News

Jun 07, 2023

Lakeshore administration to look into improving safety around Belle River Marina

A Lakeshore councillor is looking to improve safety around the Belle River

A Lakeshore councillor is looking to improve safety around the Belle River Marina.

Councillor John Kerr brought forward a notice of motion during Tuesday evening's meeting asking for administration to look into security measures to keep the marina parking lot and boat slips safe.

The motion was unanimously passed by council.

He brought the motion forward after there was another incident in May where approximately 10 youth with racing motor vehicles unlawfully set off fireworks over the boats at the northern end of the marina.

Kerr says in the motion that the current security plan, which has a security guard stationed at the marine, has not been as successful as he was hoping and is asking for administration to develop a parking lot and marina area security plan.

The boat slip renters preferred plan includes fencing in addition to a security officer-controlled entrance of barrier gate arms at the parking lot entrance just north of the boat trailer section of the parking lot.

Kerr says more needs to be done to improve safety.

"There's a history where the boaters have been asking us to improve the security. We have made improvements in security measures, but, it seems to me that more needs to be done."

He says resident's have asked for a fence around the boat slip.

"It's not to keep people out when the park is there. But, nonetheless that is one of the, in the motion, it's up to the team to come up with some ideas, but, in the motion it's built in can you make sure the fence is one of the choices that council may have."

He says if there was a fence or gate, security would just have to focus on the parking lot.

"So nobody gets into the parking lot without introducing themselves to the security guard. The gates will be open all day long, but when the park is to be closed, that same security guard will walk over, close the gate, and monitor the parking lot and the boat area from there."

Administration will look for safety measures and bring them back to council at a later date.