After Recent Drownings, Regional Connections Talks Swim Safety

Earlier this month two immigrant Winnipeg men lost their lives at Lake of the Woods. 

A report by the Lifesaving Society of Canada showed new Canadians between the ages of 11 to 14, are five times more likely to not know how to swim compared to same-aged children born in Canada.

"If you look at drowning statistics in Manitoba in the last number of years, the large number of the drownings stats are around immigrant people," said Samantha Braun, Integration Worker at Regional Connections, during an interview earlier this year.

Alesha Hildebrand is the Volunteer Coordinator at Regional Connections,  which serves Winkler, Altona and Morden. 

Regional Connections does not provide swim lessons to clients directly, but works with organizations such as Jumpstart and KidSport to improve newcomer connections through opportunities such as swimming lessons in their communities. 

"We team up with Jumpstart in Winkler, Morden, and Altona, which is funded through Canadian Tire, and we encourage individuals to apply for Jumpstart funding so they can have opportunities to learn swimming lessons in their own communities," said Hildebrand.

Hildebrand added the number of people taking part in Jumpstart program varies, but Winkler had 40 people sign up this year. "Morden I think is pretty similar, and Altona is increasing as newcomers come into the community," she said.

"We have local beaches and we have local swimming pools in our communities, so it's really important if they want to get out and enjoy the places that are in their communities. It's just good to be safe," said Hildebrand.

Regional connections is a growing organization, as newcomers come to the Pembina Valley. In 2016, census numbers showed Winkler as the fastest growing city in Manitoba.

"We have over 100 countries coming in and using our program in all 3 communities," said Hildebrand.

Hildebrand was asked, based on her work in the field, why newcomers may not know how to swim.

"It can be based on culture, but it can be just based on experience and opportunity," she said.

Other reasons may be that families are busy settling into their new country, which involves enrolling children for school, starting new jobs, and learning to speak a new language.

This is the second year Regional Connections worked with KidSport in Altona to provided private swim lessons for 10 newcomer girls. Braun explained these lessons, at the Atlona Hotel, were specifically for immigrant girls who are not able to, for cultural reasons, swim in a public pool.