With summer in full swing and beaches at their busiest, local advocates are sounding the alarm on the urgent need for water safety.
The Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition is leading a week of education and community action as part of National Drowning Prevention Week, running from July 20th to 26th.
myFM sat down with Briar McCaw, who along with MaryKate Townsend founded the local coalition roughly four years ago.
McCaw explains that they bring together a broad network of community organizations—from police and fire services to local hospitals and immigrant services—all working toward one goal: reducing both fatal and non-fatal drownings through education, advocacy, and community engagement.
One of the coalition’s focuses is shifting the language around water incidents. Rather than referring to “near drownings,” members emphasize the correct term—“non-fatal drownings”—to reflect the real and lasting impacts such incidents can have on individuals and families.
This, among several other topics shares McCaw, will be front and centre this week.
The Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition’s events will officially kick off Saturday, July 19, with a free public swim at the Aylmer Pool from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
This will be followed by another community swim at Jaycees Pool in St. Thomas on Sunday, July 20 from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Local councils are also stepping up. The Town of Aylmer, City of St. Thomas and the County of Elgin will be issuing official proclamations and hosting flag raising ceremonies to recognize the importance of drowning prevention.
The highlight of the week lands on Friday, July 25—World Drowning Prevention Day—with a major public event taking place at Shaw’s Ice Cream just outside Port Stanley. Community partners including OPP, YMCA, YWCA, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, local tourism groups, and even the Lifesaving Society of Ontario will be on site to share information, demonstrate life jacket fittings, and highlight best practices for water safety.
Education is a core pillar of the coalition’s work. McCaw stresses that small actions—like supervising children, knowing local water conditions, or simply talking about safety—can help prevent tragedy.
Adding that “water safety should be as common a conversation as putting on a seatbelt.”
The Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition is rather active on social media, sharing educational resources and condition updates with the community. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram, and visit the coalition’s website for more details.
Written by: K. Freeman
