Provincial resources and programs will help keep Manitobans safe on the water while enjoying fun and healthy activities this summer, Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau announced.
“Our province is home to over 100,000 lakes and rivers that offer endless recreational possibilities but there are also risks that we should all understand and avoid,” said Rondeau. “Manitoba offers a range of water- and boating-safety programs and I encourage all Manitobans to tap into these resources to help protect themselves and their families.”
This year, the province is providing $125,000 to the Manitoba Coalition for Safer Waters for three ongoing water-safety programs:
• $50,000 for the personal floatation device (PFD) loaner program, which ensures that people in over 50 northern and remote communities can access these safety devices for swimming lessons, boat trips and other community-led events;
• $50,000 for Manitoba Water Safety Community Grants, which provide a one-time grant of up to $2,500 for community-led projects like training lifeguards, improving waterfront signage, training swimming instructors, increasing supervision of young people near water or building barriers to protect the public from hazardous waterfronts; and
• $25,000 for a public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of sober boating and keeping children within arm’s reach at all times when swimming.
“This funding is crucial for us to meet our mission and mandate of injury prevention and drowning reduction,” said Carl Shier, chair of the Manitoba Coalition for Safer Waters. “While we are comprised of many organizations, we are unified on our goal of making life safer around water for everyone in this province.”
Drowning is a leading cause of death among all age groups, but particularly for young children. The minister noted that Manitoba has proclaimed May 22 to 28 as Safe Boating Awareness Week and encouraged boaters of all ages to remember these five important safety tips:
• wear your life jacket,
• don’t drink and boat,
• take a boating course,
• be prepared, and
• beware of cold-water risks.
Manitobans are reminded that all beaches in provincial parks are unsupervised. Public education and emergency response services are offered by beach safety patrols at three of the most heavily used provincial park beaches – Grand Beach, Winnipeg Beach and Birds Hill. Boaters are urged to ‘know before you go’ and find out about local hazards by reading maps, charts and other navigational aids or contacting local area marinas.
