The RM of St. Laurent has made it easier for emergency vehicles to gain access to beach developments.

Reeve Cheryl Smith says there are seven such developments in their municipality, noting one of the criticisms Council heard following the 2011 flood is that none of their public accesses were properly identified and the paths hadn't been cleared.

Smith says they've now cleared all those paths and put signage on both sides---the road side as well as the beach side. She notes Council met with the RCMP, the fire chief, first responders and the IERHA ambulance service, adding everyone agreed that these accesses are very important when an emergency arises.

Smith says whether it's a water craft emergency or someone having a heart attack on the beach, emergency crews can now get to the closest access where the incident is occurring so their response will be that much faster.