SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknifers who are hoping next summer will see the return of lifeguards at Long Lake's Fred Henne Beach for the first time since 2002 should brace themselves for disappointment.

Lifeguard services at Fred Henne Beach were cancelled in 2004 after the territorial government refused to pay the entire $21,000 cost to pay summer lifeguards. Lifeguards were previously funded through a joint agreement with the city. Yellowknifer was told last week that a long awaited report following the drowning death of seven-year-old Lodune Shelley earlier this summer contains no recommendation for the return of lifeguards at Fred Henne. - NNSL file photo

According to Richard Zieba, director of tourism and parks with the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment, lifeguards will not be included in the Lifesaving Society of Alberta and NWT's list of recommendations for improving the safety at Long Lake Beach following the drowning death of seven-year-old Lodune Shelley on June 27.

"Lifeguards are mentioned, but they're not a recommendation," said Zieba on Friday.

Zieba said the government is not yet ready to release the report but likely will in about two weeks. The issue of lifeguards should not overshadow the report as a whole, he said.

"To talk about one issue or another without reading the entire report - you have to place the entire thing in context," said Zieba.

The government began taking measures to improve the beach before the end of the summer, including the

implementation of the lifejacket loner program.

"One of the things we did immediately was put in the lifejacket station, because it was one thing the Lifesaving Society was pretty adamant on," he said.

The City of Yellowknife and the GNWT previously shared the cost of providing lifeguards at the beach - estimated at about $21,000 in 2004. Lifeguards had been present at Fred Henne up until the previous year when city officials reported difficulties recruiting them to work at the beach. The following year, a disagreement over which level of government should pay for the lifeguards led to a stalemate, with the GNWT ultimately refusing to cover the entire cost of the service. The beach has been unsupervised ever since.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not surprised," said Tanya Silke, founder of Lifeguards for Lodune, a group of residents that formed to watch over the beach following Shelley's death.

Silke took part in discussions with both the GNWT and the Lifesaving Society earlier this summer.

"Based on the conversation we had over the summer, I did kind of get the sense that (a recommendation to bring back lifeguards) wouldn't be the case," she said.

"I definitely wasn't holding my breath."

Barbara Costache, chief administrative officer with the Lifesaving Society, said she could not comment on the report until it was publicly released.

The two biggest concerns raised in discussions between the GNWT and the Lifesaving Society was the cost of providing lifeguards and the possibility of having to limit the number of people allowed on the beach if lifeguards did return, said Silke.

In the absence of lifeguards, Silke organized a group of 15 volunteers under the Lifeguards for Lodune banner to patrol the beach for the remainder of the summer. With the exception of one weekend, a minimum of five people took turns supervising the beach every Saturday and Sunday between July 20 and Aug. 17.

"A lot of people went out and just loved it. They felt like they were really making a difference," she said.

Their enthusiasm to monitor the beach was met with trepidation by government officials, who warned them they risked being sued should a mishap occur while the volunteers were present.

Silke said the lifejacket lending program was a step in the right direction, adding it was extremely popular amongst beach-goers.

While the report will not recommend stationing lifeguards at the beach, Zieba did not rule out the possibility of further discussions with the Lifesaving Society on the issue.

"If we have questions about lifeguards, we're certainly going to be asking them. And if they have specific direction on (lifeguards), we'll be looking at that," said Zieba.

However, he added that such a discussion will have to wait until the report is released.

Silke said she plans to continue with Lifeguards for Lodune if there are no lifeguards on the beach by next summer.

"That's why we're continuing to move forward with the beach patrol volunteer program, because something needs to be done out there," said Silke.

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