July 21 to 27 is National Drowning Prevention Week in Canada, a time to put the spotlight on water safety. Whether you’re headed for the beach, a backyard pool or everything in between this summer, enjoying water activities safely is always the right way!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some water-related data.
Canadian households actively out on the water
About 78% of Canadian households participated in outdoor activities close to home in 2021. More than one in five households (21%) reported swimming, going to the beach, surfing, scuba diving or snorkelling.
Additionally, more than 1 in 10 households (12%) reported boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rowing, dragon boating or seadooing.
According to the National Travel Survey, Canadians reported participating in these water-related activities in 2023 during their domestic trips (one or multiple): going to the beach (13.8 million person-trips), boating (8.6 million), canoeing or kayaking (8.0 million) and fishing (6.3 million).
The coast, lakes and rivers
In 2021, 14.9% of people in Canada lived within 10 kilometres or less of the Pacific, Arctic or Atlantic coasts. Also in 2021, there were an estimated 1.3 million square kilometres of total freshwater area, including the Great Lakes and accounting for 13% of the country’s landscape.
As of December 2023, there were 920 marinas across Canada to handle all the boat traffic.
Backyard pool boom
Some households have a pool right in their own backyard. From January through April 2024, there were 2,719 permits issued across Canada for the construction of residential inground swimming pools.
Since data on the number of permits issued for the construction of residential inground swimming pools started to be available in 2018 (11,945), the highest annual number was in 2021 (23,048). The next-highest numbers were in 2020 (18,820) and 2022 (17,222), as many households decided to build in their own backyards amid closures and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the 12,672 permits issued were short of the pre-pandemic high of 12,818 in 2019.
Pools, parks and lifeguards
Heading out to a pool or water park? As of December 2023, there were 9,735 fitness and recreational sports centres across Canada, establishments which include swimming pools. Further, there were 266 amusement and theme parks, including water parks.
Don’t run on deck! The 2021 Census of Population counted 56,320 program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness employed across Canada. This occupational group includes beach and pool lifeguards, as well as swimming instructors.
Learn more about water safety
In 2022, there were 308 deaths in Canada due to accidental drowning and submersion. Although down from 2021, every drowning death is one too many.
The Lifesaving Society has some important tips and resources on staying safe anywhere that you’re in or on the water.
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Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).