Sask. expert offers water safety tips ahead of hot weather
CBC
Saskatchewan residents will be seeking relief from this week's hot temperatures on their favourite lakes and rivers. But recent drownings in the province have highlighted the issue of water safety.
Rebecca Mollison is a volunteer with Saskatoon Search and Rescue and the owner of Back 40 Wildnerness First Aid.
CBC News spoke to Mollison Tuesday before she hit the South Saskatchewan River on her paddleboard.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CBC: Why do you love being on the water and doing all of these outdoor activities here?
Mollison: In Saskatoon, this river is our recreational lifeline. I think there's so many different opportunities for recreation around it, whether it be biking or paddling, just hiking, picnics, anything like that. So this river gives me multiple sources of recreation every day.
And it sounds like, through your work, you want other people to enjoy it too, in a safe way.
Yes, I think there is the ability to enjoy a micro-adventure in our backyard. Safety means that we're also self-sufficient and prepared and comfortable so that we can enjoy our time, or even stay out longer, or handle when things change, like the weather, or any kind of event that might happen.
So you're saying safety doesn't just begin when you step into the water. Can you talk about all the steps you went through before you got here to the shore?
So this morning, I checked the weather — 24 degrees this afternoon. The wind is only going to be nine kilometres [per hour] from the north, so a nice little gentle breeze headwind. I checked the river flow rate, so we've got about 105 cubic meters per second, which is up a little bit from the years past.
Then I got my gear ready, and packed some snacks and some ice coffee, and here we are.
What gear do you have?
I chose to paddle today, so I actually checked the pressure of my paddleboard, making sure that it's at the 15 PSI that it's supposed to be. I have a good paddle. Then I made sure I have all my components, like my leash. Then I'm making a choice on a life-jacket.
I've already put on sunscreen before I came out, but I will take it with me for extra. I actually have a sun shirt so that I can wear long sleeves and a hood — I'm very fair skinned — and my wide-brim hat. Those are things that will help me stay out longer and protect from that sun exposure.
A New Brunswick tenant says he’s being pushed out of his rented bungalow as retribution for complaining about his landlord, but his landlord says she’s the victim of an unfair tenancy tribunal ruling that is preventing her from using the unit to house family.
Snow and freezing rain could affect morning commutes on Tuesday, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.
Daniel Jolivet, 68, had his first taste of freedom this weekend after spending the last 33 years behind bars.
Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.