Northern Water Smart Program

Lifesaving Society Manitoba’s Northern Water Smart Program aims to make your community Water Smart this July and August!

There is no charge to the participants in any of the courses, but your community must provide clean, safe, and secure accommodations for our instructor(s) during their week-long stay and pay a community access fee to cover the cost of meals.  We send one or two instructors, depending on the size of your community.

Course options we are able to provide are listed below:

• Swim to Survive Lessons: For anyone age 6 and older; we run 4 days of 3 hour survival swimming lessons (weather dependent). Certificates are mailed out for all  The three skills they learn to prevent drowning are:

1. • Safe entries for falling into the water (don’t panic),
   • How to tread water for one minute (locate safety),
   • How to swim for 50 metres (getting to safety).

• Water Smart Safety Clinics – 2-7 hour courses:  These sessions provide your community with safety information on specific water-related topics.  They will include presentations and hands on activities to reinforce the lessons in each course.  You can choose one or more of the following topics depending on your community needs:

1. • Boat Operator Accredited Training (B.O.A.T.) – This 7 hour course allows successful candidates to earn their Transport Canada Pleasure Craft Operator (PCO) Card.  Candidates must attend the entire course and pass a written multiple-choice test in order to be successful.
   • Water Smart for Kids – This 2 hour dryland program is designed for children ages 6 – 12 and provides them with basic water safety and first aid training.
   • Within Arms’ Reach – This 2 hour dryland program is for parents and caregivers of young children.  It covers the supervision of young children in, on, or around water.

• Emergency First Aid & CPR Level C – 8-hour course: Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety recognizes this course as Basic First Aid. Each candidate will learn basic rescue skills for general emergencies such as bleeding, breathing emergencies, burns, choking, heart attack, stroke and CPR and AED usage for adults, children and infants.

The Northern Winter Smart Program can visit your community to deliver cold weather, hypothermia, and water safety education. As drowning can occur year-round, these training programs are designed to reduce injury and cold weather tragedies. The program can also include the Emergency First Aid course.

Program Descriptions

For a Winter Smart program visit your community may select from among the following programs that we offer.  Addtionally, we would like to reach as many people as possible with safety education – please be sure to choose programs that serve your entire community.

• Winter Smart Safety Clinics – 20 minute to 2 hour presentations: These sessions are designed for children and adults. The presentations include information on high risk groups, safe snowmobiling practices, trip planning, safety equipment, ice safety, rescue techniques, and winter first aid. You can choose one or more of the following depending on your community needs:

1. • Public Winter Smart Presentation – 2 hour
   • School Winter Smart Presentation – 20 to 60 minutes (depending on age group)

• Within Arms’ Reach – 2 hour presentation: This program is designed for parents and caregivers of young children or anyone interested in learning about being safe around the water. The presentation includes information on risk factors for drowning, high risk groups, adult to child supervision ratios, trip planning, safety equipment, basic rescue techniques and general first aid.
• Boat Operator Accredited Training (B.O.A.T.) – 7 hour course: This 7 hour course allows successful candidates to earn their Transport Canada Pleasure Craft Operator (PCO) Card. Ideal for youth just starting out with boating, with a recommended age of 12+.  Candidates must attend the entire course and pass a written multiple-choice test in order to be successful.
• Emergency First Aid & CPR Level C – 8 hour course: Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health recognizes this course as Basic First Aid. Each candidate will learn basic rescue skills for general emergencies such as bleeding, breathing emergencies, burns, choking, heart attack, stroke, and CPR and AED usage for adults, children and infants.