The recent drowning of an eight-year-old Syrian refugee in Quebec is highlighting the findings of two studies which indicate new arrivals in the country are more at risk of drowning than people born in Canada.
The girl died Sunday after falling into the Magog River in Sherbrooke, east of Montreal.
Local Muslim officials say her family had only moved to the town about two years ago.
A 2010 study done for the Lifesaving Society concluded that new Canadians -- particularly those who have lived in the country for less than five years -- are at a higher risk of drowning than people born here.
A 2016 study focused on children between the ages 11 and 14 who are new to Canada. It concluded they are five times more unlikely to be able to swim than their Canadian-born classmates.
Research shows new Canadians face a number of challenges when it comes to learning how to swim. They include cultural and religious challenges as well as time constraints and day-to-day life struggles.
