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3TuesdayJuly92013ByRENEFRANCOEURAgroupofconcernedYel-lowknifershastakenmattersintoitsownhandsafterthetragicdrowningofa7year-oldboyatLongLakeonthecitysoutskirts.LifeguardsforLoduneisanadvocacygroupofvol-unteerswhowillwalktheunsupervisedbeachatLongLakekeepingawatchfuleyeonswimmingchildrenuntilactuallifeguardsareavailable.Thegroupnamedinmem-oryofLoduneShelleythelocalboywhodrownedonJune27planstobeginitspatrolsthisweekend.TanyaSilkeaYellowknifemotheroffourisafamilyfriendoftheShelleysandbeganorganizingthegrouponJune28.Itsdevastatedsomanypeopleintown.Nearlyev-eryoneknowsthefamilyevenifitsjusttoaminimaldegree...TherewasaneardrowninglastyearandshesurvivedbutthatincidentalsoupsetalotofpeopleSilkesaid.Iknewinmyheartthatyouhavetocap-turepeoplesattentionwhenemotionsarerawsoIap-proachedLodunesmotheraboutmyplanandshegavemethego-ahead.LifeguardsforLodunehasathree-prongedmandateSilkesaidwiththerstandforemostgoalofadvocatingforofciallifeguardsatthebeachagain.AsthebeachislocatedwithinFredHenneTerrito-rialParktheresponsibilityofprovidinglifeguardsfallstotheterritorythoughinthepastboththeGNWTandYellowknifeworkedtogethertostaffthebeach.Therehavebeennolife-guardssince2003whenthatpartnershipcametoanendafterterritorialbudgetcuts.AccordingtoYellowknifeMayorMarkHeyckthecityhasheldrecenttalkswithrep-resentativesfromthedepart-mentofIndustryTourismandInvestmentITIaboutthedrowningandoptionsforoptimizedbeachsafety.ThedepartmentofITIismovingaheadwithasafetyauditofthebeachsode-pendingontheresultsofthatauditwewilllooktopoten-tiallycoordinateeffortswiththemhesaid.Heycksaidhebelievestheauditwillbecarriedoutwithinthenextfewweeks.Oneofthebenetsofthesafetyauditisthatitsnotonlylookingattheissueoflife-guardsbutitsalsolookingatsomeofthephysicalaspectsofthebeachitselfsuchasthedrop-offandthingslikesig-nageandotherissuestomakeitasaferspaceHeycksaid.Amajorhazardatthebeachisthedrop-offsectionasud-densanddeclinelocatedjustbeforethebuoys.LastFridaytheGNWTreleasedastatementabouttheauditwhichwillalsotakeplaceinHayRiverster-ritorialparkincooperationwiththeLifeSavingSocietyofAlberta.Thedepartmentiscon-centratingonthesetwolo-cationsbecausethebeachesarewithinmunicipalbound-ariesandincloseproximitytolargepopulationsaccord-ingtothepressrelease.Theauditwilladdresstheuseoflifeguardsbeachsizeandaccessparknum-bersandusagesignageandsupervision.SilkesaidshewantsthepublictounderstandthatanychangesatLongLakewilltaketime.Weknowthisisgoingtocostmoneyandthattheter-ritorialgovernmentwillhavetobudgetforit...ItsnotlikeweneedjustonelifeguardandthetrainingLongLakelifeguardswouldrequireisforopenwater-verydiffer-entfrompooltrainingSilkesaid.Itsnotgoingtobeaquickandeasyprocessbutitissomethingthatneedstohappenregardless.GroupgathersbeachwalkersWhenLifeguardsforLo-duneisntlobbyingandurg-ingthepublictowriteMLAsaselecthandfulofvolunteerswillpacethebeachactingasrstrespondersSilkesaid.Werenotanofcialorga-nizationwereundergroundsotosay-grassrootsshetoldTheJournal.ManyofushaveourCPRtrainingandwerelookingtogiveunof-cialtrainingaboutourroletoourwalkers...Wehavetobeclearwerenotbabysitters.SilkeinherfourthyearofAuroraCollegesnursingpro-gramisoffforthesummerandplanstoscanthewaterasmuchasshecan.IfImnotoutthereIllhavesomeoneelsewhohasCPRtrainingontheground...ImstillguringouttheschedulingbutIdliketohaveatleastthreebeachwalkersatagiventimeonehalfwayinthewateroneontheshoreandonebackbythetreeshesaid.Ideallywedliketohavepeopleoutthereeverydaybutwejustdontknowifwecandothatatthispointsowedontwantthepublicassumingwellbethere.Youstillshouldcomedownandwatchyourkids.Thebeachwalkerswillhavetheirownshirtsandhatstobemoreeasilyidentied.Werestillcollectingsup-pliessuchascoolerswhis-tles...Manylocalbusinesshavebeendonatingthingssuchasoatationdevices.Werehopefuladebrilla-torisbeingdonatedaswell...Maybelifeguardchairs.Itsamazinghowweveallcometogether.ButthatsYellow-knifeforyou.Thegrouphasover50vol-unteersandisstillgrowingaccordingtoSilke.Everyonecomeswithadifferentsetofskills.Ofthose50theresmaybeonly15orsothatqualifyforbeachwalkersbutwecanuseallthehelpwecangetshesaid.Heycksaidhesupportsthegroupandthinksitsgreatanytimeagroupofconcernedcitizensfeelstronglyaboutanissueandvolunteertheirowntimetomakethecom-munityabetterplace.Hementionedhedidcau-tionSilkeaboutliabilityissues.Sheseemedawareoftheliabilities...Iknowtheyrestillguringthingsoutbuttheirheartsareintherightplacehesaid.SpreadingthewordEducationandawarenessisanotherbigcomponentofLifeguardsforLoduneSilkesaid.Wereinthemidstofdesigningourwebsite.WehaveaFacebookgroupal-ready...totalktokidsaboutwatersafetyaboutthedrop-offzonetheimportanceofnotcryingwolfandaboutwhatweredoing-wewantthepublictorememberwerenotlifeguardswerevolunteers.ThegroupplanstohaveGoogleEarthimagesofLongLakeonitswebsiteaswellasothermapsoftheareahighlightinghazard-ouszones.LifeguardsforLodunestrivesforposi-tivechangeanddialogueSilkesaid.Shesaidshewasevenmoremotivatedtodosomethingafterhearingsomedisturbingcommentsaboutbeachsupervisiononaradioshow.Myyoungestis8years-oldandIknowtheresjustnowayyoucankeepyoureyesonyourkidseverysecondofeveryday...Itscounterpro-ductiveblamingparentsorblamingthecityortheter-ritorialgovernmentweneedtochannelthisintosomethingpositiveandIhopethiswilldothat.VolunteerbeachwalkerstopatrolYellowknifebeachRecentLongLakedrowningtriggerscommunityactionJusticeSafetyTanyaSilkeisthefaceofLifeguardsforLoduneanewgrassrootsgroupadvocatingforlifeguardsatLongLake.PhotoReneFrancoeur