Shoreline Safety

Research and coroners’ investigation reports show that drowning deaths in waterfront environments may be associated with a lack of awareness of the risks specific to rivers and natural bodies of water, overestimating one’s abilities, risk-taking or unsafe behaviours. Raising public awareness of the potential hazards associated with recreational activities near, on and in the water is therefore an important part of drowning prevention.

According to data from the Canadian Drowning Prevention Research Centre for the period from 2011 to 2015 in Quebec, 41% of water-related deaths occurred in rivers, 28% in lakes and ponds, and 8% in other aquatic environments.

Following her public inquiry into the drowning deaths of two girls, aged 12 and 14, in a river in July 2015, Coroner Andrée Kronström made several recommendations aimed, in particular, at improving training, public awareness and information about the hazards of moving water, as well as promoting safer design and development of sites providing access to rivers.

Quebec has a wide variety of environments and bodies of water, each with its own characteristics and risks. There is therefore no single solution that can ensure the safety of all unsupervised aquatic and boating environments.

For the purposes of this guide, unsupervised environments refer to aquatic environments that are not subject to the specific provisions of the Construction Code and the Regulation respecting safety in public baths, particularly with regard to the qualifications and presence of personnel responsible for supervision.

This guide provides waterfront site owners and those responsible for such sites with guidelines for assessing the characteristics of bodies of water on their property, access points and associated risks. This approach is intended to facilitate the implementation of appropriate measures that promote safer use of waterfront environments.

The Lifesaving Society aims to promote public access to shorelines and natural bodies of water in environments that are both safe and inviting, while emphasizing that drowning prevention is a shared responsibility.