Several Vancouver beaches remain closed for swimming ahead of big event weekend
On a weekend shaping up to be full of festivities around the beach, including the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, officials are warning people to stay out of the water in some popular areas.
Nine beaches around Vancouver are currently designated as "not suitable for swimming," due to unsafe levels of E. coli, according to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
Ambleside Beach
Wreck Beach.
English Bay.
Kitsilano Beach.
Second Beach.
Sunset Beach.
Third Beach.
Lions Bay,
Trout Lake.
Three more beaches have E. coli levels that were higher than expected in samples, though swimming is not restricted.
Dundarave Beach.
Sandy Beach.
Eagle Harbour.
Michael Schwandt, medical health officer at VCH, said it's uncommon to have this many beaches not suitable for swimming at the same time.
"Normally, we might see one or more beaches within that status at a given point in time, but not very commonly do we see so many all at the same time," Schwandt said.
There are a number of possible contaminants, according to Schwandt, including runoff from sewers or leaking sewage, as well as discharge from boats or animal sources like dogs and birds.
"We're working with the local and regional government to further examine that."
Schwandt said there's been more reports of recreational boating in the area, particularly with the weekend's upcoming festivals, and suggested discharge from boats could be contributing to the increased levels of E. coli.
Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, an environmental charity focused on connecting people with water, noted E. coli is a natural bacteria found in the water, one that's frequently an indicator of "human fecal waste."
It has the potential to cause human gastrointestinal illnesses, ear infections, eye infections and skin infections, according to Ford.
"It's an unpleasant way to spend the day after a lovely day at the beach."
He noted combined sewers, in which sanitary sewers and storm sewers are combined into a single pipe that directs the water to a treatment facility, are one way E. coli can enter local waterways.
The systems are designed to overflow into water bodies like lakes and rivers, so they don't overflow back into streets or basements.
"But what that means is that sometimes we are depositing this deleterious substance directly into the waters that people frequent for swimming, drinking or fishing."
Ford said investing in infrastructure to separate storm and sanitary sewers is a long-term and expensive solution, so many municipalities are also investing in low-impact green infrastructure that can reduce the amount of runoff water entering the sewer system, such as rain barrels, stormwater ponds, bioswales (which carry stormwater to another location) or rain gardens.
Ford said climate change means warmer temperatures and more intense, frequent rainfall are predicted.
"It's critical that we bring this into the conversation, because as our climate starts to change and these rainfall events become more common, those are things that we need to keep in mind moving forward regarding how we effectively manage our stormwater."
Stephen Paetkau of Skookum Yacht Services operates a free mobile pump-out service for the City of Vancouver to pump out "black water" from boats out to the city's sewer.
He said there hasn't been much of an increase in customers for the pump-out service recently.
"It's been pretty static for the last seven or eight years," he said.
He said he was unsure if people are dumping waste from their boats.
"It's literally something you have to be in the water to watch it happen in order to know it's happening."
He said the boating community is also likely "better behaved" now than a decade ago, but noted there's little enforcement of Transport Canada's rules on dumping waste.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
Blood drive being held in memory of late Royal Canoe bassist and partner
Katherine speaks with Jennifer Doerksen, who is helping organize a blood drive in memory of Royal Canoe's Brendan Berg and his partner Olivia Michalczuk.


CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
N.S. public health reporting 30 cases of measles in northern part of province
A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination awaits the next patient during a vaccine clinic in St. Thomas, Ont., on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Health says there are now 30 cases of measles in the northern part of the province. The health agency had reported a single case on July 7 in the northern zone, and says it is believed that all 30 infections stem from travel within Canada to regions where measles is known to be circulating. 'Currently, new cases are mainly found in large households and specific, small communities with close contact,' said a Thursday statement from Nova Scotia Health. Health officials said the rise in cases was expected because it's common for secondary infections to appear within seven to 21 days after initial measles cases are identified. Eight of 30 cases in the northern zone have been lab-confirmed and the remaining are considered confirmed based on patients' household exposure and symptoms. Despite the rise in infections, the risk to the general public is still considered low. The provincial health agency is reminding Nova Scotians that the best protection against measles is vaccination, and every person born after 1970 should have two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine after their first birthday. Nova Scotia's Department of Health says 93.4 per cent of children who turned two years old in 2024 had received one dose of the measles vaccine, and 78.6 per cent were fully vaccinated with two doses. A spokesperson with the department says actual measles vaccination rates in Nova Scotia may be higher 'because of under-reporting.' Scientists, meanwhile, say that a population needs a vaccination rate of 95 per cent — with two doses — to stop measles from spreading. In May, a single case of measles was reported in the Halifax Regional Municipality, but there were no secondary infections identified with the original case, now considered 'resolved.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. By Lyndsay Armstrong


CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
Increase in measles virus detected through wastewater surveillance: WECHU
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has sent reminders to school-aged children who are overdue for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine after an increase in the virus in wastewater surveillance in the region. WECHU says while no direct link has been established between the wastewater signal and school-aged populations, the signal serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining high community immunization coverage to protect children.' Wastewater surveillance is one of the tools we use to monitor public health trends,' said Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, WECHU medical officer of health. 'Although clinical measles cases remain low, the presence of the virus back in the wastewater suggests that we must remain vigilant.'WECHU is offering catch-up immunization clinics throughout the summer to help families in need of support with immunizations. 'We want to make it as easy as possible for families to access this important vaccine,' said Dr. Aloosh. 'With the school year approaching and the measles virus detected in wastewater, this is a timely opportunity to ensure our community remains protected against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.' Residents are encouraged to check their immunization records and contact their healthcare provider or WECHU for help.