‘Not everyone grows up around water’: Lifesaving Society Manitoba educating newcomers on water safety
![Lifesaving Society Manitoba Lifesaving Society Manitoba is educating newcomers on water safety during National Drowning Prevention Week.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/7/22/lifesaving-society-manitoba-1-6973082-1721672714498.jpeg)
Lifesaving Society Manitoba is focusing its efforts to educate newcomers on water safety during National Drowning Prevention Week.
The organization said, on average, 22 people in Manitoba fatally drown every year, and board chair Ashley Walus said newcomers “experience a disproportionately high mortality burden” following a water-related injury.
“Not everyone grows up around water, has the opportunity to take swimming lessons, or learns about the risks associated with being in, on, or around water,” Walus said Monday.
An Ipsos Reid survey commissioned by the Lifesaving Society found only 41 per cent of new Canadians have taken formal swimming lessons, but expressed wanting their children to have access. The survey does note 60 per cent of newcomer parents said their child was able to participate in swimming lessons.
“There is an appetite for more water safety education for new Canadians and more work to be done to ensure that new Canadians can access this education in a way that enables them to participate fully,” Walus said.
Lifesaving Society Manitoba offers water safety and drowning prevention courses for newcomers through groups like the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM).
IRCOM offers programming for newcomer children aged six to 12, and during the summer, that includes bi-weekly visits to the beach.
“It’s become a very big priority for our kids to come home safely [and] to be able to enjoy everything that the Manitoba summers have to offer,” Kiara Rasmussen, IRCOM’s after-school program manager, said.
The courses teach participants – often translated into different languages – about risks associated with water, the role of lifeguards at beaches and pools, and ways to supervise children around the water.
Rasmussen said water safety education is vital to IRCOM and for the families accessing its services.
“Make sure they’re being safe in the water, and that we’re able to take care of them in the way we hope and expect.”
More information on Lifesaving Society Manitoba’s water smart program for newcomers is available online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7029099.1725707587!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Despite union protest, new hybrid work rules for federal employees kick in Monday
Public service unions will start the week with an early-morning rally opposing the policy. But despite the unions' 'summer of discontent' and an ongoing court challenge, the new rules will still kick in on Sept. 9.
Quebec to authorize advance requests for medical assistance in dying as of Oct. 30
Quebec will authorize advance requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID) without waiting for Ottawa to amend its Criminal Code.
Ukraine mourns dead from major Russian strike, vows response with underground weapons production
Funeral services were held Saturday for victims of one of the deadliest Russian airstrikes since the war in Ukraine began, as Ukraine’s president vowed to increase domestic military production by creating underground weapons factories.
Paul Anka says long-in-the-works Broadway musical is still on the horizon
After well over a decade of planning to adapt his life story into a stage musical, the 83-year-old Ottawa-born musician says the concept is finally getting traction.
Intruder breaks into Richmond daycare
It was a parent’s worst nightmare early Friday morning at a Richmond daycare, when an intruder broke into the centre.
Motorcyclist killed in collision with moose on Quebec highway
A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a moose on Friday evening in Saint-Modeste, near Rivière-du-Loup in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec.
Two astronauts are left behind in space as Boeing's troubled capsule returns to Earth empty
Boeing's first astronaut mission ended Friday night with an empty capsule landing and two test pilots still in space, left behind until next year because NASA judged their return too risky.
Fentanyl-laced gummies discovered in Hamilton: police
Hamilton Police are warning locals of the discovery of fentanyl-laced gummies 'disguised as candy,' after finding them during a recent warrant.
They were due to leave for their dream cruise in May. Three months on they’re still stuck at the departure port
It was the years-long cruise that was supposed to set sail, but saw its departure postponed… postponed… and postponed again.