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HealthWellnessPublicSafety6TuesdayJune172014Wewouldliketorecognizeallaboriginalmembersofthecommunityonthisday.ThankyouformakingFortSmithagreatplacetoliveNationalAboriginalDayFulltimebeachsupervisioncomingtoHayRiverByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheHayRiverterritorialparkbeachwillsoonbesu-pervisedbyfulltimestaffsevendaysaweek.AsofJune21fourbeachattendantsworkinginpairswillbeon-handatalltimestoprovidesupervisionandedu-catebeachgoersaboutwatersafetythroughanewpartner-shipbetweentheTownofHayRiverandtheGNWT.Thetownisresponsibleforrecruitingandmanagingthenewemployeeswhowillpro-videsupervisionfrom1000a.m.to600p.m.everydaythroughoutthesummer.ThetownwilladvertiseuntilsuitableapplicantsarefoundMayorAndrewCas-sidysaidoftherecruitmentprocess.TrainingwillbeprovidedbytheLifesavingSocietyofAl-bertaandtheNWTandfund-ingforthenewstaffandsafetyequipmentwillbesuppliedbythedepartmentofIndustryTourismandInvestmentITI.AccordingtoITIthefullcosthasyettobedetermined.Cassidysaidthepilotpro-gramwillbemonitoredtoensureitismeetingthecom-munitysneeds.Thereweresomeinitialconcernsaroundpotentialre-strictionsinthepublicswim-mingareaofthebeach.Oncethecommunityunderstandstheroleofthebeachattendantsandseesthelifejacketkioskswillnotchangeanyaccesstothewaterfrontbutenhancepublicsafetythecommunitywillap-preciatethisinitiativehesaid.TheannouncementcomesfollowingasafetyauditofthebeachesinHayRiverandattheFredHenneterritorialparkinYellowknifedonebytheLife-savingSocietylastfall.FredHennewastargetedfortheauditafterayoungboydrownedtherelastAugust.ITIdecidedtoincludeHayRiverbecauseitsbeachisalsopartofaterritorialparklocatedwhollywithinamunicipality.Whilethepublicmadestrongcallsforlifeguardsonthebeachesfollowinglastsum-mersdrowningtheLifesavingSocietywasadamantinitsre-portthatsupervisionshouldonlycomeafteranumberofotherstepswereimplementedtoincreasesafetylikesignagebeachsafetyequipmentandapermanentlifejacketloanerstation.The28recommendationsalsoemphasizedbetteredu-cationontheimportanceofadultsupervisionemergencyresponseplanningandthetrainingofallparkstaffinbasicwaterfrontandlocalemergencyprocedures.ThoughmanysafetyissueswerefoundtobeoverlappingbetweenthetwobeachesHayRiverwasspecicallynotedtohaveanunsafebuildupoftreesonitsbeaches.TomColosimomanageroftourismandparkswithITIinHayRiversaidlogswillalwaysbeaconcernbutthedepartmentiscommittedtoaddressingthesituation.ThelocationofthebeachatthemouthoftheHayRivernaturallycauseswoodandflotsamtodepositonthebeachesfromtheriverhesaid.Thedepartmenthasamaintenanceprograminplaceforthebeachwhichincludestheremovaloftheselogsandwehavebeendoingitforquiteafewyearsnow.Everytimethereisastormwegetlogsandtreesonthebeachwhichwehavetoremove.HavingbeachattendantsisanadditionalstepthatITIistakingtoincreasethesafetylevelfurtheraccordingtothedepartmentwhichisalsorunningawatersafetyaware-nesscampaignontheradioandinNorthernnewspapersthroughoutthesummer.Watersafetyisasharedre-sponsibilityforallofusandIwouldliketothanktheTownofHayRiverforshowingsuchleadershipanddedicationtopub-licsafetyITIMinisterDavidRamsaysaidinanewsrelease.Weencourageparentsandguardianstostaywithinarmsreachofyoungchildrenevenwhenbeachattendantsarepres-enttohelpensureourterrito-rialparksbeachesareassafeaspossibleforeveryonehesaid.HayRiversterritorialparkbeachwillbesupervisedsevendaysaweekbyfull-timestaffstartingJune21.PhotodithVachon-RaymondAboriginalDay2014CelebratingtheRoleofTraditionalKnowledgeinEducation