Two more Niagara beaches added to the unsafe swimming list as weekend starts

Published July 7, 2023 at 3:03 pm

Nickel Beach in Port Colborne was deemed unsafe to swim due to ecoli after being tested by Niagara Region today. Yesterday's heat possibly played a role.

Just yesterday, the weekend was looking promising with just four of Niagara’s 19 beaches being shut down for swimming by the region after water quality testing.

However, additional testing today (July 7) has added another two to that pre-existing list as Lakeside Beach in St Catharines and Nickel Beach in Port Colborne were both deemed unsafe to swim due to ecoli.

Already on the No-Go List were: Crescent Beach in Fort Erie (unsafe due to ecoli levels), Waverly Beach, also in Fort Erie, (unsafe to swim due to algae levels), Nelles Beach in Grimsby (unsafe due to safety issues) and Reebs Beach in Wainfleet (unsafe to swim due to algae levels).

However, still getting the thumbs-up from the region are: Bay Beach and Bernard Avenue Beach, both in Fort Erie, Casablanca Beach and Fifty Point Conservation Beach, both in Grimsby, Charles Daley Park Beach in Lincoln, Queen’s Royal Beach in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as Long Beach and Wainfleet Lake Erie Public Access Beach, both in Wainfleet.

One of St. Catharines’ beaches – Sunset Beach – was retested by Niagara today and declared open for swimming.

Port Colborne with the most sandy spots in the region – five beaches in total – were all tested either yesterday or today and four are still safe. The swimming holes in Port Colborne are Centennial Cedar Bay Beach, Sherkston Elco Beach, Sherkston Quarry Beach, and Sherkston Wyldewood Beach.

The warmest beach water temperature was 25.8C at Sherkston Quarry Beach while the coldest was 20.7C at Queen’s Royal Beach in Niagara-on-the-Lake.