Mayor wants to see more awareness of river

Prompted by the recent drowning death of a teen swimming in the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said he wants to “change the culture” around the river.

In an interview on Wednesday, Clark said he plans to discuss raising awareness about swimming in the river with the Meewasin Valley Authority and the fire department.

Under a 1993 bylaw, swimming in the river within city limits is illegal unless it happens during an event approved by city council. Clark said the bylaw is so vague, it could apply to someone who fell out of a kayak or to a water skier swimming back to a boat.

People need to be better educated about the river and move from a “river-afraid” community to a “river-aware” one, he said.

“The first step is to change the culture around the river. I don’t think the answer is just to simply change the bylaw.”

Clark noted people are swimming in the river despite the bylaw. He was unsure when the last charge was laid under the swimming bylaw.

Justin Warwaruk, 17, went missing in mid-July while swimming near the Fred Heal canoe launch just south of Saskatoon, where swimming is not prohibited. His body was discovered two kilometres downstream five days later.

Doug Porteous, the MVA’s interim CEO, said he embraces any conversation that raises awareness about the river. However, he cautioned there are a lot of concerns when it comes to swimming, including the quality of the water.

Porteous said years ago he would not allow his young children to swim in the river or dip their heads under the water.

According to the city, 96 storm sewers flow into the river. They could collect oil and pesticide from city streets, Porteous said. Upstream, there are other potential contamination concerns, like animal pesticides and farm chemicals, he added.

Porteous said he welcomes greater use of the river by watercraft, but wonders whether swimming could ever be a safe activity. In addition to the water quality issue, he noted the river flow changes throughout the year, as does its depth in certain areas.

“I think the bylaw is there for a purpose and it’s one of those things that could be used if needed,” Porteous said.

“We want people to enjoy (the river) and be river-wise. It is not a lake. It is not a swimming pool. It is not the ocean.”

Clark said other communities have achieved a better relationship with adjacent bodies of water and embraced recreational use, whether they’re close to oceans or rivers or lakes.