Mayoralty candidate George Smitherman wants swimmers at Toronto's seven beaches to have a cold shower - literally - as part of a plan to improve the city's lakefront unveiled this past weekend, Sunday, June 20 at Woodbine Beach.
"We're a great city on a great lake - and the city should do even more to encourage people to take full advantage of the extraordinary opportunity that we have being situated on Lake Ontario," said Smitherman. "As a part of that I would like to improve the amenities of our beachfront areas - highlight the Blue Flag program, install some inexpensive but effective showers, so when you come out you can have a quick shower - work with the TTC to enhance the opportunities for people who are more remote from the water."Smitherman's plan would see the city trumpet its membership in the international Blue Flag program that certifies beaches as safe for swimming, and also work toward making those beaches safer for swimming.He said he'd like to improve the work done on the city's decades-long project to separate storm and sanitary sewers - major culprits in the post-storm runoffs that render beaches unswimmable. Currently, the city has been raising cash to pay for the massive infrastructure plan with consecutive nine per cent increases in the city's water rate.Smitherman said he wouldn't increase that rate by any more - but he would see that the money was spent more effectively."I see the necessity and opportunity to do a better job in that area just from the standpoint of accessibility," he said. "Many savings can be made with respect to energy use, with respect to wasted treated water.The plan would also include 20 cold water showers at the city's seven beaches by 2014 and the creation of seasonal and weekend express bus routes to Toronto beaches, that would - along with a Waterfront LRT which Smitherman wants finished by 2015 - make beaches more accessible to more Torontonians.He also wanted to create a "swimming passport," that would ensure that all Toronto children would have had basic swimming instruction by Grade 5.