Marking National Drowning Prevention Week
The Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia shares important safety advice to help prevent drownings this summer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
28 minutes ago
- CBC
UBCO researchers create 3D-printed living lung tissue
University of British Columbia Okanagan researchers are hoping their recent findings can help treat various health conditions such as asthma, COPD and lung cancer. They're doing this by creating 3D-printed living lung tissue. Emmanuel Osei, one of the study's lead researchers and an assistant professor at UBCO's biology department, explains the process.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Cochrane's fitness efforts earn top Ontario community honour
Cochrane was named Ontario's most active community in the 2025 ParticipACTION challenge, earning $7,500. The town hosted 110 events, prioritizing inclusivity. The Town of Cochrane has been named Ontario's Most Active Community in the 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge, earning $7,500 to support local physical activity and sport initiatives. Welcome to Cochrane An undated promotional photo of the welcome sign for the Town of Cochrane, Ont. (File photo/Town of Cochrane Ontario) The national competition encourages Canadians to get active throughout June. This year saw record-breaking participation, with over 846,000 people engaging in more than 10,000 events across 672 communities. Cochrane stood out in Ontario by mobilizing 18 organizations to host 110 activities, from walking groups to Indigenous games and outdoor yoga sessions. Park Pals - yoga An photo of Cochrane Park Pals and the community participating in outdoor yoga during the 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge in June. (Cochrane Park Pals/Facebook) 'We're proud beyond words,' Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis told CTV News. He credited grassroots efforts, particularly the Park Pals, a local group that advocated for park improvements and organized community fitness initiatives. 'They took it upon themselves to be the difference,' he said. 'This is the icing on the cake of their effort.' Park Pals - scavenger hunt An photo of Cochrane Park Pals and the community participating in a scavenger hunt during the 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge in June. (Cochrane Park Pals/Facebook) Inclusivity and accessibility key to success Cochrane's recreation department expanded programming to ensure activities were accessible to residents of all ages, abilities and income levels. Partnerships with libraries, food banks and Indigenous centers helped host events like guided nature walks and sensory-friendly activities. 'We want to break down barriers,' said Diana Dampier, ParticipACTION's senior director of projects. 'Cochrane did an amazing job offering low-cost, creative ways to get people moving.' The town's focus on inclusivity aligned with the challenge's goal of supporting equity-denied groups. Since 2019, ParticipACTION has awarded $7 million in grants to make physical activity more accessible nationwide. Northern community builds on active legacy Politis highlighted Cochrane's history of promoting active living, including a free bikeshare program and an 80-kilometre multi-use trail network under development. 'We've embraced being a community that sees the value in engagement,' he said, noting the town's connection to outdoor recreation through snowmobile and ATV trails. Richmond, B.C., claimed the national title and $100,000 grand prize, but Cochrane's win underscores the impact of smaller communities. 'It doesn't matter how big you are,' Politis said. 'Your passion drives outcomes.' Park Pals - Volunteers An photo of Cochrane Park Pals volunteers during the 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge in June. (Cochrane Park Pals/Facebook) Health Minister Marjorie Michel also praised the event for fostering 'stronger, healthier communities' nationwide in a news release this week. Looking ahead Dampier encouraged other towns to register early for next year's challenge and prioritize inclusive programming. Cochrane plans to invest its prize money into local initiatives, including a $200,000 park upgrade led by the Park Pals. With files from journalist Lyndsay Aelick
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Cooling tanks at LHSC Victoria test positive for legionella bacteria, which causes legionnaires disease
London Health Sciences Centre says the cooling towers at Victoria Hospital have tested positive for the legionella bacteria. They can grow in hot tubs and hot water tanks, or large plumbing or air conditioning systems, places where water turns to vapour. Now the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) says legionella bacteria, the bacteria that cause legionnaires disease, have been found in samples from the cooling towers at the Victoria campus. 'Water evaporates and becomes aerosolized, where the bacteria can be in the air, then inhaled by people, and people can get sick,' explained Dr. Nadim Khalil, the Site Lead, Infection, Prevention and Control at LHSC Children's Hospital. So what is legionnaires disease? LHSC describes it as a serious type of pneumonia, though it is not spread by person-to-person contact. Signs can include fever, chills, dry cough, and shortness of breath. On July 9, Middlesex London Health Unit declared a legionnaires outbreak within a six-kilometre radius in southeast London. As of Tuesday, there were 69 reported cases, and two deaths. london - legionnaires - july 2025 A heat map provided by the Middlesex-London Health Unit shows the general area of confirmed cases (home addresses) of Legionnaires' disease reported to the Middlesex-London Health Unit in 2025. 'Even though there have been 69 cases, it's still fairly low number just considering the population of London. That falls down to roughly one in 10,000 people getting sick,' said Dr. Khalil. While LHSC Victoria falls within the catchment area, officials say the hospital is not the source of the outbreak. 'There's not an increased risk from catching legionella from being in the hospital than anywhere else in London,' said Dr. Khalil. 'So unfortunately, just because we do fall in that radius,' he explained. Dr. Khalil said LHSC is doubling its efforts with chemical cleaning of the cooling tanks. 'So regardless of the test results, we have had treatment done to the water supply, and we are proceeding with an even more aggressive treatment and cleaning, just to make sure we're not causing any potential harm to the community,' he said. The hospital is awaiting results of the positive samples, taken about a week ago. That's to determine whether it's the same strain found in the community. They're expected in about three weeks.
