Edmonton 'accidental beach' lacks facilities for deluge of sudden sunbathers

Edmontonians are enjoying an unusualreprieve on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River in the final days of summer, but a local residentworriesit's too much for the unintentional sandy oasis to handle.

Hundreds of people flocked tothe "accidental beach" on the weekend, the unintentional byproduct of a changing current created by LRT bridge construction weirs.

• 'It's like Waikiki or Puerto Vallarta': Sandy beach surfaces along North Saskatchewan River

Paul Bunner, a long-time resident of the adjacent Cloverdalecommunity who is anadvocate forriver recreation, said he's never seen anything like it.

"It was wonderful to see people hanging on the beach sunbathing, building sandcastles, splashing in the water, cooling off," Bunner said Monday. "Lots and lots of paddlers, kayaks and canoes, paddleboards it really was an idyllic scene."

The barrage of beach-goers was also overwhelming for the nearby park area, designed to handle a few dozen people, Bunner said.

"When you get hundreds, if not thousands, it's pretty clear that basic infrastructure to serve that many people needs to be upgraded," he said.

Bunner wantsthe city to installportable toilets and more garbage cans for the rest of the season and next year, since the beach will likely still be there because of the LRT bridge construction work.

• Swimming the North Saskatchewan? New water testing will help you take the plunge

After the busy weekend, Bunnersaid he called 311 to report the overflowing garbage from acan on 92nd Streetand 98th Avenue.

He also said there's not enough parking spots for such big crowds.

Thebeach has been getting lots of attention on social media, with some Edmontonians calling thequality of the sandy riverside "shockingly good," whileothers suggestfood trucks should set up on nearby 98th Avenue.

Beach or no beach, the influx of people this weekend also foreshadowed what's to come for the area generally when the Valley Line LRT is up and running, with a station next to the Muttart Conservatory, Bunner suggested.

"Within three years, it's going to become an accessible go-to destination for Edmontonians from all over the city," he said. "They will come by train to visit the valley, to visit the Muttart, the Edmonton Ski Club in the winter time."

• Mayor and city councillor keen to keep Edmonton's surprise beach on riverbank

Bunner wants to see amenities developed on the perimeter of the station.

Mayor Don Iveson and city Coun. Ben Henderson have said they'd like to see the beach maintained even after LRT bridge construction is finished.

A statement from the city Monday afternoon said the beach is "only temporary in nature" and no additional infrastructure will be added to the site. The city did some minor clean-up of the siteto remove branches, batteries and other debris, but they are not monitoring access to the beach.

The city is asking thepublicto be carefulon the trails leading to the beach.

Park ranger peace officers will monitorthe site, and public intoxication and nuisance should be reported to police, the statement added.

@natashariebe