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At first glance, laying on an inflatable toy in shallow water seems pretty safe, after all, the water isn’t deep and there is a floating toy right there. Recently, a family’s trip to the beach in Nova Scotia proved to be a harrowing reminder of why this is not the case.

Jim and his wife always remind their friends how important it is to wear their lifejackets when they go out on the water.

A few years ago, they were out fishing in a Saskatchewan provincial park with another couple. Jim remembers asking his wife if she had caught a fish. That’s when he noticed that she appeared to be dozing off.
 

When our daughter Ruby was six months old, we enrolled in Red Cross lessons at our local pool. Those first few lessons were tough, with a crying unhappy baby but we stuck with it. Very quickly Ruby started to gain confidence, and with that a love of the water. She is so proud of every level she completes and looks forward to spending time at the pool each week. This past winter Ruby started synchronized swimming, and those Red Cross swimming lessons helped her pick up the choreography and strokes more quickly.  Those basic swimming skills are the foundation of all water activities like diving, snorkelling, paddle boarding, skim boarding and more. 
 

August 25, 2019 marks two years since the Bangladesh Population Movement began. Since 2017, more than 700,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state for Bangladesh. Many international aid workers, like Canadian Red Crosser Norine Naguib, continue to support the efforts there.

Swimming back to shore wasn’t exactly how the kayaking day trip was supposed to end. It was a warm, sunny day in July when Serge, his wife Carole and their youngest son, Xavier, decided to head out in their sea kayak to explore Skull Island, not too far from their cottage in southeastern New Brunswick. The water is usually relatively calm in the bay and warm, perfect for kayaking.
 

It’s 3 a.m. and Parnian Hosseini’s phone is ringing insistently. ‘Red Cross, Parnian speaking. How can I help you?’. Parnian is a highly-trained volunteer who helps answer the 24/7 emergency assistance line, read about how she is using her skills to make a difference in the lives of those who are living through an emergency or disaster. 

Brandy Cherarmie lived through Hurricane Katrina, where she saw firsthand the help that the Red Cross provides. Since then, she has joined as a volunteer and and has travelled around Canada helping people impacted by emergencies and disasters. 

Ah August, when summer is in full bloom. It’s a beautiful time of year with hopefully plenty of sun and heat. It is also the time when you have to start thinking of autumn. For us, that means thinking of activities for our son, particularly swim lessons.