Swimming in the reservoir

  Rossland City Council has unanimously approved a request for the swim portion of a triathlon to occur in the Centre Star Gulch reservoir. City Council is keen to offer year round events and an off road triathlon would certainly be an exciting event. 

  However, I don't know how City Council can justify to the residents of Rossland why a special interest group will have access to swimming in the reservoir, when swimming in the reservoir has never before been allowed. Rossland Mayor Kathy Moore is quoted as saying (Rossland News, July 20, 2017) "allowing access to the reservoir for the race and having people swimming in a source of drinking water, is not a concern." Furthermore, Councillor Aaron Cosbey noted, "Our concern is we don't want people to think they can start swimming in there." Really? What else should we think then?    I have lived in Rossland pretty much my whole life, minus a stint at university. I have enjoyed the reservoir as a lovely 'waterfront' place to recreate; running, walking and biking since the 1970s.  I have never even dipped so much as my fingers or toes in the water of the the reservoir because it is just that.  A reservoir.   I love swimming. I really LOVE swimming! On hot summer days I long for a place to swim in fresh open water, as I am sure many other Rossland residents do. I will admit I have been tempted to swim in Ophir reservoir as it is 'once removed' from directly being our drinking water, but I respect the ban on swimming in Ophir reservoir as well. Like every one else, when I really have to swim, I head for a lake.    So I am interested to to see how Rossland City Council will rationalize sanctioning a swimming event for a select few. If Council does allow the test swim to proceed, I suspect I may not be the only person in town who decides to participate in civil disobedience and begin swimming in the reservoir.    I wonder if the folks proposing this event have considered running the triathlon with a swim in Nancy Greene Lake, and the bike and running portion either ending at the lake or ending in Rossland?