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REC REPORT: Summer a good time for swim lessons

It’s June, the weather is warming up and before we know it the kids will be out of school, which is really the true sign that summer is finally here.

It’s June, the weather is warming up and before we know it the kids will be out of school, which is really the true sign that summer is finally here.

Summer brings with it the opportunity for fun and play in and around our beautiful rivers and lakes.  Grand Forks Recreation (GFREC) wants to remind parents that water safety and awareness is key to keeping children safe as we enjoy the aquatic environment around us.

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Beginning Monday July 4, Grand Forks Aquatic Centre staff will be teaching Red Cross swim lessons for children ages three years and up.

There are six-lesson sets being offered throughout July and August, running weekly (Monday to Friday). All levels take place between 10 a.m. and 12:40 p.m.

Preschool lessons incorporate eight levels of completion from very beginner to the start of stroke development for ages three to five years. Along with the swim  instruction, children will learn valuable safety skills and learn to be water smart.

Young children represent seven per cent of drowning victims in Canada and of those who drown, three quarters are alone at the time. Teaching a small child to respect the dangers of water and understand the rules around water, like never playing around or going into the water alone, will help us to prevent future fatalities.

The Red Cross preschool program is the place to educate your child to “play safe and be aware.”

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The Red Cross swim kids program is for school-aged children ages six years and up.  There are 10 levels of completion from very beginner to advanced swimming techniques.

Along with stroke development kids will be taught valuable lessons on water and boating safety as well as lifesaving skills.

In Canada there are several hundred drowning victims each year, among them 83 per cent are young males. Many of these deaths can be prevented.

If kids have the opportunity to understand the dangers and to respect the water around them, then maybe through education we can lower the drowning statistics.

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Swim lessons are much more than learning how to blow bubbles or to back stroke. They are an integral source of knowledge and experience all kids need to enjoy their aquatic environment with a healthy respect for the dangers and to have fun within the necessary boundaries.

Enroll your kids into Red Cross swim lessons this summer, giving them the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to save their life and possible the lives of other.

Pick up a June flyer for details on upcoming events and summer programs, or view the recreation brochure on the web at www.rdkb.com .

You can also reach the Grand Forks Recreation Office at 250-442-2202 and the Grand Forks Aquatic Centre at 250-442-3488 or by email, gfplay@rdkb.com.