During the hot days of summer, kids seem to flock to water like a moth to a flame. Whether it be a back yard pool, a beautiful lake or even just a sprinkler on the front lawn – kids and water just seem to go together. However, the Red Cross of Canada reports that hundreds of Canadians die each year in water related fatalities.
This rings true as just this past week a seven year old boy died in the Auburn Bay Lake in Calgary. This lake, just like our own, does not provide lifeguards and it is a use at own risk with parents and guardians being solely responsible for the safety of their children. Auburn Bay Lake does have a mandatory life jacket use rule and there is safety equipment provided at the park according to Gisele Danis of Brookfield Residential, but it is unknown as to how the park enforces their life jacket rule.
It’s tragedies like this that make you stop and think about how we as a lake community can keep our own kids safe on the water and those that come to visit and use our lake. With the new beach in place, the word is spreading quickly about our sandy oasis and with that, more and more people and children are coming out to enjoy it.
The Chestermere Rotary Club has been working with the City of Chestermere and the Lifesaving Society (Alberta & NWT) to build a Lifejacket Loaner Station at the new beach in Anniversary Park. The Lifesaving Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, in collaboration with the Injury Prevention Centre and Government of Alberta and Northwest Territories has Lifejacket Loaner Stations in eighteen locations across Alberta and two in the NWT.
Lifejacket Loaner Stations, are kiosks where visitors can borrow lifejackets at no cost, available in various sizes, and return them after use. The Lifesaving Society collaborates with organizations and communities to establish Lifejacket Loaner Stations with the understanding that the program includes a public awareness component and educational material. The public education component has proved to be informative to the public, with positive comments coming back regarding the program.
“Drowning statistics across Canada continue to show that people are not often wearing a lifejacket when needed,” states Lifesaving Society Chief Administrative Officer Barbara Costache. “We want to engage the public and raise awareness about lifejacket safety throughout the summer season with key drowning prevention messages such as: Chose it – Use it. Wear a lifejacket.”
This message is aimed at having individuals stop and think before heading out onto the water, and to encourage them to visit the kiosk and borrow a lifejacket. “Choose it – Use it! Your lifejacket can’t help you if you don’t wear it!” is a consistent injury prevention and behaviour change Water Smart message from the Lifesaving Society. Over the years, the Society has sought many means to engage the public in embracing this personal safety practice.
It is the hope of the Chestermere Rotary Club to have 12 – 18 life jackets in the kiosk for public use and that considering it is a loaner program, that users will respect the program and return the life jackets in the good condition they found them in. The Rotary Club says they are in the final stages with the City of Chestermere on this project and are just awaiting the signed permits and contracts with the City and also the Lifesaving Society.
The Chestermere Rotary Club will be fully responsible for the building and maintaining of the kiosk while the Lifesaving Society takes on the task of ensuring proper monitoring is done of the lifejackets as, just like car seats, life jackets expire and it is extremely important that the life jackets that are available are in proper working condition. Rotary member, Patricia Virk, says “There is a protocol that the Lifesaving Society follows (as this will be their 19th station including 2 at Sikome Lake and 1 at Glenmore Reservoir in Calgary). Both the Lifesaving Society and the Rotary Club will be inspecting on the booth and lifejackets on a regular basis. The kiosk will house lifejackets from May to Thanksgiving each year and will also house information on water safety”.
Virk continues, “The project does not cost residents and there is no user fee. The kiosk is to be constructed and maintained by the Rotary Club of Chestermere and the lifejackets are all donated by local residents. To donate Lifejackets, please contact rotarychestermere@gmail.com for pick up or drop them off at the Food Bank on Wednesdays between 5:30pm and 6:30pm”.
At this time it is unsure as to exactly when the life jacket kiosk will be built and open, but it will be a great addition to the beach in efforts to keeping our children safe at the lake.
