Kincardine aims to save lives with 'Smart Beach' pilot project
Despite multiple warning signs about rip currents — even signs that say no swimming in a section of Kincardine, Ont.’s beach — people continue to drown off the shores of the Bruce County town.
“They don’t want to be disappointed. They want to be in that water, maybe on a day when it’s not safe to be in the water, so hopefully with this we’ll be able to provide a safer experience for them,” said Kincardine’s Fire Chief, Brad Lemaich.
Five people have drowned in Kincardine’s waters since 2008, the most recent drowning fatality, Aleem Ramji in September 2020.
Fed up and frustrated with the drownings, local residents and officials pushed for answers.
Chris Houser, University of Windsor’s dean of science, set up a series of buoys, sensors and cameras off Kincardine’s coast to measure wave strength, currents, temperature, wind direction and swimmer’s behaviour, to try and create a data-driven warning system for Kincardine’s summer visitors.
A Smart Beach buoy being installed off Kincardine's shoreline on May 24, 2022. (Source: Municipal Innovation Council0“We have the technology that’s been brought to different beach environments in which we monitor waves and currents, but it hasn’t been brought together in this unique way, in which we’re creating a dynamic warning system that is spatially and temporally variable, and lets people know, with confidence, before going to the beach whether today is good day to go in the water or not,” said Houser.
The warning system, which aims to be operational by next summer, could come in text form, an app, or a lighting system at the beach. That’s still to be decided, as data collection has just begun.
“These are things we can’t always see, right? Right now the water looks pretty calm, but those rip currents are hard to detect, so I think making that information very visible for everyone, and providing that knowledge, is going to save lives,” said Kara Van Myall of the Municipal Innovation Council (MIC), which consists of eight Bruce County municipalities troubleshooting shared problems.
The MIC partially funded the Smart Beach project.
Kincardine’s Smart Beach project is the first of its kind in North America. It will last for three years, with expansion up and down Bruce County’s shoreline next summer and the year after.
The price tag for the project is approximately $400,000.
For the first responders who handle Kincardine’s drownings and near drownings, their hope is this new knowledge will help them as well.
“We’re hoping that they’ll be able to provide some predictive modelling from the data, so we can make smarter choices, better choices, when we are called upon to potentially affect a water rescue. Maybe we can keep our responders safer as well,” said Lemaich.
Since 2010, more than 1,000 people have drowned in the Great Lakes in the U.S. and Canada, including 24 already this year. You can learn more about Kincardine’s Smart Beach program on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.