Deadly Ontario Civic Holiday weekend frustrates provincial police

After the deadliest Civic Holiday long weekend in recent history, Ontario Provincial Police say people just aren't getting the message about boating and driving safety.

OPP Inspector Mark Andrews said officers were working around the clock last weekend.

And yet, 16 people died on the roads and in the water. Three of those fatalities happened in northeastern Ontario.

"It's been a bad year — all the way around — for the northeast region," Andrews said, adding there have been more highway deaths, boating incidents and drowning than the year before.

The reasons are always the same — people are distracted, aggressive or impaired, he said. And they're not wearing life jackets or seat belts.

"Life is not a video game. You can't hit reset and try again."       

The public education director with the Lifesaving Society of Canada said her organization wants to make life jackets mandatory so they're not just stowed on a boat, but worn. 

"You won't have time to put it on if you're being thrown in the water," Barbara Byers said.

"It's like with a bike helmet. If all you did was attach your bike helmet to your handle bars, it's not going to do anything for you. Unless you wear it, it's not going to work."

Lead by example

Andrews believes making life jackets mandatory will help, too.

But in the meantime, he's asking people to live by example and play it safe.

"We can't do this by ourselves," Andrews continued.

"We need the community to get engaged to be with us to have those conversations with each other. When you see a loved one doing something that you know is risky and it could get themselves in trouble, remind them of it."

He said people need to "set good examples for our kids and for young people. And when we see someone not doing something safe, we bring it to their attention in a nice way."

Byers said she also thinks schools should be teaching children basic swimming skills.

Police said of the 16 people died on Ontario roads and waterways over the Civic Day long weekend — one of the deadliest in recent history —nine people died in road crashes, six drowned and one man died after a canoe capsized.

The road crash fatalities include one cyclist, one pedestrian, three people travelling in one vehicle and four by motorcycle.

The three vehicle occupants were in their twenties, and the motorcycle deaths include a 59-year-old driver and his 61-year-old passenger.

All of the drowning victims were male and three of them were youths.

Police are still investigating, but say many of the deaths were preventable.