The province of Ontario, Canada is providing funding to support the expansion of the Lifesaving Society Canada's successful Swim to Survive program.
The province is investing $2 million to help more than 80,000 seven- and eight-year-old children across the province receive free basic water safety and survival skills training.
The Lifesaving Society estimates about half of Canadian children never take traditional swimming lessons, even though swimming is the second most popular activity (after bicycling) in Canada among school-age children between 5 and 12 years of age.
