayalik, Tanya Silke, Suzanne McAstocker, Kaley Mackay, and Summer Silke from Lifeguards for Lodune, display some of their safety equipment at Long Lake Beach on Wednesday. The group is planning to start patrolling Fred Henne Beach this weekend, despite being cautioned by the Lifesaving Society and the GNWT about liability issues. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Lifeguards for Lodune say they will continue with patrols of Fred Henne Beach this weekend despite being advised to stand down.

The Lifesaving Society of Alberta issued a warning to the community group last week, suggesting the volunteers could be subjecting themselves to liability issues.

The society's chief administrative officer Barbara Costache was in Yellowknife on Monday to conduct an audit of Fred Henne Beach, which was commissioned by the GNWT after seven-year-old year old Lodune Shelley drowned at the territorial beach on June 27.

That week, Tanya Silke formed the Lifeguards for Lodune volunteer group to ensure there is some adult supervision at the beach.

According to Costache, the findings of the audit will not be available for at least 60 days, after which the report will be reviewed by the GNWT, indicating there is little chance of lifeguards being stationed at the beach this summer.

Shelley's grandfather, Patrick Scott, said it was frustrating to know nothing will change at the beach while the government waits for the findings of the report.

"It's unfortunate that people remain at risk more than they should be every time they go to the beach while the government plods along," said Scott.

Scott added both the government and the Lifesaving Society's efforts to stop Lifeguards for Lodune from patrolling the beaches only adds insult to the tragedy.

"We have a group of citizens that are willing to put time, energy and effort into training and patrolling the beach and the water," said Scott. "To dissuade them is inappropriate in my mind."

During a meeting with Silke about Lifeguards for Lodune, Costache reiterated the GNWT and the city's previous warnings with regards to potential liability.

"We were very clear with regards to the society's mandate, the importance of being aware of personal liability and risk management," said Costache. "For instance, a member of the public cannot walk into a public swimming pool and deliver their own program. So the society can't walk into any public government beach and start doing activity without having a partnership and agreement with that owner operator."

However, Silke is standing her ground, saying the patrols will proceed with or without the society's blessing.

"We have a lot of support from people and I'm not the kind of person to give up. I just can't do that," said Silke. "We're going to move forward and they need to understand that. If people weren't open to change, we'd still be sitting in the stone age."

Costache also urged Silke not to take any action before first consulting with the GNWT. Silke said she has met with representatives from Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment.

"They haven't actually said that they don't want us out there, but they don't condone it," she said.

Richard Zieba, director of tourism and parks with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, said the government does not have plans to stop Lifeguards for Lodune from patrolling the beach.

However, he emphasized that in the event a volunteer from Lifeguards for Lodune were to be involved in an accident at the beach, they would not be covered by the Emergency Act and would therefore be legally liable. He said the act only covers individuals who are acting as private citizens and therefore does not cover organizations such as Lifeguards for Lodune.

Costache also urged Silke to become an ambassador for the society's Water Smart program. The program, which ran a session at the city's pool on Monday, is intended to teach basic water safety, including drowning prevention.

According to Costache, anyone can become certified to teach the program by doing a course with the Lifesaving Society, without requiring training as a lifeguard. However, if Silke does become an ambassador for the program, the society would prevent her from patrolling the beach with Lifeguards for Lodune.

"They made that very clear. They don't think it's something that we should be doing," said Silke.

Despite Silke's insistence that Lifeguards for Lodune members are not actually lifeguards, Costache presented her with the hypothetical situation of an immigrant family unable to read English going to the beach. She suggested they might see the volunteers in their T-shirts, and leave their children unattended.

"You know what? Yes, that could happen. But is that something I should fear and stop us from doing this? I don't think so," she said.

Silke said she has arranged to meet with someone from the Lifesaving Society about the possibility of partnering with them in the future. However, she insisted that while there are no lifeguards on the beach, her priority is to make sure there are an extra set of eyes there.

According to Silke, there will be 10 to 12 volunteers on the beach by 11 a.m. on Saturday.

She added that one of her major concerns is making sure there is someone to watch the deep hole drop-off inside the designated swimming area.

"I want to have my strongest swimmer stationed at the drop-off on a paddle-board," said Silke. "That is my plan."

Silke also talked about marking the drop-offs, but Costache told her that would not be possible before the findings of the audit were released.

Costache declined to comment on the specific recommendations of the findings of the audit. However, she told Yellowknifer the audit had taken account of all the hazards both in and out of the water, and that it was aware of the deep drop-offs. However, she insisted the holes shift and move around constantly and that there was no point in marking them.

"To a five-year-old child a hole in a drop-off could be two inches. So it's not feasible to mark the changing conditions of the bottom," said Costache. "The best way to manage that is through public education and awareness."

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