All beaches open in Windsor-Essex
All beaches in the region are open after the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit indicated new tests deemed them safe for swimming Friday.
Tests done earlier in the week had indicated high levels of bacteria, prompting officials to close West Belle River Beach, Mettawas Beach in Kingsville and Sandpoint Beach in Windsor.
WECHU tweeted an update on Friday afternoon, saying the results from more testing came back and closing the beaches was no longer necessary.
Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain says the levels seen earlier in the week were surprising.
“I think those counts that we’ve received were one of the highest we’ve ever had on the beach here,” he says.
Bain tells CTV News he would have been disappointed if the beach remained closed through the weekend noting West Beach has become a popular summer destination.
“It’s just packed with people who are out and they’re in the water and they’re enjoying it,” he says.
The health unit says the bacterial counts reflect the conditions at the time of sampling, which is done every Monday. Weather conditions and lake levels can change the conditions.
“What we’re looking at is lower than 200 is the magic number but anything above 200 would be posted as precautionary,” says health unit CEO Theresa Marentette.
WECHU did not test area beaches in 2020 due to increased pandemic response needs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.