1. Recommendations

Recommendations

1. We need PROVINCIAL LAW concerning pools and fencing for pools. Many areas in NS have NO by-laws concerning pools and fencing ! This should be an embarrassment to the municipalities and counties not included. If a bylaw for your area is not posted on this website it is because no bylaw was posted on the municipal and county websites posted by the Nova Scotia government on http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/link/ . I encourage you to contact your local government to lobby for regulations if you have none and I encourage all to lobby your MLAs for provincial regulations. Links for contact information for your MLAs can be found at http://www.ndpcaucus.ns.ca/profiles.asp , http://www.nsliberalcaucus.com/mlaoverview.asp , http://www.pccaucus.ns.ca/
2. We need PROACTIVE POOL INSPECTION ! See what a town in Quebec is doing about this at http://novascotiapoolsafety.blogspot.com/search/label/Cracks%20Down%20on%20Swimming%20Pool%20Safety%20Violations
3. Ordinary citizens must speak up and report unsafe pool situations. We all all responsible for the safety of our children in our neighbourhoods and none of us wants to be responsible for the death of a child because we failed to speak out.
4. Satellite photos available on the intenet could help inspectors find these illegally installed pools.
5. The capacity of a pool to hold 24 or even 12 inches of water to be included under government regulations is NOT acceptable. Children die in only 1 inch of water !
6. Kiddie and wading pools should be included in government regulations requiring such pools to be emptied when not being used or supervised.
7. Stores need to take more responsibility when selling these pools. Government registration at place of purchase would be a good idea with customers identifying location of installation with an automatic follow-up inspection by government inspectors.
8. We need to bring back government funding for children's programing in the summer. For example the playground program.
9. With the weather getting hotter, we should be seriously thinking about government sponsored outdoor pools. There have been such pools in Saskatchwan, Alberta, and Quebec for generations.
10. We need to look at options for reopening supervised swimming in lakes that have been closed and examine options to open others - For example Graham's Grove in Dartmouth.