Discoveries in the Making
The breadth and range of the University of Ottawa's research - from cardiovascular disease to second-language acquisition - impacts on the daily lives of Canadians. Read our short profiles to find out about current research and what could be the next major breakthrough.
Keeping swimmers safe in Canada’s North
The prevention of water-related fatalities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut will require the involvement of community members at the grassroots level. Audrey Giles, an assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics, is working to save lives by examining northern indigenous cultural practices and the role they play in Aboriginal northerners’ involvement in aquatic-based activities, leadership programs and conceptions of water safety and risk. With the help of a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Giles is studying the Northwest Territories Aquatics Program, which has been operating since 1967. She argues that up until now the program was largely based upon Euro-Canadian standards and values concerning water safety, leadership and risk perception. Giles will learn from the pitfalls experienced by the program to determine an improved method of disseminating drowning prevention and health-oriented information that is tailored to meet the needs and interests of the northern people it is trying to help.
Audrey Giles, School of Human Kinetics
Phone: 613-562-5800, ext. 2988
E-mail: audrey.giles@uOttawa.ca
National Drowning Prevention Week is from July 15- 22, 2007
