North Bay wants to keep its youth safe in the water this summer
The city of North Bay is teaming up with the Canadian Lifesaving Society to conduct free swimming lessons for youth at a public beach this summer.
The city says it’s an effort to teach youth how to swim to survive during National Drowning Prevention Week, July 17-23.
The lifesaving society said swimming is considered the second most popular activity among children between the ages of five and twelve.
“Survival skills for when you roll into the water, and that’s something that everybody living near the lake should have the opportunity to go and get those skills and make sure they’re as safe as possible,” said the city’s Bryan Kimber.
The swim-to-survive skills are not meant to replace swimming lessons.
The course will be conducted on July 24 at Olmstead Beach, where instructors teach children between 6 and 14 how to roll into the water, tread water for a minute and swim 50 meters.
“What's important is to reach out to youth especially during their school years so they can learn these skills as a child,” said Barbara Byers of the Canadian Lifesaving Society.
Lifejacket use and general boating safety will also be included in the program, and pre-registration is not required.
"We can reach them when they’re young in addition to them having the skills to keep them safe when they’re a child. They’ll have these skills to keep them safe and enjoy the water for the rest of their life," said Byers.
The society said, drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under the age of 10.
“For many children, they haven't had swimming lessons in over two years and that's a concern, because we know how important it is and we want both children and parents to be aware of how important it is," Byers said.
The society estimates nearly 160 people drown in Ontario lakes and swimming pools each year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.