‘Not everyone grows up around water’: Lifesaving Society Manitoba educating newcomers on water safety

Lifesaving Society Manitoba is educating newcomers on water safety during National Drowning Prevention Week.

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.