Late July in Canada means plenty of hot weather, which means many Canadians head for the water—either to beat the heat, to enjoy their favourite water-related activity, or both!
Let’s splash into the numbers.
How many households are jumping in?
The Households and the Environment Survey (HES) asks households about various activities, including outdoor activities.
The latest HES data are from 2023, when more than three in four households (77%) in Canada reported participating in outdoor activities close to home.
Just over 1 in 5 households (21%) nationwide reported going swimming, going to the beach, surfing, scuba diving and snorkelling close to home. Households outside of census metropolitan areas (CMAs) (17%) were more than twice as likely as those in CMAs (8%) to report participation in these activities, while those in Prince Edward Island (29%) and British Columbia (28%) were the most likely among the provinces.
Another 1 in 10 households (10%) in Canada went boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rowing, dragon boating, or seadooing. Those in New Brunswick (15%), Nova Scotia (15%) and British Columbia (14%) were the most likely to do so among the provinces.
Households in Newfoundland and Labrador (15%), Prince Edward Island (11%), New Brunswick (11%) and Nova Scotia (10%) reported going fishing close to home more often than the national average (7%).
Oh, the places you’ll go… for some H2O
As of December 2025, there were just over 10,800 fitness and recreational sports centres across Canada, establishments which include swimming pools.
There were also 266 amusement and theme parks, including water parks, as well as 921 marinas.
In 2021, almost one in seven Canadians (14.9%) lived within 10 kilometres of Canada’s coastline—which, at 247,007 kilometres in length, is the longest in the world.
Safety on the water
The third week of July is National Drowning Prevention Week in Canada. The Lifesaving Society has some important tips and resources on staying safe anywhere that you’re in or on the water, or close to it.
In 2024, there were 276 deaths in Canada due to accidental drowning and submersion. Although down from 2023 (323) and 2022 (332), one drowning death is one too many.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).