The City of Calgary says a lack of qualified lifeguards is preventing municipal pools from returning to full pre-pandemic activity, but the director of one of the city’s largest swim clubs says a shortage of aquatic facilities is a major reason behind this long wait. list for swimming lessons.
During Tuesday’s city council question period, it was revealed that city-owned aquatic facilities have only been able to return to about 90 percent of their pre-pandemic operating levels.
Community Services Executive Director Katie Black said the city is struggling to recruit and train enough staff – the situation is so bad at the Southland Recreation Center and Village Square that there are only enough for a team of qualified rescuers.
“We continue to run public skills training programs so we can have people ready to become lifeguards – but actually, many of those programs aren’t operating at full capacity either,” Black said.
The City of Calgary says due to a shortage of lifeguards, municipal pools can only operate at about 90 per cent capacity.
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Regulations also require an aquatic leash to be in place whenever lifeguards are on duty, Black added.
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But because most of the lifeguards working for the city are relatively new, these leadership positions have been particularly difficult to fill.
Jason Pratt of Calgary’s Cascade Swim Club says swimming is a life skill everyone needs to know, but Calgary’s lack of aquatic facilities means there’s a long waiting list for lessons.
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Jason Pratt of the Cascade Swim Club believes the problem goes beyond the shortage of lifeguards.
“Huge demand,” Pratt said. “We are at a historic level of registrations, but there is simply no more room. We are at full capacity.
“Swimming is a life skill that everyone needs to know for their own health and safety,” Pratt added. “So not being able to offer classes to everyone who wants them is detrimental to the community.”
Jason Pratt of Cascade Swim Club says participating in sports, like swimming, is an extremely important part of overall health and well-being.
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“What sport is, what swimming is, is that we are a hugely underappreciated arm of the Canadian healthcare system for long-term health and well-being,” Pratt said.
“Not being able to offer little kids the learn-to-swim lessons or learn-to-competition program that they should have access to – the long-term effects of this will be felt in every other aspect of their lives, probably for the rest. of their lives. »
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