by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 2/97) - The North has the highest drowning rate in the country.

In the past 12 years there have been 189 drownings in the NWT, 84 due to boating accidents. Males in 16 to 35 years old figure the highest in drownings.

In response, the Canadian Coast Guard is teaming up with partners across the North to teach boating safety in most, if not all, NWT communities.

The coast guard is also promoting the use of life jackets and other floatation equipment.

Boating safety officer Sue MacDonald, who works out of Sarnia, Ont., is responsible for the Prairies and the North.

She says the coast guard will place personal floatation devices in communities -- either vests or suits -- that people can borrow with the intention it will encourage people to buy them.

Communities on cold arctic waters need the suits while the vests will be suitable for areas like the Mackenzie River.

The emphasis of the three-year project will be on doing more with remote Northern communities and smaller southern communities.

The money for the vests and suits is provided through the coast guard and a grant from the National Search and Rescue Secretariat in Ottawa.

"We have to change attitudes. We have to prove to adults the personal flotation devices work," MacDonald says.

"A lot of people have been boating for years and never worn a personal flotation device and don't see the need for it."

After a boating disaster in Iqaluit on Oct. 23, 1994, a lot more PFDs are being seen there, MacDonald says. Six people drowned or died of hypothermia in that incident, while two were saved by their personal flotation devices.

To promote boating safety and personal flotation devices, a contest was held in the territory to name a polar bear safety mascot.

Sarah Ittinuar in Rankin Inlet won with the name Pukta, which means to float.

She won flotation vests for her family while four flotation suits were given to Rankin Inlet hamlet office for people to borrow.

A person climbs inside the Pukta bear suit, which is complete with flotation vest.

Pukta got its first workout in Rankin Inlet when boating safety was promoted in all the schools. And in April, 35 people from 20 partner organizations took a four-day boating safety course in Yellowknife.

This is the third year for the course, which produced five partners the first year and 12 partners in the second.

On behalf of the coast guard, the partners will deliver the message of safe boating by flying into 40 communities this year. The ultimate goal is a course in every community.

MacDonald said the partners try to tie in their boating safety courses with events in communities, so more people are attracted.

The partners come from groups such as the Canadian Forces, RCMP, Sport North, Municipal and Community Affairs and Students Against Drunk Driving.

They have founded the NWT Small Boat Safety Council, working under the umbrella of the coast guard.