Lifeguards needed at southern Alberta swimming pools
Global News
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced pool closures, it also put a hold on lifeguard training courses. Pools across the province are struggling to keep lifeguards on staff.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced pool closures, it also put a hold on lifeguard training courses.
Doug Sanders, manager and operator of Cardston Swimming Pool in southern Alberta, said pools across the province are still struggling to keep lifeguards on staff.
“The crisis is not only here in Alberta, but throughout North America,” he said.
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That also includes Lethbridge. According to Sunni Belle, Recreation Excellence general manager for Lethbridge, lifeguard training courses in the city have been near maximum capacity for the last six months. Still, the problems lie in getting people to become certified.
“From start to finish, (getting certified) can take years,” she said. “If you’re 16 and you’re a go-getter, I would say four to six months, depending on how many courses you can find and how much time you have.”
The regulations in Alberta require one lifeguard to monitor about 40 swimmers. Belle said Henderson Pool alone needs at least 18 lifeguards per shift.
“If we don’t have fully staffed pools, then it’s not safe for the public,” she said. “You need to take your first aid; you need your bronze cross; you need your lifeguarding courses (and) water safety instruction courses to be able to teach swimming lessons.
