HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-03-05, Page 28PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2003.
MVCA delivers
spring river
safety program
Students in local schools will be
reminded of the hazards around
flooded waterways as the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority
conducts a river safety program until
the end of March.
Thanks to donations from Wescast
Industries Inc. and the Cook-Rees
Memorial Fund for Water Search and
Safety, students from kindergarten to
Grade 4 will participate in hands-on
activities to encourage them to play
safely by keeping away from flooded
watercourses including rivers,
streams, ditches and ponds. Each
student receives an activity booklet
to reinforce the safety messages.
In 2002, 1,835 students learned
more about safety around fast, cold
currents when the program was
brought to the schools in the western
part of the Maitland watershed.
.Esther Buck, community
education technician reports, “The
principals and teachers of those
schools affirmed our view that
students need constant reminders
that spring runoff creates potentially
dangerous conditions. Too often
there are reports of children getting
into trouble on thin ice and fast, very
cold water this time of year. During
the March Break some children
become bored and need reminders of
dangers near waterways.”
The program reinforces the
hazards of slippery banks, unstable
ice and cold currents. The MVCA
conducts the program in late winter
when flooding from melting snow
turns even shallow streams and
ditches into fast-flowing waterways.
Kirk Tysick, one of the instructors,
said: “Children are drawn to currents
and can easily slip on muddy banks
or through snowbanks into frigid
water and be 'carried downstream.
When students have the opportunity
to put their arm into ice water for a
few seconds and feel how cold the
water really is, they take the safety
messages more seriously.
Kindergarten students will learn to
recognize unsafe situations as they
interact with a puppet and listen to a
story. Grades 1 and 2 students will
use a large puzzle board as an
introduction to a river system.
Students determine safe and unsafe
situations as they use large pictures
illustrating river settings. Grades 3
and 4 students will have an
opportunity to see the strength of a
river current on video. Every student
will be able to hold their hand in ice
water for a short time, reinforcing
the danger of hypothermia if they
should fall into spring flood waters.
There are still openings in the
March schedule. Principals are asked
to call the MVCA at 335-3557 to
book a date. Interested parents are
encouraged to call their local school
to determine if their children will be
participating.
WAIT'
Plan Your ESCAPE
Develop a home fire
escape plan
now and
practice it
regularly.
Tied together
Three-legged races were just one of the many activities for participants at the Ethel Snowfest,
March 1. (Janice Becker photo)
The Land of the Reptile...for March Break
INDIAN RIVER
REPTILE ZOO
Win a Snowboard
compliments of Basics..
SQ0 StO(0 (Of details Best Prices Everyday!!!Best Prices Everyday!!!
March 10, 11 & 12
Shows at 12 noon, 2 pm & 4 pm
Reptiles on display during mall hours
Goderich Sky Harbour
Modelers Display
<& Glider Competition
March 15 & 16
Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
your copy of the latest
Harry Potter book!
Big Sisters Checkers Challenge
Saturday, March 15th
Come & discover your
Regional Shopping Centre Suncoast Mall ,
There’s always
something going on
Hwy. #21 South, Bayfield Rd., Goderich Mall Office 524-8300