A week after the tragic drowning of a Ste Anne man, Manitoba Hydro is making some changes to their abandoned quarry at Great Falls.

Manitoba Hydro Spokesperson Bruce Owens says a gate and full-time security guard will be added at the site to ensure that access is not granted.

“As an abandoned quarry, it is inherently dangerous to go swimming in it,” says Owens, “and there are warning signs telling people of the risk.”

Owens says that public safety is paramount but rolls out a long list of other reasons for the decision to add security.

“There is a tremendous amount of garbage that’s generated and left in the area, there’s overnight camping, there are no washroom facilities there, people cut down trees and break branches off so they can have a fire, there are no fire pits, and they have open fires during times when there are fire bans.”

Asked about the timing of the decision, Owens alluded to last week’s tragedy. “We raised these concerns with local groups and local government districts more than a year ago and unfortunately before anything could be enacted upon we had a horrible drowning.”

Owens offers his sympathies to the families and friends affected by the incident and says their priority now is to make things safer.

An unfortunate byproduct of the increased security measures means that cyclists and hikers that used the walkway responsibly will no longer be allowed to.

“It’s an area where people like to go because it is attractive and the water is clear,” explains Owens, “but with it being unsupervised, and with the number of people in such a small area, it just becomes unsafe.”

When considering the possibility of developing the area, Owens is non-committal.

“These things need to be discussed, and it certainly won’t happen quickly because it’s provincial crown land and so Manitoba Sustainable Development would have to get involved, along with the RM of Alexander, and Manitoba Hydro. Certainly, there has to be a lot of thought put into what happens next, if anything. It might be permanently closed.”