au revoir, serge

We bid a relunctant adieu to our gastronomic wizard, Serge L’Ecuyer as he retires after 26 years.

If Chef Michael is the brains behind the kitchen, then his trusty sidekick, Serge L’Ecuyer, is certainly the heart of it. Many members might not know Serge, but he is always tirelessly working behind the scenes. Since the day he walked into the Club's kitchen in May of 1997, no one has made a bigger difference in what members have received on their plates over the past twenty-five plus years. Serge has an uncommon skill set that ranges from ultra sophisticated to the best of the basics, all the way up to fine dessert and pastry work. As a duo, he and Chef Michael have been incomparable, inseparable, and inexhaustible. In the early days, they often worked in the kitchen alone, but broadened and elevated the culinary program since then. It will truly take three people to replace him as he often preps entire banquets, runs the front line, and fulfils all the Chef to Go orders seemingly by himself. A true throwback, workhorse, and exacting professional, Serge is so one of a kind that the mould broke trying to make him. ♦

Quilchena terrace Construction Update

The new outdoor deck structure for the Quilchena Terrace is scheduled to be ready for member and function usage on Sunday, April 30.

Boasting state of the art fixtures, finishings, and operations, the retractable roof pergola will be an amazing amenity for all our member events all year-round including spring brunches, summer parties, Grapes & Hops, and Breakfast with Santa alike. The new outdoor deck will fea- ture a permanent bar, televisions, accordion doors, and sliding panels that open the entire deck to the Kerrisdale Valley. With gorgeous roof top views once members and guests arrive, they may never want to leave.

Contact Kim McBurney, Catering Manager, for details on how to book the space for your next celebration or how to sign up for one of our famous member events at catering@arbutusclub.com or 604-266-7169. ♦

Aquatics

ith warm weather around the corner, we naturally begin to look forward to visits to lakes, boat rides, and days at the beach. It is important to develop and practise safety in and around water. Understanding how to recognize when there is a risk and being prepared can keep you having fun all summer long.

If you are of a particular age, you might remember watching the likes of Captain Mitch Buchannan saving a swimmer flailing around, splashing, and waving for help on a weekly episode of Baywatch. Perhaps you are more of a YouTube aficionado and have seen the dramatic rescue efforts of the lifeguards on Bondi Rescue. No matter the frame of reference, there is a false idea of what someone looks like when they’re drowning: violent splashing and calling for help. However, the reality of drowning is different than the depictions in pop culture.

A swimmer who is struggling in the water will not be able to wave their arms in the air and they will be unable to call for help. In this situation, panicking individuals are unable to perform voluntary arm movements, such as waving, and will instinctively focus on trying to breathe, rendering speech a secondary function. This leaves someone incapable of calling for help. What you’re more likely to see is someone trying to climb an “invisible ladder.” They will be vertical in the water, with their heads tipped back, low in the water, mouths at or above the surface, and taking quick breaths until their mouths go under water. You may also see that their eyes are either closed or appear glassy, and are unable to focus. Some people, especially children, may not even show signs of struggle. They slip, jump, or fall in the water and they can potentially sink down to the bottom with little to no struggle.

If a child is is just learning to swim having them in a floatie such as a puddle jumper, water wings, or a lifejacket (aside from those approved by Transport Canada), without active supervision or within arm’s reach, puts them at risk of drowning. Floaties are not a substitute for adult supervision.

A child might be a fish as soon as they are in water, but this does not remove risk. If you don’t maintain a healthy respect around any body of water, everyone is at risk. Your toddler might be a natural in the water, but developmentally toddlers don’t understand the dynamics of water, such as depth and buoyancy. Older children might have a greater understanding of the water and may have confidence in their overall abilities, but they still may not be able to conceptualise distances in the water, their own limitations, and how to recover if something unexpected happens. Even a strong swimmer could be completely derailed by a wave or current, accidentally breath in some water or accidentally get kicked or hit by someone they’re swimming with. Without vigilant supervision something seemingly minor could turn into a critical incident.

An excellent teaching and safety tool, floaties can also displace the body’s natural buoyancy from one part of their body to another. Water wings allow children to float vertically with buoyancy from their arms; however, your natural balance comes from the centre of your body and you best float in a horizontal position. If a child doesn’t understand their natural centre of buoyancy, they lose the ability to know how to stand up in water when they fall or jump in – even in shallow water. Depending on the type of floatie being used, children may not have the strength to counter the buoyancy of the floatation device. For example, if they are on their stomach, they may not be able to flip themselves over or stand up.

It is best for swimmers to avoid dependancy. According to experts, if a child wears floaties every time they’re in the water they may not necessarily understand that it is not just part of their swim wear. They may begin to believe that when they are in the water they will always float – with or without the floatie on. Floaties provide a false sense of security which can cause them to confidently jump into the water without the safety device. Adults can also become dependent on floaties, as they might assume that while their child is wearing it, it is safe to look away from a child they are supervising.

10 ways to practice water safety in the Pool.

It is important to build water safety habits in a comfortable, familiar setting, before heading out into other environments. Here are some tips on how to build good habits:

Familiarize both yourself and your children with the rules in the pool area

The Club's aquatic rules are in place to preserve the health and safety of your families. They also translate to good habits outside of the pool area. The most important rule in our facility is that children under the age of 8 must have an adult in the water within arm’s reach in the Main Pool. Children under the age of 5 must have an adult in the water within arm’s reach in the Tot Pool, and children 5-8 years old must have an adult in swim attire actively supervising from the pool deck.

Practise stop, look, and ask

Stop, look, and ask encourages young swimmers to stop before they get in the water, recognize if there is an adult in the water, and assess dangers when getting in the water, such as depth, dangerous animals, large obtrusive objects, and asking before entering the water. Letting children run and jump into unknown water can be incredibly risky. If you practise having your kids wait for you to get in before they do. This helps reinforce the importance of looking for danger and asking for permission, while decreasing the chance that they might unexpectedly jump off a boat or dock into deep water when you’re not looking.

Put away devices and other distractions

Active supervision is incredibly important. Drowning can happen within seconds and guardians may not hear it happening. Being distracted for mere seconds can be enough time for the unimaginable to happen. While you’re at the pool, practise having your devices on silent or put away with the rest of your belongings. The same practise applies while in nature, but have your phone within reach in the case of an emergency. The Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition recommends consistent, uninterrupted supervision to prevent drowning.

Keep young children within arm’s reach

Young, beginnner swimmers require constant touch supervision. This means being in the water with children you are caring for within reaching distance. Everyone is susceptible to getting stuck underwater, growing fatigued, or panicking when something unexpected happens, so even if a child is a stronger swimmer in water supervision is still paramount.

Take young children in both pools

Not all water will be warm and shallow. Helping children become comfortable in pools of different depth and temperature can help prepare them for water activities outside of the pool.

Practise swimming with and without your floaties

Familiarize children in water with and without floaties will help them better understand themselves in the water. It is also a good idea to keep a floatation device nearby, so that if you or your child grow fatigued in the water, you have backup.

Practise flipping on your back in water

The easiest way to preserve energy in the water is to float on your back. If you grow fatigued in the water, the best way to take a rest is to stop and flip on your back. If you’re a beginner, the easiest way to swim safely is by swimming on your back. This is because you can easily breathe, you’re not struggling to hold your head up, and you don’t have to exert as much energy to stay on the surface. Practising this skill can save the lives of both adults and children.

Employ a buddy system when swimming

This applies both to the children in the water and adults supervising. With older kids, having them pair up with a friend or sibling helps them ensure they are keeping track of each other and is a a layer of protection. With adults, having another adult there to either take turns to supervise or as an extra set of eyes on your kids in the water is a great way to make sure that you’re covered.

It's important to teach children their limitations

Swimming often in small spaces can make it challenging to recognize how far you can swim before you begin to fatigue. Most drownings occur within 3 to 15 metres from a dock, shoreline, or pool edge. The standard safe zone is to swim within 50 metres from the edge of any body of water or pool. This is easy practice as it is only two lengths of our pool. If they can’t quite make 50 metres that’s okay, it will then give an idea of how far they can safely swim for both you and them.

Don’t rely on lifeguards as first line of defence

Lifeguards are not a substitute for adult supervision in the pool and in many outdoor places they are not on duty. While having lifeguards present increases the safety of a space significantly – statistically only 1% of drownings happen in a lifeguard supervised setting as opposed to 81% occurring in a lake, pond, river, or ocean – they are responsible for scanning each person in a pool area every 30 seconds and there can be up to 40 persons in the pool per lifeguard to watch. According to the Canadian Drowning Prevention Plan, primary measures for prevention include vigilant supervision, survival swimming skills, lifejacket usage, and putting safety first. Lifeguard rescue is ranked as a secondary measure.

Finally, don’t be surprised if a lifeguard kindly asks you to get in the water with the children

The Arbutus Club art program welcomes young members of all skill levels and offers a variety of classes that help children develop an appreciation for the visual arts by exploring different mediums, techniques, and ideas. Participants learn how to express themselves, communicate creatively, and structure their ideas visually. With our gallery we hope to showcase the imagination and marvellous works of particpants. ♦