With the tragic fatal drowning of former NHL goalie Ray Emery making headlines to start the week, it's sadly fitting. It's National Drowning Prevention Week, July 15 to 21. The proclamation to have the week recognized in Weyburn was read by Mayor Marcel Roy at the last city council meeting.

"The Lifesaving Society urges Canadians and residents of Saskatchewan to supervise children who are in and around the water, to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages while participating in aquatic activities and to wear a personal floatation device or lifejacket at all times when boating," stated Roy.

The Lifesaving Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of drowning and other water-related injuries in Canada. They say drowning is the number one cause of unintentional deaths among children aged one to four years of age and the third leading cause of unintentional death in adults under 60. 

With some 500 fatalities annually across the country, Saskatchewan sees an average of 18 fatal drownings each year in addition to water-related injuries such as brain injury and spinal injury.