A coroner in Saskatchewan wants more water safety programs to target new Canadians after an immigrant man drowned. Muhammad Naqash Ali drowned at an aquatic centre in Saskatoon last June. Coroner Myrna Briggs has ruled his death accidental, noting that the 27-year-old Ali was an inexperienced swimmer. Ali moved to Canada from Pakistan in May 2011 and lived in Ontario before moving to Saskatoon in January 2012. Briggs says Saskatchewan has a growing immigrant population and notes that people from other countries are four times more likely to be unable to swim, putting them at higher risk of drowning. She says the city of Saskatoon, the Lifesaving Society and the Red Cross should recognize the cultural differences and enhance access to water safety programs.
