Gravenhurst public beaches remain closed

GRAVENHURST — A public beach scare here will continue to see all beaches closed at least until next week, says the Town of Gravenhurst.

They say that: “As a precautionary measure, all Gravenhurst beaches will remain closed to the public until the town is confident a satisfactory level of safety has been restored.”

Daily cleaning efforts by town parks staff continues in the water with additional resources being added to include a comprehensive mechanical raking of surface areas through a third party contractor, and the use of voluntary scuba divers to conduct underwater sweeps.

“We continue to have close communications with the OPP and ask that the public report any suspicious or malicious activity on public beach property to police,” said Andrew Stacey, the town’s director of infrastructure.

“We take this matter very seriously and have allocated our resources accordingly.

“We recognize the huge importance of access to swimming locations during the warmer months in Gravenhurst and we’re doing our best to ensure a safe enjoyable environment for all,” he added.

Additionally, he says parks staff continues to work diligently to ensure the opening of the Town’s Splash Pad at the Muskoka Wharf will occur on schedule.

“We hope to have everything in proper working order and a mandatory sign off from the health unit by June 15. We know how popular this venue is for the kids and are working as quickly as we can to get it ready for opening,” said Stacey.

Beaches are not expected to re-open until next week at the earliest.

The town will continue to share further updates as they become available and thank the public for their patience and understanding.

Last Thursday, on May 31, Gull Lake Park Beach was closed due to the discovery of additional sharp objects found in the water.

Bracebridge’s public beaches suffered a similar fate, but have recently been allowed to open.