Latest news with #DavidHickey
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick, provincial government build new home for family
The Government of New Brunswick announced a new home built for a family in the Sackville district of Tantramar thanks to a partnership with Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick. The non-profit organization receives up to $100,000 per unit from the provincial government towards the construction of new homes, a news release from the province said. 'It's critical that we continue to find more pathways to home ownership,' said David Hickey, minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation. 'By working with our partners in Habitat for Humanity, we're able to bolster medium-density housing options for those who need them.' The three-bedroom bungalow is the 22nd affordable home built by the partnership since 2023. 'It's a pleasure to work with the government of New Brunswick to make home ownership possible for families like this one,' said Perry Kendall, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick. 'We know the need is great, and this partnership is an effective way to get people into safe, secure housing.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Family moves into new home built through N.B., Habitat for Humanity partnership
Adam Bowie, communications specialist with the New Brunswick Housing Corporation, is pictured. (Source: Government of New Brunswick) A New Brunswick family from Eastern Charlotte moved into a new home built through a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the province. David Hickey, the minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation, said it was good to see people moving into affordable housing in their community. 'We know there's a lack of medium-density housing in the province, and we're trying to address the challenges around home ownership by working with partners like Habitat for Humanity,' Hickey said. The government provides $70,000 per unit to Habitat for Humanity for up to 10 homes per year, said a Thursday news release. 'We're so pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with the government of New Brunswick on this well-built, energy-efficient home, which meets the needs of this family,' said Perry Kendall, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick. 'Projects like these allow us to help families secure safe and affordable homeownership opportunities throughout our province.' The home – a three-bedroom bungalow – will be the 18th affordable home built through the partnership since 2023, said the release. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
05-07-2025
- CBC
Rescuers also at risk when trying to help others safely to shore
Bystanders who jump in to help swimmers in distress need to consider the risks to themselves before wading into the water, the Lifesaving Society of Ontario says. "I myself have been a lifeguard for years and I would be extremely cautious going into open water to do a rescue," society spokesperson Stephanie Bakalar told CBC's Ottawa Morning on Friday. Bakalar's comments come two days after a man's dramatic rescue of two people from the Ottawa River near Westboro Beach on Wednesday afternoon. David Hickey, who told CBC he took a basic lifeguarding course as a kid, pulled an adult man and a child out of the river after noticing screaming and commotion near Westboro Beach. The father of the child was pulled out of the water later and pronounced dead at hospital. Hickey noted the river is quite shallow in that area until a steep drop-off not far from shore. 'You need to be very careful' Bakalar said ideally, would-be rescuers should have life-saving training. Even if they do, they should approach the situation with caution. For one thing, the people needing rescuing could, in their panicked state of mind, pull you down with them, Bakalar said. "They are scared and they are strong. They will grab you and they will pull you under the water," she said. You might start to panic yourself. "Now you're under the water as well, so you need to be very careful." Water currents need to be kept in mind as well. If possible, Bakalar recommended reaching out to the person with a floating object or throwing one to them from shore. If you do go into the water, get the person to roll onto their back and stay calm. "It would be much easier than dealing with someone who's thrashing around," Bakalar said. It's not clear where the father and child entered the river on Wednesday. Westboro Beach has lifeguards on duty from noon to 7 p.m., according to the National Capital Commission. "Swimming conditions can vary depending on river conditions," the NCC's website warns. Children, or anyone who isn't a confident swimmer, should have a life-jacket on before going into the water, said Dr. Trevor Arnason, Ottawa's interim medical officer of health Data up to 2020 indicates Ottawa experiences about six drownings a year. Swimming incidents often happen away from supervised areas, he added.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
River rescuer risked his life to pull boy, man to safety
David Hickey was enjoying an afternoon run along the shore of the Ottawa River on Wednesday when he noticed a commotion in the water near Westboro Beach. "I saw some splashing in the water. Then when I took one of my headphones out, I heard some screaming and there was a bunch of people gathering by the shore," Hickey, 32, told CBC on Thursday. Someone was in trouble about 20 metres from shore. Without pausing to consider his own safety, Hickey jumped into the water and swam out to help. By the time he reached the struggling swimmers — a younger man and a boy — they had both slipped under the surface. Hickey, a physiotherapist who describes himself as "not the strongest swimmer" despite taking a basic lifeguarding course as a kid, managed to grab hold of the boy and began paddling backward backward toward shore. Realizing the man was still in distress, Hickey told him to hang onto the child, then pulled them both to safety. That's when Hickey discovered there had been a third person in the water — the boy's father, 42-year-old Rowell Navarro. Navarro was eventually pulled from the water, but despite extensive resuscitation efforts he was later pronounced dead in hospital. The younger man, identified by police only as a "quick- thinking member of the public," had jumped into the river to save the father and son, and in doing so had nearly drowned himself. Paramedics told CBC they transported the 27-year-old man to hospital in stable condition. "Three of us came in, but the dad stayed in the water until the firefighters found him," Hickey said. "I think [Navarro] used all of his final energy to hand off his kid to the other guy, and he used all of his energy to keep them up until I was able to get out there and help them." Hickey and other bystanders waited with the boy until first responders arrived. The boy was transported to CHEO "as a precaution," paramedics said Wednesday. Hickey said the river is quite shallow in that area until a steep drop-off not far from shore. "That's where the current really gets messy, so you can walk right out and one step later you're kind of just floating. And that's where they got in trouble, I think," he said. On Thursday, passerby Kevin Power, who has lived nearby for 60 years, said the Ottawa River can be deceiving. "Getting out into these currents with the rapids and such, it can really throw you for a loop and shock you and surprise you, and perhaps that's what happened yesterday," Power said. Hickey said he remembered enough from his training to know it would have been dangerous to go back into the river to search for Navarro. "I'm happy I was able to help and make the situation better, obviously. I don't think there's anything much anyone else could have done to help the dad really at that time, I think he was too far gone," he said. Hickey said he has since exchanged a few text messages with Amanda Laflair, Navarro's wife and mother of eight-year-old William, the boy he helped save. "We just want to say thank you to everybody that reached out to us and offered their help and their condolences. It really means a lot to us at this time," Laflair told CBC in a telephone interview Thursday. "And we especially want to thank the bystander that risked their life to save my son."
CBC
04-07-2025
- CBC
River rescuer risked his life to pull boy, man to safety
Social Sharing David Hickey was enjoying an afternoon run along the shore of the Ottawa River on Wednesday when he noticed a commotion in the water near Westboro Beach. "I saw some splashing in the water. Then when I took one of my headphones out, I heard some screaming and there was a bunch of people gathering by the shore," Hickey, 32, told CBC on Thursday. Someone was in trouble about 20 metres from shore. Without pausing to consider his own safety, Hickey jumped into the water and swam out to help. By the time he reached the struggling swimmers — a younger man and a boy — they had both slipped under the surface. Hickey, a physiotherapist who describes himself as "not the strongest swimmer" despite taking a basic lifeguarding course as a kid, managed to grab hold of the boy and began paddling backward backward toward shore. Realizing the man was still in distress, Hickey told him to hang onto the child, then pulled them both to safety. That's when Hickey discovered there had been a third person in the water — the boy's father, 42-year-old Rowell Navarro. Navarro was eventually pulled from the water, but despite extensive resuscitation efforts he was later pronounced dead in hospital. Dad 'used all his final energy' The younger man, identified by police only as a "quick- thinking member of the public," had jumped into the river to save the father and son, and in doing so had nearly drowned himself. Paramedics told CBC they transported the 27-year-old man to hospital in stable condition. "Three of us came in, but the dad stayed in the water until the firefighters found him," Hickey said. "I think [Navarro] used all of his final energy to hand off his kid to the other guy, and he used all of his energy to keep them up until I was able to get out there and help them." Hickey and other bystanders waited with the boy until first responders arrived. The boy was transported to CHEO "as a precaution," paramedics said Wednesday. Hickey said the river is quite shallow in that area until a steep drop-off not far from shore. "That's where the current really gets messy, so you can walk right out and one step later you're kind of just floating. And that's where they got in trouble, I think," he said. On Thursday, passerby Kevin Power, who has lived nearby for 60 years, said the Ottawa River can be deceiving. "Getting out into these currents with the rapids and such, it can really throw you for a loop and shock you and surprise you, and perhaps that's what happened yesterday," Power said. Mother thanks rescuers Hickey said he remembered enough from his training to know it would have been dangerous to go back into the river to search for Navarro. "I'm happy I was able to help and make the situation better, obviously. I don't think there's anything much anyone else could have done to help the dad really at that time, I think he was too far gone," he said. Hickey said he has since exchanged a few text messages with Amanda Laflair, Navarro's wife and mother of eight-year-old William, the boy he helped save. "We just want to say thank you to everybody that reached out to us and offered their help and their condolences. It really means a lot to us at this time," Laflair told CBC in a telephone interview Thursday. "And we especially want to thank the bystander that risked their life to save my son."
