{"id":20694,"date":"2019-11-07T22:45:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T22:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cekan.ca\/regional\/bayfront-park-may-be-turned-into-an-island-as-part-of-commonwealth-games-proposal\/"},"modified":"2022-11-28T19:26:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T19:26:48","slug":"bayfront-park-may-be-turned-into-an-island-as-part-of-commonwealth-games-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cekan.ca\/hamilton\/bayfront-park-may-be-turned-into-an-island-as-part-of-commonwealth-games-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Bayfront Park may be turned into an island as part of Commonwealth Games proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of their proposal for the city to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, local community group\u00a0Hamilton100<\/a> would like the city to turn Bayfront Park into an island. The hope is that reshaping the park would improve water circulation, flushing out algae and making the harbour safe for swimmers.<\/p>\n\n

The proposal to host the games is still pending council approval, but also includes a number of other ideas that will benefit Hamilton residents for many years after the short athletic competition. These ideas include plans to build and\/or renovate \u2018legacy\u2019 facilities such as upgrading McMaster University\u2019s pool complex, building a new downtown convention centre, and building a new multi-sport arena.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most ambitious of these plans is their vow to make Bayfront Harbour swimmable for triathletes and the public by 2030, and to keep it swimmable for future generations. This presents a serious challenge, as the harbour has long struggled<\/a> with sewage overflows and toxic blue-green algae. The problem is so severe that public health experts have even gone as far as to recommend closing the beach indefinitely, as high bacterial counts have led to frequent beach closures in recent years.<\/p>\n

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The bid\u2019s proposed solution is daring and innovative, if unproven. The logic behind carving Bayfront Park into an island is that improving water circulation will reduce or eliminate the harbour\u2019s \u201cdead zones\u201d where the water is stagnant.<\/p>\n

Because bacteria from bird feces and other waste tends to linger and incubate in still water, increasing the movement of water in the area should limit opportunities for bacterial growth and thus improve the water\u2019s safety for public use, the proposal argues.<\/p>\n