Montreal public health restricts swimming at east end beach due to contamination

Montreal Public Health has restricted swimming at the beach in Promenade-Bellerive Park in the city’s east end because of contamination.

The agency released a report that says that the soil at the beach is contaminated with lead and benzene and that sewers could potentially be contaminating the water.

The report also recommends that measures are implemented with the goal of reducing health risks before allowing people to swim there.

The city initially planned to allow people to swim in Promenade-Bellerive Park this summer, but public health concerns are now delaying that project.

“What we wanted to do is be able to put kind of a rope in the water to see here. It’s safe for you to swim. We’ll put the lifeguard and you’ll be able to swim,” explained Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, the city’s executive committee member responsible for large parks.

The city of Montreal has long promised a beach in the east end. Original plans had a beach opening there in 2022.

The city plans to restore the banks, but that won’t begin until 2028 and could take two years until it’s completed.  

“We are going to take off the contamination, put sand, put trees, put a natural indigenous plant to create something natural where people will be able to swim and enjoy the river,” said Lalonde.

Maëlle Tripon from Fondation Rivières says instead of waiting until then, the city could build floating docks in the meantime.

“It would give you access to the water without having to touch the bottom of the river where the sediments are contaminated,” said Tripon.

The city plans to install more signs explaining that the water is contaminated and will remove the beach furniture as an additional measure.