This sign hanging at Long Lake Beach at Fred Henne Territorial Park may be obsolete come summer time. A recently released report from the Lifesaving Society of Canada NWT/Alberta suggests four possible options for beach supervision, two of which include having lifeguards there. Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay recently reiterated that he will stand by a previous commitment to have at least some form of supervision at Long Lake Beach this summer, no matter what the cost. - NNSL file photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Having a full compliment of lifeguards watching over two territorial beaches in Yellowknife and Hay River would cost the government close to half a million dollars, according to a report published on Wednesday.

The findings of the Lifesaving Society of Canada NWT/Alberta's report, which were reported in a Yellowknifer story last month, offers four possible options for beach supervision, including the $444,354 option of having four lifeguards stationed at each beach for seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Another possibility would require only having lifeguards on duty during the weekend at an estimated cost of $232,392.

The third option would be to hire waterfront attendants, who are not trained lifeguards but would have basic first-aid training, to watch over the beach for seven days a week.

The Lifesaving Society expected this service would cost $122,769.

All three of those options would involve an additional one-time cost, ranging from $7,280 to $83,000, to purchase safety equipment to aid with supervision.

The final option would be to have no supervision at all.

But Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay reiterated that he will do whatever it takes to have at least some form of supervision at Long Lake Beach this summer, no matter the cost.

"I've always said it's not about the money," said Ramsay. "If it's going to make the beach safer then we'll fine the money."

The last time lifeguards were stationed at Long Lake - in 2002 - the cost to the government was just $21,000.

However, Ramsay pointed out that lifeguard safety standards are much higher than they used to be.

He also warned that a fully lifeguarded beach will mean that territorial government would have to limit the number of people on the beach during hours of supervision.

Although there is no legislation regulating the ratio of how many lifeguards per person that should be stationed at the beach, the Lifesaving Society's guidelines state that with four lifeguards on duty, there should be a maximum of 200 people allowed on the beach a time.

According to Ramsay, the department has already issued out a request for proposal to provide supervised services at both beaches. The RFP is currently posted on the GNWT's contract registry website and closes on April 25.

Although the Lifesaving Society's report combines the cost of having lifeguards in Yellowknife and Hay River, Ramsay said it was possible that each beach could have different levels of supervision. He also suggested the possibility that either beach could see a hybrid form of supervision that involved having both lifeguards and water attendants.

All of that depends on who responds to the proposals.

"At the end of the day we're not quite sure what we'll get back," said Ramsay.

The GNWT will also be moving ahead with plans to improve other areas of safety at both beaches, such as improved signage and additional safety equipment, as recommended in a previous report commissioned from the Lifesaving Society.

Patrick Scott, the grandfather of seven-year-old Lodune Shelley who drowned at Long Lake Beach last summer, said he is glad to see the GNWT taking action, but said nothing short of a fully lifeguarded beach would satisfy him.

"Attendants are better than nothing but it's not the solution," he said.

Nonetheless, he commended Ramsay for his commitment to having at least some form of supervision on the beach, even if that meant only having attendants.

"I may not be happy with the outcome but at least it's a step forward," he said.

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