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Swimming hours in the Canal Saint-Martin are extended starting today!

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The Editor

© Jagoda Bartus / Le Bonbon

On this Sunday, June 21, amidst anger and despair, swimming was banned in the Saint-Martin Canal (though it didn’t have much effect), the municipality has decided to revise its approach by extending access hours starting today to tackle the unprecedented heat wave that will hit the capital this week.

Last weekend, to fight against the onset of the heatwave, Emmanuel Grégoire decided to open the swimming area at the Canal Saint-Martin earlier than planned. This move was a big success, as since then, hundreds and hundreds of Parisians have taken a dip right in the heart of the capital to try and cool off as best as they can. And here’s the good news: the most adventurous swimmers can now enjoy two extra hours of diving every day!


A Little Extra Fun

While wild swimming had become quite the trend at the Canal Saint-Martin over the past few weeks, the mayor of Paris, in his great wisdom, decided to go with the flow of the Parisians, who are true thrill-seekers, by regulating swimming instead of banning it. This measure is certainly one to be applauded when the mercure hit over 30° in the streets of Paris. And while the Parisian asphalt is getting ready to climb a few more degrees (temperatures will flirt with 40° in the middle of the week), the city announced this Monday, June 22, that the low zone of the Récollets, by the Jemmapes quay, will be extending its hours starting today, with current hours from 4 PM to 8 PM shifting to 3 PM to 9 PM, giving 2 extra hours each day.


Rules to Follow

While the access period has been extended, the security measures to adhere to remain exactly the same: swimming is still prohibited (and thus punishable) outside the authorized area, and it is strictly forbidden to jump off the walkways present along the canal. Just a reminder, swimming at this level has a number of dangers, especially due to the presence of locks. Since it opened, there have already been reports of drowning suspicions, and no less than 13 people have lost their lives in the water since Saturday, June 20 across the country. A sad truth that reminds us that swimming is great (even essential this week), but doing it safely is even better.