May 10, 2002
Dear Member/Parent/Guardian:
You may have read recently in the media reports of the water quality in Ashbridges Bay being below acceptable standards. Our first reaction was concern for the safety of our paddlers and we were immediately in touch with the City by telephone for clarification. A meeting was held with representatives from the Public Health, Water and Waste, and Communications Departments. The meeting was a long and thorough one with the City being most helpful. We described our concerns and explained our programs in detail. We asked if our paddlers were at risk and whether our programs could continue. Water quality was discussed and the reasons for the problem.
The City agreed to provide an Information Bulletin for our membership and it is attached. Please read it carefully. We think it will help you to understand the issue. As a point of clarification, when we asked the City what they meant by “young children”, they replied as follows: “Although there is no specific definition of which age groups among children are at highest risk from exposure to bacteria-contaminated water, it can be said that children under 5 are at greatest risk….”.
The following has been recommended:
In closing, if you/your child/your ward elect to participate in our paddling programs, we require that the enclosed Acknowledgement and Release Form be signed as part of the registration package. If you have already registered, please return it to your and/or your paddler’s coach.
We thank you for your cooperation and support. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either of us. If we do not have the answers, we will attempt to obtain them.
Here’s to a great 97th Paddling Season. Go
Beach Go!
Rick Arends
Phyllis Bain
Co-Commodores, 2001-2002