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Swimming is a valuable life skill that can improve a person’s health, safety, and overall well-being. Swimming as physical activity benefits both one’s mental and physical health. The skill is also transferable to a wide range of other activities, such as canoeing and kayaking. Water related activities are key to various aspects of Québec’s economy, environment, and cultural heritage. A recent survey from the province’s Ministry of Education and Higher Studies estimates that 3 783 000 people aged 6 to 74 swim at least once a year and more than a third (34.8%) swim regularly. [1] As a powerful force of nature, it must also be respected as the risk of drowning, while largely preventable, has not yet been eradicated with an estimated 1.3 deaths per 100,000 Canadians. In Québec, an average of 80 people lose their lives to water, primarily by drowning. Interventions (such as water safety training during swimming lessons) serving to reduce the number of drowning deaths among 0–4-year-olds (at highest risk) has led to a 51% reduction in Canada. This highlights the value of sustained investment in public awareness, education, legislation, and water safety enforcement. In Québec in 2015, however, the decision was made to halt funding for drowning prevention “Swim to Survive” strategies in elementary schools, despite recommendations from coroners and pleas from the provincial Lifesaving Society.