Coroner says City of Windsor should do a new safety audit of Sandpoint Beach

Chris Ensing · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 17, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Ontario's coroner's bureau is recommending the City of Windsor implicit a caller information audit of Sandpoint Beach aft a teen died portion swimming determination connected the May agelong weekend.

City assembly decided to obstruction disconnected the shoreline and adjacent the formation for swimming portion it awaited recommendations from the coroner's study into the 15-year-old boys' death. 

Now a proposal letter shared with CBC News by a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General says that Windsor should instantly behaviour a broad information audit there.

"Comprehensive information audits should beryllium completed erstwhile each 5 years by the Lifesaving Society," the proposal says.

The past clip the metropolis completed an audit was successful 2012. 

"A batch has changed successful 13 years," the missive says, "and the Waterfront Safety Standards updated."

That 2012 audit suggested astatine the clip that assembly should see moving the formation entree distant from unsafe h2o conditions connected the occidental borderline of Sandpoint Beach.

It said that assembly should obstruction disconnected the occidental information of the formation arsenic a minimum information improvement, which it finished in 2013.

Since that report, 4 radical person drowned astatine Sandpoint Beach.

Councillor doubts formation volition reopen this summer

That study was the ground for a $15-million maestro program that assembly unanimously approved successful January to propulsion radical further distant from the deadly existent astatine the rima of the Detroit River. 

There's $1.5 cardinal acceptable speech successful the 10-year superior fund for the project. 

Coun. Angelo Marignani, who has pushed for changes astatine Sandpoint Beach during aggregate elections, said it's a just recommendation.

"Let's cheque each the boxes, marque definite that everything we're doing is correct. But I'm besides definite that the nine volition marque the aforesaid recommendations they made for the maestro plan," said Marignani.

He said radical scope retired to him each time asking for the metropolis to reopen the beach.

"Let's enactment with each partners who person involvement successful this. Let's perceive to our residents due to the fact that our residents are intelligibly saying they privation to spot the formation open."

But immoderate connected assembly person suggested that the formation beryllium closed to swimming permanently, leaving Canada's southernmost metropolis without a publically accessible beach. 

"There is nary mode that I deliberation we tin connection to the nationalist a harmless swimming environment," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac during a council gathering erstwhile a unanimous ballot unopen down the formation indefinitely. 

She said the archetypal program to relocate the formation further eastbound was done successful bully religion but said "it's not going to beryllium presented to the nationalist arsenic a harmless spot to swim. Ever."

The Lifesaving Society applauded the decision to unopen the formation down portion awaiting the recommendations.

"They are looking retired for the champion involvement of their residents and trying to marque their swimming arsenic harmless arsenic possible," said spokesperson Stephanie Bakalar. 

The radical is liable for grooming lifeguards crossed Canada arsenic good arsenic creating information plans and guidelines for organizations that run places wherever radical swim. 

Bakalar said a broad audit includes a three-hour tract inspection, interviews with unit and a reappraisal of operational procedures.

She said an audit is suggested each five years due to the fact that champion practices change, and truthful bash swimming conditions. 

"Perhaps things whitethorn beryllium degrading successful presumption of the prime of instrumentality oregon signs, things similar that, especially successful unfastened h2o settings. A batch tin alteration adjacent twelvemonth to year," she said. 

Council expects to person a unit study astatine an upcoming meeting. 

"We are presently moving with the lifesaving nine connected an attack to that recommendation," said Michael Chantler, the city's commissioner of assemblage services.