Lifeguard shortages in Greater Victoria could take up to a year to resolve, even with pools and rec centres offering discounted training sessions and scholarships, an aquatics programmer in Saanich said.
About 30 new lifeguards have been hired at Saanich Commonwealth Place since the start of the year, but the majority are available only two to 12 hours a week, said Cathy Watts. She said lifeguards are asking for more shift flexibility than ever before.
If Saanich wants to meet demand, the centre will have to hire another 50 lifeguards and 40 swimming instructors — effectively double the workforce, she said.
While lifeguards have often been students and other young people, Wells said the rec centre has been hiring more adults looking for a career change. “We have a couple of adults in their 50s who [are] lifeguards, so we’re hiring more diverse ages than ever.”
She said the biggest barrier is the lack of instructors certified to run lifeguard training programs in Greater Victoria, a Canada-wide problem.
About 100 hours of training is needed to become a lifeguard, with additional hours needed to become a swim instructor.
Three Saanich lifeguards recently received the certifications required to train lifeguards. The district is also looking into providing assistant-lifeguard positions for those 15 and over who might not have their full certifications, a position that is already offered at Esquimalt Recreation Centre and Cowichan Aquatic Centre, she said.
“In about a year and a half, two years, I think we can meet the levels that we need to meet the operation needs and community demand, as long as nothing else happens in the world that inhibits that,” she said.
Tiana Solares, senior manager of recreation at the District of Saanich, said the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that entire “feeder” groups of young, aspiring lifeguards could not get the pool hours and training required to get on the ladder for the multi-tier certifications.
The Capital Regional District already offers an income-based scholarship to cover some of the costs of lifeguard training. Saanich plans to launch a lifeguard camp for those ages eight to 12 to entice them into the profession.
Camp participants will have a chance to learn water-rescue techniques and first aid, and to shadow lifeguards on pool decks.
Swimming lessons are the most popular programming activity at the pool, said Solares, and meeting demand has been an ongoing challenge. “Outside of school hours, we could do nothing but swim lessons and I still don’t think we would meet the demand.”
With just under 3,000 swimming spots open per term, it took all of two minutes for swim lessons to fill up when registrations opened at 6 a.m. on April 14.
Swim lesson offerings have increased by 50 per cent since last fall, but are still about 1,000 spots short of pre-pandemic capacity, said Solares, noting swim lesson sessions were split into two, so more people would have access.
Registration for Saanich’s next batch of swimming lessons opens on June 14 at 6 a.m.
Pools in Victoria and Langford are also struggling to hire staff.
Before the pandemic, the YMCA-YWCA had about 75 lifeguards between its downtown Victoria and Langford locations, said Denise Yoreff, director of operations at YMCA-YWCA Vancouver Island.
To attract more lifeguards, the Y recently lowered its training costs, with financial assistance available for those who can’t afford the classes, she said.
“Like everywhere, it seems like we just can’t keep up to the demand,” she said, adding that there’s now a total of only 40 lifeguards for both locations. “Sometimes we have to reduce capacity.”
The Westhills location has a lazy river and a water slide, and each features requires lifeguards to operate.
In particular, older lifeguards are stepping up at the downtown location, Yoreff said.
“They took their courses to help because they knew we needed lifeguards, and they love to swim,” Yoreff said. “It was something for them to do just on a casual basis.”
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