Gord Johns is renewing his plea for lifeguards to return to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
The Courtenay-Alberni MP says he recently hand-delivered a letter to Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in the House of Commons warning lives could be lost if supervision is not reinstated at the Park ReserveB次元官网网址檚 Lovekin Rock location.
B次元官网网址淪ince 2018, when I first asked the government to reinstate the Surf Guard Program, three more people have died at Long Beach. All of these deaths were due to the dangerous riptides at Lovekin Rock. In each case only bystanders were on hand to assist but tragically it wasnB次元官网网址檛 enough,B次元官网网址� the letter reads.
Lifeguards looked over Long Beach for about 40 years up until 2012 when the surf guard program fell prey to Parks Canada budget cuts, leading to the surf guard tower that had looked over Lovekin Rock being dismantled.
Johns noted Long Beach has only grown in popularity since then, rising from an average of roughly 750,000 visitors a year in 2012 to over a million in 2020.
B次元官网网址淟ong Beach has never been busier and it isnB次元官网网址檛 just July and August any more,B次元官网网址� Johns said. B次元官网网址淧arks Canada has focussed on signage and information but this doesnB次元官网网址檛 reach everyone and even those who access information may not understand what a riptide is and how to avoid the dangers.B次元官网网址�
West Coast resident Justin Merk launched a petition calling for lifeguards to return in 2019 that received 829 signatures including Victoria Orr, whose mother tragically drowned at Lovekin in 2018.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so happy Justin started this petition, and included me and my sister in it,B次元官网网址� Orr told the Westerly B次元官网网址 at the time. B次元官网网址淚f this can prevent just one accident, I think it is worth it. I never want anyone to go through what our family did.B次元官网网址�
Johns presented MerkB次元官网网址檚 petition to the House of Commons, but Parks Canada remained steadfast that lifeguards would not return, instead pointing to collaborations between Tofino and UclueletB次元官网网址檚 local governments as well as the CoastSmart program to increase visitor safety.
A new petition is now circulating after being launched by Surf Sister owner Krissy Montgomery last month.
B次元官网网址淒ecades ago Lovekin Rock at Long Beach was considered an extremely dangerous location for swimmers which is why a lifeguard program was established,B次元官网网址滿ontgomery said. B次元官网网址淭he only thing that has changed since 2012 is more visitors, more fatalities and more rescues.B次元官网网址�
MontgomeryB次元官网网址檚 petition has received 229 signatures so far and can be found at
The petition notes three people have died near Lovekin since 2018 and many rescues have been conducted, often by surf instructors in the area.
B次元官网网址淐urrently, emergencies are attended by Parks Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, Westcoast Inland Search and Rescue, B.C. Emergency Response Group and the RCMP. The reality is, however, that rescues are routinely carried out by surfers and beachgoers who happen to be on the scene because of the time it takes for emergency responders to arrive,B次元官网网址� JohnsB次元官网网址� letter reads.
B次元官网网址淪urely it is not acceptable for Parks Canada to rely on surf instructors and others to act voluntarily as de facto lifeguards, carrying out multiple rescues each season. Unfortunately, they are being required to do the job of first responders but their presence at the right place at the right time is not guaranteed.B次元官网网址�
In an emailed statement to the Westerly B次元官网网址 on Monday, a Parks Canada spokesperson said surf guards will not be returning to Long Beach.
B次元官网网址淧arks Canada will not be reinstating the surf guard program at Long Beach and is working to reduce the risk by addressing risk factors identified by the International Life Saving Federation. As the region continues to experience a high volume of visitation year-round, Parks Canada is focusing its efforts on visitor education and incident prevention in collaboration with regional partners,B次元官网网址� the statement reads.
It adds that Parks Canada is B次元官网网址渃ommitted to providing visitors with safe and meaningful experiences as well as with the information they need to make informed decisionsB次元官网网址� and that collaboration on water safety is key
B次元官网网址淧arks Canada collaborates with the municipalities of Tofino and Ucluelet, tourism-based businesses, and safety organizations such as British Columbia Association of Surf Instruction (BCASI) to implement the CoastSmart campaign. The campaign aims to educate visitors about ocean hazards and enable visitors to make informed decisions before and during their visit to the coast,B次元官网网址� it reads.
B次元官网网址淧arks Canada reminds visitors to learn how to be safe near or in the water by visiting the CoastSmart initiative website coastsmart.ca so that visitors are better able to meet their responsibility of making informed safety decisions.B次元官网网址�
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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