Port Stanley beaches open just in time for regional heat warning
A heat warning remains in place for Southern Ontario Sunday, as temperatures soared throughout the weekend.
With the stay at home order lifted, the beach was the hot spot to cool off.
On Sunday, many took full advantage, finding refuge from the heat at the beaches of Port Stanley.
"It is really hot and the weather is beautiful... I think more than ever, people are going to be at the beach because there is nothing else to do," says beach-goer Ahmed Zabian.
Ross Hepburn, Port Stanley local, scouts Sunday’s turnout.
"This is busy. This is probably the busiest day of this year."
At first glance it appears that the beaches are packed to the brim with people with not much physically distancing measures enforced.
But drone footage capturing sights from above the beach shows a different perspective - more spacing between groups visible.
View from above: Port Stanley beach goers enjoy the heat on Sunday June 6, 2021
Port Stanley beach from above (Source: Paul Redman)
"When you look from here it looks crowded but if you walk down the beach there is more than 6 feet between people," says Hepburn.
"We are happy for them to use the beach as long as they do it safely."
Central Elgin mayor Sally Martyn says if you are visiting the beach, it is important to play by the rules, by only visiting with members from the same household and by keeping your distance from others.
"I am not policing them, they have to do that pretty much on their own. They have to do things safely because we want everyone to be able to enjoy it."
Martyn says that four bylaw officers will be surveying the beach using an educational approach for any wrong doings.
She adds that there is only so much parking available for beach visitors and OPP are out ticketing those who park illegally.
"You really have no way to control the numbers but it’s important that the people who come follow the safety rules, and on the whole, last year they did and I am assuming they will this year so they have the right to use the beach."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Here's what Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will offer renters
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.