Two provincial parks in Alberta will offer visitors the use of life-jackets at no charge as part of a pilot program to raise awareness about the importance of water safety.

Personal flotation devices will soon be offered at no cost to visitors at two Alberta provincial parks. (Chris Landsberger/Oklahoman/Associated Press)The personal flotation devices, or PFDs, will be available at Pigeon Lake park Monday and at Carson Pegasus park by mid-August as part of Kids Don't Float, a program offered by the Alberta government and the Lifesaving Society, a national organization.

Unmanned kiosks near the boat launch sites at the two parks will offer about 20 life-jackets of various sizes for the public to use.

Barbara Kusyanto of the Lifesaving Society says the loan program will work on the honour system.

"We're depending on Albertans' integrity and honesty to borrow the life-jackets and return them to the loaner stations because the loaner stations will be unmanned," she said.

"They will be monitored by parks staff and volunteers … to make sure that the life-jackets are not damaged and are in good shape, and to monitor if life-jackets are not being returned … that sort of thing."

The kiosks will be locked at night, she said.

The program will be re-evaulated if users don't return the PFDs, she said, adding a similar program has proved successful in Alaska.