With warmer weather, summer is the perfect time to get outside and be more active.
Walking, cycling and rolling safely
Summer means more people are walking, cycling or using e-bikes and scooters to get around. Explore your community by choosing a route on the TransLink Metro Vancouver Cycling Maps or try something new—like rollerblading on an inline skating track.
As you get around, keep yourself and others safe with these tips:
- Always wear a properly fitted helmet when cycling, skateboarding, skating or riding a scooter. Learn more about helmet safety here.
- Using an e-scooter? Review the provincial rules and guidelines for riding electric kick scooters safely.
- Find tips on cycling safety on the HUB Cycling website.
Explore the outdoors safely
Spending time outdoors is a great way to get active, and outside play has many mental health benefits for children and families. It’s also a great opportunity to discover new places in your community.
Some ideas include:
- Playing in a forest or park, and trying a new regional park.
- Exploring a local stream – Check out these beautiful watershed walks in the region.
- Going on a walk or hike:
- Walk your way to health provides a guide to local walking adventures for all generations, or check out Poetry in Motion in White Rock.
- Vancouver Trails provides information on difficulty, distance and time to hike for trails across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Whistler region.
- Looking to limit screen time? Learn more about screen time for children on Fraser Health’s website. Or play the bingo style Screen Aware Challenge.
As you plan your outdoor activities, keep these safety tips in mind:
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Be prepared before you head out
- While enjoying nature, be aware of any camp, cooking or general fire restrictions.
- Some B.C. parks require day-use passes.
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Protect yourself from pests
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Learn about insect bites and stings, prevention and when to get help.
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To reduce mosquito bites:
- Use insect repellent (e.g., DEET).
- Wear long sleeves and pants in the early morning and evening.
- Use screens, nets or fans outdoors.
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To reduce mosquito breeding sites:
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Empty standing water from:
- Buckets, planters, bird baths.
- Kiddie pools, tarps, gutters.
- Change water in containers at least weekly.
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Empty standing water from:
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To reduce mosquito bites:
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Find out how to avoid tick bites and safely remove ticks, and learn about tick-borne diseases.
- Ticks can spread diseases such as Lyme disease.
- Wear light-coloured clothes and cover as much of your body as possible in grassy or wooded areas.
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After being outdoors:
- Check your body and pets for ticks.
- Remove ticks promptly using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the head as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull straight out. If you’re not able to remove it yourself fully, seek medical attention.
- Use eTick.ca to have a tick identified and tested for Lyme disease.
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Learn about insect bites and stings, prevention and when to get help.
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Stay safe around animals and wildlife
- Stay safe around bats, since bats can carry rabies.
- Get bat safety tips from WildSafeBC.
- Learn how to protect yourself from rabies when travelling [Link to rabies section in travel smart page below].
- Visiting a petting zoo or open farm can be a fun and educational experience, but it’s important to interact with animals safely. In rare cases, animals can spread serious diseases to people.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching animals or their surroundings. Learn more about petting zoo and farm safety.
- Stay safe around bats, since bats can carry rabies.
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Foraging and plant safety
- Do not eat wild mushrooms or plants unless identified by an expert
- Teach children not to eat unknown berries or plants
- Be aware of poisonous plants (e.g., giant hogweed, poison ivy)
- Wash skin after contact with unknown plants
- Learn more:
- Death cap mushrooms (HealthLink BC)
- Poisonous Wild Mushrooms (BC Centre for Disease Control)
Stay safe around water
Heading to the beach, pool or lake is a great way to cool off this summer – but it’s important to be aware of the risks.
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Water safety tips for boaters, waders and swimmers. Don’t underestimate the dangers of swimming in open water and currents. Get tips to prevent drowning in pools and open water.
- Learn more about open water safety at the Lifesaving Society.
- Stay updated on current beach conditions and advisories in effect. The latest beach sample reports are also available.
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Find more tips for swimming and water safety:
- Safety tips for swimmers (HealthLink BC)
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs (HealthLink BC)
- Swimmer's itch (HealthLink BC)
- Cyanobacteria blooms (blue-green algae) (HealthLink BC)