Installation of the new smart beach light at Kincardine's Station Beach is scheduled for Friday.
The light is a real-time beach warning system that uses green, yellow, and red signals, similar to a traffic light, to indicate current water conditions. The municipality stated this will help beachgoers make informed decisions before entering the water as wave conditions, wind, and currents are all factored into which colour-coded signal is displayed. Red indicates a high hazard requiring extreme caution, yellow is a medium hazard where increased caution is advised, and green is a low hazard.
“This project represents an important step forward in how we communicate changing lake conditions to the public,” Mayor Kenneth Craig said in a statement. “Many local residents are familiar with the changing conditions at Station Beach, but as more visitors continue to enjoy our waterfront, it’s important that we provide clear, accessible safety information to help people make informed decisions."
The solar-powered smart beach light will be located near the main pedestrian access to the public swimming area and will reflect water conditions from the no-swim zone near the pier to the southern public beach access points.
Following the installation, the system will undergo calibration and testing for roughly two-weeks. During that time, the sign will be covered and clearly marked as "testing in progress."
The smart beach light was approved by council earlier this year and is being run in partnership with SwimSmart Technology and the University of Waterloo.
The municipality said the public will be notified once the light is fully operational.
