Multicultural Must Read: Spotlight on Water Safety

Studies suggest new Canadians don’t know how to swim compared to those born here

News story for the Philippine Canadian Inquirer a national Filipino news source.

"The recent drowning of an eight-year-old Syrian refugee in Quebec has highlighted the findings of two studies which indicate new arrivals in the country are more at risk of drowning than people born in Canada. The girl died Sunday after falling into the Magog River in Sherbrooke, east of Montreal. A 2010 study done for the Lifesaving Society concluded that new Canadians—particularly those who have lived in the country for less than five years—are at a higher risk of drowning when boating or swimming than people born here. The Ipsos Reid Public Affairs study examined the influence of ethnicity on attitudes and behaviours when it came to water safety. It revealed that almost one-third of new Canadians are nervous around water and half of new Canadian parents fear their children may drown. Raynald Hawkins, director of the Quebec Lifesaving Society, suggests recent drowning victims in the province may have been new Canadians."

New Canadians often turn to news in their mother tongue for safety information. Articles like these raise awareness for local communities while bringing issues that affect minorities to the mainstream.