The City of Calgary says a lack of qualified lifeguards is keeping city-owned pools from recovering to full pre-pandemic operations, but the manager of one of the city’s biggest swim clubs says a shortage of aquatic facilities is a bigger reason behind the long waiting list for swimming lessons.
During question period at city council on Tuesday, it was revealed that city-owned aquatic facilities have only been able to recover to about 90 per cent of pre-pandemic operation levels.
General manager of community services, Katie Black, said the city is having trouble recruiting and training enough staff — the situation so acute at the Southland and Village Square Leisure Centre’s that there’s only enough for one shift of qualified lifeguards.
“We are continuing to run public qualification training programs so we can have people ready to be lifeguards – but in fact many of those programs are also running at less than full capacity,” said Black.
The city of Calgary says a shortage of lifeguards means city-owned pools are only able to operate at about 90 per cent capacity.
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Regulations also call for an aquatic lead to be in place whenever lifeguards are on shift, added Black.
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But because so many of the lifeguards working for the city are relatively new, those senior positions have been especially difficult to fill.
Jason Pratt of Calgary’s Cascade Swim Club says swimming is a life skill that everyone needs to know, but a shortage of aquatic facilities in Calgary 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 a shortage of lifeguards.
“Huge demand,” said Pratt. “We are at an historical high in registrations, but there is just no more room. We are at capacity.”
“Swimming is a life skill that everyone needs to know for their own health and safety,” added Pratt. “So to not be able to offer lessons to everyone who wants them is a detriment to the community.”
Jason Pratt of the Cascade Swim Club says participation in sports, like swimming, is a hugely important part of overall health and wellness.
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“What sport is, what swimming is, that we are a hugely under-appreciated arm of the Canadian health care system for long term health and wellness,” said Pratt.
“To not be able to offer little kids the learn to swim lessons of or the learn to compete program that they should have access to — the long term effects of that are going to be felt in all other aspects of their life probably for the rest of their life.”