Heat lovers flock to Saskatoon riverbank, despite swimming bylaw

Saskatchewan was the place to be this weekend for heat lovers.

Sunday was burning hot with three quarters of the province under a heat alert. Environment Canada ended heat warnings Monday morning.

The community of Mankota, near the U.S. border was a blistering 38C, which was the hottest place in Canada.

With the mercury in Saskatoon reaching 33C, the sandbar near PCR Banting Park along Spadina Crescent was packed with people looking for relief from the heat.

The city of Saskatoon’s bylaw forbids swimming in the South Saskatchewan River within city limits. However, CKOM reporter JT Marshall witnessed several people ignoring the bylaw.

“As long as people are staying safe and staying close to shore, I don’t think it should be a problem,” said Fallon Laidlaw, who was cooling off in the water with her dog Taco.

Elizabeth Pain, has been coming to the sandbar for years without encountering a problem and told CKOM people should be able to a swim at their own risk unless they are being irresponsible .

Kirk Sheasby was another one enjoying the river on Sunday.

“It seems like it’s hit or miss on whether the police are going to crack down on it or not,” he said. “It’s really silly because we will find a way to get in the river somehow, whether it’s at cranberry flats or Paradise beach.”

Battalion chief Bill Riley said the bylaw is there to keep people safe.

“It’s stupid until someone gets hurt,” Riley said, in response to comments on the bylaw.

“Anything below the surface of the river, you don’t know what’s under there. We want everyone to be safe.”

-With files from JT Marshall.