Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today

By Victor Kaisar

RIVER SAFETY

Lifeguards return to Riverside Park as City of Kamloops staffs only designated open-water swimming site

Jun 30, 2025 | 6:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops will once again begin staffing the Riverside Park beach area with lifeguards when the calendar flips to July, and they’ll be there until mid-August.

Micah Strecheniuk, the city’s Aquatic Program Supervisor, says while people are free to make their own choices, that is the only designated open-water swimming site within city limits.

“We know that people are going to choose to swim here, and so we want to do our best to be there if anything should happen,” Strecheniuk told CFJC Today. “We have set times, and we recommend that if people are going to use the river, to do so when it’s supervised.

The city’s lifeguards will man the river from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

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With school out and temperatures expected to be in the low to mid-30s for the next few days, the City of Kamloops is warning people of the risks and dangers of swimming in open water. That includes the North and South Thompson rivers because of hazards like fast-moving currents, drop-offs, underwater obstacles, and other hazardous debris.

“While jumping into a river or lake can be refreshing during summer heat, even on our hottest days, the cold water in the river can be dangerous,” Kamloops Fire Rescue Fire Inspector Josh Cowen said. “Cold shock can affect your breathing and heart rate, increasing the risk of drowning.”

Strecheniuk said her recommendation for people looking to beat the heat is to visit one of the many swimming pools in the city. City-run pools are located at the Tournament Capital Centre, Westsyde, and in Brocklehurst while the YMCA has a pool at its downtown branch.

“The safest place to swim is always going to be in a lifeguard-supervised pool,” Strecheniuk added. “The drowning statistics for Canada show that less than one per cent of drownings happen in a supervised pool.”

More information about water safety in the City of Kamloops, can be found here.

– With files from Curtis Goodrum/CFJC Today