Moncton officials warn of risks involved with riding tidal bore

CTV Atlantic: Moncton warns of tidal bore risks City officials in Moncton are warning anyone who ventures out onto the Petitcodiac River about the risks involved with riding the tidal bore

Moncton’s tidal bore has been getting a lot of attention, but now the city is warning anyone who ventures out onto the Petitcodiac River about the risks involved with riding the wave.

Surfer Daniel LeBlanc says the tidal bore isn’t for beginners and warns that swimming to shore can be difficult, even for the most seasoned surfers.

“The mud banks are still present in different places, so if you get out at the wrong spot, you could sink or get caught for a while,” says LeBlanc. “So you have to have a lot of cool and common sense.”

Aside from the physical dangers of riding the tidal bore, city officials are warning surfers of potential health risks from the water itself, and say anyone venturing out onto the Petitcodiac does so at their risk.

One issue is that the water along the Petitcodiac River is murky and doesn’t meet the Canadian guidelines for safe recreation.

“We also have water quality with the sewage discharge in it and that exceeds the safe limits,” says Rod Higgins, the general manager of Moncton Parks and Leisure.

The Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission has been told to address the issue.

“They’re mandated by law, by the year 2018, to have secondary treatment in place that will greatly improve the water quality,” says Higgins.

In anticipation of increased recreational use of the river, the city has commissioned a study to assess risks and how best to manage them.

Higgins expects to have the results of the study by September.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis