Moldy Peaches

On the surface there is nothing wrong with the comments made by Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett calling for swimming lessons to become part of every child's education. Bennett, Minister of State (Public Health), is calling for swim lessons to be part of the school curriculum and for the federal government to help fund the initiative.

"We've made such strides in this country, from seat belts and car seats to bicycle helmet legislation in many provinces," Bennett told the Toronto Star. "It's time we looked at swimming safety."

It wasn't until the quote that she lost me. I thought she was going to make the case that Canadian school children need exercise and this is one way to ensure activity and add a little enjoyment into physical education. Nope. She is crossing over the line and showing some of the Liberal nanny state mentality.

Bennett believes every child should know what to do when they fall into the water. This is, again, an admirable statement, however, the statistics show the real risk of drowning is no greater than some other common activities.

According to the Lifesaving Society, an organization that certifies lifeguards and analyzes drowning deaths to promote safety, the number of national drowning deaths in Canada during 2001 was 431, down by 9 per cent from 2000, and down 15 per cent from the past five-year average (1997-2001). In Ontario, where Bennett is from, they were however up from record lows in the 1990s. That sounds awful until you look at the numbers. There were 144 drownings and other preventable water-related deaths in Ontario during 2001 -- the latest year for which there are statistics. That is up by eight per cent from the previous year's all-time low of 133 deaths in 2000.

In comparison, there were about 115 agricultural related deaths a year in Canada over the past decade. The agricultural environment, consisting primarily of independent operations dispersed across the country, makes injury prevention a challenge. The diversity of farming operations by the commodity produced, as well as the multiplicity of work practices and hazards within each workplace, further confounds the efforts of reducing occupational agricultural injuries and deaths. Does this mean that every child should know what to do if they are trapped under a Single Tine Combine? I can barely operate a John Deere lawnmower, please don't mandate me to figure out farm equipment.

There were 472 water-related deaths in Canada, of which 147 were in boating activities. Over three-quarters of all fatal boating incidents were recreational. Over half (53 per cent) occurred on lakes. Does this mean that every Canadian should be issued a lifejacket either upon entering primary or secondary school or when they get their driver's license?

Pedestrian fatalities averaged 416 per year and decreased 24.1 percent over the 10-year period. This explains the advent of the crosswalk, but I didn't get a lesson on it when I was in school. I did, however, learn to stop, drop and roll and that has come in handy once or twice. Plus, I could pick Smokey the Bear out of a mug shot line, for what that is worth.

What she could have said, if she was looking to make a valid point: Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in Canadian children one to four years of age, accounting for more than one-fifth of deaths in this age group. Infant and toddler drownings tend to occur in or around the home, with infants mostly in bathtubs, and toddlers falling into swimming pools.

Canadian children need more physical activity in their daily lives and that should be built into the curriculum. Bring back Participaction. Make Hal Johnson the Governor General - first vote whether he should keep his stache or not. Hire Richard Simmons to lead a July 1st "Sweating to the Oldies" mega session.

On a serious note, explore the idea of making gym memberships tax deductible - I know there are no guarantees that someone would use it, however, it would be in an incentive. Bring back real physical activities in class and clean up the school menus - they are a joke.