Beach season begins

Barrie beaches officially open It's the first day of the season for lifeguards on duty at Barrie's beaches.

Swimming season officially opens at Barrie's beaches.

The city will have lifeguards on duty beginning Thursday.

The guards are on duty daily from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., weather permitting, at Johnson's Beach and Centennial Beach.

At Johnson's Beach, lifeguard duty ends on Aug. 21 and Sept. 2 at Centennial Beach.

The PFD loan service returns this year after being suspended due to COVID-19.

Personal Flotation Devices can be borrowed at both beaches seven days a week.

An accessibility mat, called a Mobi Mat, first installed at Centennial Beach in 2019, is anchored on the sand between lifeguard chairs 4 and 5.

The mat, accessible from the boardwalk, provides a non-slip surface for wheelchairs and strollers to get closer to the water's edge.

Weekly water quality testing by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is underway at four beaches. Warnings will be posted when bacterial levels exceed provincial guidelines.