Verdun launches water safety campaign ahead of beach season
The borough is urging swimmers to stay in supervised areas following three drowning deaths last summer in the St. Lawrence River.
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Verdun is launching a water safety awareness campaign as the borough's urban beach opens for summer. The push follows three drowning deaths last summer in the St. Lawrence River near Verdun—all occurring outside the supervised swimming area.
Mayor Céline-Audrey Beauregard said in a statement: "Our goal is to remind everyone of the safety rules that help make swimming and water activities enjoyable and safe."
Verdun Beach opens Thursday, June 13, and will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through August 30. The campaign includes enhanced signage, social media awareness videos, on-site outreach, and a public safety event on June 19 in partnership with the Lifesaving Society of Quebec, the SPVM, and the Montreal Fire Department.
Official reminders: swimmers should stay within the buoy-marked supervised zone, avoid swimming alone, and follow lifeguard instructions. The beach's lifeguards will monitor the water throughout operating hours.
The emphasis on supervised swimming reflects lessons from last year's incidents, which all happened in unsupervised sections of the river.