Drownings spur Winnipeg schools to teach swimming, water safety
WINNIPEG — Mark Wasyliw knew something had to be done after two children drowned at a Lake Winnipeg beach in 2016.
“This hit me very personally. The students were around the age of my children,” said the trustee with the Winnipeg School Division, where David Medina, 12, and Jhonalyn Javier, 11, were students.
Their families had recently arrived in Canada from the Philippines.
Wasyliw’s school division, Manitoba’s largest, and the city of Winnipeg announced a pilot program Wednesday to incorporate water safety education into the curriculum. The Swimming Counts program includes three 40-minute sessions in the pool as one hour of classroom time.